Hi im about to buy year 2000 Magna(v6 manual, ~165,000km) for $5000 from a dealer. Price also include rwc, service, and 1 year warranty(worth $200, done through 3rd party).
According the dealer the car has not been involved in accident and doesn't need any repair. I was kinda in a hurry and it drove ok so already paid the deposit and probably pickup on this saturday or next monday.

But now im regretting it cos only drove the car for like 5mins and didnt even use 4th/5th gear, air conditing, or lock the wheel to check the cv joint etc. Service book had service records upto ~50km then one at ~90km and last one at ~110km iirc.
All the doors seem to open n shut without making too much noise etc, had quick look under bonnet and didnt really see any oil leak around the engine and the engine oil color was darkish brown(but its suppose to get serviced before i take the car).

Should i get RACV checkup before i buy it? so worst case i only lose the deposit.. or should i just take dealer's word "you won't have to worry about anything for at least a year".
If i don't get RACV checkup, i'll probably test drive the car again before i pay the rest of the money, anything i should look for?

Thanks heaps in advance.

p.s. didnt have time to get the details on 1 year 3rd party warranty but do you think its worth it for $200? (i can get $200 off the car price if i dont take the warranty)

1. Never take the dealer's word.
2. you paid the deposit BEFORE getting it inspected??!!!

how much deposit did you pay? This is important: $50 you could walk away from. $500 or $1000, anyone would be reluctant to do so. Do Victorian consumer laws allow you to cool off? Have you priced an RACV check? or one from an independent mechanic? At least you're thinking in terms of getting a proper (eg RACv) check, not one by a "friend who knows something about cars".


have you checked the ownership history of the car? Do you think the mileage is genuine?

You raise so many questions it is hard to know where to start. I suggest you slow down, try to make time to get the details, drive it until you are satisfied with your impression. Don't let the dealer hurry you.

One good thing: being in Victoria, you can get Mal from Mits-fix to fix your car. Mal is highly recommended.

Get the RACV checkup. Any problems found can be used to negotiate the price downwards. If there are major problems, like timing belt not done, or there is hidden damage, and the dealer isn't prepared to budge on price, be prepared to walk away. If you do end up with the car, be very clear on what that third party warranty covers before you sign up for it.

If the check finds anything that disagrees with the dealer's verbal description, and you decide to not take the car, ask for your deposit back on the grounds that the car was misrepresented. Otherwise, be prepared to loose it.

Hey cooperplace, thank you very much for the advice. Sorry if asked too many questions, i kinda edited down to two. :)
I didn't pay too much for the deposit so worst case i dont mind walking away.
Not sure about the law regarding the deposit, but i paid deposit after 6pm today just before shop closed.

Think i'll call the dealer first thing tomorrow and tell him i'll do the RACV inspection(~$185) on the car, and also ask him if i can get full refund for the deposit if theres a problem with the car.

"have you checked the ownership history of the car? Do you think the mileage is genuine?"
How do you check the ownership history and tell the mileage is genuine. Maybe i should have paid more attension to the service date.

Bad thing is he did rush me, and i was in kinda hurry(n im sick of looking for cars) so i thought i'll just settle for this one. And he did sound legit, he said hes been running the business for 20 years and kept on telling me that theres nothing wrong with the car.

Couple of questions:
1. what is the worst case if i buy the car without doing the RACV checkup? (if i need to spend another $500-$1000 for some repair i can live with that)
2. RACV checkup still necessary even if the car has full service history? cos if i check 5 cars thats almost $1000.

MadMax, thank you for the advice.

Now i think i'll definitely do the RACV checkup.
Hopefully the dealer can offer me full refund or reduce the price if theres problem like you said. Otherwise i'll just walk away from it.
Dealer told me the timing belt was changed on 100k when i asked him(last two service was done on ~90,000km and ~110,000km according to the service book iirc).

At the time i thought the dealer just wanted to get rid of the car quickly(according to him, he just got the car) and i thought he reduced the price cos registration runs out soon(31/03/12) and its not a low km car.

p.s. i think all four door windows had tints pilling off a bit at the top part, i know its 12 years old but bit weird cos its wasnt just one window. should i be worried about this?

so he did rush you, I thought so. Classic.

Worst case? No-one can say, but if it has done 25k/yr for 12 yrs, it's done 300k and could need new engine, trans, brakes, etc etc. A lot more than $1000. It sounds as tho' you are trying to talk yourself into buying this car. This is why they like to extract a deposit: you are already committed.

