hey all

i'm looking at buying my first car, my parents are fairly supportive and therefore reluctant to let me do my own thing at any pace as i have a tendency to buy now think later.
I've got 4 grand and am intending on spending no more than around 2700-2800 for a car as i need to pay for rego, insurance, stamp duty etc etc

I've looked at a few cars, decided i'd really like a magna. I've beent old the v6 manuals are my best bet in the 2nd gens and i've looked around and found two for sale so far. One was from a user called scotty on this forum and another was in the paper. I got an RAC check on the one in the paper and it had multiple faults/prospective faults. It's 2500 at the moment but we offered 1800, they declined but may still be able to get it for that price. It has 236### on the clock. It needed new clutch, new power steering pump/hose connection(oil was leaking), minor engine noises, new timing belt, new engine valve train, new drive shaft/universal joints, new accelerator and brake and clutch pedals, new cv joint boots, new front suspension bushes, new steering wheel, new front suspension, new steering rack cover boots, new headlining, new interior door handles, new tinting on rear window, new washer/wiper system(water squirter not working at all), new heater/demister/aircon system(doesn't need regassing it's just not working), new right hand front parking light, and a new spare tyre.

It will also need new tyres within about 6 months as they are all at about 40-50% tread and they have different front tyres to the back tyres??????(as in brands)

My question is.........should i just buy a different, cheap type of car and save for a gr8 condition 3rd gen or something, or should i try buy this or should i keep looking for a v6 manual magna 2nd gen?(scotty's one looked good but couldn't get an RAC check on it as parents wouldn't drive me an hour away and i cudn't afford the $200 check again)

I just need any advice that can be given to me. I'd love the extra power in the v6 but on the same token, i'd rather a car i didn't have to spend money repairing but instead, spend money making it nice and comfy and on modifications, etc etc

Any advice is helpful and wanted, cheers

~twiggy~

The second gen is a nice platform for a first car, especially in manual.

Don't buy the one listed, to much gone wrong with it, keep looking.

Scotty is a mechanic by trade so yeah he could probably tell you whats wrong with it anyway, i chat with him now and then and his car never has problems man. for the price your paying scottys car is a good deal

yeh, the only annoying thing is i need a car by christmas, like actual christmas day and there's only so many v6 manuals for a reasonable price...i'm in WA as well by the way.

I know people say that the 4 cylinders are underpowered and engines suck but is it still worthwhile if i find a nice quality good conditioned 2nd gen 4banger?

~twiggy~

edit-----I know scotty's a mechanic, i trust what he's said is wrong with it and i'd really love to have his car as it's also at a great price. The only problem is i can't afford to have an RAC check and my parents are the kind who won't trust the word of a stranger so the only way i can get them to go for the hour long drive to see the car is to get an RAC inspection. I can't afford to pay 200 bucks if it turns out to have a problem with it.....it's a dilemna bahahahaha

~twiggy~

yeh, the only annoying thing is i need a car by christmas, like actual christmas day and there's only so many v6 manuals for a reasonable price...i'm in WA as well by the way.

I know people say that the 4 cylinders are underpowered and engines suck but is it still worthwhile if i find a nice quality good conditioned 2nd gen 4banger?

~twiggy~

Mmmmm Nah, stay away from the 4 bangers:P

hahaha fair enough =D

The only prospect i've had from scotty's car is to offer the 2500 if he pays for an rac check and all is good...otherwise i could reimburse(spelling?) him the cost of the check if all goes well and i buy the car so offer 2700 instead? I'm not sure, it's just annoying...

~twiggy~

Why dont you just DD him the money for the RAC check so that way hes using your money to get it checked out and if all is good buy it?

My main worry is paying 178 bucks for a check like i did last time to find that there's problems that the owner/s didn't know about and effectively wasting that money. I've been doing my TEE exams lately, then leavers then melbourne so i won't be working etc till early december so yeh. It is an option i spose. Really wish i just had the money handy then it would be all too simple. Might have to talk the parents into it i think. I know scotty's cars pretty quality and yeh.

cheers for the advice, think i need to try convince parents to help me out here,

~twiggy~

just checked my pms, he said the front cv joints were a bit noisy and an engine mount needed replacing and 2 new tyres. Oh, and it needs a new catalytic converter. All up that would cost around 6-700 bucks you rekon?

~twiggy~

If I were you mate, I'd go check out this TF Exec, which is somewhere in WA (you'll have to email them to find out the dealership.

$2,990 (talk em down more :P) for a 1998 3L Auto TF is good value, even with 208k's on the clock. It should be a more reliable car than any 2nd gen you'll find, and because its from a dealer, they have to provide a warranty of sorts (I think minimum is 3 months?) so that should put your parents minds to ease a little bit.

http://images.carsales.com.au/dealer/carsales/8769329.jpg
To the Listing (http://www.carsales.com.au/used-cars/dealer/MITSUBISHI/MAGNA/details.aspx?Cr=1&State=Western%20Australia&R=5000288&state_id=83&__N=4294964597+442+4294964374+904+834+285+258+287&silo=1000&distance=25&__Ns=pCar_StatusSort_Int32|1||pCar_Price_Decimal|0&trecs=7&__Nne=20&seot=0&PriceMax=5000&__sid=1155C2EDE5A0&Model=MAGNA&__Qpb=true&Make=MITSUBISHI)

Ah, the one piece of crucial information i forgot to include....i want a manual :p
Hahahaha, that looks good but yeh, i've driven my dad's auto around a bit and i just felt tired when driving, like i wasn't really driving the car. When i'm in the manual i enjoy it and yeh. I know it's a pain but yeh, gotta be manual

cheers anyway, if i didn't mind i'd go have a look at that straight away

~twiggy~

Hahaha...fair enough, one thing you'll have to live with though is manual Magnas are a lot rarer that auto ones and as a result come at quite a price. Put it this way, I've been looking around too lately and I've realised that I can get a KF Xi verada (auto) for the same money as a TF Exec (manual). I love manual cars, but I can sacrifice on the transmission for all the other goodies, you might find you'll have to do the same in the end if you want a good reliable car. On the other hand you may get lucky and find a good manual for the right price. Best of luck!

yeh, unfortunately something i too have discovered hahaha, cheers mate.
trying my best to find a manual magna for the right price still hahaha

~twiggy~

If you're getting a manual v6 is the best bet, but you'd probably find a 4 cyl will be ok too. The auto boxes hold them both back a bit and kill the fuel economy. I'm sure there are some 4cyl manual owners that would give their cars a good rap. Anyway see if you can get a drive of one and see for yourself.

That car you had checked out was a complete lemon. You will find cars much better than that if you keep looking for another few weeks.

As a 4cyl boy, drive a manual one of them in good nick first before writing them off completely. Especially in manual, there's great torque down low, something the V6 just can't, and doesn't have.

awesome! cheers guys
I'm thinking of getting a check on scotty's v6 asap and possibly getting that but i think i'll keep an eye out for a good quality manual magna of anything lol.
Shall see how i go

~twiggy~

aything you do. DO NOT buy a 4cyl auto mate. you can be damn sure you'll regret it.

yeh, def not getting an auto of any kind, i'm a manual driver and intend to stay that way. So from what i've gathered try my very best to get a 6 cylinder manual but a 4 cylinder may still satisfy my needs and such?
Cheers guys(and girls?)

~twiggy~

Yeah, pretty much.