1997 ŠKODA FELICIA 1.6 GLXi ESTATE
Used car addict Keith looks back at his best – and worst – classic buys. This week, a Škoda that took him and three of his mates to Prague, and all for a good cause…
WHY DID YOU WANT ONE?
This was another of my unplanned purchases bought unseen at the last minute. I’d entered the 2008 Czech Wrecks banger rally with my friends Andrew Elphick and Dave Smart and had originally secured myself a lovely Rover 827 for the trip. That would have been great had it not expired just after I picked it up in Whitley Bay. That mishap left me with a car-shaped hole to fill so it was just my luck that friendly Washington-based car trader, Steven Ward, heard about my dilemma and offered me a 1997 Škoda Felicia estate to take in its place for the princely sum of £100. This meant that the Rover could be fixed at my leisure and our team could compete in a car built in the Czech Republic. Everyone was a winner!
WAS IT A JOY – OR A NIGHTMARE – TO LIVE WITH?
It was very solid indeed and a fine car that withstood all we threw at it with great panache. It drove down from the North East without incident and there were no dramas to speak of other than a broken front spring, shredded tyre, noisy camshaft and an engine that was down on power. I left the car with teammate Andrew, who was charged with painting the car to resemble Burt Reynolds’ Transcon Medi-Vac ambulance from the film Cannonball
Run and prepping it for our overseas adventure. I’ll never understand why he thought gluing lead flashing to the cam cover to quieten down the noisy top end was a good idea, but that’s Elphick for you…
WHAT’S YOUR ABIDING MEMORY OF IT?
You grow to love an old car whenever you take it on an overseas adventure – and sure enough, the Felicia wormed its way into our affections. Yes, it was slow and noisy but it was economical and never missed a beat on the way to Prague, although the long motorway runs started taking their toll – the Škoda began to burn an increasing amount of oil along the way and that camshaft started getting noisier. Abiding memories include Dave’s amazing and terrifying drive up the Stelvio Pass in it – overtaking motorcycles on the way – and me literally setting fire to the brakes on the way down the other side. The final day’s drive with another team in tow from Salzburg and through Bavaria and into the Czech Republic was absolutely magic. The drive around Prague’s Wenceslas Square was a fitting end to an excellent event and proof that you don’t need to spend a fortune on a fast car to have a top driving adventure.
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP TIPS FOR BUYING ONE?
The main issue you’ll have with buying a Škoda Felicia today – especially an estate – is actually finding one. So few were cherished early on and those that were generally didn’t survive scrappage. But assuming you do, there’s not really much to go wrong – the engines and gearboxes were generally tough (although smaller 1.3-litre Škoda units were prone to cylinder head gasket failure) and there weren’t many other problems of note. Rust around the edges can be a problem, as can a leaking sunroof or windscreen, which can destroy the floorpan if left unchecked for long enough. Otherwise, any survivor you find will be a solid and dependable motor as long as it’s been looked-after properly.