| Author |
Message |
Mike Triggs
Goo Roo
Western Australia
3.0GT G-Pack
Posts: 1105
Reg: 07-2005
|
Matthew Sharpe wrote on Sunday, August 24, 2008 - 06:46 pm:Having said that got back from taking the Nissan to Hamilton and back today, and the transmission has a problem... its going into some kind of "limp home" mode when it gets hot. First noticed it when driving up the Bombays - it seems to have locked the transmission into a single ratio, and stopped the torque converter from locking up - which meant we were stuck at 3500 RPM for 100KM/H until we stopped, let the transmission cool a bit, and then all was well until we hit the next substantial hill, when the exercise was repeated.
I haven't heard too many bad things about CVTs although I would still prefer a normal auto. I have heard grumbles about the new "automated manuals" which sound fantastic in theory, but cost an arm and a leg to repair and invariably fail outside warranty period. |
Matthew Sharpe
Goo Roo
North Island
JZZ31
Posts: 3699
Reg: 10-2005
|
The guys at the transmission shop said it definitely had Dexron fluid in it, and showed me what the fluid should look like (its quite clear compared to red dexron) so its being flushed today. They weren't 100% confident that would fix it, but said it was a good place to start.
Unfortunately it is going to be as expensive as I feared. $450 for a full flush including new filter. |
Matthew Sharpe
Goo Roo
North Island
JZZ31
Posts: 3700
Reg: 10-2005
|
Mike Triggs wrote on Sunday, August 24, 2008 - 07:14 pm:I haven't heard too many bad things about CVTs although I would still prefer a normal auto. I have heard grumbles about the new "automated manuals" which sound fantastic in theory, but cost an arm and a leg to repair and invariably fail outside warranty period.
Thats what the new Nissan GTR uses isn't it? |
Jason Munro
Tinkerer
NSW
Soarer GTT-L
Posts: 93
Reg: 07-2008
|
No,
the GT-R uses the twin clutch manual type that was pioneered by VW in the Golf GTi.
it is a proper manual box, but it has a twin clutch setup. one clutch on 1st 3rd and 5th, and another for 2nd 4th and 6th.
they are a fantastic idea, and reportedly work very well. i have video reviews on clarkson, and plato both saying that the box is brilliant.
Jason. |
Mike Triggs
Goo Roo
Western Australia
3.0GT G-Pack
Posts: 1106
Reg: 07-2005
|
Matthew Sharpe wrote on Monday, August 25, 2008 - 08:49 am:
Mike Triggs wrote on Sunday, August 24, 2008 - 07:14 pm:
I haven't heard too many bad things about CVTs although I would still prefer a normal auto. I have heard grumbles about the new "automated manuals" which sound fantastic in theory, but cost an arm and a leg to repair and invariably fail outside warranty period.
Thats what the new Nissan GTR uses isn't it?
Yes, very similar to VW's DSG 'box, about which I'm hearing stories involving clutch slip at 50,000 kms. These boxes aren't repairable, they are simply changed over at a cost of $10k or so, which would be painful outside warranty. VW's boxes are limited by torque which is why they still use normal autos behind their sixes, and don't offer DSG with the 1.8 turbo petrol(currently manual only). |
Mike Triggs
Goo Roo
Western Australia
3.0GT G-Pack
Posts: 1107
Reg: 07-2005
|
Matthew Sharpe wrote on Monday, August 25, 2008 - 08:47 am:The guys at the transmission shop said it definitely had Dexron fluid in it, and showed me what the fluid should look like (its quite clear compared to red dexron) so its being flushed today. They weren't 100% confident that would fix it, but said it was a good place to start.
Unfortunately it is going to be as expensive as I feared. $450 for a full flush including new filter.
Sounds like somebody screwed up. Shouldn't this be under warranty from the dealer? Seems like a good reason to steer clear of CVT boxes, to me
There are new shock (damper) systems coming on the market, HSV have them in some of their cars, with magnetic fluid (strictly "magnetorheological fluid") which costs several hundred dollars per shock. All these expensive fluids would make a car very expensive to maintain down the track. I have enough trouble getting ordinary old synthetic motor oil of the right viscosity, and at a decent price, out here in the bush |
Jason Munro
Tinkerer
NSW
Soarer GTT-L
Posts: 94
Reg: 07-2008
|
the DSG is available as an option on the GTi (turbo) and on the R32 (3.2 v6) check the oz distributors site.
