Traps for the unwary

[Sk0pe]

I'm looking at aquiring my first Stagea within the next month. It will probably involve a road trip to QLD (as the prices here near Sydney are horrendous in comparison). In order to maximise the (very) limited time I have to pick the right car, is there any advice you guys can give me on what possible problems I need to look out for and how to detect them?

Also, I will be trying to test drive a few around Sydney before I head north. What should I expect from a stock Stagea? Firm or sloppy handling? Hard ride or cruisy? Where should I notice the boost coming in? etc...

Any advice you guys can give would be GREATLY appreciated!

TIA

[Jay95R33]

G'day Tia,

I found the hadling to be a bit boaty around corners but firmish over bumps (if that makes sense !). Saying that they are really easy to drive.

With the boost, it's very linear in the Stagea when they are on stock boost. There isn't any rush of power or anything so at times it's hard to notice that your using it. If the boost has been wound up it'd be different though.

I'd check all the usual things when buying a car. Compare KM's on the clock to the wear of the interior and general condition. Get the car into a mechanic and up on a hoist so you can check it for wear on the suspension and oil leaks. Check for rust in all the usual places. Check all the electricals and A/C to make sure they are working etc..

J

[SafT]

rust under the door mirrors

[mcnamg]

make sure its what they say it is. there is now some rwd models available in aus i believe so if they say its awd check for the button and look for a transfer case one of the guys in NZ got burnt he bought a car thinking it was awd wife picked it up while he was away and he got back drove it and discovered he was short a few awd bits. you can guess his reaction.

just check all the usual things you would check on a car. check for all the bits like a cargo blind tool kit and a space saver spare tyre and check the treadwear on the spare test all the electrics. Listen to the engine to see if its running ok or if sounds a little rough which may suggest a non factory tune. check to see if there have been any aftermarket guages removed from the dash which may suggest its been tuned. Remember that the fuel here isnt up to the japanese specs so if it has been tuned in japan it may not run so well on our crappy fuels. Look to see if the passenger footwell kick panel has been removed and if so ask why and if the ecu is stock.

Check the colour of the exhaust emissions you never know there may be smoke when there shouldnt be. Just be very thorough and dont let the sales people puch you into the deal until your satisfied thats what you want.

good luck

Glenn

[Sydneykid]

As Glenn said, make sure all the stuff is there. If I was buying one retail I would (for example) demand a cargo cover, they are so expensive to buy if you don't get one with the car.

They are 4wd so best to check the drive shafts and CV's, turn it in a tight circle a few times, both clockwise and anti clockwise in forward and reverse. This picks up the drive shaft issues. That said (like Skylines) Stageas have big drive train components, gearbox, diff drive shafts, wheel bearings etc.

Stageas are used a lot in snowy area in Japan, so check for snow chain damage in the wheel arches.

Mine had the usual in dash CD, radio, cassette plus a CD stacker in the boot. The CD in dash sKips badly, the stacker had no CD carrier so can't be used and the radio (even with a converter) is not so good. So I would suggest a good check of the sound system is in order.

That's about it, I have been using ours everyday, 7 days per week for the last month and it runs like a clock, everything works everytime as I would expect it to.

PS; My 2 local Subaru Forester GT owners hate me! :wassup:

[Sk0pe]

Speaking of stock boost, what IS the factory boost level? And what have you folks upped it to?

Micha

[Lone]

Very true point on the standard head unit, take a cd along to test it all out, mine is a bit funny at times but when i first got it wouldnt work unless i turned the volume knob whilst i put the cd in! Mind you in most cases and like mine all that woudl need to happen is a laser clean...

Ill be putting a single DIN headunit in shortly, so then I can get aus radio stations as well

If your looking in Brisbane call the following guy to inspect a car for you, he charged $125 for my stagea and did an awesome full inspection, better then ive seen from racq and the alike.. His name is Michael from Automotive Vehicle Inspectors or something like that, they do a lot of inspections for fleet cars etc - 0418 729425.. Anyone in QLD write down this number, it will come handy for you

Also be certain to checkout AJM Motorsport if your in brisbane, I bought mine from there at a great price and great people to deal with.

[Brazen]

If you can afford it get a Series 2... Neo6 engine and tiptronic auto and much nicer facelift. I have test driven a couple of both types and the ride and cornering of the Series 2 is supremely better than the Series1 - apparently they really tightened it up with the extra 30 or whatever stock kW from the Neo engine and introduction of manuals and tiptronic options. I took at right turn at a T-intersection on a test drive at just over 60km an hour and got hardly any body roll - justglued the whole way through the corner. Go the Series2!

[Sydneykid]

  Brazen said:

If you can afford it get a Series 2... Neo6 engine and tiptronic auto and much nicer facelift.  I have test driven a couple of both types and the ride and cornering of the Series 2 is supremely better than the Series1 - apparently they really tightened it up with the extra 30 or whatever stock kW from the Neo engine and introduction of manuals and  tiptronic options.  I took at right turn at a T-intersection on a test drive at just over 60km an hour and got hardly any body roll - justglued the whole way through the corner.    Go the Series2!

OK, I wil try and balance this, just a bit......

Our S1 cost ~$16K, for a similar S2 I would be looking at ~$30K. For the ~$14K difference I could get my S1 performing and handling better than an S2. In fact for less than half that, I'll bet I can.

[Lone]

  Sydneykid said:

OK, I wil try and balance this, just a bit......

Our S1 cost ~$16K, for a similar S2 I would be looking at ~$30K.  For the ~$14K difference I could get my S1 performing and handling better than an S2.  In fact for less than half that, I'll bet I can.

Im with you on that one as well, IMO not worth the extra $$ when they could be spent modifying your own to get some good go out of it and handling as well, and still be left with extra $$

[mcnamg]

get a s1 and mod it to the max when u add a new bodykit it changes the look anyway

my 2 cents

[Brazen]

Hence why I said "if you can afford it"... if you have the $$ - then always advisable to get latest model,lowest kms + highest specs your money can buy. Everyones purchase motivations are different - I aint gonna be engine modding mine that much - and very unlikely to go a bodykit - so for me it is the extra stock power, newer engine and its stock tuning/mapping capability, better stock look, better resale (as u said - series 1 ALREADY dropping to $16,000 while s2 is being quickly realised as a way to get a R34 Neo engine and 4WD for $5000 less than an R34 skyline RWD).

No way id go series 1 the way prices dropping unless u cant afford a series 2 - so just my opinion - go the series 2. Its like someone saying buy a stock commodore and whack heaps of mods on it rather than buy an SS... good luck with the resale comparison!

[Sydneykid]

  Brazen said:

good luck with the resale comparison!

Too easy...........

For our S1, I paid $16K

They sell in yards for $20K

I keep it for 3 years

and sell it for $10K (50% retained value)

it cost me $6K to own for three years.

For an S2

Cost $30K from a yard

I keep it for 3 years

and sell it for $20K (67% retained value)

it cost me $10K to own for three years.

I do $5K in mods to the S1, but they all transfer over to my new $16K S2 in 3 years. I kept all the standard bits to swap them back, most of stuff isn't going to wear out. Except shocks and Bilsteins are easily serviceable.

Should I add interest on $30K compared to $16K? Either foregone or paid, it is the same result.

PS; I used 67% on the S2, which is a very generous retained value. I suspect it might be closer to 55%, but even at 67%, the S1 still is better value.

[andrea.biondo@studen]

Hey, Rust under mirrors discovered, now what?

Anyone know if its just surface rust or is it the more serious cancer from the inside out type?

I'd like to know before I start digging.

[Sydneykid]

  andrea.biondo@studen said:

Hey, Rust under mirrors discovered, now what?

Anyone know if its just surface rust or is it the more serious cancer from the inside out type?

I'd like to know before I start digging.

If you can't see the source of the rust, then it is likely to be an inside job. Like bubbles with intact paint over them. If it is rust you can see (as in yellow/orange) with no paint on it, then it is surface rust. Clean it up iwht w wire brush, undercoat and paint.

Post up pictures if you can:cheers: