Bye bye Skoda, buy new £200 car, fix new £200 car...

[@gaz1603]

Most you tubers are buying lambos, Ian buys a £200 Mazda/Eunos! I wholeheartedly approve.

[@klwthe3rd]

Thats why we love this channel! 🤗

[@terryatkinson899]

And he loves it like a Lamborghini...

[@TheChipmunk2008]

​@@terryatkinson899 lambowot? Reliant you say?

[@bangerbangerbro]

You make it sound like this is the only enthusiast channel.

[@chlorine7922]

Hubnut: "No point in having a Haynes manual for the Skoda anymore" Me: Looks at bookcase with 4 Haynes manuals on for cars I don't own anymore... I just like looking at them. Haynes manuals are a work of art - alongside Lego construction booklets.

[@chrispenn715]

Haha - I agree. I must have about 15 of them tucked away, including ones for the Mk2 Jaguar, Alfasud and Hillman Imp!

[@georgekaritzis2374]

I keep my old Haynes manuals , Its driving history .

[@rich_edwards79]

Call me sad, but I used to read them when I was a kid. I learned a lot about cars from them. Of course, it's a different story when you try to use one to repair your own car and realise that half of the steps don't correspond with the pile of rusty nuts and bolts laid before you...

[@chlorine7922]

@@rich_edwards79 I did the same

[@the.internet]

We're all in the same boat here, chaps. Love an old Haynes manual.

[@k1ckyscotland988]

Those passenger side doors,could they be described as "Went faster stripes"?.

[@jeffhughes1318]

There's yer actual Bangernomics, right there, working as intended. Excellent.

[@R33Racer]

Not really when the MOT has >2 weeks left. . . It certainly won't go through it smoothly this time.

[@dubmatix1]

Love these car collection trips, probably my favourite part of Hubnut. Keep up the good work!

[@LITTLEMANADVENTURSES]

Very nice car I’m going to miss seeing the Skoda I hope the new owner looks after it

[@johnnorth9355]

Every newly qualified impecunious young persons dream car ! Few tins of filler, a couple of rattle cans, some go faster stripes and stickers and a loud exhaust and heaven awaits (hopefully not literally).

[@dastardlyman]

you are the "game of thrones" of bangernomics - we all get attached to a character then its gone! I love it - keep up the great work!

[@smoothmicra]

I'm a big fan of Skoda's, amazingly the only real survivor of the Eastern Bloc motors that have gone on to compete with the best cars in the family hatch category. Viva Skoda!

[@tomfu6210]

Don't forget Dacia, very popular on continent as family choise.

[@robc5955]

Assuming you can get an MOT what you need next is the same colour car sitting in a scrapyard with good doors. Oh and a sunroof, wipers, tyres........air intake duct......an idle control valve.......and probably brakes, all the usual service items. But you may still have a good cheap car, if you can control the urge not to then part company, and that’s the real challenge!

[@anthonyfmoss]

“The biggest fault with this car is that it does everything a bit too well”. Another classic Hubnut quote to add to the collection. Like a lot of people am sad to see the Favorit go, particularly as a long time ŠKODA fan, but loving the 323 already; looking forward to future videos on it. Great to see all these rare-ish cars.

[@huntsbychainsaw5986]

Good to see the Skoda has found a new home. Always remember. Love is like a fart, if you have to force it, its probably shit. I find it best not to mess your trousers trying to guess what lies within. ;-)

[@johnsaunders410]

I had a 323 for 4 years until a young lady ran into it and wrote it off. Mine was a special edition 'Intrique' with alloys and a spoier, I put cream leather seats in it. Mine was immaculate and went very well indeed. It looked quite exotic and no body knew what it was! Everybody complained how low it was! I broke the wreck for spares but they are all gone except for a set of shabby alloys with scrap tyres. Free if you wanted them? They are good interesting looking cars with surprising performance. Now I am in to Alfa 147.

[@garyhammond8622]

This is why I love watching Hubnut, most people try to buy a better car than the one before , not Hubnut. I can see your next purchase been something like Fred Flintsone went around in.