Jason |
Matthew Sharpe
Goo Roo
North Island
JZZ31
Posts: 3706
Reg: 10-2005
|
Well, we took it to Hamilton today and it was 100% fine on the way down, so on the way back up I gave it a really good thrashing - again it was fine until we got to the top of the bombays doing 120km/h (about all it would do on this very steep hill climb) at which point it dropped into failsafe again again. We had quite a load on board too.
We stopped at the first offramp, killed the engine, and restarted it again immedateley, and all was fine for the rest of the journey, so it must have only just overheated.
I'm satisfied that under normal driving conditions it'll probably be OK now. I'll probably add a transmission cooler to it anyway just to be sure. |
Piers McDonald
Tinkerer
NSW
Soarer JZZ30 TT-L
Posts: 66
Reg: 08-2006
|
Just back to the original topic briefly.
I own a 95 TT bought 2 years ago with 68000 on the clock.
This seemed like a pretty good deal at the time, with less kms than anything else I could find and a later year than most.
I recently pulled my dash out for a clean and noticed that the two little black plugs that covered the screws at the top of the dash had been removed before. It's pretty noticeable, there will be slight deformation where the screw driver has been poked in to remove them. It would be pretty hard to remove them without damaging them slightly.
So if you're concerned about the original miles on your soarer, just grab a torch and check out the little black screw covers. Doesn't necessarily mean it's done heaps more kms. Apparently lots of dashes got replaced in Japan, probably most at less than 50000kms.
I've done a pretty good inspection of my car and it has probably done more than the 83000 that it shows now, as I've had to replace some pretty trashed shocks, and my bushes aren't lookin the best, but the timing belt is still original, and it looks ok, the engine mounts are fine and the pedals aren't worn, so at least she hasn't done a stupid amount of kms. |
Mike Triggs
Goo Roo
Western Australia
3.0GT G-Pack
Posts: 1110
Reg: 07-2005
|
Piers McDonald wrote on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 - 07:47 pm:I've done a pretty good inspection of my car and it has probably done more than the 83000 that it shows now, as I've had to replace some pretty trashed shocks, and my bushes aren't lookin the best, but the timing belt is still original, and it looks ok, the engine mounts are fine and the pedals aren't worn, so at least she hasn't done a stupid amount of kms.
Piers, ours is a '97 with 172,000 on the odometer. I assume it's genuine as I have the auction sheet (and they flag suspect kms, not that anyone would fake 163,000!!) and I had our bushes thoroughly checked in the year before we left Norfolk Island as labour rates were less than half what they are here. The mechanic said they were "perfect" which saved be buying any and having them fitted. I'd heard so many stories about "shot" bushes that I was worried (and there are so many of them!!).
I wonder if time isn't the main, or one of the main, issues with bushes? Or that the earlier ones weren't as good as later ones? |
Matthew Sharpe
Goo Roo
North Island
JZZ31
Posts: 3710
Reg: 10-2005
|
Interesting point Mike, as my '96 with 147,000 "showing" on the clock likewise has pretty fresh looking bushes. I had to replace the rear shocks 6 months ago, and one of them (the one that was leaking) was an OEM and the other a Koni, so clearly that had been replaced at some point before I bought it (at 87,000km) - not sure how long the OEM shocks normally last but seems likely one had made it to at least 137,000km's, while the other had died a long time before this. |
Tom Nicol
TryHard
Vic
JZZ30 TT
Posts: 168
Reg: 01-2006
|
When I took my dash out for the first time, I was reading the tutorial and it says "Pry out the clips that cover the screws at the top of the cluster".
That confused me, because I couldn't see any.
Than the penny dropped.
So I'm certain my car has done a LOT of travelling.
Would it be silly to think I still have stock turbos if my car has more than likely done over 300k kms? |
Mike Triggs
Goo Roo
Western Australia
3.0GT G-Pack
Posts: 1111
Reg: 07-2005
|
Matthew Sharpe wrote on Wednesday, August 27, 2008 - 07:26 am:Interesting point Mike, as my '96 with 147,000 "showing" on the clock likewise has pretty fresh looking bushes. I had to replace the rear shocks 6 months ago, and one of them (the one that was leaking) was an OEM and the other a Koni, so clearly that had been replaced at some point before I bought it (at 87,000km) - not sure how long the OEM shocks normally last but seems likely one had made it to at least 137,000km's, while the other had died a long time before this.
That was naughty of the mechanic to replace ONE shock at the rear, Matthew. They're supposed to be done in pairs.
