My New Car! Skoda Favorit Collection Adventure

Join me as I drove my Rover 45 V6 for the last time during a crazy 750-mile weekend, before jumping on a train to London and buying my new Skoda Favorit Estate (Forman in Czech).
It is an LXi with the 67bhp engine and some lovely, faded pink bodywork.
Video includes getting stopped by the Police, because that's what happens when HubNut drives Communist Motor Vehicles!
Buy HubNut goodies and merchandise at www.hubnut.org - stickers, mugs, T-shirts and more! Beanie hats will be in stock again soon!

[@jbenekeorr]

The temperature gauge joke had me in stitches!!!

[@dazt103]

"Driving in the South makes my angry" I'm with you on that one Ian.. Look forward to future adventures in the Skoda :)

[@HowardLeVert]

Here's a tip if you are considering reinstating the rear speakers - connect them via jack plugs or XLR connectors so you can easily remove the parcel shelf. I did that in my Renault 16 where there were convenient brackets to mount 1/4" sockets for the cables from the cassette player.

[@matthewgodwin3050]

I once drove one of these (a trade in at the MG/Rover dealer I used to work at) and remember being quite impressed. They are quite simple mechanically and thus very reliable. Handling is much better than a lot of the contemporary posher cars and I've always liked it's humble & down to earth character. If you can look past the badge (and most of us here probably can) the Favorit is an extremely good little car that's seriously underrated. The infernal scrappege scheme killed a lot of these and they are now very difficult to find. I'm not surprised that values are increasing, look after it (as I know you will) and it may even make you a few quid. The perfect hubnut car, enjoy.

[@quas392]

That's pretty neat. Every street corner in Malta had a Skoda Forman. I remember being stuck next to one on the ferry on the way there, filled to the brim with a family and enough suitcases to restock a department store. Brilliant find.

[@lookandlisten5740]

"£700...yeah, but look at the headliner"......when you put it like that, it makes perfect sense !

[@retr0naut823]

Look at the MOT history... hardly even an advisory in 24 years.

[@lookandlisten5740]

@@retr0naut823 - interesting... No doubt we'll see if it's as good as the MOT suggests

[@ClarksonDan]

Love the rant about motorway lane discipline! I find it so annoying when people sit in the middle lane

[@TheMentalblockrock]

A like from me for the comment about M25 lane discipline , or rather the lack of!

[@catherinewilson3880]

Audi drivers do a lot of braking, because they drive at speeds way beyond their capabilities.

[@thomasfrancis5747]

They also often don't know what a handbrake is when stuck at traffic lights, etc...

[@johnmiller9024]

And they buy Audis that are beyond their capabilities as well such as the RS6 and RS7

[@rafaelramosmelim735]

Hahahah i have an audi 80 and its true

[@BobM925]

That headlining is in lovely condition! The whole car is in fact and I look forward to your adventures with the Favorit. I recall one of my teachers at school having an estate, albeit in blue, and me liking it. I never admitted it at the time though. Ah yes, the too bright brake lights. I absolutely love sitting in traffic behind cars that seemingly have no handbrake, or actually a driver that simply can't be bothered to use it. They sit there, foot firmly planted on the brake pedal, oblivious to the guy behind being blinded by the brake lights. That'll do for a rant for today. Tomorrow "look at my front fog lights, aren't they cool? " 😁

[@jaggass]

The front headrests are very similar to the ones in late Nova's and mk3 Cav's

[@itzajdmting]

"Just cos you got yourself all bundled up in finance." - hahaha... that got a genuine LOL from me... too true. Love your road trip/car collection videos Ian, they're my "Favorit" :-D

[@chrispenn715]

The Favorit was very under rated - especially once VW had overhauled the electrics and tightened up the quality. Not fast, but a gentle donkey of a car (in a good way). My kids learned to drive on them and their mates were so impressed, that they bought Favorits!