[@grenvillephillips6998]

They sure know how to key a car in Yorkshire!

[@Zadster]

Probably some Lancastrian raiders.

[@marklittler784]

Probably had a collision with a rhino at the safari park...

[@leon370]

Grenville Phillips southport is in merseyside

[@marklittler784]

@@leon370 or Merseyside is in Southport 😂

[@arfanmedni7294]

I was going to say practice your filling, sanding and painting skills, then I saw the hole made by a transformer!

[@darrenwilkins7670]

Great video Ian...Interesting to see the steam engines!!..Used to love watching all the Fred Dibnah Programmes with these kind of vehicles..

[@pugman205]

Fred was a legend in his own right!

[@NOWThatsRichy]

Lovely old steam engines, the days when things were built to last forever!

[@user-s1o3nr532]

Well done - from your live stream I was expecting your journey home in this to be in several instalments over the next few weeks or so!

[@beowulf5982]

I love your channel please do not stop making videos

[@sideshowrod1312]

That's some keying on that Mazda - what did the previous owner do to piss off King Kong?

[@christineayres7094]

Tesco car park dings, nothing a good wax and polish cant fix LOL

[@edwinreid8355]

A matron at boarding school had one of these in that same turquoise colour. Loved the design of them.

[@ianbird4737]

I suspect that you are going to find an awful lot of perished rubber under the bonnet. Regarding the sunroof leaking ... looking at the amount of moss (and presumably other algal) growth, the leak could be capillary action between the glass and its rubber seal. Take the glass out (often easier said than done) and give everything a serious good clean. The only car I ever had with a sunroof leaked but doing a deep clean (so the glass could seal against the rubber rather than against something biological) cured it.

[@CarlJones14]

All that sunroof needs is a sheet of plasterboard. I hate sunroofs.

[@kimkiriniki9433]

Intrigued by the 323F, always kinda wanted to own one but never did...many thanks for sharing your experiences with this example.

[@thebighonmotors3452]

I found this channel purely by mistake some many months ago , now I am addicted simply brilliant , glad the Mazda got you home .

[@frazzleface753]

Glad to see that BMW drivers are the same the world over!

[@redsorgum]

Frazzle Face Yep, I live in Southern California, and it’s an infestation/cesspool of BMW’s. So many of them drive like a bunch of entitled butt wipes......

[@BarryAllenMagic]

Audi drivers (in the UK anyway) now come a very close second!

[@suffolksettler5106]

my 325ti compact being the unloved one, seems to have the optional fit indicators and the ability to let other people out of junctions. Never mind at least it isn't an Audi

[@Ragnar8504]

There was a (German) meme on Facebook years ago... "If you're feeling utterly useless in your job, just remember there's some poor sod fitting indicators at BMW all day long!" :-D Then of course there's the saying that goes at least back to the 60s "Mercs have built-in yield signs!". The vehicles with the absolutely worst reputation in Austria where I live are Aixams and their ilk though. Until the late 90s or so they could be driven by anyone over the age of 24 without any sort of licence or formal training, so their drivers tended to be unpredictable at best. Some called them "Tippler's Porsches" because they were said to be popular among alcoholics who'd lost their licence. I seem to remember I actually had a chat with someone who did just that with a 60s-vintage Puch Meister cabin scooter in 1998 or thereabouts.

[@JeeGee114]

@@BarryAllenMagic They are in third place nowadays over here behind the diesel Geely-Volvo twats.

[@williamfellows1102]

I believe you gave the impression it would be a keeper, based on comments made when you first brought it.

[@HubNut]

Nah. Very few cars make it to the hallowed list of keepers. TWC and Elly the 2CV are about it.

[@maxrockatansky1772]

@@HubNut don't forget the nippa!!

[@delukxy]

Your sunroof "leak" maybe just condensation due to cold nights and sun on the roof. However, that can be due to wet floors due to other leaks including possible blocked sunroof drains. Primera experience talking here. I like these. A neat and tidy shape, and sporty for a 4 door.

