COMMON FAULTS

Before buying an XR2, remember it’s the product of a previous generation. It won’t be as easy or comfortable to drive as a modern diesel runabout, and in many cases won’t be as fast. But it’ll almost certainly be more fun.

The XR2 has no power-assisted steering, you’ll feel every bump in the road and you’ll have to peddle hard to make progress. That’s all part of the experience.

Little niggles are also integral to the ownership of an old Fiesta. Poor running is most likely due to a dodgy distributor or poorly-adjusted carburettor; the later-spec 34 TLDM (the round carb rather than square version) is smoother to drive but in particular suffers from a sticking flap.

Regular servicing is vital to the engine’s health, with cambelt changes due every 36,000 miles ( or ASAP if you don’t know the car’s history) and annual oil changes ( or every 6000 miles).

In particular, keep the breather system clean – the pipe running from rocker cover to sump is prone to clogging with congealed oil, and oil pickups can block, with disastrous results.