buying a corrado VR6.... some advice??

[jedi-knight83 0]

 

1995 VR6, dark green. 103k miles. black leather. standard.

 

im going to look at this on saturday, anything i should especially check for. is 103k particularly high miles or is that pretty average.

 

its going for abou £4300.

 

your thoughts???

 

thanks

[Bally 0]

Car looks clean in the pic.. thats about the average mileage, make sure you check the simple things like history, cambelt change and maintenance history.. that all the electrics work, no smoke for the engine, that the fan works etc..

 

I looked at one before I bought the 16v, with 120k but it just wouldn't idle after I took it for a run, something the seller wasn't telling me :(

 

so just be abit careful... :!:

[VR6 0]

No cambelt to be changed. Timing chain which don't usually get changed. Worth checking to see if it's noisy though.

[Bally 0]

:oops:

[JT 0]

just make sure theres history and have a good listen once you've taken it for a drive :D

[PhatVR6 0]

At that sort of mileage it'll be due a new timing chain tensioner. if it hasn't been done, start complaining that the chains are noisy and knock money off. If they say it has been done, you want receipts for proof.

[jedi-knight83 0]

how noisy should a timing chain be? and what price is a new one i.e what should i ask to be knoked off if it is noisy?

[PhatVR6 0]

Well it's £200 in parts alone to do the chains, and that's withotu doing the lcutch whilst you're in there, and not including labour either.

 

VR6's tend to be noisy anyway, so practice your teeth sucking, whincing, hat tilting and head shaking for when you're looking at the engine.

 

Buying cars is a game, you've got to learn the rules before you can play.....but no one says you have to play fairly. :D

[Guest]

Buying cars is a game, you've got to learn the rules before you can play.....but no one says you have to play fairly. :D

 

such a good quote, I might steal it ;)

 

Thera

[jedi-knight83 0]

ok well i can only go and look, if its had those bits done then its a bonus i guess (i'll check the history very closely)

 

If not then i'll try for money off but it does seem fairly cheap already???

[Kevin Bacon 5]

At that sort of mileage it'll be due a new timing chain tensioner. if it hasn't been done, start complaining that the chains are noisy and knock money off. If they say it has been done, you want receipts for proof.

 

I'll second that. My upper tensioner has just started showing signs of pitting at 84K. Stealth reckon 20K life left tops before the rivets and bits of plastic end up in the sump.

 

Kev

[PhatVR6 0]

Yup, bang on. they are finished at 80K

 

I've got a 2.9 with 50K on it, tensioner blade is slightly scored but OK.

 

my old one allegedly have done 70K, when it died a year (to the day!) later, I stripped it, and the plastic tensioner lining was in the sump! it'd been running on the metal for weeks, making a right racket (I thought it was tappets!!). It'd done more like 150K......

 

I got a 110K 2.9 too, and the top of the plastic, above the rivets has snapped off, I noticed it when I did the 268 cams, so that'll be getting repalced before I sell it.

[corradovr6sc 0]

how can you tell when the chain tensioner is on the way out- excessive chain rattle? Is it the guides that go? I've seen a vr6 with 90k and the upper tensioner was scoured (rivets were still intact) and the plastic guide was partially worn. It didn't seem too bad considering the mileage- is this typical or can wear vary?

[PhatVR6 0]

It's usually dependant on servicing really.

 

It's almost impossible to see without removing the upper manifold, cam cover and end plate, and it's a gearbox and flywheel off job to change it.

 

Just listen for rattling or 'cyclic' noises at the gearbox end of the engine.