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

Blocked drains are the usual culprit. Just jack up one courser of the car at a time and pour water from a teapot....

[@willtricks9432]

Screwdriver, a pair of pliers and an adjustable spanner every time I pick up a new car. My favourite spot for buying motors is south west preferably Cornwall, gives me a chance to ride the coast train through Dawlish. Took a jack and a wheel brace for a Landrover last time. Cheers

[@roderickharrison7520]

I always liked these. They don't look too dated all these years later and still full of Japanese practicality.

[@monkeyboyclyde]

If you need a cheapo motor, old Japanese stuff is the best by a long way I reckon

[@iliaslamari7315]

I'm not really a fan of the later 323F's. The pre-facelift ones (323F 1.6i GLX's) with the popup headlights are the one to own! *Maybe, with a pair of colour matching right doors, some roof sealant for the sunroof, a secondhand rear reflector panel, CV-axel and boot, intake hose and colour matching front bumper it would look way better!* Contact a junkyard if they have a Mazda 323f it this particular colour. It's pretty common on those later 323f's and maybe the would gif you the parts for free or with a good discount, they aren't much worth anyway! Good luck with the MoT!

[@kurtseyffert6649]

nicer looking the older ones are imo

[@niklaswejedal463]

What a great choice of car! Had the smaller 323c back in 2002 - 2006 and it was a blast to drive. Only two major problems; rusted like there was no tomorrow and a bit too much noice in the cabin otherwise absolutely awesome. Will be interesting to follow your adventures in and with this car

[@krissjacobsen9434]

Wow! A few years ago I used to have a Mazad exactly like this, even in the same color and with just as many dents! If there is one car I really regret getting rid of, it was this. I even had the same issue with the pipe from the air cleaner box. I used superglue to fix it. You should however have it checked for rust. Especially the rear of the sills, the front floorboards and the rear crossmember tends to rust quite a bit. Mine had a few holes in the sills and the floorboard. The rear strut towers should also be checked for rustholes, but those are usually easier to check from the inside of the trunk. Anyway, congrats! These are great cars. Can't wait to see what you'll do this this :)

[@neilthomas9244]

"Home again, home again, jig a de jig, two hundred quid down and I've bought a pig"!

[@antonyhowell6189]

Hi, Atlantic 252 was the only radio station I could pick up from barmouth to llandudno on a Sunday night. Happy days.

[@peterbarker6249]

Excellent ! "Iong wave radio - Atlantic 252"

[@philtowle4683]

Didn't know it still existed

[@vix_in_japan]

I have to say as someone who is completely clueless and disinterested in cars in general, your channel is so entertaining and interesting and having driven some pretty ropey motors in my time, it does speak to me :) Good work! (My first car was a £20 Mk1 Fiesta, I went one better with the next, a free Mk 2 Fiesta 1.4S....)

[@myke104uk]

A mate of mine had one of these years ago, twas lovely, went like the clappers! Great car in it's day!

[@ibbykhan942]

My cousin had two of these, they were surprisingly quick! I have seen a Hyundai Pony for sale....I quite fancy it for my fleet

[@robinwells8879]

I love the fact that for £200 you still deliver! Bang goes the profit. Generous to a fault! At least you inherited a nearly full tank of fuel.

[@profrumpo]

Certainly some nice design going on there, and seemed very nippy. Just needs a couple of recycled doors (both different colours naturally.

[@Mercmad]

Lady Fiona the traction engine Ran from Sydney NSW to Mudgee on a daily service. What a mission that must have been back then!!! It's about 270Km and takes around 3.5 hours to drive it in 2019 but back then it would have been a full days steaming ,not to mention snow in winter and drying heat in summer.

