Hey guys,

i found a 1996 TE V6 auto, cheap with a nice paint job on it + it has been lowered,rims, zorst, and coustom paint on it.

Now the question is, its done 250000 on the clock and its out of rego (comes with pink slip). They want $3000 for it is it work it or not. If it is, what are some things to look for when checking it out?? Gearbox, leaks ect..

btw its for my girlfriend.

Thanks
Michael

With 250 000km on the clock.....sheesh.......

I know Magna engines can last up to 400 000km.

However - you'de want the following to be done recently (with receipts)

CV shafts (should probably have been done in the last 20 000km)
Timing belt will be due soonish (depending on when the last one was changed)

Gearboxes tend to go south around 250 000km, depending on how well its been treated throughout its life - so receipts/log books of oil being changed (and filter)

By now, the Dizzy will be worn - the dizzy cap and rotor button should have been replaced by now (receipts)

Rocker cover seals.

Check for any oil leaks obviously.

Shock absorbers should have been done recently (within the last year or two)

Brakes (check condition of the rotors, look for glazing, signs of machining etc)

Brakes should have been bled in the last year aswell.

Look inside the oil fill cap for signs of sludge (get a torch)

Check the condition of the auto box oil aswell.

Personally for $3000 and 250 000km, I'de walk away, wouldnt pay more than $2000 with 1 year of rego, as chances are your gf will need to spend a couple of thousand to get it up to scratch. If she spent 4-5K, you'de get a car with a lot less than 250 000km.

Its had the CV's replaced and new shocks with king springs + new exhurst. The guy recently had a service, Gearbox service, oil change and new oil fuel and air filters

hears a pic

http://i22.ebayimg.com/04/i/001/25/6c/c85e_1.JPG

Such an attractive paint job, Saw it on ebay this morning.

Id be careful with the mileage... Almost better to buy a low K's Te - Tj and just get it painted purple and do the mods you wanna do, Would pretty much almost be about the same price.. if not a teeny bit more.


PS. Buy another Maroon 2nd gen and make it look hot again.

The car looks nice.

Look im just one of those people that wouldnt buy a car with more than 120 000km on the clock, I know things start wearing out, and unless its been perfectly maintained, I'de walk away.

Im sure you dont want to advise your gf to buy a car, then spend money and time at the mechanics getting things fixed - the death stares from her might kill you :P

Well TBH if km's are an issue, for another $1000 fitted you can wack a low km 6g74 (3.5L) in there, but its up to you if you want to go that far... Keep in mind paint jobs alone are quite pricey, if thats done properly and not closed-door, it would have cost upwards of $3000. The rims on it would be worth a pretty penny as well.

i haven't see the car in person yet either. The reason why im looking at another car is her 2g has a stuffed motor and is up for rego next month and she likes this one lol. I rang him up and talking to him (he didn't seem like a tool) its been painted in the VE SS colour and the doors (inside) have been done as well. The only thing he said was that the car makes a bit of a ticking noise when its cold and the goes away (lifters mabey)

if thats all thats wrong with it see if you can get a mech to look over it before buying it and well if the engine does die engine transplant aint that expensive and will give you atleast another 100000kms
my 2c

Life actually has a decent point.

You could swap in another engine when this one dies, for $2000 (thats if you do the timing belt, plugs, rocker cover seals, water pump, sump seal while the engine is out of the car).

Which means you have a car with a fresher engine, low km, new cv's, newish shocks/springs, wheels and paint.

Life actually has a decent point.

You could swap in another engine when this one dies, for $2000 (thats if you do the timing belt, plugs, rocker cover seals, water pump, sump seal while the engine is out of the car).

Which means you have a car with a fresher engine, low km, new cv's, newish shocks/springs, wheels and paint.

yea true, ill take my mate along hes a mecanic.

are there any other things to look for??

Well TBH if km's are an issue, for another $1000 fitted you can wack a low km 6g74 (3.5L) in there, but its up to you if you want to go that far... Keep in mind paint jobs alone are quite pricey, if thats done properly and not closed-door, it would have cost upwards of $3000. The rims on it would be worth a pretty penny as well.

1000 fitted? hahahahah for a DECENT low km engine with 150+ compression all clys is around 850 alone from any decent wrecker, then add timing belt, plugs, water pump, belts, dissy cap and rotor and leads as well, not to mention oil and filter.

expect around 2k for it all to be done properly and with a warranty.

expect around 2k for it all to be done properly and with a warranty.

Beat you to it ($2K remark) - look 3 posts above yours :P

I've actually got this car on watchlist @ ebay .... looks a pretty solid if one likes purple. I reckon this engine will probably be good for another 3 to 4 years at least. Based on the strength of the 3.5 donk and the average number of km's its done. I have no idea whether its been thrashed or poorly maintained but thats part of buying a 2nd car without personally inspecting it.

I'd just make sure I had it properly flushed, then new oil filter. Make sure the same with the transmission.

If Dubbo was a bit closer I'd have bought it (pending inspection)

I've actually got this car on watchlist @ ebay .... looks a pretty solid if one likes purple. I reckon this engine will probably be good for another 3 to 4 years at least. Based on the strength of the 3.5 donk and the average number of km's its done. I have no idea whether its been thrashed or poorly maintained but thats part of buying a 2nd car without personally inspecting it.

I'd just make sure I had it properly flushed, then new oil filter. Make sure the same with the transmission.

If Dubbo was a bit closer I'd have bought it (pending inspection)

stay away from it lol, ill have to have a look to make my decishion

I wouldnt touch it.

"the engine has a ticking noise at start up"

3k will get you somehing a lot better

Walk away, put the money it needs spent on it (rego/possible timing belt/possible engine/possible gearbox at those km's) and buy something that hasn't been tampered with, and with alot less kays.
Flashy paint and rims might earn you some 'street cred' at maccas, but a young girl needs a reliable car that wont be at the mechanics every 2nd week.

I wouldnt touch it.

"the engine has a ticking noise at start up"

3k will get you somehing a lot better

all magnas make a ticking/tapping noise at start up/when cold :nuts:

well i can tell you that mine doesnt. Might just be yours and the one with 200+k :doubt:

my 2nd gen does, noisy lifters lol but the sound goes after 20mins ish lol, mech said no point fixing a little noise thats no effect on drivability

All magnas make a ticking/tapping noise at start up/when cold :nuts:

Mine doesn't:nuts:

well i can tell you that mine doesnt. Might just be yours and the one with 200+k :doubt:

Most do, to give you an example Mr_Roberto's car has under 100,000kms... It is a very common occurance.

Mine TL does it slightly too, has less than 70k on it. Sisters doesn't, has 140k on it.

Mine ticks till it warms up.

no, 57,000 ks.

Mine TL does it slightly too, has less than 70k on it. Sisters doesn't, has 140k on it.

Mine KS does it for a few seconds on really cold mornings somethimes.......

Mine doesn't:nuts:

i ment most


Most do, to give you an example Mr_Roberto's car has under 100,000kms... It is a very common occurance.

mine has a small ticking when cold then its fine once warm, mines under 50,000k's

Noisy lifters can usually be cured with a heavier weight oil ..... you guys are so fussy.
What do you want for that price?

hey buddy remember its a p platers car i was no offence to p platers but their is a good chance is been flogged around a bit

Ladies, back to the OP post please, no one gives a rats if your car ticks on start up.

Now back to OP, looks like a decent car, the mileage in it is not much of a concern as it is an older car now

Yes the 3.5 may be a tough engine, but this is a 3.0 unless it has been changed at some stage as TE/F only came in 3.0, the Verada's only came in 3.5

I would seriously look at this car as seems to have been taken care of, just the mods are worth a few $$

yep,

enough bickering and back to reality.

Take the car for a drive and itd be brilliant if you had your mechanic buddy to have a thorough look over it. Engines can die after 80,000 km's of city driving and still be super smooth after 270,000 km's of highway.

Ask what the car was used for etc....

jump in and have a look at the average fuel figures,( if its got the display that is )
drive it around, check for little thumps when taking tight turns in alternate directions
leave the steering straight and level, check if car veers to a side
Look for gutter rash - means its been parked carelessly
Check gear changes, they should be smooth, changing into third at 80-ish
Look in the engine filler for sludge
Check all the electrics (ESPECIALLY WINDOWS! .... i didnt! :redface: )
Loose rubber seals on door/window frames
Loose plastic cover underneath the car (albeit an easy fix)
Check temp gauge after 10 - 15 minutes of slow stop start driving...

thats about as much that i can think of. Theres a lotta threads out there written by folks with much better and detailed info.

Hope all this helps. Ive got a 99 Verada with 242,000 when I bought it 7 months ago. Its got 254 or so now and works fine.

Bearing in mind its for your girlfriend...maybe something smaller? a city car perhaps? Something with low running costs and a smaller engine? Ask her what she needs out of it.

yep,

enough bickering and back to reality.

Take the car for a drive and itd be brilliant if you had your mechanic buddy to have a thorough look over it. Engines can die after 80,000 km's of city driving and still be super smooth after 270,000 km's of highway.

Ask what the car was used for etc....

jump in and have a look at the average fuel figures,( if its got the display that is )
drive it around, check for little thumps when taking tight turns in alternate directions
leave the steering straight and level, check if car veers to a side
Look for gutter rash - means its been parked carelessly
Check gear changes, they should be smooth, changing into third at 80-ish
Look in the engine filler for sludge
Check all the electrics (ESPECIALLY WINDOWS! .... i didnt! :redface: )
Loose rubber seals on door/window frames
Loose plastic cover underneath the car (albeit an easy fix)
Check temp gauge after 10 - 15 minutes of slow stop start driving...

thats about as much that i can think of. Theres a lotta threads out there written by folks with much better and detailed info.

Hope all this helps. Ive got a 99 Verada with 242,000 when I bought it 7 months ago. Its got 254 or so now and works fine.

