The list of things to check when buying a first gen
03-09-04, 03:13 PM
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The list of things to check when buying a first gen
This is so that people won't get shafted like I have with my seized engine/rust/rear wiper/etc. Please add to this list!
1 – engine first and most important: the car should start, or at least turn over. If it doesn't turn over you have one of two possibilities: carbon lock (probably fixable) or a seized engine (read: lots of $$). I would suggest avoiding the car. Even though you can usually fix a carbon locked engine, it's not worth running the risk of the engine being seized.
2 - rust The most common spot for rust is in the first half of the rear wheel wells (the half closest to the nose of the car). The holes will usually be behind the tire, so poke around with your hand/flashlight. If there are holes, you will usually be able to see them from the inside of the car, right behind the storage bins (behind the front seats). Pull the bins/move the carpet to inspect the area.
3 - struts. Push down on all of the four corners of the car a few times each to rock it around. Listen for any noise at all. Noise = bad. You don't want to hear noise, it will usually mean you have a dead strut.
4 - lights. Hopefully this is obvious: you want both of the front headlights to pop up when you turn the lights on. There is also a switch on the center of your dash that will pop them up (headlights are fixable, but it’s an annoying process). Years 84 and up (I think?) had electrical issues, so you will want to be sure that everything electrical (windows, all other lights, etc) works fine.
5 - rear wiper This is just annoying. Evidently the rear wiper gear assembly will get destroyed from time to time. You can tell if this is the case because you will be able to pus the rear wiper around effortlessly by hand.
6 – sunroof This is another one of those annoying things: sometimes the sunroof screw down thing breaks (the sunroof pull down device is a worm gear attached to the plastic **** in the ceiling. The worm gear breaks off the plastic **** sometimes). The car wont leak, but it’s annoying.
If anyone has anything to add to the list, please post it. Hopefully it will prevent someone like me from making the same mistake I made by buying a car which didn’t pass the test for 1,2,3,5,or 6
You don't want to be like me and realize that it will cost around $2,000 for a decent engine rebuild, $200 for new struts all around, a few hours of your time for the rust fixing, and another ten or so hours for fixing various other things that are wrong with the car.
1 – engine first and most important: the car should start, or at least turn over. If it doesn't turn over you have one of two possibilities: carbon lock (probably fixable) or a seized engine (read: lots of $$). I would suggest avoiding the car. Even though you can usually fix a carbon locked engine, it's not worth running the risk of the engine being seized.
2 - rust The most common spot for rust is in the first half of the rear wheel wells (the half closest to the nose of the car). The holes will usually be behind the tire, so poke around with your hand/flashlight. If there are holes, you will usually be able to see them from the inside of the car, right behind the storage bins (behind the front seats). Pull the bins/move the carpet to inspect the area.
3 - struts. Push down on all of the four corners of the car a few times each to rock it around. Listen for any noise at all. Noise = bad. You don't want to hear noise, it will usually mean you have a dead strut.
4 - lights. Hopefully this is obvious: you want both of the front headlights to pop up when you turn the lights on. There is also a switch on the center of your dash that will pop them up (headlights are fixable, but it’s an annoying process). Years 84 and up (I think?) had electrical issues, so you will want to be sure that everything electrical (windows, all other lights, etc) works fine.
5 - rear wiper This is just annoying. Evidently the rear wiper gear assembly will get destroyed from time to time. You can tell if this is the case because you will be able to pus the rear wiper around effortlessly by hand.
6 – sunroof This is another one of those annoying things: sometimes the sunroof screw down thing breaks (the sunroof pull down device is a worm gear attached to the plastic **** in the ceiling. The worm gear breaks off the plastic **** sometimes). The car wont leak, but it’s annoying.
If anyone has anything to add to the list, please post it. Hopefully it will prevent someone like me from making the same mistake I made by buying a car which didn’t pass the test for 1,2,3,5,or 6
You don't want to be like me and realize that it will cost around $2,000 for a decent engine rebuild, $200 for new struts all around, a few hours of your time for the rust fixing, and another ten or so hours for fixing various other things that are wrong with the car.
03-09-04, 07:27 PM
#2
Hey Gummie,
Sorry to hear things aren't going well for you.
Did you fully read the article I sent you? It doesn't say that siezed engines are hopeless, for sure! I recently added this to it:
". In extremely bad cases, spraying through the spark plug holes may not offer enough exposure for more than one or two apex seals. In this case, removing the engine can provide you with the ability to spray through the intake, the exhaust, and the spark plug holes. Again, you should make sure to purge absolutely as much of the oil out as you can before putting the engine back on the car.
