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Hi, just considering purchasing another Magna.
Its a 2003 TJ 3.5 Litre VR-X
$7000 with 131,000KM on the clock and all the usual extras.


Price is not a concern, its in very good condition but what are the things to look for and any common problems that I should be weary of?
If anyone can help that would be great!! Thanks :)

Hey mate, i would reccomend getting a mech to inspect the car, but if you don't want to fork out the few hundred for that just listen for noises, turn the wheel to full lock each side and see if there is any CV shaft noise, check for oil leaks by looking under the car but also on the ground where it is parked and check for smoothness of gear changes if it is an auto, they can have issues. Apart from that they are a pretty solid car!

take it for a drive and if you notice anything, post back here with what you found and we can give a go at telling you what the problem could be...

Also check passenger footwell for water(dampness), indicates leaking heater core which can be a PITA to replace.

Have a sticking beak in the comm faults sticky up the top.. It will give you an idea.

As said above.. Getting a independent will cover your but as most offer a 30day wrnty meaning if they didn't pick up a failing engine and it blew they would pay for a replacement. Best $250 spent. :)

The main ones I look at are the cond of oil, make sure alternator is fine, transmission, braking, cv joints and a few other things.

Edit:

The price seems a little high IMO.. For that price have very high expectations. For comp I got a ES ( poverty model) 05 with 100k for $5.5k and 8 months rego.

yeah as Hayden said - find a court and put the car on full lock left and then right, accelerate and perform a u-turn. listen for any grinding which indicates the CV's might need replacing. When you drive the car - park it and inspect the engine bay. If it smells like degreaser they either cleaned it for a reason or they were really nice and just cleaned it for you. Inspect the engine, back and front, even throw your head under and have a good look.

Passenger footwell for water ie heater core. Check for pre-existing stains also or the smell of damp liquid.

Check under the rear bumper and under the carpet in the boot for a rear end accident - looking for off spray with paint or weld/bend marks.

Tire condition, exhaust rattles, vibrations under breaking and turning etc.

Def post up and let us know how you go!

Adding onto what presti said:

- If its auto - check the gearbox fluid levels. Make sure it's topped up and is nice and pink. On the test drive see how it's shifting and running. Shouldn't have any knocking, crunching or any hesitation to change gears. If it does any of the aforementioned then it may not have been treated well. These gearboxes are sensitive to how they are they maintained and/or treated.

- It's a VRX and meant to be a sports model - so check how it drives, engine should be smooth - no rattles, no harsh vibrations etc

- Ask for the service history. At the very least ensure the car had it's timing belt replaced around the 100,000km mark. If the owner can't show any paperwork to show that he has maintained the car (e.g. parts purchase receipts, mechanic receipts, etc) then don't be afriad to walk away or just be prepared to spend a bit on fixing things that could be broken soon as a result.

- Stick your head (or at the very least - your hand) under the backside of the engine (if you can) - these cars commonly have oil leaking out rear rocket cover gaskets and/or spark plug tube seals. It can be an expensive fix because of labour to get to the seals/gasket so check for any signs of oil. e.g. On the exhaust heatshields, on the block, under the car, on the power steering pump etc

- May be worth checking the tension on the handbrake in case the owner was doing any handbrakies. Should take no more than 5-6 clicks to engage. Other ways to check if the owner has maltreated the car is too look for tyre shreads under the front wheel wells.

- My tip: take the car to a underground car park (if possible) - as noises coming from the car are usually much easier to hear. Do the usual CV checks but keep an ear out for any unusual ticking, clanging and/or squealing noises.

And finally - here's a very comprehensive generic list of things to check when buying a used car - http://forums.mightycarmods.com/showthread.php?2307-The-Official-Unofficial-Car-Buying-Thread&p=32645&viewfull=1#post32645

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check the tire rating. I BELIEVE it has to be a 97 on the tires? so eg mine are 240x40x18 97w (i believe) someone will correct me. Write down whats on the side of the tires to make sure - if they aren't load rated they are 'illegal'. I see it comes with a RWC but still check the tires. if they are wrong demand a price drop for it. Does it have tint? HID headlights? is it lowered?

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Have a look at mine for sale. Only 61,000 kays, immaculate and marginally more expensive. I have it posted on here in the for sale thread. just do a search under my name.

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yeah I am curious too mate. guess money is tight with people these days. well it's up to you. Car isnt going anywhere in a hurry but I will be putting on car sales next week, that might spark further interest outside of this forum

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Magnas are unfortunately worth sweet bugger all today. Which is a shame, as something like rod's car for the money he's asking is an absolute steal.

If you know you want a VR-X, there's no harm in buying sight unseen. You can get the RACV or whatever the SA equivalent is to do a cosmetic + mechanical report on the car. If you like what the report says, you may as well buy it.

I wouldn't get too caught up on the fact that the car you originally linked to has 20s. 20s = bumpier ride, more expensive tyres, more prone to getting damaged.

The only thing I noticed with it was that the Mitsubishi emblem sits down pretty far on the beak of the bonnet. This would typically indicate that the front end has been repaired at some stage.

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That being said - it'll be quite hard to find a 10yo+ car that hasn't been involved in an accident. An accident isn't a big deal provided if it was repaired properly. It could've just been a fender bender.

Obviously you just don't want to buy a car that had serious chassis damage. Therefore pull out a torch and inspect the underside thoroughly - especially around the chassis rails. Check how the doors, bonnet, guards & bootlid all line up.

yeah mate, my dad is the one with the cash because its my first car, and he would never buy a car without driving it, hes a former mechanic by trade.. lol
Good luck convincing him that!
What if you got a check done anyway, but made it subject to your dad being satisfied upon pickup that it was in acceptable condition?

I only push this point because you often need to look outside your local area to find the car you want. Doesn't necessarily have to be Rod's car.

I actually bought my VR-X sight unseen (but subject to a RACQ check), as it was 550km away in Brisbane. 6.5 years later and it's still going strong. In my instance the report was very accurate. But neither myself or my family are mechanics lol


That being said - it'll be quite hard to find a 10yo+ car that hasn't been involved in an accident. An accident isn't a big deal provided if it was repaired properly. It could've just been a fender bender.

Obviously you just don't want to buy a car that had serious chassis damage. Therefore pull out a torch and inspect the underside thoroughly - especially around the chassis rails. Check how the doors, bonnet, guards & bootlid all line up.
Very true. As you say, at this age, it's more than likely going to have repairs. As long as it's not indicitative of anything serious, it's all good.

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