Joined: 14 Mar 2008 Posts: 1468 Location: Brisbane
Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 12:37 pm Post subject: Looking at buying my first aristo
Okay so this sunday im going to check out an aristo that i may be buying was just wondering if there are anything i should be looking for like bad noises it's rather cheap for an aristo so im being very weary of it. Any advice would be great thanks
Joined: 21 Aug 2007 Posts: 2546 Location: Adelaide
Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 5:02 pm Post subject:
when you take it for a spin ( get ya mate to follow )Take off hard above 4000 RPM see if there is any smoke - turbos.
Same with idle - might be some smoke because of valve stem seals, but anymore than that its not good.
Also go for a decent drive on highway get it above 100kmh to test the cooling
Theres heaps more man
oh yeh ball joints is another one.
as the previous poster suggested check for smoke during startup or under throttle.
check for modifications. in my opinion its better to buy a dead stocker that way its more likely it was driven sensibly and therefore is probably in better condition!
check the kms, obviously the lower the better
check the oil, trans fluid and coolant.
if any of these are low or appear to look or smell burnt it could suggest the car has been mistreated or neglected.
I would also ask for the service records as this will assist in getting a better idea of how the car was treated.
theres plenty more things you should check. if your not sure what to look for take the car for a drive, if you like it book it in for a mechanical inspection and make your decision in accordance to what the inspection shows.
get the inspector to explain everything to you, costs to fix etc
good luck! _________________
We are all in this dream world... waiting to go back
Joined: 21 Aug 2007 Posts: 2546 Location: Adelaide
Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:11 pm Post subject:
yeh the sludge is a big one.
look at the transmission. Run the oil between fingers look for like bits of metal and also smell it. If there is metal buyer beware.
Get compression test as well if you can get a mechanic to do it . Not sure on the compression you need however...
If the engine bay is ultra ultra clean , that is also not good they might be trying to cover a leak of some sort.
Just take it to your mechanic they will sort it out , if he doesnt want to do that then you know he wants to roast you.....
I agree get a stocker type of one for cheap then add on from there. If i had to import again i would probably do that it is definitely more expensive however by the time you mod it to what you want.
There was a good writeup about this somewhere on nissansilvia i think. It was for a supra but it was excellent for ANY type of vehicle.
Joined: 07 Jun 2007 Posts: 795 Location: mill park, vic.
Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 11:59 am Post subject:
most important thing to remember is that there are a lot in japan and a few for sale in australia so dont compromise!
If you want a black one, one with a sunroof etc dont settle for one without.
Bolt on items like wheels, lsd, exhuast etc are just secondary and can be added later.
My car owes me in excess of about $22k now, but its exactly what i wanted, and i wouldnt sell it for a cent less! (so if you have 22k to spend and want a black, sunroof, lsd, 19" rimed, intercooled, cat back exhaust, aftermarket mp3 with big ampd aristo.. give me a pm )
Joined: 14 Mar 2008 Posts: 1468 Location: Brisbane
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 5:01 am Post subject:
Car is fully complienced and comes with road worth is dead stock no modifications from the pictures ive seen taking a mechanic mate and a few others with me today to check it out hopefully if it checks out alright ill be cruising around in 4 weeks when i get my license back AND KEEPING IT
Joined: 14 Mar 2008 Posts: 1468 Location: Brisbane
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:55 pm Post subject:
Okay did a 6 hour road trip today to check out this car.
Had a look on the outside looks mint only one little pin dint paint was in awesome condition interior needs new lock on the glove box and steering wheel/shifter knob are worn seats looked great as did carpet and dash.
Took it for a spin up the road mate of mine drove or course so i had to sit in passenger seat he reckons the steering shook a bit through the wheel. and the auto was a bit jolty going into 3rd personally i didnt feel any of it.
Really from looking at it and taking it for a spin i fell in love with it. But from what my friend says im going to call him up during the week and ask if i can organise a registered racv person to go over it or something just to make sure im not getting screwed over. Iv'e looked on a few forums for the company the car is from and seems to all have good feedback so will see how i go.
Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 564 Location: Perth, WA
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 11:00 pm Post subject:
sounds like it was alright man
the auto box can be a bit harsh at low speeds, but usually when ya give it some stick it should change smoothly..........maybe it needs better g/box oil ? _________________
Joined: 21 Aug 2007 Posts: 2546 Location: Adelaide
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 11:57 pm Post subject:
i agree
sounds ok.
check tyre ware , could just be a alignment needed. Mine was really shakey until i got a cheapo alignment.
box sounds ok as well.
How many kms has this done apparently? also with the shifter and steering wheel worn like that i would say >100,000 kms easily.
Make sure the timing belt has been replaced . Whether the RACV will check that who knows. ( doubt it ) you could probably ask them to look while the covers are off when they check compression.
If you are getting it on the cheap anyway it doesnt really matter that much..
Joined: 14 Mar 2008 Posts: 1468 Location: Brisbane
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 10:07 pm Post subject:
Car has 110,000km Un-sure if this is true reading or not. Friend seemed to think it was a bit more then a balance but im unsure. 10.5k is a steal for what it is. I emailed him said i would rather not buy till i could drive it he said he could organise somewhere for me to have a drive before i get my license back.
Seems pretty keen on it and so am i lol. What do you guys think i should do.
Joined: 21 Aug 2007 Posts: 2546 Location: Adelaide
Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 12:05 am Post subject:
well be careful
probably need a 100k service - 1500 at least for that.
maybe ball joints ,check bushes, tyres, brakes, basic stuff -cost??
take into consideration the total cost of ownership.
Whereas if you bought a schmick slightly modified one with all that done and some mods you could probably get it for like 15-16k.
Joined: 14 Mar 2008 Posts: 1468 Location: Brisbane
Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 2:28 am Post subject:
its a fresh import so im not very hopefull on the 100,000km service. Its a hard choice to make i'm very keen on the car and from looking at it and being passenger it looked great and rode nice.
Edit - Oh and he thinks he pushed the trac control button to turn it off but the light stayed on and flashed a few times or something while driving? I didnt see it myself but i'm interested in that aswell
If you're happy with the condition of the interior and body etc, and you are handy then snap it up I say for that price.
I got mine cheap but I also knew it had and engine issue, $2200 and a busy weekend later and I have myself a pearler.
I've since picked up spare gearboxes and other bits and peices for bugger all. If you can change shit yourself then buying a cheaper one that looks good just may be worth it I reckon.
I can't fathom paying $20K+ for one of these things..... _________________
"Everything is always okay in the end, if it's not okay, then it's not the end"
Joined: 14 Mar 2008 Posts: 1468 Location: Brisbane
Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 11:42 am Post subject:
Yuh im pretty handy more on the electronic side of things tho. But got a few other friends who are great with engines. Will still get the mech to check it out its on adverage about 4k cheap then a normal aristo anyway so even with a few probs ill still save money
If its a fresh import, and you felt some shudder through the steering wheel, I would suggest getting the ball joints, rack ends and caster rods looked at before purchasing. I got my car from JP and had a 'shudder' (quite violently actually) under braking and ALL of the above mentioned parts were cactus. cost lots of time and money to fix as they are very difficult parts to buy.
Id say also get the mechanic to check over the engine and see if its healthy, if all that is ok Id say go for it as the rest sounds in nice condition
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