[@markzempel]

Watching this today, I couldn't help but laugh extra hard at "I've got a rear wiper!" Cheers :-)

[@rupertthomson]

Intermittent wiper setting: if I remember correctly you click down then back to off to clear the screen, then after the desired time, click down and leave it there and it remembers the timing. Click up to normal speed for a few wipes to reset. It has been a long time though... First car I drove after passing my test and it was great! Even did a handbrake turn at 50 mph on a disused runway which seemed like the best thing at 17 but now just fills me with retrospective dread! Great car, Hub Nut!

[@earnestbunbury2103]

Sounds like a procedure I've used before... can't remember the car though... MG maybe. Fat American in an MG lol

[@gc8162]

Love your enthusiasm as ever, Hope you have many happy miles in the Favorit.

[@Bevoin1970]

Brilliant Road Movie! Thanks for taking me along, loved it!!

[@ghvtg]

Love how excited you get picking it up. I'm the same...no matter how good or shite the car i get uber excited!! Picked my BX Diesel up recently and was more excited about that than an 18 plate Seat i just bought! 😀

[@frglee]

That was interesting, thanks for an entertaining video. MKP seems pretty reliable but with a few glitches to sort out. Certainly brings back lots of memories for me from 20 years back of my beloved GLXi Favorit Estate. Glad you got home OK, she's running well and seems pretty reliable but with a few minor glitches to sort out. Can't wait to see her polished, badged and the owner glowing with pride!

[@dannyhtheretrogamingmaster9548]

The favorit was the last Skoda without VW influence which took away their individuality after that. Basically the Fabia is just another Polo with different bodywork like the Seat Ibiza from their Czech and Spanish outposts.

[@frglee]

I'm sure I read somewhere that the Fabia is more reliable than the Polo and I've heard it argued the Skoda is the better car for less money! Also interesting is that an excellent 3 cylinder 1.2l engine was designed by Skoda for the Fabia. VW liked it so much, they later decided to use it in the Polo. So the Skoda/VW influence has not just been one way!

[@gryfandjane]

Further adventures await, as do we! Looking forward to seeing more of the Favorit... Skodas could be seen here in Missouri USA when I was a kid in the 60s, but these days they’re simply unknown. This next HubNut chapter should be huge fun. Cheers -

[@TheClockwise770]

I had a brand new Favorite saloon in plum red which also had rusty wiper arms within less than a year. In wet weather it wouldn't start and hence attracted a lot of attention from those eagle eyed traffic wardens in Brighton in 1997. The temperature gauge on mine always was on the edge of red too. Was glad when I sold it for a Mark 2 Capri . Good luck with your car. Love your videos

[@CortinasAndClassics]

It's always fun exploring the new car controls. I like the skoda 😉👍

[@stevenward6453]

Cushty car nearly bought one in a lovely green metallic few years ago wished I had would have still been going today great vids love your boldness of picking it up an driving it home and trusting it Will get you back 👍

[@Dan-hq2js]

Always liked how these looked, strong cars !

[@inglepropnoosegarm7801]

A grand adventure, and definitely a vehicle worthy of some tlc. A proper Skoda. Cars like this are the unsung heros of motoring. Glad you survived your encounter with English roads.

[@stephenvictorbailey4055]

Great little cars those.... A good polish and that paintwork will look like new again....

[@Roadwarrior92]

Best car channel on youtube period. Thank you ian for just being YOU 👍

[@martynrussell7568]

Enjoyed the joke "in the red!"

[@leighclayton3219]

Great to see someone getting as much joy out of a car with a bit of history as some people get out of a new mega-bucks purchase.

[@stephenbibby8650]

Had a Bedford Rascal in 1989 when I ran a carpet cleaning business. Great little van ,Fun to drive .

[@enpeemac]

A much underrated car by those who didn't know or want to know any better back in the day. I once had the pleasure of owning a 1987 Estelle 120L Five for which I paid a nominal 50 pence, finished in a rather fetching mushroom grey! I was young and knew no better and managed to fit an old Weber twin choke carb (DCD something...?) which I think I'd yanked out of an old 1.3 Capri in the local scrappie. After a bit of fettling it actually ran very well and would happily cruise flat out at an indicated 95mph! The only car that ever earned me points on my licence! Great for low speed, wet roundabout drifting too. For that sporty look, I ran it without the front and rear bumpers and cobbled up a stand-off bracket for the rear engine lid in the style of an NSU Printz TT. I loved that car, couldn't kill it no matter what I threw at it (floated down the road attempting to drive through a flood, severely overheated the engine with a stuck thermostat and even had a back wheel fall off when a half shaft broke). I so wish I still had it today. Sold it after about a year for £75 if I remember right. In more recent times my mother ran a Felicia for about 5 years which never seemed to go wrong despite being a £600 banger when she bought it. These can still be had cheap but I wonder if they'll ever attract the interest of the earlier cars? Too VW-ified maybe?

[@EdgyNumber1]

6:39 Chiltern Railways, Class 172 TurboStars using lightweight B5005 bogeys (where the actual wheels double up as disc brakes. A damned fine train (especially after their refit) and a great rail service too. 90 minutes, On time nearly everytime, to Birmingham.

[@jonathangriffin1120]

Hi Ian, re the wipers on a Favvy, they're infinitely variable, at the first sign of rain, move the stalk up, let the wipers do a sweep, then move the stalk back to 'off', wait till you want the wipers again then move the stalk down (clockwise) and leave it there. The system will remember the time interval and repeat it. A good system when you get used to it. Have a good shufti at the bottom spring retaining cups on the front McPherson struts, they can rot away with 'interesting' results if they fail when on the move. The rear cups can rot away as well but they are separate from the struts and you can slide a new'un on. I paid about £700 for my M reg GLXIE estate 16 years ago, complete with alloys which I transferred to it's replacement, an S reg Felicia 1.9 SDI estate, both vehicles now gone to the great showroom in the sky. The all alloy pushrod engine has wet liners, keep an eye open for 'mayo' in the oil.

[@HowardLeVert]

That's not dissimilar to how the intermittent wipers worked on a BMW E34: in that case it was move wiper to 'int' position and then back to 'off', then back to 'int' after an appropriate interval whereupon it remembered the period. The interval doubled when at rest.

[@peterbarker6249]

Congratulations on your new purchase . I like it !

[@Prokifiev]

Loved that, very peaceful at 4:17 in the morning whilst drinking tequila and smoking a cigar. Nice start to my day off work today. Cheers.

[@kieran1844]

Aww such fond memories of learning to drive in my Dad's 'Caribbean green' Favorit in the late 90's. I've yet to drive a car with such positive communicative steering and slick gear change. All in all a great little car that's fun to drive. A testament to Skoda is that there are still hundreds of these on the roads of Malta, many of which have been resprayed and are gleaming. It sounds like you got a good little runner there and the engine sounds great with no timing chain rattle.The fuel gauges were always a bit dodgy, full or empty showing depending which hand bend you go round lol

[@adarbs6384]

Lol...love the comment about the Yugo, good luck finding one that's drivable now. I had a Yugo 45A back in 1992 and I loved it, til I blew the engine - well, I was 20 so I was still a bit of a speed demon 😂 if you do manage to get a Yugo I shall be both thrilled and jealous at the same time. Love your channel...the older cars have so much more character than cars nowadays where they all look the same....and "keep fit" is best lol...less to go wrong

[@mrb6094]

A mug of tea, tomatoes on toast and Mr Wobbler collecting ANOTHER car. Marvellous.

[@garideb]

Lovely film. I was unsure about your new car when I first saw it, but you've won me over - looks like a decent buy. I did laugh when you first put it into reverse as we had a full 3 seconds of nostril-cam and terrifying concentration... Looking forward to the next instalment. Cheers.

[@tonycox5625]

Nice video,good luck with the Favorite Ian ,and remember, you never want to be Down In A Tube Station At Midnight.😁

[@cafesolo6683]

My sister had a late model Estelle ('87) in orange with black trim and alloys! Solid reliable motoring for years. My lyric of choice for the Tube- I staggered back to the underground and the breeze blew back my hair. The Who. Enjoy the car.

