Sadly parting with my Astor Grey 6 which I have had since 2002 (I am the second keeper, the first imported it new from Holland and paid 37,815 guilders for it - guilders, those were the days).

I bought it at 2 years old in 2002 with 20k on the clock, and have put on a mere 27.5k in the decade I've had it.

Low mileage it is, cosmetically mint it is not - sadly it is a Londoner's car - or rather a car which has been heavily exposed to Londoners (although one scratch is down to some tosser in Weston Super Mare, who keyed it lightly back in 2003 when I suppose this looked like something to be jealous of rather than looking like a bit like Weston Super Mare itself).

Anyway, the Londoners were not going to be outdone and have added a scraped and dented driver's door, and a few more dents scrapes and scratches here and there. It's nothing that couldn't be sorted, but I've just accepted it as camouflage (but the mindless idiots still seem to be able to find it now and then). It's a shame really as the paint is otherwise in good nick, and it's Astor which as everyone knows is the best colour by far. Nothing that a few hundred wouldn't sort with some dent removal and a minor respray on the door (or replacement), as long as you get if far enough away from London's hordes of morons to make it worth tidying it up in the first place.

Anyway it is obviously pretty lightly worn mechanically by 6 standards. It's been driven every weekend, and a good mix of motorway miles (visiting people in the sticks) and nipping around town. I'm no mechanic, but it seems sound to me - I'm selling because I have given in to nagging to get a 5-door car after discovering the existence of the evo-wagon.

I replaced all four tyres (but not the spare) with Dunlop SP Fast Response autumn of last year, which only have a few hundred miles on them. Wheels are the original cyclones, which after 12 years could do with refinishing - the rear off-side is by far cosmetically the worst , but the others have a few scrapes and grotty patches too.

The exhaust needs sorting - the original fell apart and my local garage selected a badly fitting factor replacement including a nice back-box designed for a 1.6. That's gone for a replacement (factor) back-box, but one of the joints is leaking and the whole set-up isn't anything like as nice as the OE set-up. If I was keeping it, I would go for OE but as people like different things, it doesn't seem worth sorting this now it is being sold.

The cambelt will need replacing - I had it done with new waterpump etc once at about 32k but to my chagrin I cannot prove this as I cannot find the receipt. In any case, that was in early 2007 so it should be done again anyway as the 5 year interval is expired.

Other niggles I am aware of:
- seatbelt pretensioner light flaw present - the connectors under the seat need replacing.
- alarm ultrasonic sensors are knackered, I just turn them off, but if you want the in-cabin sensors then they will need replacing.
- the fuel filler flap catch works but not as securely as it might (a bit of the plastic catch has broken off, it still catches but it needs to be pressed the right way)
- the plastic trim over the rim of the boot is loose because some nice person smashed the rear windscreen for me, and the nice person who fixed it for me took the trim off to get the glass out of the lock and kindly disposed of the fixings for me instead of putting them back.
- the air con faded last summer (it has had one previous refill in the decade) and I haven't had it regassed.
- one of the rear head rest latch springs has gone.
- could do with a new set of mats or driver's mat at least
-(edit) heavy clutch other people occasionally tell me when they move it, never bothered me but those with more delicate calves might want to replace the cable.


So good points - low miles (all backed up by MOT certificates and log-book entries). Fullish service history showing the annual services, fully stamped in logbook and I have most of the receipts, and (I think) all the MOT certificates. Pretty good interior. The new tyres all round. Mot to 30 July 2013 (sailed through the last one as it has done all previous MOTs - one advisory on the last MOT which was of a small leak from the exhaust), taxed to end of August.

And its lovely to drive and I will miss it.

















Price is negotiable, I have no idea what a mintshed like this is worth. If you tell me it is worth more I'll happily take it, but I suspect not.

Mileage speaks a lot. The bodywork isn't that bad, I wouldn't go much lower than 1500 tbh.

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