I like MadMax's advice.

I would go back and have another look at the car. At the moment you mind is not at ease about the purchase so thats the first thing you need to do. Go and look at all the things that you didnt see and i would take someone with you as a second opinion or pair of eyes is great.

What company is supplying the warranty..??

$5000 seems a bit rich. There are some nice looking Veradas on Carsales for that money.

If you are just after a run around go to Pickles Hail sale auction on Saturday, they have been selling Magnas for $600-$800. RACV will insure them for 3rd party property damage, no problems.

Hey guys, asked dealer two questions this morning(since he told me theres nothing wrong with the car).
1. can you offer full refund on deposit if i don't end up buying the car due to problems found on RACV checkup?
(he said no, but he said he can refund half the deposit which is the law according to him)
2. can you offer repair or futher discount if there are minor problems fround on RACV checkup?
(again he said no, cos he said he already offered me discount)
So i told him i'll still book the RACV checkup.. guess i'll go from there(hopefully there aren't many problems with the car).

Thanks again for the info cooperplace.. im glad i didnt make this thread after i bought the car. :)

Ego, dealer told me the car is already at the workshop when i called him this morning, so unfortunately i can't have a look at the car til it comes back. But i've booked RACV checkup for next week.
1 year warranty is done through "National Warranty", but i might not take the warranty and save $200 if theres no problem on RACV checkup.

JOHNVRAWD, unfortunately prices on Magna types of cars in Victoria are bit higher than all other states for some reason when you check the ads in carsales.
I missed 2003 Magna ES(private sale, done ~110,000km, drove well, full service history) for $5500 last week :( but picked this 2000 Magna mainly cos its manual.(i know its 3yrs older, done 50000km more, etc)
Manual should use less fuel, bit faster and bit cheaper(?) to maintain, right?

"car is already at the workshop" smells fishy. It sounds like he is stuffing you around because he knows the inspection could turn up nasty surprises. Ask him does he really want to sell the car? What ishe trying to hide. Alternatively, getting back half of your deposit and walking away might be a good thing. Put it down to experience.

Your gut is telling you something isn't right.

You haven't inspected the car properly yourself and the car hasn't undergone an independent inspection.

It doesn't even sound like you've checked to see if the car is currently under finance or been written off?
See here: http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/Registration/BuySellTransferVehicles/BuyingPrePurchaseChecks/

You felt pressured by the car salesman, which was a deliberate tactic (the oldest trick in the book).

Given that you were prepared to part with your money so quickly without a proper test drive or inspection, you appear to be quite inexperienced. I imagine the salesman probably had you pegged from the minute you walked into the yard.

If I were you, I would get some legal advice about the deposit to see if you are eligible to get your money back (don't trust what the saleman has told you about the deposit), then I would get as much of the deposit back as I could and then run for hills!

There may be nothing wrong with the car, but you're uncomfortable with how things have played out thus far and your gut is telling you something isn't right. I would trust that instinct. Use the experience you have gained and start again.

I wouldn't think that prices in Vic could be worse than SA, in fact last time I looked SA was one of the worst for cars.

Sounds like he is trying to rush you, maybe he's sensed that you have the money and is trying to make a quick sale. Or there really is something wrong with it.

Either way, you need to put your foot down and not let him rush you. You have paid a deposit on it so that can be used to your advantage if he wants to pull a swifty.

I know you're trying to get it checked out now but I would suggest writting down a list of things you want to check on a car in future because for a car of this price I would expect it to be in pretty good condition!

In general I would recommend -

Tyre tread levels
Oil leaks
All electrics
Aircon
Cracks in windows
Check paintwork

For this particular car I would recommend checking the following as well

Any weird noises from engine when started cold, ticking when it's cold is somewhat acceptable but if it's still ticking when warm it may have warn lifters/tappets
Check CV joints for cracks splitting.
Try taking off in third gear quickly, if you have real trouble taking off that means the clutch is biting well. If you can take off slowly without much effort it means the clutch is worn
Make sure you check out 5th gear, 5th syncro is normally the first to go in a gearbox from my experience
Check the engine mounts as well, they tend to crack easy in our cars

This is just a rouch list. I normally go over cars checking everything works before folking out monies. The best you can do is try and get some money off of the final price, hopefully there isnt anything wrong with the car though.

Yes, i've already paid for RACV checkup so if i dont end up buying the car i'll lose ~$350.

There was a ticking noise or two when he first started the car but didn't really hear any unusal noise after that. Also i accidently put into 5th gear(instead of 3rd) when i was test driving the car briefly but car had no hardly any power on 5th gear(i was doing ~60km).

Thanks all for advices, i'll be more careful next time but hopefully theres no problem with RACV checkup so i can buy the car.

"car is already at the workshop" smells fishy. It sounds like he is stuffing you around because he knows the inspection could turn up nasty surprises.
Alternatively, the cooling off period (if your state has one) may expire by the time the car returns from the 'workshop'.

Yes, i've already paid for RACV checkup so if i dont end up buying the car i'll lose ~$350.

There was a ticking noise or two when he first started the car but didn't really hear any unusal noise after that. Also i accidently put into 5th gear(instead of 3rd) when i was test driving the car briefly but car had no hardly any power on 5th gear(i was doing ~60km).

Thanks all for advices, i'll be more careful next time but hopefully theres no problem with RACV checkup so i can buy the car.

There should be enough torque in 5th gear at 60kmh.. is this car supposed to be a 3.5l or a 3.0l? 2000 model TH magnas can be either 3.0l or 3.5l.

Umm it was 3.0.
Maybe i was doing ~50km, not 100% sure but i pressed down heaps on padel(cos it wasn't really going) so the engine was revving but still didnt really go.. iirc.
Oh n it also felt like the gear wasn't in properly and the gear stick was moving around heaps when i put it in 5th.(but probably beacause im not used to it)

5th at 50km/h in a 3.0L won't really do much..

Umm it was 3.0.
Maybe i was doing ~50km, not 100% sure but i pressed down heaps on padel(cos it wasn't really going) so the engine was revving but still didnt really go.. iirc.
Oh n it also felt like the gear wasn't in properly and the gear stick was moving around heaps when i put it in 5th.(but probably beacause im not used to it)

You are overthinking the whole concept of buying the car.

Some rules & observations.
Dealers will always tell you a car is better than it really is.
Dealers will always pressure you into making a quick decision.
A second hand car will always need money spent on it. Consequently, the car will cost you more than you think.
Warranty on a second hand car is usually full of huge holes. Clutch, brakes, tyres, battery are "normal wear items" and are not covered.
Buying from a dealer or privately without knowing what to look for means you are volunteering for disappointment and unexpected costs.

Decide if you want the car or not, knowing there are risks involved. If the check finds nothing major, buy the car if you really want it and can afford it, drive it, find out what is wrong, fix it.
Simple.

[You sound like a first time buyer. My approach to buying a Magna is the opposite to yours. You would like a $5K Magna from a dealer to be free of faults, something you can drive straight away with nothing to spend for years.
I look for a private buy, lowest price possible. I check engine condition and gearbox, but tyres, bodywork or bad paint don't matter, actually good as it lowers the price. I then budget about the same amount of money for repairs. Hasn't failed me yet.]

$5000 for a 3.0l?

I would be hitting the eject button right about now!

$5000 for a 3.0l?

I would be hitting the eject button right about now!

Not really. The dealer probably paid $2.5K for it as a trade in, has it on dealer finance, and then there are his site overheads, costs of detailing the car, a bit of servicing, a quick look under on the hoist, and his $2K profit margin.
Plus he probably expected the OP to haggle him down to $4K or thereabouts. lol

Now you know why I would never buy from a dealer.

Ego, dealer told me the car is already at the workshop when i called him this morning, so unfortunately i can't have a look at the car til it comes back. But i've booked RACV checkup for next week.
1 year warranty is done through "National Warranty", but i might not take the warranty and save $200 if theres no problem on RACV checkup.


Its upto you if you take the warranty of not. Its only 200 but if something does go wrong it will cover you for more that $200 so you will be in front. The only advise i can give you with this warranty is make sure you read the fine print. The car will need to be serviced every 5,000kms(basic oil & filter service) and make sure you call the warranty company first when you have an issue and want to claim.

I am happy to help you in this area as it in my line of work so i know a fair bit.

Can someone in VIC with knowledge go with this dude to check the car out? Knowing what to look for is half the battle. It could be straight as a die or a complete dog. Dealers use lots of tricks to make cars look and appear better than they are when sitting on a forecourt

Thank you all for more insightful advices. I'll wait til Monday for the RACV report since i already paid for the deposit and RACV checkup.

I'll post details of any problems, and hopefully you guys will tell me everything is fine and buy the car. :)

It really can be intimidating for a novice to look at a used car, there are so many things to look for, many of which you never notice till its been at your house for a few weeks....

Look for a spotless engine bay, ie: degreased, that will mean it has some wicked oil leaks, ideally the engine bay should be dusty so you can check for leaks, and dont just look under the bonnet, get on the ground and look all over the sump and gearbox, every magna i looked at was dripping in oil, just like the one i was selling at the time!

Check in the door jams, look to see if the bolts that hold the doors on have paint coming off them suggesting the doors may have been off, same goes for the top off the guards in the engine bay, the bolts should look like they've never been off.

There's also a neat trick when looking at the paint work. My dad has a great eye (despite wearing glasses occasionally) and was able to pick up on a metallic green magna which had been repainted on the doors on the left hand side (possible accident)

Just got the RACV checkup report.

Cover page: http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/9627/racv1.jpg (got the Green/Go tick)
Page 1/2: http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/5625/racv2.jpg
Page 2/3: http://img803.imageshack.us/img803/3710/racv3.jpg

I'm happy with the report cos looks like the car is in decent condition, so i'll pay the rest and pick up the car tomorrow morning.

But please let me know if i made any other noob mistakes. Thank you.

Just got the RACV checkup report.

Cover page: http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/9627/racv1.jpg (got the Green/Go tick)
Page 1/2: http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/5625/racv2.jpg
Page 2/3: http://img803.imageshack.us/img803/3710/racv3.jpg

I'm happy with the report cos looks like the car is in decent condition, so i'll pay the rest and pick up the car tomorrow morning.

But please let me know if i made any other noob mistakes. Thank you.

Erm... by the sounds of the report you will need to replace the clutch, CV joints, hoses, and fix the oil leaks. Apart from that. Perfect car that I wouldn't pay over $3000 for.. :|

Also im very surprised hed refund just the deposit or anything. walk away from a deal here and its 15% of the purchase price that u have to pay ;)

As the inspection says, the car is in reasonable condition taking its age and km into consideration. The worn clutch is an opportunity to upgrade to a heavy duty one. Oil leaks are to be expected. The car is in a servicable, roadworthy condition. It is by no means fantastic value but it is an ok car. Good luck and congrats on the new purchase

Erm... by the sounds of the report you will need to replace the clutch, CV joints, hoses, and fix the oil leaks. Apart from that. Perfect car that I wouldn't pay over $3000 for.. :|
:( umm so i shouldn't buy the car?


Also im very surprised hed refund just the deposit or anything. walk away from a deal here and its 15% of the purchase price that u have to pay ;)
:( i've spent wasted $225 for RACV checkup, and the dealer said he can refund the half the deposit..


As the inspection says, the car is in reasonable condition taking its age and km into consideration. The worn clutch is an opportunity to upgrade to a heavy duty one. Oil leaks are to be expected. The car is in a servicable, roadworthy condition. It is by no means fantastic value but it is an ok car. Good luck and congrats on the new purchase
Thanks, but not sure if i should buy the car anymore..

Erm... by the sounds of the report you will need to replace the clutch, CV joints, hoses, and fix the oil leaks. Apart from that. Perfect car that I wouldn't pay over $3000 for.. :|
Plus fixing the headling. Plus new brake pads + maching the rotors. Plus various suspension repairs.

Not worth it in my opinion. $5k for a TH is already on the high end of the scale. Yet alone factoring in a few grand of repairs...

The repairs needed are just what comes with age. Heck, my car's had a few of them lol It's just the cost that's the issue.

sigh.. ok. Thank you for the honestly feedback.

IF i buy the car,
- how much would i need to spend on the car(rough estimate) to fix those problems? (clutch, cv joints, hoses, oil leaks, brake pads + matching the rotor, etc)
cos few grand of repairs is a lot of money on $5000 car.
- how urgent are these problems? (do do u think i can drive for a year without any repair)

Sorry if these are noob questions, but i dont know much about cars.

I understand this car isnt a great deal(considering the price and condition) but i've already spent some money(racv check, 1/2 deposit) on the car and i like the car..

I have to say that car does have some costly problems mate. It's not too bad but its not perfect either. Although you can never expect to buy a 2nd hand car and now have to repair anything. I personally wouldn't buy a 3L because they are old, outdated and have less power down low like the 3.5L. That being said - they are great in manual versions as they love a good rev. 5k is a tad high a 2000 magna but as you said you are in Vic (more expensive than most) and it is from a dealer. Glad to hear it got the "Go" green light from the RACV report but j it will need some money invested in the near future to keep it running.

Problems found:
- Clutch toward end of life - $600 for Exedy stock clutch ($800 from Mitsubishi) + $600 easy for labour. Total cost: expect $1200-1400.
- Minor wear and tear on Suspension bushes. Probably not something pressing but may need to be changed at a later day. Shouldn't be too expensive.
- Oil spill on left boot area. Likely to be grease leaking from left lower CV boot. Very common problem. Requires new clip on boot if boot is not torn. Can be fixed with a $4 hose clamp from an autostore. Alternatively you could get a new boot & clip or new driveshaft in the future (~$120 for New Driveshaft). Does need to be attended to because if dirt gets in the CV joint it can ruin it. Not worth repairing CV joints - easier and cheaper to replace complete driveshaft.
- Steering vibration. Could be bad wheel alignment/balance or wheel nuts not tightened enough. Wheel alignment = ~$50. Balance = ~$30.
- Pads at 2.5mm is fairly low. Will need to be replaced in the future. Good QFM HPX pads (set of 2) can be purchased from Mal for ~$80. Best pads for the money. Labour will be around ~$100 from most mechanics. Machining is around $20-30 per rotor. Easy to replace yourself. If you want serious braking performance then do a 380 brake upgrade.
- Dropping headlining. Can be retrimmed professionally for around $100-150, get a 2nd hand from the wreckers or retrim yourself.
- Oil leaks. Likely to be coming from rear rocker cover and/or spark plug tube seals and front camshaft cap o-ring.
Rear rocker cover gasket & spark plug tube gasket kit is around $30-50 from Mal/Bursons/Repco etc. Labour should be around $100 as replacement is around 1hr work because the intake plenum needs to be removed. Front camshaft o-ring is $3 but labour can be expensive because it is hard to get to the cap. Should be around $100. Both leaks not pressing issues but will cause car to fail a roadworthy.

I have to say that car does have some costly problems mate. It's not too bad but its not perfect either. Although you can never expect to buy a 2nd hand car and now have to repair anything. I personally wouldn't buy a 3L because they are old, outdated and have less power down low like the 3.5L. That being said - they are great in manual versions as they love a good rev. 5k is a tad high a 2000 magna but as you said you are in Vic (more expensive than most) and it is from a dealer. Glad to hear it got the "Go" green light from the RACV report but j it will need some money invested in the near future to keep it running.

Problems found:
- Clutch toward end of life - $600 for Exedy stock clutch ($800 from Mitsubishi) + $600 easy for labour. Total cost: expect $1200-1400.
- Minor wear and tear on Suspension bushes. Probably not something pressing but may need to be changed at a later day. Shouldn't be too expensive.
- Oil spill on left boot area. Likely to be grease leaking from left lower CV boot. Very common problem. Requires new clip on boot if boot is not torn. Can be fixed with a $4 hose clamp from an autostore. Alternatively you could get a new boot & clip or new driveshaft in the future (~$120 for New Driveshaft). Does need to be attended to because if dirt gets in the CV joint it can ruin it. Not worth repairing CV joints - easier and cheaper to replace complete driveshaft.
- Steering vibration. Could be bad wheel alignment/balance or wheel nuts not tightened enough. Wheel alignment = ~$50. Balance = ~$30.
- Pads at 2.5mm is fairly low. Will need to be replaced in the future. Good QFM HPX pads (set of 2) can be purchased from Mal for ~$80. Best pads for the money. Labour will be around ~$100 from most mechanics. Machining is around $20-30 per rotor. Easy to replace yourself. If you want serious braking performance then do a 380 brake upgrade.
- Dropping headlining. Can be retrimmed professionally for around $100-150, get a 2nd hand from the wreckers or retrim yourself.
- Oil leaks. Likely to be coming from rear rocker cover and/or spark plug tube seals and front camshaft cap o-ring.
Rear rocker cover gasket & spark plug tube gasket kit is around $30-50 from Mal/Bursons/Repco etc. Labour should be around $100 as replacement is around 1hr work because the intake plenum needs to be removed. Front camshaft o-ring is $3 but labour can be expensive because it is hard to get to the cap. Should be around $100. Both leaks not pressing issues but will cause car to fail a roadworthy.

Very accurate. Just to add, a heavy duty Exedy clutch might be a good investment because if the car is going to be driven a fair bit, the clutch will wear. From what I know it is another couple of hundred bucks.

Also, to answer your question. Replace the brake pads and get the rotors machined. Do a wheel alignment while you are at it. Change the oil, and have a look at the service history. Other than that, the car is roadworthy and will be for at least another 12 months. Just keep an eye on those oil leaks. A common problem but they can be a pain to fix.

Hey thekovac, thank you for the detailed information.
I didn't know clutch will cost $1200+ to replace.. (but it says nearing end of its serviceable life, severity = early on racv report, so can i repair/service it instead of replacing it?)


Rear rocker cover gasket & spark plug tube gasket kit is around $30-50 from Mal/Bursons/Repco etc. Labour should be around $100 as replacement is around 1hr work because the intake plenum needs to be removed. Front camshaft o-ring is $3 but labour can be expensive because it is hard to get to the cap. Should be around $100. Both leaks not pressing issues but will cause car to fail a roadworthy.
The car didn't have the RWC when RACV did the inspection this morning. Dealer told me there wasn't enough time RWC due to RACV inspection but he said he'll give me the invoice for service and RWC.

Very accurate. Just to add, a heavy duty Exedy clutch might be a good investment because if the car is going to be driven a fair bit, the clutch will wear. From what I know it is another couple of hundred bucks.

Also, to answer your question. Replace the brake pads and get the rotors machined. Do a wheel alignment while you are at it. Change the oil, and have a look at the service history. Other than that, the car is roadworthy and will be for at least another 12 months. Just keep an eye on those oil leaks. A common problem but they can be a pain to fix.
Thank you for the advice dreggzy.
"the car is roadworthy and will be for at least another 12 months." thats bit of relief..

You don't need to replace it right now, but start saving for it because you don't want it to fail.

Ok thats good cos i dont really have spare money for repairs, need money for new registration first cos it expires next month.
I think im gonna probably buy the car cos i'll need to spend more money and time if i look for more cars.

I know this car isnt a great deal, but would you say this is a alright car to buy IF the price was bit cheaper? (say $4000)
cos i can buy the car for $4800 without the 1 year warranty, and i can live with paying bit extra($800) since its from a dealer. (and also cos i've already spent some money on this car)

Mate, it is a learning curve. I bought my car with crap struts, a smashed console and a wrecked electrical system. I used this site as a resource and put it all together myself with very little help. The difference here is that I bought mine for $2000 in that condition. Get your money back and start over. Look at magnas that have a 3.5l engine with fewer major issues. Get your racv check first then show it to us. There are hundreds of people here that are qualified or experienced enough to fill you in. Take it as experience. Suck it up and move on. It's not the end of the world.

Umm ok so in your opinion this car is still a bad deal even if it was $4000? (considering its from a dealer, got Green/Go tick on RACV checkup, prices are higher in Vic)

I doubt i'll be able to find similar Magna for $2000.

Get the warranty, then put in a claim the next week for the CV joints and clutch :ninja:

In all seriousness. SA's prices are epicly bad for car prices compared to Melbourne and I got my TF 3.0 Manual, pretty much exactly the same as yours for $4300. This was 4 years ago with 165,000kms on the clock.

For what you're looking at I would make him an offer around about the $4000 mark after you have shown him the problems with the car. Showing him problems with the car could go either way, he would pretend to get offended because he knows he can try and con someone else in to paying full price for it. Or he'll be honest with you and bring down the price a bit. If he doesn't try and bargain with you he's not a sales person, he's a con man.

If you still get this car, you're in the right state for some help and advise. Find out Mal's address and know all of his contact numbers etc :ninja:

i can live with paying bit extra($800) since its from a dealer.
Why? Dealers buy cars for cheap, do the bare minimum to get them resellable/roadworthy/presentable, and then flog them off for a profit.

I don't think there's a compelling reason to spend extra on a dealer car.