[@ou6037]

Excellent purchase mate 👍

[@RichieRouge206]

I’ll miss the Rover the most after the Lexus. That V6 was beautiful- although the E-type was like a chorus of Angels ❤️ wow what a car

[@garyshaw4225]

This car reminds me of my first car for some reason. It was a large FSO estate and i bought it from a dealer to just pass my test in 1989. Well i say my first car as i took it back to the dealer an hour later as it was not going in one of the gears and it seemed huge to me lol. Anyway i exchanged it for a 1974 mk1 escort 1.1 in red with a recon engine with just 8,000 miles travelled with the new recon engine by the previous owner and just 1 owner from new and was owned by an elderly local man. It was a good runner and the only faults with it was the heater system stank terrible and the car shook violently at 50mph+. Anyway the escort did its job and i passed the test. When i come to sell the car it had a large hole in the passenger footwell and the buyer knew straight away to lift the carpet up and look there haha. The car also had a large dent in the drivers door as well but he did not mind and still bought the car. Some months later i saw the car all done up immaculate with a full bright red respray and new wheels that had been done by the new owner,but what was strange that he left that same large dent in the drivers door in which it was like that when i bought it. Still to this day i cannot figure out why he did this. Anyway good video ian always enjoy your video's.(:-)

[@lanehogger1532]

I liked this video before I’ve even watched it as I know it’s gonna be an adventure 😁

[@stevenjones1972]

Hi Ian,that was a good video,i like it,my dad had one of these and no trouble at all with it,the red paint is a bit flat but it will clean up,the law had you with the Skoda, same with the Dacia,cant wait for some more reviews on the Favorit,another classic on the road.

[@VintageLynx]

Favorit estate is an almost perfect balance of not taking up much road space but also being super useful on interior space. If you buy a real Christmas tree you will soon understand. The timing chain does sound a bit loose. Easy job though, 30 quid for full set of cogs and chain plus a morning. Makes a real difference.

[@jjkelly4664]

The cars you review and how you review them, how you drive them, is exactly how I do it. Great deal of respect for you. Once I start my review on my car which is a quirky 96 car, won't tell just yet. Please keep up your completely respectable driving reviews. Would love to suggest reviews for you to do, if you are open to it.

[@TheStwat]

I drove one many moons ago and was very impressed with how well it did drive.

[@shepshepherd]

I've always liked the Favorit. The range-topping 'Silverline' estate variant is particularly appealing.

[@L407DG]

My last train jouney ended up in Hamburg picking up my Mercedes 407 campervan. I really like your new Skoda, good luck with it!:)

[@fredlast4547]

I had a Skoda Felicia Estate 1.6 on a 97 plate in metallic red. Paid about £700 from a car market in 2003 and kept it for 3 years and 40,000 miles. Had 1 major oil leak, oil pump seal, some electrical problems, sunroof leaked and needed sealed up. It wasn't particularly fast considering the engine size. However, wasn't the worst car I've owned. That was a 79 Mini Clubman.

[@Cavalier_Steve]

I really enjoyed this one, I think what made it for me was your discovering the car as you was recording. When you said about the car running hot I was going to say my Cavaliers all go quite away up when sitting in traffic until the fan comes on or if I start moving at an adequate speed, but yours seems to just sit near the red all the time so it seems. I personally would check the temperature manually with an infrared temperature gun or something similar just to be sure it’s not over heating. Maybe an over enthusiastic thermistor in the temperature sender unit. All the best Ian. Steve.

[@mrsneaky2010]

HubNut you are my “Favorit” youtuber!! 👍

[@jezstokes8592]

Spot on about lane discipline on the m25!

[@tommoger5880]

Great vid well done another project more vids to come 😄

[@richardcallison1637]

I do love a good collection caper! The joke about the temperature gauge was so atrocious it was funny😂. Great car, can’t wait to see what adventures, trials and tribulations you have with it! She needs a name....

[@Lookup2Wakeup]

Me too, but it did not break down ......

[@gca259]

Ian, you're a star! Long-haired hippy, driving ancient skoda gets pulled by the bill on suspicion of smoking cannabis. Shame you didn't film the encounter. Perhaps the BBC could've used it for one of its 'law-enforcement-reality' shows...?