[@joefranks9230]

Brilliant had the privilege of owning a 1989 323f with the pop up lights lovely memories. Thanks for the video mate

[@petergouldbourn2312]

You make me laugh Ian. Sometimes your whimsical manners are most amusing. I understand your sense of humour and your presentation of ridiculousness. Brilliant. Pete 🇬🇧

[@MrGazzw]

Great car that's the best definition of a good old banger, love it. I do really like the look of the 323f and agree with you about the windows. Talking about the Lada Samara, I had a 3yr old 1.5L mid range one, and it was nicer than i expected. It was easy to drive, motored well and was quite refined for what it was. It was quicker than I thought it would be and handled better than expected. My only real niggle with it was the gearbox, reverse was by 1st and only needed a slight extra push over to engage reverse, but if you rushed at junctions or traffic lights, you could very easily inadvertently put it in to reverse and not realise till you almost hit the car behind you. I wrote it out after about 8mths after hitting black ice one new Year's eve on way home from work, after I got home, I got ready and went out with drinking with family and friends, a hell of a way to start a new year.

[@kells77]

All that pissing about with badges and you got rid of it !

[@bextar6365]

Brad Kells .....He went from the frying pan directly into the fire.

[@triumphbloke2011]

Love the colour of t he 323, the sunroof might benefit from a good clean, lube and some silicon spray on the seals. You never know.

[@micheltebraake7915]

The Mazda drives pretty well to see after the emergency repair of the air intake pipe. Good car :-)

[@dazt103]

Safely home. It was never in doubt...🙂. Totally agree with the sweeping generalisation of BMW drivers.👍

[@Fogg-yi8sg]

One thing to keep at eye on is the where the top radiator hose connects, the o-ring on the distributor can leak oil onto the top hose and cause the rubber to degrade and the hose to pop!

[@lloydvehicleconsulting]

Seeing this brings back so many memories! My 1997 Mazda 323F 1.5 Innsbruck Special Edition had an identical interior in every way (apart from a Sony cassette player), although the sunroof did not leak.... The Innsbruck had low profile tyres, a rear boot spoiler and spats along the rear sills (like the V6), and so looked even more sporty, but had an even harder ride than the GLX. The engine, identical to the car in the video, felt stronger than 90 bhp, but did not return very good economy (just 35 mpg or so). I had to sell it after about three years, as I couldn't afford to run it any more, but I would definitely have another, probably with less moss and fewer holes in the bodywork...

[@bazasulli4975]

In all of my 20 years, I think I've only seen 10 323's but they were mostly 3 door. Think only 2 of the 10 I seen were the 5 door like yours. It's nice to see a long and well forgotten car in 2019. Good on you Ian.

[@bobwatson2531]

Hi Ian,I had a knock from a CV Joint on my last car,Renault scenic,for over 4 years,so long as boot not split,no problem.Good luck with your latest purchase.

[@EdgyNumber1]

I'd love to do a proper resto job on one of these. I always thought (at that time) the idea of a 5-door coupe fascinating, as opposed to a typical 5-door hatchback or 4-door fastback. These Mazdas sat a bit too high off the ground for me but I bet the had a more focused edition in Japan.

[@Zeus-kj7nn]

Those polishing vids on the Fabia were legendary 😂. I will actually miss this car.

[@JSFMD]

When I was 16, my parents bought a new 1990 Mazda 323 hatchback, crimson red with black trim, which I drove to school with my younger brother and parked amongst the other kids' 1980s vintage Camrys and Civics. I loved that car, and it never let me down. After I went to university my parents used it as a beater car and squeezed every last mile out of it.

[@BazAdams-]

My mum had a 323F when I was younger, I absolutely loved it! I believe it was a 1.5 too I hated when she sold it but a truck took the side out 👎

[@the.internet]

Tbh it looks like a truck took the side out of this one too lol

[@ckm-mkc]

Sunroof is likely a clogged drain. Just dealt with that in the Volvo, but with 3" of accumulated water in the passenger footwell (rained 20" in 24 hrs) above the carpet it also took out the amp under the seat.....

[@BrikMT]

Nice fix with the silver tape, re-do it in black and job done, no need to purchase a replacement!