Konis are rebuildable, by the way. Don't throw it away! |
Matthew Sharpe
Goo Roo
North Island
JZZ31
Posts: 3714
Reg: 10-2005
|
Actually the Koni was fine, it was just the OEM that was leaking. I replaced both (as you say, always replace in pairs!) with OEM's but chucked the Koni as I had no use for it and already have too much junk lying around. |
Mike Beck
Goo Roo
New Zealand
Soarer Limited UZZ31 & Soarer 3.0GT JZZ31
Posts: 2410
Reg: 11-2005
|
I was thinking about mine over the last few days and noticed the things which tend to support lower mileage condition wise.
Pros for the mileage being true:
> Pedal rubbers have barely any wear.
> Majority of the the leather seats are quite good, no wear other than on the bolster (IE the lower seat section of the drivers seat is not that bad compared to others Ive seen which are cracked)
> Both seat rear nets have absolutely no stretch, perfectly straight!
> Gear shifter leather has no wear and all the stitching is intact.
> Steering wheel is slightly worn but also in good condition where others are excessively worn, even better than my last soarer which had '134k's'
> Digital dash IC Odometer chip has no signs of tampering. Dash had the blinky problem fixed in 1998, one year after being imported in 1997.
> Both headlights where remarkably clean for a 1991 model.
> Radiator top tank is only just showing signs of leaking (usually around 100ks)
> Cambelt has never been done before yet motor is running very well and quietly.
> Gearbox shifts smoother than my last Soarer with 134k's
> Air suspension was still working well (now removed)
> Power steering pump has started to leak (usually happens around 100k mark...)
Not supporting kms shown on dash.
> Came into the country with 25,000k's in Late 1997... Fairly low for a 6 year old car at the time. Then again we see for sale in Australia mint older Soarers with less than 50k's, even now so you never know!
> Driver set back rest bolster has worn through to the foam on a small section. However previous owner stated they drove a small distance to work from where they lived over the years so this could have contributed to faster wear...
Thats all I can think of at the moment!
My only guess is the dash was swapped over in Japan with a new unit because of the 'manufacturing fault' making the k's go back to Zero... If that did happen I would not think it had done anymore than 10k's before hand...
 |
Don Bagnall
Moderator
New Zealand
Mercedes Benz SLK230 Kompressor
Posts: 6960
Reg: 05-2005
|
Another guide is the Handbrake Boot or gaiter.
Ours, and I suspect yours Mike are virtually unmarked. Lending authenticity to the displayed kms.
As an aside, I'm occasionally asked to remotely appraise a Soarer for a potential purchaser.
To do this remotely, I ask that the following is photographed with good quality pics.
Steering wheel.
Trans shift knob.
Handbrake boot/gaiter.
Seat Nets.
Drivers seat side bolster.
If a 91 - 94 model, close up pics of the door trims where the splits/cracks normally occur.
This is, of course in addition to the usual questions that one should ask when considering one of these fine automobiles.
|
Mike Triggs
Goo Roo
Western Australia
3.0GT G-Pack
Posts: 1118
Reg: 07-2005
|
Good points, Don.
I don't suspect our mileage for the reasons given earlier. Our interior was pretty ordinary as it was a high-mileage, low grade car. Now largely fixed, but these are some of the things I noticed:
centre console lid worn and stained (green!) possibly by former owner resting sweaty forearm on it
rear lining knocked around from putting stuff in the back
handbrake cover worn
seatback nets very saggy (still that way)
steering wheel good except for fingernail scratches in leather finish
Conversely, the seat bolsters are great, unlike a lesser km car we also got from Japan (probably seat quality)
Little wear on pedal rubbers
I'd reckon "real mileage" is also a function of how the car was used in Japan, either as a cruiser (if that's possible!) or as a shopping trolley/commuter. Lots of hopping in and out is hard on seat side bolsters, which I can attest to from our experience on Norfolk with the Wizard, where the bolster collapsed. |
Don Bagnall
Moderator
New Zealand
Mercedes Benz SLK230 Kompressor
Posts: 6965
Reg: 05-2005
|
I would agree Mike (T) that yours IS as stated.
One of the things I NEVER take into consideration when appraising a Soarer (or any vehicle for that matter) is the condition of the pedal rubbers, as these could so easily & cheaply be swapped by a trained Tamarind with one arm tied behind his back in a matter of moments for less worn or NEW ones.
It's a LOT more effort & expense to replace steering wheels, shifter knobs, handbrake boots etc.
Back in the 70's when I was selling cars for a living, it was not unusual for us to trade a high mileage, but mint 1 owner company car, wind back the speedo and replace the pedal rubbers with some that were more commensurate with the mileage we wished to display............also the service booklet used to mysteriously (Ahem!) "Disappear".
We had the cheapest, "Low mileage" Holden Sunbirds, Toranas, HQ,HJ,HX,HZ's in Auckland
 |
Mike Beck
Goo Roo
New Zealand
Soarer Limited UZZ31 & Soarer 3.0GT JZZ31
Posts: 2418
Reg: 11-2005
|
Don Bagnall wrote on Sunday, August 31, 2008 - 09:57 am:Another guide is the Handbrake Boot or gaiter.
As an aside, I'm occasionally asked to remotely appraise a Soarer for a potential purchaser.
To do this remotely, I ask that the following is photographed with good quality pics.
Yeah my hand brake leather and cover are all in good order, there's just a slight bit of wear on the side of the cover but not too bad actually thinking about it.
Ill post a few pictures up of these things to see what you think! |
Matthew Sharpe
Goo Roo
North Island
JZZ31
Posts: 3724
Reg: 10-2005
|
Don Bagnall wrote on Sunday, August 31, 2008 - 03:19 pm:We had the cheapest, "Low mileage" Holden Sunbirds, Toranas, HQ,HJ,HX,HZ's in Auckland
And thats why everyone hates used car dealers  |
Dave Rose
TryHard
wa
uzz31 v8
Posts: 456
Reg: 03-2007
|
Matthew It does not happen anymore (in W.A.) but the public continue to clock them.
Only last year a guy came into the yard trying to sell us his low ks pajero (no s/history)speedo read 96ks.... bp sticker on windscreen 165 ks. |
Matthew Sharpe
Goo Roo
North Island
JZZ31
Posts: 3727
Reg: 10-2005
|
Hah! Classic! =) |
Mike Beck
Goo Roo
New Zealand
Soarer Limited UZZ31 & Soarer 3.0GT JZZ31
Posts: 2423
Reg: 11-2005
|
 |
Don Bagnall
Moderator
New Zealand
Mercedes Benz SLK230 Kompressor
Posts: 6969
Reg: 05-2005
|
Here is a reply I sent to a member who emailed me today regarding how to get an idea if the displayed and or claimed kms were legit for the condition of the car.
I post it here since it's apropos of the subject matter.
There is a chance that your km's are legit, but, and it's a BIG but, the reality is that most cars out of Japan will do approx 16,000kms per year, especially sports and performance type cars.
The sort of people who would have bought em NEW,and the subsequent owners would be the sort of folks that love to drive the car for recreation, rather than just as a means of getting to work and back. So that would mean a lot of weekend cruising as well as the 5 days a week "Work" thing.
A bit of wear is acceptable for say, a car that's done around the 150,000 kms with careful ownership. Our Soarer, for instance was a 91 UZZ30 V8 with 135,000kms showing when we bought it.
The steering wheel was worn at the top, but not badly. The shifter knob was near perfect as was the handbrake boot. Also the seat "Nets" were unstretched and as new.
It had the usual cracks in the door trims by the speakers, and was just starting to get "Blinki-dash".
Other than that the car was a fine example of the condition being commensurate with the displayed mileage (supported by factory documentation) and 1 careful owner in Japan plus the old fella (1st.NZ owner from 97 - 2004) then me.
As I've said on the forum, the "Low kays" thing is totally meaningless to me on a car that is 17 + years old (not in your case obviously). It is the "Condition at the Time of Purchase" that is by far the most relevant aspect of the whole car purchasing exercise.
Most of the early (91 - 94) Soarers will have, in reality, done well in excess of 200,000 + kms, and although I'm not hard line on this, I'm loath to accept otherwise unless supporting documentation is provided (like auction sheets from Japan, Service/Log books etc).
I've looked at quite a few Soarers over the past 4 years, and only about 10 percent have been advertised as low mileage with supporting documentation. 40% I have agreed that the displayed mileage is probably genuine, but was not supported with documents.
The rest have been a load of bollocks as far as the displayed mileage is concerned!. I viewed one car (a 94 V8 Ltd) at a dealers with a "Genuine" 97,000kms on the clock....................Yeah!, right!. It was a tired as POS with rooted air-bags, rooted leather on the drivers seat, blacked out A/C panel, stuffed speakers (the Sub didn't even work!).