[@stephenshippam9374]

Hi glad you got back safely, I suppose as long as it starts, stops, and goes, it will be fine.

[@hibbs79]

Great video glad KZbin recommend it to.me. subscribed. 👍

[@callumk5]

Thanks for the kind words about Marylebone. It used to be known affectionately as the Gentleman’s London terminus. This collection caper brought back memories of fetching my first Volvo 240 from south London some 11 years ago; the terror of an unknown car, the excitement of the first drive, the delight at finding most things still worked, the horror of the fuel consumption, the ease of parking at the motorway services, the enchantment of realising the sidelights are always on through a tunnel on the M25, the disbelief of the rear wiper still working... it’s all making me pine for some autoshite.

[@cheesywheels]

Oh my goodness me you're so right about the M25, its impossible to overtake/get to the fast lane because everyone is in the wrong blooming lane or just following to closely and braking too late. Enough ranting. It probably doesn't help that I drive a 1.6 Xsara Picasso, which I love, but isn't the fastest thing in the world. Great collection video by the way!

[@Georgeolddrones]

Excellent video Ian. The old Bill Love it 😂👍

[@vikingraiders4138]

I'm deeply impressed with my 2009 Skoda Superb Laurin & Klement DSG, 170bhp TDI, I love the brand. Even the Favorit has a charm about it.

[@AndrewBryantPianoTuner]

Actually I like your choice of cars mate and yet another bloody excellent video!

[@AndrewBryantPianoTuner]

Can't wait for your Canada trip and visit to cold war motors. :)

[@michaelpratt4365]

I would love to have this car . Love the show .

[@CauliflowerMcPugg]

A good cut n polish she could come up lovely. A lot less road noise than I thought you would have. Look forward to next installment 👍

[@johnnorth9355]

Looked to handle the run without fuss so a good buy ! A little work to fix a few minor issues and a polish up and jobs a good un. Excellent.

[@rahmann936]

It scrubs up well the Skoda. It amazing what some T cut can do.It reminds me of a early 90s vw Jetta I had, basic equipment, but all the switchgear felt solid good build quality felt heavy no Pas and a underpowered Engine good on fuel thought. Some people didn't like it, but I didn't care cause I liked it.

[@HubNut]

Haven't got any air power! Have an electric dual action mop on the way.

[@dodgydruid]

Aw such a shame Chiltern Railways retired its class 121's that used to terminate at Princes Risborough, oldest revenue earning slam door multiple unit's that ended last year but still had loads of life left in 'em, would have loved to see one in the field so to speak and the fruity chuckle of a pair of Leyland engines and crunchy gearboxes always delights :D

[@niallsommerville9941]

Fill the back with gaudily wrapped boxes and put some reindeer stickers on the front wings, prefect. I found Skodas to be very tractable in poor road conditions, they knew a thing or two. This video made me all nostalgic about my 76 1100R that I bought new, dealer joked I was the youngest person he'd ever sold a Skoda to and I'd get a free pair of slippers. After your comments about prices I decided it wasn't a good idea to start searching for an 1100R.

[@timothyb8281]

13:45 The best part of any HubNut video!

[@NikEastwood161]

Great vid. Mway fuel prices are like telling somebody to kick you in the bllx , ar least thats what it feels like if ever the situation arises, i like these cars.

[@twocvbloke]

I've only ever been in one Skoda Favorit, and that was in about 2000, going to & from the Metro Centre with a schoolfriend & his mum, and that car was a right dog, it was pretty much ready for the scrapheap it was so badly looked after!! My dad's Estelle seemed luxury in comparison... :S

[@unexceptionalcars914]

ahh yes i love right near here! i saw the Rover at its new home recently

[@stevenjoy3537]

The Favorit was an excellent car for its money. Made loads of money selling them. Usually passed MOT and only ever required rear wheel bearings

[@makiwa]

It's got amazing MOT History - only failed twice in 10+ years. And no advisories! Amazing!

[@AdrianColes]

We need a HubNutDB of all the cars. Would make a great history lesson

[@michaelfranklin6329]

And now the fun begins 👍👍👍

[@krisjones5125]

will miss that rover, that jag sound tho. i love the fact you pick up cars where ever they may be. i refuse to look past 5 miles on my internet search. probably explains why i have no oldie cars that i want lol

[@paulkeith9680]

Often you have to travel to find the right car, risky but the rewards can far outweigh that.

[@acl6573]

Lovely Skoda Favorit, post VW takeover. I won a brand new 1993 Skoda Favorit Silverline hatchback in a competition organised by The Stage, the newspaper for theatricals.... very good car. I sold it after a couple of years, and bought a cheap Honda Civic Shuttle.

[@PadraigFIRE]

Happy tinkering. Enjoy :)

[@jvitalis9483]

Mate i use to drive those kamikaze cars back in Czechoslovakia I can not believe you find one here in this condition Good luck with that relic :)))))

[@Ragnar8504]

Looks like one of the bulbs behind the speedometer is gone! My dad's previous Mitsubishi L300 had all three dash backlight bulbs go one after another... driving that at night was an interesting experience!

[@HubNut]

Indeed. Replaced one of them in the latest video.

[@ginggur17]

Lmao, love ya overtake outburst. Yet again, making me laugh.

[@alanalzee4849]

Nice Chod collection, Skoda Favorit and it looks like a clean one, Ian you might break even if you sell it in the future, well done Sir 👌

[@federalmogul3092]

Nice lil soapbox 😀

[@MalcOfLincoln]

Can't believe you've broke the Rover so quickly Ian....well we always get rid of cars with problems ..... right LOL. Skoda are good strong cars, simple so easy to fix. Police must have you on their radar 😊😊👍

[@solent7430]

I’m genuinely surprised at how appealing the Favorit sounds. Seems really capable and it’ll be cheaper and more practical than the Rover. You did well I think, as an ex Londoner I’d never brave a trip back there now 👍🏻

[@alan-sk7ky]

I loved the glxi(wow) estate we had suprisingly 'proper' handling and a roomy small estate. Could have done with a bit more engine

[@micheltebraake7915]

A good car, new wiper blades, flushing cooling system and new coolant might help the cooling problem, I once had heater radiator that was 3/4 closed and caused cooling problems. Also in the Netherlands it is bad with driving on the highway.

[@jamiesut5866]

Great choice! These are becoming a cult car hence the rising prices! Great to see that it took you home without any issues at all! Looking forward to seeing more of this car.

[@Lookup2Wakeup]

Yep, this car has increased in value since Hubnut bought it , now worth £750 and 50p ........

[@cafesolo6683]

More Skoda memories- A local (Southern) TV chap called Chris Peacock (don't say that quickly!) had an a mid 70's Estelle in eggshell blue with no front grille, we thought someone had nicked the engine!

[@luviskol]

Think I met his brother Drew

[@tezfestival4009]

Had an M reg hatchback in red/pink. Reliable apart from front calipers sticking on. Great rechargeable torch in the boot! Worst feature was seats with zero lateral support - no fun in Wales:)

[@KidMillions]

The 1990 Saab looked rust-free, even at the wheel arches. I suspect the 2- door models built by Valmet in Finland had better rust protection than the Trollhättan ones.

[@FourIntoOne]

Going to London - Ugh. London Underground - double Ugh. M25 -completely off the Ugh scale to the point of vomiting. Home safe-YAY niiiiiiice. I have worked on a few of those when they were current. Simple tough little bastards. I like em.

[@markwhitehead1658]

Love it! 👍👍

[@stephensimpson4022]

Passed my test in an L reg Favorit. Brilliant car.

[@lukasvanek1278]

Very nice I'm from Czech republic its a car from my country nice.

[@chrismlarge1]

Nice.

[@dorbellbuster2011]

Something really satisfying about cars like this. I actually own a Rare Daewoo Nexia GLXI Auto and I love it. Only paid 450 for it with 27k on the clock. Love that Skoda though. Hope all goes well with it.

[@HubNut]

Sounds like you need to join the Autoshite forum! Where people dream of Esperos.