I'm moving to Queensland and have noticed a lot of magnas are for sale there in a price range of $1000-$3500. As a first car I would love to have one of these to just work on it but the the klms are really high were talking from 180000-250000. I understand that with these high numbers it will be a bit rough but the question is what should I fix first? This car will not be on the road right away until I have fixed it all up to my liking so it would be cool if I can get some feedback on what I need to look out for and what should be repaired first.

I should also mention most of these car are 1999-2003 models

I understand that with these high numbers it will be a bit rough but the question is what should I fix first?

Look for a car with service history and a recent timing belt change (a sticker in the engine bay or notation in the service books will elude to this), clean fluids, and that looks like its been taken care of in general, to minimise your chances of needing to fix anything. I certainly don't go out buying cars with immediate views of shelling out cash for repairs (but it somehow pans out that way, lets be honest), and wouldn't inclined to in your upper spending bracket.

In short, spend the most you can afford on the vehicle that presents best inside and out and has a maintenance history.
Theres a few decent looking ones floating around on Gumtree at the moment.

Those Kms for a 99-03 car are IMO not high.

Apart from that agree with all ammerty said.

I'm moving to Queensland and have noticed a lot of magnas are for sale there in a price range of $1000-$3500. As a first car I would love to have one of these to just work on it but the the klms are really high were talking from 180000-250000. I understand that with these high numbers it will be a bit rough but the question is what should I fix first? This car will not be on the road right away until I have fixed it all up to my liking so it would be cool if I can get some feedback on what I need to look out for and what should be repaired first.

I should also mention most of these car are 1999-2003 models

Thats not high. My TF wagon has just hit about 340,000 and has never let me down. Maintenance/Repair costs have been minimal.(I do all the work myself). Personally I think they are among the best value used cars around with a good blend of comfort, power and economy for a family sized car. Probably the only thing that will be the death of this car will be the auto transmission. Gear changes are getting pretty clunky now and the cost of a good replacement might not be worth it. Its probably got about 20,000 ks left in the tranny.


(Edit) Its amazing how many wagons you still see on the roads in SA. When you compare all the pro's and cons, the Magna wagon is a very hard vehicle to 'replace'.

That's some interesting advice so I guess the best bet would be to buy one from a dealer since it should already come with rego and road worthy. I've been looking on gumtree and all of them come without any of that.

If you want a car "just to work on", a Magna at about 200,000 km is ideal!

A privately bought one will (may) need:

Cam belt, idlers, cam/crank seals, waterpump, hydraulic tensioner.
Driveshaft boots, steering rack boots.
Exhaust system.
Tyres, battery, sloppy suspension.
Interior trim, like sagging headliner.
Missing/damaged door seals, exterior trim pieces.
Flaky clear coat on paint. (Solid colours don't have clear, looks a lot better as the car ages.)

Best to avoid a car with murky coolant and driveshafts with torn boots, if possible.
And avoid a car without any service history, dirty looking transmission fluid.

(And buy from an old bloke, everybody knows they look after their cars better.:io:)

That's some interesting advice so I guess the best bet would be to buy one from a dealer since it should already come with rego and road worthy. I've been looking on gumtree and all of them come without any of that.

There are many on Gumtree that come with both, many are dealers, some aren't.
Below are a few examples, the first link would be my pick of the bunch, second would be the last link.


TJ Solara with 130k, $3499 (http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/northgate/cars-vans-utes/2001-mitsubishi-magna-sedan-solara-registered-rwc-warranty/1032790895)

TL with 240k, $3250 (http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/carina/cars-vans-utes/2003-mitsubishi-magna-sedan-rwc-rego-/1032799987)

TH with 190k, $2450 (http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/southport/cars-vans-utes/1999-mitsubishi-magna-rwc-rego-automatic-reliable/1032791755)

03 TJ with 185k, $3650 (http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/eight-mile-plains/cars-vans-utes/1993-mitsubishi-magna-sedan/1030348133)

TJ VRX clone with 194k, $3500 (http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/bli-bli/cars-vans-utes/2001-mitsubishi-magna-sedan/1028848206)

And avoid a car... ...dirty looking transmission fluid.


Take everything with a grain of salt and look at the overall package :)
Mine had brown transmission fluid, but otherwise immaculate everywhere (I don't believe there is a service interval for the fluid? thus its likely to be stock). It's got 150,000km but unless you looked at it you'd think it had 10,000! The paint work is cleaner than clean itself, I see 2008+ cars parked downstairs which look garbage compared to mine. That was throughout, even the engine bay looks almost new
Got the tranny flushed and that fixed my occasional shudder, now its perfect

If you want a car "just to work on", a Magna at about 200,000 km is ideal!

A privately bought one will (may) need:

Cam belt, idlers, cam/crank seals, waterpump, hydraulic tensioner.
Driveshaft boots, steering rack boots.
Exhaust system.
Tyres, battery, sloppy suspension.
Interior trim, like sagging headliner.
Missing/damaged door seals, exterior trim pieces.
Flaky clear coat on paint. (Solid colours don't have clear, looks a lot better as the car ages.)

Best to avoid a car with murky coolant and driveshafts with torn boots, if possible.
And avoid a car without any service history, dirty looking transmission fluid.

(And buy from an old bloke, everybody knows they look after their cars better.:io:)

Wow that's a huge list thank's for that and will do with checking all those things.

My 2000 Verada I picked up for $500 at 500,000kms.
Needs wheel bearings, timing belt and rocker covers gaskets, as well as Air con and heater core.
Engine and trans are like new :)

There are many on Gumtree that come with both, many are dealers, some aren't.
Below are a few examples, the first link would be my pick of the bunch, second would be the last link.


TJ Solara with 130k, $3499 (http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/northgate/cars-vans-utes/2001-mitsubishi-magna-sedan-solara-registered-rwc-warranty/1032790895)

TL with 240k, $3250 (http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/carina/cars-vans-utes/2003-mitsubishi-magna-sedan-rwc-rego-/1032799987)

TH with 190k, $2450 (http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/southport/cars-vans-utes/1999-mitsubishi-magna-rwc-rego-automatic-reliable/1032791755)

03 TJ with 185k, $3650 (http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/eight-mile-plains/cars-vans-utes/1993-mitsubishi-magna-sedan/1030348133)

TJ VRX clone with 194k, $3500 (http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/bli-bli/cars-vans-utes/2001-mitsubishi-magna-sedan/1028848206)

Oh yeah I can definitely see why the first link would be best choice I found something similar if I was still living in SA I would have jumped on this one pretty quick http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Mitsubishi-Magna-1996/SSE-AD-2484841/?Cr=3&sdmvc=1

But since moving to Townsville in Queensland I might need the put out a bit more money for something like this http://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/Mitsubishi-Magna-2003/AGC-AD-14369889/?Cr=0&sdmvc=1

Take everything with a grain of salt and look at the overall package

Yours experience would be the exception, not the rule.

Taking everything with a grain of salt is foolhardy, as that would suggest one to weigh elements evenly.
I agree to look at the overall package ultimately, but major items such as transmission and engine must take precedence when judging a Magna as a whole.
To altogether disregard oil colour in the transmission is foolish. To take it into account, assess the transmission's current performance and bargain accordingly, however, would be a better suggestion


I don't believe there is a service interval for the fluid
100,000km/5 years is what the service book recommends, however, common sense should prevail and change it at half that distance as a minimum.

Oh yeah I can definitely see why the first link would be best choice I found something similar if I was still living in SA I would have jumped on this one pretty quick http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Mitsubishi-Magna-1996/SSE-AD-2484841/?Cr=3&sdmvc=1

But since moving to Townsville in Queensland I might need the put out a bit more money for something like this http://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/Mitsubishi-Magna-2003/AGC-AD-14369889/?Cr=0&sdmvc=1

Yeah, prices in north QLD are crazy expensive. I'd be more inclined to get a flight to Brisbane buy a car down here and drive back.. chances are you'll be ahead financially and you'll have a greater pool of cars to choose from.

Wow that's a huge list thank's for that and will do with checking all those things.

That list is based on the problems that needed fixing on the 2 second gens I bought years ago at about 200,000 km each.
Since then bought 2 third gens at 111,000 and 136,000 km, without any of those problems, except the second one had leaking rocker covers.

Forgot to mention disc pads and discs as well as leaking rocker covers. lol

Yeah, prices in north QLD are crazy expensive.

Darwin and Perth are worse for prices. lol

Darwin and Perth are worse for prices. lol

hahah don't even get me started on prices in Darwin

hahah don't even get me started on prices in Darwin

Was looking at a car yard in Darwin a few years back. I thought I had walked into a wreckers instead, but alas no . . .

Yeah, prices in north QLD are crazy expensive. I'd be more inclined to get a flight to Brisbane buy a car down here and drive back.. chances are you'll be ahead financially and you'll have a greater pool of cars to choose from.

Who really wants to do the drive back though? I've done it from Cairns to Sydney on a dirt bike. And back from Brisbane to Cairns in a car
Both ways its utterly bloody horrible after about 5 hours. I'd gladly pay at least $1000 just to NOT do the trip, and I did :) actually I think I still got a fair deal, mines a 98 Verada 150k/km I bought for $4500 but its in such awesome condition. Beats most of the ones I saw on gumtree, if only it had leather.... I'll get that part sorted one day
I reckon you have to set aside at least $500 anyway by the time you get flight, accomodation, food, taxi's, fuel etc. Probably more

My 2000 Verada I picked up for $500 at 500,000kms.
Needs wheel bearings, timing belt and rocker covers gaskets, as well as Air con and heater core.
Engine and trans are like new :)

That's something I would have bought... Lol
I always look for high mileage vehicles with things wrong with them. I fix things myself, so any chance of bringing the price down and I'm pretty happy.. ;)

That's something I would have bought... Lol
I always look for high mileage vehicles with things wrong with them. I fix things myself, so any chance of bringing the price down and I'm pretty happy.. ;)

Hello ..... is 400,000kms with a bung engine high enough LoL.

Yeah I bought my tf for $1000 with 420,000 so yeah it's enough lol

My 2000 Verada I picked up for $500 at 500,000kms.


i got a champagne sedan with sunroof for $500 with 128,000kms...

its had a big it in the arse and is a donour

:eeek:

i paid $800 for my 2001 wagon, another $200 was wheels ,rocker gaskets n seals, plugs