Hi all, I'm looking at buying a 94 TS SE 2.6 auto. What do I need to look for before I part with my cash? THe car has 180k on the clock, and electric everything. I have owned a 2.6 Pajero so I'm aware of the timing chain problem, but what else?

TIA, Spoty

Update:

I haven’t been able to drive the car as it has been getting work done to it, namely:
Timing chain kit and new valve guides.
The car is an ex Mitsubishi car, but has had one more owner. It appears straight and in very good nick. The interior is unmarked and like new.

My problem is the car has $3880 on the windscreen but is in the paper for $2995. There is no warranty as the car is below 3k. Should I be worried that the price has dropped below the legal warrantable price? The car is in a caryard.


TIA Spoty

i'll sell you my 2.6L auto TR for $2k :).

i would be very concerned about the condition of the car, and the fact that the price has just "happened" to drop blelow warrantable price...either walk away or at least confront them about it and get it checked out b y racq or equivalent

you can have this one for $3000

Thanks for the offers guys, but the car is for my daughter, and she needs an unmodified car for Insurance, (run into problems with her modified Celica). Even her stereo has caused her to be declined insurance.

Anyway I have looked at quite a few cars and the sticker price is always around $500-$1000 dearer then the advertised price. This is the first car that should fall into the warrantable class (ie < 200k and < 15 year old)

I hope to test drive it today, what should I be looking for?

in NSW a car only has warranty if its under ten years old and has less
than 160,000
price has nothing to do with it

how does it work in other states??

SA Less than 15 years old, less than 200,000 klm, and more than $3000.

Anyway what do I need to look for when I test drive this car?

I'm taking the car for a test drive this afternoon, what do I need to check/test?

find a area big enough to go around in circles at full lock in both diretions
and listen for clicking sounds from the front wheels (cv joints)

make sure the auto is ok and shifts smoothly in both modes and that it goes into reverse straight away

check that the aircon works and if it doesnt they will say it just needs gas
and 80% of the time it will need a lot more than just gas

listen to the motor for the famous timing chain rattle ($600 to fix)

there the main things that i look for when looking at a magna

Cheers for that, the timing chain has just been replaced so i will look very closly at the cv's and the auto

Finally got to drive the car. It drives good, did quite a few figure 8's no noise from the cv's, gave it a flogging in normal and power modes, gear changes were good. Also treated it with kid gloves and gear changes were still good. Disc's require machineing, but its not bad. Handbrake needs adjustment. With the air con on idle is a bit low. All the electrics work, remote boot cable broken, and there is a small leak from a house on the water pump, all in all not a bad car. I will pick it up tommorow, and they are going to fix everything except the boot cable. Oh the price is $2990 with 3 months rego.

Finally got to drive the car. It drives good, did quite a few figure 8's no noise from the cv's, gave it a flogging in normal and power modes, gear changes were good. Also treated it with kid gloves and gear changes were still good. Disc's require machineing, but its not bad. Handbrake needs adjustment. With the air con on idle is a bit low. All the electrics work, remote boot cable broken, and there is a small leak from a house on the water pump, all in all not a bad car. I will pick it up tommorow, and they are going to fix everything except the boot cable. Oh the price is $2990 with 3 months rego.

the boot cable might be ok there is a switch on the boot lock kinda like a child lock on the back doors that you can lock so someone cant get into the boot if they break into your car

Why not try offering them $3K, to see if there's a reason why it doesn't qualify for the warranty? If they accept, then you've paid $10 for the warranty, if not, might give you an idea that something's sus.

Why not try offering them $3K, to see if there's a reason why it doesn't qualify for the warranty? If they accept, then you've paid $10 for the warranty, if not, might give you an idea that something's sus.


Totally agree :stoopid:

Had the daughters boyfriend check the car out (he is a mechanic for Nissan) and he couldn’t fault it. Bought the car with the theory that the head will fail, so I will buy a new head and store it for her. Have had the car for 4 days now and alls seems good. Check the coolant and oil levels daily and all is good. The only fault so far is that the drivers side windscreen washer jet is blocked.
I will keep all informed as to its progress.

One question, the car is white and the front mudflaps (factory) are white, but the rears are black. Is this normal for a TS?

A warranty wouldn't apply with a private sale though surely?:confused:

only from a liscenced motor vechile dealer operating under the liscence, alot of people get burnt because the dearler sold them the car in a private capacity at the car yard thus no warrabty, good hunting eagle.

warranty wouldn't apply with a private sale though surely?

All and any Private sales you buy the goods as they are with faults and all.