[@Toontrain]

Did you discover the "power band" that kicks in at 3500rpm when driving in 5th gear my 323F used to take off when it hit 3.5k on the rev counter hence why I named it Hoss cos it pulled like a horse in 5th gear, still it has to be said that Mazda make a mean 1.5L engine

[@HubNut]

Can't say it really takes off, but does have more torque than I expected.

[@Zadster]

Traditionally, 16 valve engines do tend to perk up at higher revs, having poorer fuel/air mixing low down. Having said that, it seems a happy little engine, pulling rather well (faulty pipe notwithstanding).

[@jusb1066]

@@Zadster yes vvt is what made 16v hit more mainstream, it increased the low torque to act more like an 8v

[@stevo6900]

Always liked the look of the 323 especially the 5th Gen gtx and the 6 Gen 323f with wrap around rear spoiler and pop up head lights at the time 1980-1990 I was driving VW Sciroccos a 323f left me for dust on the newly built A47

[@melb6528]

Nice car, but probably not that particular one!

[@arfanmedni7294]

Pop up headlights model was cool, but legislation made is hard to any manufacturers to keep this feature.

[@steve0680657]

The sunroof leak is probably a split/disconnected rear washer water supply line. You tested it and commented it wiped but didn't wash. The rear washer jet water was deposited in the roof.

[@HubNut]

Your theory sadly falls down on the fact the reservoir is in the boot. ;-)

[@amosburton5227]

To be honest Ian I think providing mot time goes well a couple of replacement doors a bit of general maintenance tinkering that could tidy up to be a nice little car

[@claywithers523]

Glad you found the running problem, gave you a better chance to test the capabilities of the new fleet member. Obviously MOT is the main issue, prior to you spending anything on this cheap run around, that MOT needs to be assessed. Bit of tape will cover the hole in the door, to stop a possible sharp edge MOT failure. Don't know about emissions given the inlet leaks. But MOT booking asap would be my priority. But you must do as you see fit. You are after all is said the owner at the end of the day. Good luck!

[@mehrzahl2219]

Interesting that it's still idling at 1200 rpm. Does it have OBD2? You may want to pull the codes then...

[@darrenwilson8042]

I suspect the Skoda was slow and as I keep seeing you in that or TWC thats why this Mazda feels so perky Ian. Had you got the V6 you may have been convinced you were piloting a space shuttle lol

[@spainter1985]

The Favorit is in a different league compared to a Samara. You ought to try a Felicia after to see how they compare - they certainly feel a lot perkier than the Favorit even though the base engine is the same. Always thought this generation 323F was quite unimaginative following the previous pop-up headlight version but at £200 it's got to be worth a go!

[@charitycharity3316]

Then air filter intake hoses are OK only 30 quid on feebay and while your on there a nice thick go faster stripe down the side will satisfy the MOT tester

[@solent7430]

I’m genuinely sad to see the Skoda go, it surprised me how much I liked it! There’s something about the lack of electronic gizmos and the simplicity. Somehow I don’t think your new arrival will be as trouble-free 🤔

[@HubNut]

We will see...

[@kittyhawk9707]

I had the same .... mine was M reg .. Alloys and a spoiler .. but exactly the same colour.. Fantastic car .. loved it to bits .. I have had 3 in total .. 2 Pop up head light mk1's and this one.

[@BlueXonar]

I wouldn't even bother replacing the hose until you've had it MOT'd lol.

[@HubNut]

I don't intend to!

[@gregcrawford3791]

real shame bout damage,other wise it will be great cheap motor,but never tidy. so strong the mazda mine going great, its mazdas lightness that makes them good cornerspeed. and smoother the faster tou travel..dont spend too much

[@Dan-hq2js]

I was never a big fan of the exterior, but i love the interiors, they feel quality. the inside hasn't changed much since the previous model with the nicer looking exterior and pop up lights :) nippy little motors

[@cambs0181]

I am looking forward to seeing how you are going to handle the side door damage. Replace or repair?

[@HubNut]

Who knows? MOT first, then worry about it.

[@the.internet]

To answer your question on whether the Skoda was a slow 1.3 - my Felicia had the same engine and yes, it was slow indeed. The 1.0 litre car I had before it (Suzuki Swift) seemed quicker and the 1.3 litre Starlet I replaced it with was a rocket compared to the Felicia. I did LOVE that Skoda though! Probably the most practical hatch I've ever owned. £200 well spent on that Mazda. Not a car I'd really notice myself, but that interior is ahead of the game and like you say, built at the same time as the Favorit but very, very different cars. Good stuff!

[@lifelong5425]

Zoom Zoom...Mazda, beyond underrated. All part of the design that they maintain sport style handling, deliver wonderful ride feel and don't cost a fortune to enjoy. What never ceases to amaze is how poorly some people literally treat cars they buy so badly, then complain about the cost of maintaining them. Never had the model in North American market. As of this view, can see you don't have it anymore.

[@Witheredgoogie]

The ECU has probably adapted to the air leak- if you disconnect the battery for about 20 secs and reconnect it will clear the ECU and it will start learning again the new conditions, it will not happen straight away but over a course of a few start ups...well something like that anyway i think

[@HubNut]

It seems fine today. Still idles very high on cold start, but settles down.

[@R33Racer]

Oh dear. And I thought the Skoda was a duffer. . .

[@llessibm]

A mate of mine had one of these from nearly new, loved it to bits. Got rid of it when he had a promotion and got a Company car - a Vectra, hated it to bits

[@createdezign1840]

It's official, Hubnut has lost his mind!

[@k1ckyscotland988]

Dr Hubnut would be quallified to issue him a certificate to say he has'nt.Why do you think he's avoided the room with rubber wallpaper and jimjams that button up the back for so long?.

[@createdezign1840]

@@k1ckyscotland988 Dr Hubnut? is this a lunatics running the asylum thing? lol ;)

[@k1ckyscotland988]

Ee,Hubnut is married to Dr Hubnut,he mentioned it a while back,or maybe I just dreamed that.Maybe it's been me whose been mad all along!.Nah,could'nt be.But then again the mad never recognise their own madness.

[@createdezign1840]

@@k1ckyscotland988 Didn't know that. I've obviously not been watching as long as you.

[@robinturner2300]

CreateDezign even more qualified than you think. I believe she's a VET... And I'm not sure Ian is totally human...

[@Nevakonaza.]

My old man had a Mazda 626,was probably the most comfortable and quiet car hed ever bought..although had alot of trouble with the sunroof leaking :D

[@jamesward7425]

Great video. I can see why you went for a 323 it went well on those Welsh curves! Impressed!

[@michaeldavidson4510]

How you find the time to edit and post so many videos is a mystery, looking forward to your adventure with this one 👍👍

[@MalcOfLincoln]

Well done on making it home Ian. My first (and only) experience with a Mazda 323 was in fact my first bangerrod (rookie) When stripping it I was amazed how well made it was. This would be autumn 1996. Can't remember exactly but think? it was x reg. What a stunning little car. My first win as well. If you've time see 'my racing career' vid for a quick look at the pics.

[@Chriswales]

Always liked that model of 323, great looking side and rear on it. Good to see that one is still running dispute the abuse it seems to have suffered. Good luck on the MOT ...

[@jamiesut5866]

Excellent choice of new car Mr Hubnut! I love it, looked like such a hoot driving it on those Welsh lanes! Looking forward to seeing more videos of this beauty!!!! 😍

[@davenaylor8076]

Used to have the previous generation 323f years back, GT model so had the 1.8 engine. Loved that car with its pop up headlights. Looks like you passed through my neck of the woods early on in your journey home. Could have dropped in for a cuppa. Would have been nice to meet an internet star. Good luck with the Mazda, hope the mot prep doesn't uncover anything major.

[@RecordCouncil]

They were sold as the Astina here (Australia) still see them out and about from time to time.

[@reidkeevers]

That engine noise is giving me flashbacks to my 1999 Hyundai Sonata 4 pot, almost identical sounding. Will that Nissan hubcap in the workshop fit the wheel without one for extra shonky points?

[@HubNut]

I shall try it!

[@k1ckyscotland988]

"No car is a keeper",but some are boomerangs.I think you should've held onto that Haynes manual.

[@Turnbull50]

I used Waxol on a Triumph Dolomite and it worked really well and as a bonus it lubricated the handbrake cable.

[@neilbeaumont2820]

In ontario where crown is prevalent, you only get an MOT type test at sale of used cars, only a basic emmissions every 2 years so they probably don't pay heed to the wet look

[@gti505]

I personally don;t fancy too much car changes myself, however it has to be said, you get to drive a lot different cars and experience a lot of interesting driving and / or behaviour of the different brands. Has to be said and acknowledged.

[@rydermike33]

Glad you got home OK. The Mazda Allegro certainly flies! Thanks again Ian, very entertaining video.

[@niallsommerville9941]

Excellent, lots of scope for later capers. Leaking hoses was a relatively safe bet given the symptoms and the age. Which should be a clue that a lot of other rubber will also be suffering, nuff said. Water coming from the headlining on a sunny day just after you tested the rear wash wipe, hint. And please, clear the sunroof drains from the bottom up unless you want to strip out a lot of trim later. Disappointed that there's no CD slot, you'll see why in a couple of days.

[@HubNut]

It isn't washer water. For one thing, the rear washer has its own reservoir. ;-)

[@bonzobanana1]

Always loved the Mazda 323, gorgeous car with superb engineering, a real classic. Never driven one though but have read good things about the driving experience too. Just typical that in that state still drives brilliantly.

[@BobM925]

This video goes into my favourites because Transit Di engine noise. Yes they're noisy but I spent many many many many (many) hours listening to that. I have to admit that although I didn't really like it all that much at the time it is a sound I miss very much indeed. (edit: now I've watched all the whole video and not just up to the Transit bit) Indicator stalk on the right - completely logical. I have driven many vehicles over the years with that and it makes good sense. Some of them were buses though. The horizontal heater control is nice, it reminds me of my (many) old Cavaliers. A lot nicer to use than a rotary dial in my experience; does the Mazda give you the option of warm air at feet level and fresh air out the dash vents? This is something modern cars seem incapable of!

[@BobM925]

@@dizzy2020 yup, like you say indicators on the right is correct. Drive a LHD car and see which side the indicator stalk is on... No idea if the Tranny in this vid is blowy or not, it sounded alright enough to me! I haven't driven one since 2003ish though, and I cannot call myself an expert in such things

[@terryatkinson899]

Loved those old transits, spent many years driving the armoured version for a security company. As long as it had diesel it would keep running forever and we overloaded them regularly which didn't affect the handling at all. They hated hills though.

[@paulbennell3313]

I think you've done ok there. Doesn't seem to be anything horrifically wrong with it. Should be a good workhorse.

[@duringthemeanwhilst]

a friend of mine had a brand new Samara once. he pulled up outside my house one day shortly after getting it and a large, heavy chunk of steel fell out of the engine bay onto the road. it wouldn't then move and he had to get it towed to the garage where it remained!

[@andypsunshineisle5655]

I think you can put in as much time into the 323 as you want. You can improve it or just drive it. The doors would be an interesting challenge to pull or knock out and make good. The car appears basically sound . Clicking cv joint only worry is that the boot has split which is a fail. Look forward to the Hubnut pre mot check, though the emissions may be interesting due to the inlet pipery needing love.

[@HubNut]

There won't be a pre-MOT. I'm on bus duty tomorrow, so I'll just leave it at the garage and cross my fingers...

[@macgvrs]

Mazdas are fun sporty little cars. We had a pair of late 80's 626s. Very fun to drive. They were high mileage though and if you let them idle too long, they would put out a plume of blue smoke, also if you downshifted and let the engine do the braking. My wife's Mazda got terminated by being rear ended by someone. Very sad. Mine finally got too tired and I had to replace it. Those cars still hold a special place in my memory.