Should i Buy It

[Restless 33]

I have found a 1993 GTS-T manual and all seemed good with it except a small knocking noise in the engine bay. i sent the car off for a comprehensive RACV test. the car still needs to get a roadworthy so i'm not sure wat is his problems to fix and wat are mine

Results:

Engine noise in the drivebelt area but wud need to remove belt/s to locate it.

Turbo-Timer not secured

powersteering hoses have oil wetness

water entry into the boot and spare tyre recess

paintwork on panels has dents and scratches...(i didn't notice any when i looked at it but i didn't get a very close look)

roof paint has dull spots and some scratches and blemishes

rear window tint scratched

all disc rotors are below minimum thickness and scored so needing replacment.

front right tyre is a different brand...although all tyres are claimed new...and look pretty good

car needed to be jump started so new battery aswell

right front headlight doesn't work

water inside rear indicator

both park lamps don't work

the radio aerial is damaged and binded together (i think)

this is the car...has a 3 1/2 exhaust cd staker and graphic equalizer, pionerr rear speakers, has side skirts n front bumper. not sure is it has ABS

so that's the report they checked heaps of stuff and said the car drives very nicely. he is asking $15,000 but i could easily get that down i think what repairs are my problem and wat are his...and how much will mine cost ruffly. thanks for anyone who read all that and thanks in advance for any opinions on wat to do.

[pooski]

that sounds like the exact same thing that happened to me about a year ago.... The RACV always pick up every stupid fault, and some that dont even exist... they told me the rear demistors didnt work (i can assure tou they do). What i found was the best thing was, being able to show the seller a long list of faults and being able to ge the price down even further (advertised for $16,500, bought for $14,500). The fact is that you are looking at a car that is 11 years old, it isnt going to be perfect to look at but as long as the engine is in good condition you will never regret the purchase for a second. Even if the first service is expensive and you need new brakes, you are still getting a mean piece of machinery, for the price of a commodore 5 years younger.

My advice, buy it and worry about all the other shit later, because you will be having too much fun to care.

[Restless 33]

thanks heaps for the info on RACV tests...i was wondering if anyone sees a problem with the knocking sort of sound from the engine...the guy said it had been there for 10,000km but i'm not sure how legit he is. has anyone else heard a sound like this. it sounds like it could be worn bearings...no one can tell me without taking the whole thing apart...

[Jimbo2000]

get it checked by somebody who knows skylines well, seriously

[Restless 33]

will a skyline specialist know wat it is without taking it apart...because it's not my car and the guy doesn't really like taking it places that much..had a hard time getting him to find someone to take it to the RACV testing centre. but it's like a rhythmic knocking sound when it's idling...possible there after idle but to loud to hear it. does anyone else have this sound???

[rd-runr]

I had a repetitive sound happening which turned out to be the timing belt.

[Jimbo2000]

if the guys not willing to take it where you want then **** him and **** that car off, he might have something to hide.

on the other side after consideration i wouldnt like to take my car to somebody i dont know and trust who could be on the other side of the city for somebody who could just be tire kicking...

who is his regular workshop if any?? why dont you take it there

[ylwgtr2]

personally speaking...i wouldnt even wipe my backside with an racv test.....

[predator]

if the guys not willing to take it where you want then **** him and **** that car off, he might have something to hide.

yes and no.. if you're working fulltime it can be a royal #@$% to run around town and do this and that just for a buyer. When later on they might just pull out and then what do you have - nada. But I guess you do all you can do reasonably to help the sale.

In reality, if I had a buyer come back with "there is a slight misting in an indicator" or "there is a scratch in the tint" I would like $2000 off the price, I'd laugh at them and tell them to go buy a new car if they were that fussy. Maybe that means I wouldn't sell it, but meh - thats not the right buyer for the car. Usually you set a price, knowing full-well the small problems that might exist (if you even know the slightest thing about your own car). Thats why this car is $15k and not $17k, because of small little problems and probably the major 100,000km service is just around the corner.

Sounds like the timing belt is loose or some like that. Be careful. Seeing as its your first car and you probably don't know where to go, first place you will take it to will charge you $1000 to change it over. If you leave it because you can't afford it the engine could go chink....

So either budget $2k to fix the problems, or don't get it at all. All the other problems look very minor though (power steering pump leak is common on all skylines)

[krzysiu]

RACV will always find something wrong with the car. If you take a car straight from the manufacturer off the show floor they will find something wrong with it. If you saw the RACV report for my car, its makes my car seem like a total piece of shit. All i done was go to the mechanic with the owner of the car b4 i bought it. Made them go through the list of things that were wrong with it and repair everything (at the owners expense) that was wrong. You dont wanna buy a car and then spend shitloads on money for repairs. My car works perfectly with not 1 problem, owned it for 1 year now, just had to do 100k service.

[G0DF4Th3R]

if you're terribly worried about it, just shop around some more...

i sold my GTST for ard there and it was a 93 model with a lot more mods than that and had no problems at all.. in fact it made good power 240+rwhp with minimal $ spent on it..

so shop around, there are bargains out there and Skylines are plenty nowadays

[Nguyen]

that knocking noise could mean that the timing belt is beginning to slacken, especially if it makes the sound when the car first starts up, and then goes away after its warmed up. It is very important that the timing belt is changed at no later than every 100,000km intervals.