Opinions

[CustomIce]

I'm thinking about buying myself a Gen 6 GT4

I found this one , any opinions?

http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/www/CARS_...200648259991328

Useful opinions pleas :D !

[Fizz]

Questions to as the seller...

How long has it been in the country? (looks like a fresh import to me)

If it a recent import ask for the Auction grade of the car. (all Jap import cars have auction grades ranging from 1 to 5... If its below 3... walk away.

Has the cambelt been changed? proof? service history? proof?

The price is good but im always wary of fresh imports.

[CustomIce]

Auction codes, i had no idea about that!

It's a fresh import, he's willing to get the cambelt done, i asked about the superstrut bushes and fig of 8 too.

What exactly does the auction codes bit mean (1 is good 5 is bad?) and how are they issued?

[Fizz]

CAR GRADING SYSTEM

OVERALL GRADE (almost all auctions)

Grade 6 or 8 is given to a new car that is being sold in an auction.

Grade 5 to a car with less than 10,000kms and less than 3 years old in perfect condtion.

Grade 4.5 is in excellent condition.

Grade 4 is good but may need some paint or panel.

Grade 3.5 is similar but may need even more paint and panel, or it has high kms, very few cars are given grade 4 if they are over 100,000kms.

Grade 3 has either serious paint and panel or it has had a panel replacement somewhere. If it is the latter, it is often a good buy.

Grade 0, A, R, RA, ??? (or similar) Are repair history cars. The auctions definition of "repair history" is a car that has had an inside panel repaired in some way. This can range from extremely minor to major

Grade 1 Can be one of the following 1). Flood history (rare)

2). After market turbo....

3). Transmission changed from auto to manual.

Grade *** Are present crash cars OR cars that will not move (engine problems). Cars that have not been repaired. Auctions provide NO information about the cars on the auction sheets. If the cars are drivable, no extra costs occur. If the motor does not start, extra transportation costs occur. If the engine does not start and is not stearable, transportation and port costs skyrocket.

This link will give you all the info you need on auction/import cars...

http://www.providecars.com/new_html/faq.html#top

Essentially the age of the cars that we are looking at are well over 10 years old and you will be hard pushed to find one with a grade 4 unless you pay a premium.

I would be happy with a 3.5 for that price. :)

Hope that helps.

[CustomIce]

Waiting to hear back at the minuite. Thanks Fizz, helpful as ever!

[Fizz]

by the way... tis a shame as you just missed out on mine which went 2/3 weeks ago....

[CustomIce]

Balls! The one in your avatar?

[Fizz]

Balls! The one in your avatar?

Yup...

http://toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=60436

[CustomIce]

Anwers from seller

Cam belt will be done before it goes on the road.

Auction rating 3-3.5, but not a 4 because of km's on the clock (100K km)

Been in the UK for 2 months

Suspension makes no noises or clunks but will be checked over.

Going to go have a look and drive on saturday.

[Jones~32]

Its the wrong colour

:D

Looks decent enough in the pics, tell better when you see it/drive it :)

[Sketchy]

Also look out for knocking from rear when going hard on/off throttle, sure sign the rear diff mount is on the way out.

Check the radiator as well, the stock ones have plastic end tanks (Top and Bottom of rad) and with age develop stress cracks, a new rad has a near black top old ones turn brownish, bad ones brown with near white lines/cracks starting to develop if like this it will not be long before a new rad is needed.

Check for oil leaks down the back of the engine normally a loose rocker cover fixed by tightening bolts(Not too much though as it's a aluminium cover and cracks easily, toyota quote 6NM) and around the gearbox housing (Normally due to leaking rear crank oil seal, this ones a gearbox off job so quite costly).

It's been modified so check what's been done carefully, if it's got a FCD on stock ecu then chances are a previous owner was running high boost. The stock fuel cut is at 1.2bar it's there for a reason, the stock ecu has no map above this and you rising engine damage above this.

Take off the intake to turbo pipe and check the shaft play back and forth should be near undetectable by hand, side to side no more than a mm or 2, more than that and your looking at the turbo needing a refurb.

It's generally agreed that 1.1 bar is safe and with a decent induction kit/panel filter and turbo back exhaust system on a healthy engine you should be seeing 300+BHP on the stock ecu

Oh and like mike said it's the wrong colour and i'm not keen on the bodykit but each to their own :P

[CustomIce]

Excellent advice thanks, except on the colour, black gets dirty looking so fast :P

[Jones~32]

Ahhh, but when its clean... it looks B)

[CustomIce]

Getting jelous now, i really want one (i like silver too, grey shades always hides dirt better)

[Jones~32]

Have you been in an ST205 Guy?

[GT4 BOOSTER]

i can still remember driving mine , it was CRAZY !!!!!

[CustomIce]

Have you been in an ST205 Guy?

Not yet, saturday here we go!

[Sketchy]

Ahhh, but when its clean... it looks B)

Oh Yes....

There's nothing better than a just clean and polished Black 205, especially at night with the street lights glissening off the mirror like paintwork

[Fizz]

then give it a couple of hours and you can begin to see spekles of dust on the bugger...

I know as i have owned 2 black ST182's in the past...

[Jones~32]

Have you been in an ST205 Guy?

Not yet, saturday here we go!

You will enjoy it :D

Ahhh, but when its clean... it looks B)

Oh Yes....

There's nothing better than a just clean and polished Black 205, especially at night with the street lights glissening off the mirror like paintwork

:D

[CustomIce]

Ok, been to see it today. crappola that's fast!

A few concerns though! there's a few aftermarket bits in there, Greddy timing controller, SARD thing with a three digit display, and a boost controller with audible beep when it comes on boost.

Main concern was the oil cap, in the top it had mayo! and there appears to be a fairly bad oil leak at the left side of the engine (i'll put a photobucket link of some pics up)

The seller said that he's seen some oil coming out of the air filter!!! (HKS mushroom filter, with a hose port sealed over)

Thinking that it could be piston rings?

Performance clutch was really hard to get used to, and the Km's have been fiddled (you'd remove service stickers wouldn't you!)

Thinking this one may be a bad one.

Here's the link to the pics

http://s120.photobucket.com/albums/o194/CustomIce/

?

[Fizz]

you should have bought mine... :P

[jerry phipps]

Walk away buddy There will always be more cars about.

jerry!!

[daktari]

Walk away buddy There will always be more cars about.

jerry!!

Walk?????? I'd run. :D Always plenty to choose from out there. Patience young skywalker.

[CustomIce]

Walking away, almost 40 miles away now!