185 Gt Four

December 27, 2004

Hey all,

Been reading the forums for a while but havent posted as i dont have much to contribute :(

Im looking at buying a 185 GT Four in the next few weeks and ive come across one for sale close by.

This is the car here:-

http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/WWW/dpage...200448173633694

Ive been to see it and it all looks good apart from a strange ticking from the engine, sounds like it could be an alternator bearing....

Im wondering if anyone on here knows what its likely to be? Im hoping that its a common problem they get...something that can be fixed easily as apart from this its a nice car :P

Any help would be appriciated :)

Thanks

December 27, 2004

Seems a good price and looks standard. Could well be a good buy. I would never advise anyone to buy a second hand car without it having a full service history. But thats not always possible with imports. You don`t say whether it has history so if not it`s always best to assume it hasn`t. You`ll need to do all the usual things like check the oil to see if it`s been in there since the year dot. Drive belts for cracks etc.

Do Banzai service their cars before they sell them or are they just importers?

Either way you`ll need to make sure the cambelt is renewed. Its not a cheap job so always best to get the dealer to do it if you can.

As for the ticking, it could be alty bearings or one of the tensioners (Unlikely) But more likely to be a valve out of adjustment. Shims on the 185. Bit of a bugger to do so if you can then get that done too.

Blimey..... I could rabbit on for hours.

Basically. Look at it, Drive it, Get the dealer to fix anything thats wrong or needs sorting. If your not confident with cars take someone with you who is. No shame in it and could save you a fortune. Good Luck. :thumbsup:

December 27, 2004

thats the mate of the guy i bought my gt4 from .its been for sale quite a while now.

does it tick from cold or when its hot.

December 28, 2004

The fuel injectors tick as they turn on and off, it's perfectly normal. What you are describing sounds like them. If it only does it when hot or cold, then it could need the lifters reshimming. I think that is quite unlikely, especially if the quoted mileage is correct. If it's a fresh import that came though the japanese auction system, you should be able to get the mileage verified by bimta (http://www.bimta.co.uk). Also check out the interior for signs of high mileage wear (state of steering wheel, gear knob, and wear to the side support on the drivers seat).

It could also be an alternator bearing, like you say, or the tensioner pully on the aux drive belt (not sure on the exact config when air con pump is fitted though). Neither of these should be particularly expensive. It's more likely to be the idler pulley than the alternator.

If the mileage is genuine and the noise is just the injectors, then it looks like an excellent buy. :thumbsup: