So I just bought myself a 1995 Magna TS Advance, literally yesterday. Loving it so far, but there is a slight issue.

Whenever I go to put the car into reverse, there's a small crunch. It still goes into the gear fine, but it just crunches. All the other gears are fine as far as I can tell. If I take it out of reverse with the clutch still in, and put it back, it just slots in without a problem. Could it be something to do with dust? It didn't skip a beat when I took for a few test drives, but I'm living in a place with a long, really dusty road. I talked to the mechanic down the road, and he said that it's normal for it to make some noise. I don't know much about cars, so I don't know about checking the oil levels or anything.

Hopefully it's something easy to fix, as I still have to pay to transfer it over to NSW plates, and having to pay for a new clutch would be interesting.

Sticky clutch plate. Should improve as you use the car more. It has probably been sitting around for a while.

Try selection reverse before you turn the engine on, clutch down of course. Might want to change the gearbox oil too.

Most gearboxes grind slightly into reverse if you shift into reverse immediately after pressing the clutch pedal down or the car is in motion. 3 ways to avoid:
1) Select reverse before starting the engine
2) Wait 5 secs with the clutch down before shifting into reverse
3) Select a forward gear before you select reverse.

Either method "should" work. It just comes down to making it a habit.
I personally use method 3 frequently as a courier driver, usually 2nd or 4th gear then into reverse (vehicle stopped of course)

Sticky clutch plate. Should improve as you use the car more. It has probably been sitting around for a while.
Yeah, it was sitting for about about a fortnight. Started every few days, but not actually driven except for when I took it out.


Most gearboxes grind slightly into reverse if you shift into reverse immediately after pressing the clutch pedal down or the car is in motion. 3 ways to avoid:
1) Select reverse before starting the engine
2) Wait 5 secs with the clutch down before shifting into reverse
3) Select a forward gear before you select reverse.

Either method "should" work. It just comes down to making it a habit.
I personally use method 3 frequently as a courier driver, usually 2nd or 4th gear then into reverse (vehicle stopped of course)
Ahh, that makes sense. The only other manuals I've driven are 2008+, and they allow you to plop them straight into reverse with just a very light clunk, which you can't even hear from inside the car.

Thanks guys! You've certainly put my mind at ease!