Bearing in mind its for your girlfriend...maybe something smaller? a city car perhaps? Something with low running costs and a smaller engine? Ask her what she needs out of it.
i agree with this perry make sure its what she wants i no we love magnas on hear but if their is something smaller and cheaper for you to run it would be best

Well went to dubbo today to have a look at this car. The car really needs a clean inside and out. He started it up and there was no ticking noise. The engine was cold (i checked before he started it and the oil was cold as well), it sounded fine, just like a 3.0L lol. Its needs tapped cover gaskets (no biggie). The timing belt was done at 232000 and the car now has 253000 on it. Couldn't see any sludge under the cap or in the hole. The gearbox fluid was starting to turn black/brown.

I took it for a drive and the steering felt fine and so did the breaks. The gearbox seemed lazy when putting it into drive or reverse. When you put it into gear it would take a second or 2 to go in there. But when driving it it changed fine, no flaring or thumps. Had plenty of power there too. Rear shocks need doing (again no biggie). The guy said it hadn't been started for a while, i also check the radiator and there was water missing (couldn't see any one the ground or leaks around the motor).

A mate of mine is a mechanic and i was telling him about it and he seams to think that all she needs is a good service and it will be ok, What do you guys think??

i offered him $2500, ill give it a few days an give him a call

i agree with this perry make sure its what she wants i no we love magnas on hear but if their is something smaller and cheaper for you to run it would be best

she wants this for some reason, i don't know why

she wants this for some reason, i don't know why
its purple thats y

Ask why has it had a paint job?? Part from wat you say its just like any normal car with those kays:cool:

Ask why has it had a paint job?? Part from wat you say its just like any normal car with those kays:cool:
he didn't paint it , the owner before was a painter, i check for damage and there dosen't seem to be none

she wants this for some reason, i don't know why

well, I would say you, or more correctly, she is the proud owner of a purple Magna. From what you said re the inspection of it, you can find no major faults that would preclude you from buying it? ie stuffed motor, gear box etc? That the case, she likes the car, wants the car so you will buy the car :D

I bought my TF with 343k on it, against all advice (had no service history whatsoever) instead of a TS wagon (full service history). Same money, I wanted the 3rd gen shape so went with the TF. Soon as I got it I sent it off for timing belt, water pump plugs etc (thanks to lurking here I knew what I was up against) and the mechanic told me that apart from what I asked him to do, he could find nothing that needed doing. Last time I saw the car was a couple of weeks ago, 360k on the clock now, nothing done to it since I sold it in July (not even fixing the rear end collision damage) and it still drives beautifully.

The point to my wall of text is that high k's does not always denote a POS that needs to be scrapped, case by case basis

Well went to dubbo today to have a look at this car. The car really needs a clean inside and out. He started it up and there was no ticking noise. The engine was cold (i checked before he started it and the oil was cold as well), it sounded fine, just like a 3.0L lol. Its needs tapped cover gaskets (no biggie). The timing belt was done at 232000 and the car now has 253000 on it. Couldn't see any sludge under the cap or in the hole. The gearbox fluid was starting to turn black/brown.

I took it for a drive and the steering felt fine and so did the breaks. The gearbox seemed lazy when putting it into drive or reverse. When you put it into gear it would take a second or 2 to go in there. But when driving it it changed fine, no flaring or thumps. Had plenty of power there too. Rear shocks need doing (again no biggie). The guy said it hadn't been started for a while, i also check the radiator and there was water missing (couldn't see any one the ground or leaks around the motor).

A mate of mine is a mechanic and i was telling him about it and he seams to think that all she needs is a good service and it will be ok, What do you guys think??

i offered him $2500, ill give it a few days an give him a call
I hope you took into account another $2k-$3k for a new gearbox because that one is about to die my friend. Brown/black fluid in a box with that many KMs, plus the laziness to change between R and D, it won't last long.

I hope you took into account another $2k-$3k for a new gearbox because that one is about to die my friend. Brown/black fluid in a box with that many KMs, plus the laziness to change between R and D, it won't last long.

i thought it would just need a service, because it changes fine

i thought it would just need a service, because it changes fine

Request they get mitsu to service the tranny and then go for another test drive...

I hope you took into account another $2k-$3k for a new gearbox because that one is about to die my friend. Brown/black fluid in a box with that many KMs, plus the laziness to change between R and D, it won't last long.

How much do they cost to install?? As madmagna has one for sale for $400 that has only done 137000, wouldnt of thought the labour would be that high :confused:

How much do they cost to install?? As madmagna has one for sale for $400 that has only done 137000, wouldnt of thought the labour would be that high :confused:

hopefully it just needs a flush and some new fluid

i thought it would just need a service, because it changes fine
When I bought my TL, the fluid was brown and it seemed to change fine and I thought the same as you... just needs a service. Did that, now it flares and drives me crazy. I'm thinking it'll need a rebuild soon.

Well, after a chat to the guy today aparentlry a guy is comming down from melbourne and giving him $3400 for so, i i said if the sales falls though give me a call

While you were up in Dubbo you should have got the car to a mechanic or a transmission specialist if you have any hesitation in buying it. Whether it just needs a good flush or a rebuild will only become clear by using people that know their stuff.

I still think its a good buy if it needs a tranny flush fair enough.....a car is something you actually have to spend money on you can't expect to pick up old 2nd hand cars in perfect nick.