What would you do?

[mhm]

OK, so I'd like to get some advice from folks who know these cars better than I do (and I know pretty much nothing.)

I've just bought a 2013 HDi Sport with a manual trans. It was first registered in Ireland and was imported to New Zealand by its original owner when he emigrated a few years ago.

It's done 133,xxx km. Cambelt and tensioner were replaced at 128,xxx km along with an oil change. Looks like it has been regularly serviced at around 10,000 k intervals for most of its life.

Overall condition is pretty good, I had it inspected by the dealer before I bought it and they identified a couple of minor things that needed doing but nothing major.

So...if this was your car, what preventative maintenance would you do next? What needs thinking about? What obvious upgrades does everybody do? What are the common pratfalls?

All suggestions welcome and thanks in advance.

Michael.

 

[Claret63]

The HDi engine is bullet proof as long as it’s maintained, for me amongst the best of all time, yours seems to have had all the correct maintenance done.

Upgrades not sure why with the HDI engine you feel the need for upgrades, in my opinion not worth it, plenty of punch as standard, yes there will be plenty of people who will tell you a remap will transform your engine.

If you want to go faster, buy the R.

 

[M19YEA]

Check the oil regularly, service regularly and buy decent tyres I say. Enjoy your RCZ you won’t be disappointed.

 

[mhm]

Thanks folks, that's exactly the sort of advice I'm looking for.

Any other ideas from anyone else? Any preventative stuff I need to be thinking about that's not engine and drivetrain related?

 

[M19YEA]

Have you got the leather seats?

 

[mhm]

Half leather I think if that was an option?

Sides of the seats are leather, centre panels are some sort of cloth. They're neither heated not electrically adjustable, I've seen reference to both things and these are neither.

 

[Kenneth]

Half leather I think if that was an option?

Sides of the seats are leather, centre panels are some sort of cloth. They're neither heated not electrically adjustable, I've seen reference to both things and these are neither.View attachment 14833

Furry dice!

 

[M19YEA]

Half leather I think if that was an option?

Sides of the seats are leather, centre panels are some sort of cloth. They're neither heated not electrically adjustable, I've seen reference to both things and these are neither.View attachment 14833

Yeah same seats as mine only different colours. It’s like a suede in centre parts.
It will be worth getting some conditioner on the leather.

 

[mhm]

Yeah I hasten to add that the fluffy dice belonged to the previous owner, that shot is from his advert for the car. The dice now languish in a cardboard box along with the other stuff that was left in the car when I picked it up.

Seats...you've hit on what I think is the weak point of this car tbh. I don't like the brown interior and I don't like the half leather either. Exterior is black (mostly wrapped in white by a previous owner*) and to my eyes the brown just screams at that. But these cars are vanishingly rare in NZ and it ain't like there a ton of donor cars sitting around that I can cannibalise for a different interior. So brown it is.


*Also from the ad:

 

[M19YEA]

To be honest I kind of like the brown as it’s different not seen the interior that colour before. Maybe it goes better with the black than white .

looks wise I agree with you on the half leather/suede but it’s really comfy and stops any sliding about. Shame it’s not heated

 

[mhm]

-snip-
Shame it’s not heated
-snip-

*Laughs in Antipodean* Where I live we get a frost maybe once a year...heated seats and winter tyres are not that much of a priority...

 

[M19YEA]

where I live we get sun maybe twice a year.
the car heats up pretty quickly though so all good.
Are you keeping the wrap?

 

[mhm]

Yeah I am, I quite like the two tone thing. Plus I've had dead black cars before and while they do look great when clean, if they even get a tiny bit grubby they look awful.

 

[Kenneth]

To be honest I kind of like the brown as it’s different not seen the interior that colour before. Maybe it goes better with the black than white .

looks wise I agree with you on the half leather/suede but it’s really comfy and stops any sliding about. Shame it’s not heated

I absolutely love that brown colour. I had a Lancia beta coupe in brown with mustard yellow seats and it was awesome. It changed colour in various light conditions. It was reddish brown in sun. I got that car when it was 20 years old with 5000 miles on the clock and always garaged. It was a minter.

 

[M19YEA]

That does sound nice, you got any old pics?
it might just be me but I think the brown adds a touch of class tbh.

 

[Kenneth]

That does sound nice, you got any old pics?
it might just be me but I think the brown adds a touch of class tbh.

 

[Kenneth]

Not my car. Buy the same interior and colour. Marrone Parioli

 

[M19YEA]

Lovely colour those seats really stand out

 

[Kenneth]

Lovely colour those seats really stand out

They had some wild seat colours. Burnt orange. Lime green. Electric blue

the 70s…

 

[M19YEA]

Lime green haha sadly I wasn’t around then but my dad tells me all about them.