Lets face it, for starters is a 12 year old car, of course it will have had body repairs, rarely will you find one that has not and most of those who say have not are liers lol

Report is so typical of RACV, I have seen many of these, they simply cover thier asses by stating standard stuff, oil leaks etc etc

Drive shafts, they will all weep over time, this is because the rubber boot compresses and the seal is not as good, if is only minor. Oil leaks, often is the rocker cover, dist and thrust cap, no biggie. Interior, well that is expected for a car of that age. Clutch is the only one of a concern as that can be exxy

All down to if you like the car and think the price is fair then all good

Also, those warranties are not worth the paper they are written on, generally you will find that things like clutch are not covered as these like brake pads are normal wear items

Get the warranty, then put in a claim the next week for the CV joints and clutch :ninja:
hehe good idea, but don't think they are covered under warranty. http://nwco.com.au/warranty-products/car-warranties/vital-warranty-plan/


Why? Dealers buy cars for cheap, do the bare minimum to get them resellable/roadworthy/presentable, and then flog them off for a profit.

I don't think there's a compelling reason to spend extra on a dealer car.
But dealer prices are always higher than private, right?

If this Magna is worth ~$3000-$3500 in Vic with RWC, dealer will probably sell for $4000-$4500..
Anyway not sure wat im gonaa do now, but i'll try to reduce the price tomorrow if i decide to buy the car.

It's not about being a good or a bad deal. It is about getting the best possible value for money and this isn't it. We would all be happy to give you advice to make this car better but understand that it will cost you some time and some money. It is by no means a bad deal. Just be prepared to throw some money at it

Dude walk away, car sounds like a POS....

You can fix the oil leaks, but they will be back in no time, 5K is way too much..

Sorry I can not agree that the oil leaks will be back in no time and that is a reason to walk away, that must then mean that NO magna should be purhcased as nearly all of them have either got or had oil leaks .......

As stated, at the end of the day is your choice, if you like the car, rest is in reasonable condition then perhaps it is worth a few more $$ given that it is a Manual and many try for months to find a Manual, if you dont care either way about auto or Manual then perhaps that is a good reason not to purhcase this particular car but remember that any car of this age and price will have issues

Mal has a very good point. You'll never find a 2nd hand car (especially of this age) without any problems. If you don't want any problems then buy a new car, otherwise buy 2nd hand and accept that you will find cars with problems. Its just a matter of negating how many problems the car has and how much you want it and willing to spend the money to fix those problems.

Manual's are hard to come by - esp. ones that haven't been abused heavily. Despite a few problems this car seems fine. overall. RACV would probably be a bit over the top with their inspections.These issues aren't majar sans the clutch. At 160,000km's you can expect the clutch to be on its way out. Around 160-200km is where you'd expect most standard clutches to last until. Some cars wear out quicker. All depends on how it was driven but basically at this end of the market you'd have to expect to replace the clutch unless you manage to find a unabused manual magna with less than ~100,000km's on the clock. As for the oil leaks - pretty much 99.9% of the magna's I know of and I see in the wreckers suffer an oil leak in one of the common places (rear spark plug tube seals, dizzy or front camshaft cap). Totally normal and not something that would stop me from buying a magna. You can ignore it if you want to it just makes a lot of mess really. The quantity of oil lost is not something to be worried about if you service the car regularly. Most old cars suffer oil leaks anyway.

OP - if you like the car then get it I say. If you were happy with the performance, the looks, the way it drove then whose to say you shouldn't get it. You now know what kind of work needs to be done in the future and an approximate cost. Start saving now and nothing will hit you by surprise. Personally I'd try and find a 3.5L only because I've got one now and would not want anything else but if you're happy with the 3L then that doesn't matter.

My 2 cents...

I would not pay $5000 for a non-immaculate 12 year old 3.0L magna that is shortly going to need new clutch, cv joints, brakes, etc... I imagine the reason the previous owner sold it is because they didn't want to sink a couple of grand bringing it up to scratch. They are normal things that go wrong with a car of that age and mileage, but I think $5000 is a bit rich.

I would also want to know more info about the 'slight vibration'

RACV report doesn't provide an in-depth diagnosis.

Is it as simple/cheap as a wheel balance or something else... engine mounts, brake shudder, worn suspension components, power steering rack ???

Also, what is the evidence that the timing belt has been done? The car dealers word?

Everyone, thank you very much for advices.

I also thought it would be normal to find "some" problems with the car this age, and thats why i was happy(lol) when i saw the green tick on RACV report.

I'll try to reduce the price but i dont think the dealer will go for it since hes already got the deposit and he knows the car got the green tick from RACV.


Also, what is the evidence that the timing belt has been done? The car dealers word?
Last two services were done at ~90,000km and ~110,000km according to the service book.