Hey everybody. I have a chance at getting an '89 GTU. The motor has 80,000 on it and the car has 140,000 on it. How long can I expect this car to last? Do the engines hold up fairly well? The first engine got toasted when the owner's wife put coolant in the oil
What sort of things should I look out for before buying?
Thanks for your help!
-Jake

 

engine wise...the first thing i would look for is...compression...

 

Other than the compression, the overall looks in the engine bay/exterior/interior means something too.

Is the car spotless in and out? Take it for a test drive/ride. If the car pulls hard, then compression should be at least close to acceptable.

If the owner will let you, take it to a rotary mechanic and have a proper compression test done.

Anything not working, use it as leverage to get the car as cheap as possible. You will feel like you got taken if you pay top dollar for the car and then the engine goes up. IF you steal the car and the engine goes up, you won't feel bad.

 

It all depends on how you treat it. If you keep it cool(good working cooling system) and keep it oiled(make sure the OMP system is working properly) then the engine will last a least 140k, as long as the previous owner took care of the engine properly.

OMP=Oil Metering Pump...the system that injects oil into the engine.

Oil changed every 2500-3000 is a MUST, so is regular maintence of the 'essential' systems.

Michael

 

How can you check on the OMP's condition and what maintainence do you perform on it?