Having the engine off the car also offers the unique opportunity to inspect the interior of the engine without disassembling it. Through the exhaust ports with a flashlight, one can see the apex seals and parts of the faces of the rotor. A good inspection should quickly reveal whether or not all the apex seals are intact. I should warn that it is harder to turn the main pulley with the engine out, so you may not be able to put as much force on it. However, you can turn the engine over, and coat the insides with the penetrating oil to properly free it... "
Try it!
For the headlights, check the fusible links. These are little wires mounted on the front driver's side strut tower. They are the cause of the vast majority of these "electrical problems" you speak of. Get some new links and your lights should work. Follow in the Heynes' troubleshooting section, it's really good. If you haven't got the heynes, get one.
Sunroof screwdown is repalceable. Pretty much ANY parts car with a sunroof still has theirs intact. Go get one for $10 at a part yard or ask on the forum.
Rear wiper.. who needs it? My GS didn't come with one, and my friend Eric just removed the arm on his.
Struts, not the MOST expensive thing in the world. Grab a set of KYB GR-2s. I got mine at Derand Motorsports, but alot of places can order them in. They're better than stock and don't cost and arm and a leg.
As for the rust, if yours isn't completely rampant, it doesn't cost a huge amount to get a body shop to weld some 1/4 inch sheetmetal in and cut the rust out.
And don't give up! Don't act like a whiney, spoiled kid! Just because it isn't perfect, doesn't mean it's a chance to give up. My car had more problems than yours, and it's been a project that I've enjoyed a LOT.
Keep in touch with us, take things one problem at a time and keep a positive attitude. If you wanted a problem-free car you would have saved up and bought a 10k used car from a good dealership. You bought a 7 for a good deal (IIRC), so you have to take the good with the bad and get to work.
"ten or so hours for fixing various other things wrong with the car". Try TENS upon TENS of hours for most of us. If you don't enjoy fixing cars, I'll take it. You have an awesome community here to help you, take advantage of it. Get out there and start working.
If your brakes are good, at least you're one up on me. That was the biggest job on my car. A few hundred bucks and a few hours of work and you'll be fine.
Don't give up.
Jon
Sorry to hear things aren't going well for you.
Did you fully read the article I sent you? It doesn't say that siezed engines are hopeless, for sure! I recently added this to it:
". In extremely bad cases, spraying through the spark plug holes may not offer enough exposure for more than one or two apex seals. In this case, removing the engine can provide you with the ability to spray through the intake, the exhaust, and the spark plug holes. Again, you should make sure to purge absolutely as much of the oil out as you can before putting the engine back on the car.
Having the engine off the car also offers the unique opportunity to inspect the interior of the engine without disassembling it. Through the exhaust ports with a flashlight, one can see the apex seals and parts of the faces of the rotor. A good inspection should quickly reveal whether or not all the apex seals are intact. I should warn that it is harder to turn the main pulley with the engine out, so you may not be able to put as much force on it. However, you can turn the engine over, and coat the insides with the penetrating oil to properly free it... "
Try it!
For the headlights, check the fusible links. These are little wires mounted on the front driver's side strut tower. They are the cause of the vast majority of these "electrical problems" you speak of. Get some new links and your lights should work. Follow in the Heynes' troubleshooting section, it's really good. If you haven't got the heynes, get one.
Sunroof screwdown is repalceable. Pretty much ANY parts car with a sunroof still has theirs intact. Go get one for $10 at a part yard or ask on the forum.
Rear wiper.. who needs it? My GS didn't come with one, and my friend Eric just removed the arm on his.
Struts, not the MOST expensive thing in the world. Grab a set of KYB GR-2s. I got mine at Derand Motorsports, but alot of places can order them in. They're better than stock and don't cost and arm and a leg.
As for the rust, if yours isn't completely rampant, it doesn't cost a huge amount to get a body shop to weld some 1/4 inch sheetmetal in and cut the rust out.
And don't give up! Don't act like a whiney, spoiled kid! Just because it isn't perfect, doesn't mean it's a chance to give up. My car had more problems than yours, and it's been a project that I've enjoyed a LOT.
Keep in touch with us, take things one problem at a time and keep a positive attitude. If you wanted a problem-free car you would have saved up and bought a 10k used car from a good dealership. You bought a 7 for a good deal (IIRC), so you have to take the good with the bad and get to work.
"ten or so hours for fixing various other things wrong with the car". Try TENS upon TENS of hours for most of us. If you don't enjoy fixing cars, I'll take it. You have an awesome community here to help you, take advantage of it. Get out there and start working.
If your brakes are good, at least you're one up on me. That was the biggest job on my car. A few hundred bucks and a few hours of work and you'll be fine.
Don't give up.
Jon
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