If you drive drunk go as fast as you can to get off the road as quickly as possible

My suggestions are generic to any vehicle but here goes:

There’s inevitably going to be a forum (or multiple) for any car with tips on repairs and maintenance, can be worth checking those out to learn more about your car.

There’s the basics of making sure to having fluids and filters checked/changed initially after the purchase, and then keeping to a schedule about what needs doing when. Some vehicle manuals still have that info for the owner, though again the forums might catch on with things that don’t get mentioned (PCV valves come to mind).

Brakes can be an easy enough job when it comes up, and often done with basic hand tools. A decent set of tires and brakes does a lot for safety and peace of mind. A little tire pressure gauge could be handy if there isn’t a system built-in for it too- saves on fuel and from uneven wear.

Seems like a nice little car, have fun!

I always change the cabin filter as that thing is always filthy. Apart from that just keep it clean and check it regularly.

Get an OBD2 adapter. If you’re on Android, a cheap ELM327-clone with Bluetooth will do. If you’re on iOS, you’ll need one with WiFi. There are apps (Android: Torque Pro, iOS: OBD Fusion) to read out any error codes and they can also give you the values from all the different sensors. Helps a lot with troubleshooting.

Remember to drive on the left side of the road. Unless you go abroad, then check.

A dashcam is always a good idea; it can quickly pay for itself when you’re able to prove you weren’t at fault for that parking lot fender bender.

Project Farm on Youtube did a comparison of a bunch of popular ones a month ago.

Make sure you have a driving licence

Read the owner’s manual.

Do a good wash, and wax. Wax is a protective coating- do this every few months and it makes cleaning quick and easy, as well as protecting the paint. Every time you do it it’s like putting money in the bank, a car with good paint looks like a nice car, and people pay more money for a nice car.

Buy a little bottle of rain-x. Read the instructions. Do them twice for the first go. It makes an insane difference for your vision when driving in the rain, and driving in the rain is when you really need to see.

Learn how to change a tyre before you need to do it. Figure out how the jack works, and where you need to put it under the car so you don’t damage anything.

Don’t trust your drunk self. The cost of a taxi home and back to your car the next day is way, way less than the cost of having to live with the fact that you are responsible for the death of someone’s child. Don’t give a shit if you feel fine. Give your keys to the barman if you when think you might try and drive.

Have a look at the maintenance schedule and see what needs doing. Seeing as 70.000 miles is equivalent to 100-120 k in metric, some things may need replacement. If the timing belt has not been replaced yet, it will probably have to be replaced at that mileage. If it actually still is the factory one, it would be very old and require you to act ASAP. Another thing is brakes and suspension. Seeing as you guys have regular MOT inspections however, major issues will have been noticed.

Other than that, you should check stuff like spark plugs and replace the engine and cabin air filters.

get a dashcam!

Congratulations, changes your life, driving does.

1. Change all your fluids, Oil + filter, flush the radiator, do a 4x drain and fill on the transmission. So, drain the pan, fill with new fluid equivalent to what’s come out. Take her for a spin, get it warmed up. Drain and fill again. By the time you do this 4 times, you should have basically all brand new fluid in it.

2. Replace the cabin and engine air filters.

3. Buy a floor jack, always have a scissor jack in the back along with the spare. But keep a floor jack and a set of stands at home for when you need to work at home.

4. Do easy jobs yourself, firstly gaskets and seals as well. Valve cover gasket replacement kit is an easy job. You’ll get a look at the valves then and you can see if you need to do a little engine flush. PCV valve can make a big difference too and that’s usually very simple to get to.

5. Get someone who isn’t mechanic looking to make a few quid about the state of your brakes. Pads and rotors are easy peasy stuff.

6. Buy a code reader, a decent one, or any bluetooth one that will let you read live data from the ecu. You probably won’t need it now, but as you learn more your car and common issues, you’ll want one to be able to give you a clue about why something is happening.

7. Get underneath and check the bushings on suspension parts, lower control arms, trailing arms. That stuff just goes one day. But, if you see a bushing is starting to tear, or seize. you can find the replacement part and avoid being stranded.

8. Because you’re in the UK, get a few rebuild kits for alternators and a/c compressors. They are BIG TICKET items and they will fail on a 20 year old car. You can follow a guide to rebuilding them, replace brushes and seals and you’ll save yourself £££££.

9. Look up community formus (not reddit) for your car specifically. They can be a big help in finding common issues and answering questions about maintenance and upgrades.

10. Check out Chris Fix’s youtube channel, he’s got very comprehensive guides from beginner stuff up to replacing internal engine components. Would recommend as someone who learned how to fix their car using Youtube.

If it’s your first car, I’ll assume that you’re young(ish) and or an inexperienced driver. Please forgive the assumptions if they’re wrong as the following is good advice for anyone.

Get yourself on an advanced drivers course. Many IAM local units used to do disounts for younger people, they may still do. They teach you to drive properly using the same system the emergency services use. Can save a massive hit on your insurance if you’re involved in an accident.

I thought I was a good driver beforehand, but it taught me loads.

Don’t turn it into your mobile trash can

First tip is to clean that giant piece of bubble gum off the front