In reality this car would have had over 300,000kms of uncaring ownership under it's belt.
I told the prospective buyer to walk away, as the car was in my opinion worth $4k TOPS!, not the $10k asking.
He eventually bought a lovely, well maintained 94 Ltd with 203,000kms on the clock from an old fella who was the only NZ owner, and had it regularly serviced by a Toyota dealer regardless of expense......................He paid $7k(NZD), and is very happy with it.
He's not a car "Club" sorta guy, and isn't on the forum(s).
My general criteria with Soarer's is that an 80,000km (GENUINE) car will NOT have stuffed suspension bushes, will NOT have stuffed shocks, will NOT have a worn interior, will NOT have "Blinki-Dash"...........................The seat belts will be fine & retract easily, the car will drive without clonks,clunks or thumps, the switches will feel "Crisp" in their operation and the white lettering will be crisp & clearly legible, the windows will operate smoothly without clunks or bangs, the A/C will work perfectly etc etc.
These cars will easily do 100,000kms +, without things starting to go "Pear-shaped".
Between 100k & 150k is when things will start to need attention,ie; Power steering pump leaking, Blinki-Dash, front lower control arm bushes, steering rack bushes, shocks, engine mounts, trans mount etc etc.
150k & up is when the radiator top tank will split and need replacing, also the overflow bottle will likely be starting to leak, the rubber "Do-nut" in the drive shaft starts getting a tad perished, wheel bearings will be getting tired and need attention.
All these scenarios are for a Soarer with known GENUINE mileage and careful or normal ownership.
Any Soarer which has the above things wrong with it, and is being sold as having less than 100k on the clock is, in my opinion, complete and utter bullshit!.......OR, it's had the absolute CRAPPOLA thrashed out of it since day 1! (unlikely).
Most of these so called low kay Soarers (or ANY Jap import for that matter!) have either had the speedo cluster swapped for one showing much lower kays, OR it's mileage display chip has been electronically "Altered" after the vehicle has been through the auction process in Japan, but before being exported (if that makes sense!)
 |
Mike Beck
Goo Roo
New Zealand
Soarer Limited UZZ31 & Soarer 3.0GT JZZ31
Posts: 2429
Reg: 11-2005
|
A good write up there Don, makes perfect sense!
Heres some pictures of my Soarers interior bits that you would expect to be worn and tired on a high mileage car.
They seem to be reasonable...... other than the upper part of the seat. The picture of the seat belt is the worst part, a tiny bit of fraying.
|
Mike Beck
Goo Roo
New Zealand
Soarer Limited UZZ31 & Soarer 3.0GT JZZ31
Posts: 2430
Reg: 11-2005
|
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Matthew Sharpe
Goo Roo
North Island
JZZ31
Posts: 3732
Reg: 10-2005
|
I think the best thing you can do to educate yourself as a buyer, is to go to a big car auction place like Turners on auction night, and just compare jap imports - regardless of if you have any interest in buying them or not it is an education. Cars which have been wound back will start to stick out like a sore thumb after you have looked at a few and compared with other similar age & mileage cars. |
Shane Haverkamp
Tinkerer
nsw
soarer TT
Posts: 50
Reg: 10-2007
|
i bought my 92 model TT with 76,000k's on the clock
after owning it about a year i've prob chucked on about 20,000k's
i'm pretty sure mine where original k's. only things it had where cracked dash vents. and the steering wheel isn't the greatest, but what do you expect from a car that's 16 years old |
Mike Triggs
Goo Roo
Western Australia
3.0GT G-Pack
Posts: 1121
Reg: 07-2005
|
Great pics, Mike (B).
I wish our setback nets looked like yours!
The rest of our interior looks OK. I replaced the handbrake gaiter with one of the embroidered ones, and seats and gearshift handle look good. I also swapped the awful original console lid with the one from our '95, then picked up a better one for the '95 before sale. |
Michael Fabian
Tinkerer
queensland
soarer JZZ31
Posts: 9
Reg: 07-2008
|
I bought my 95 JZZ31 about a month ago and it only has 82,000km on the clock I am pretty convinced that its legit because its in near perfect condition. It has know dints or scratches on the exterior or interior. And ALL my interior lights work.
some pics
|
Michael Crimp
Tinkerer
QUEENSLAND
V8 UZZ32
Posts: 53
Reg: 06-2008
|
Thanks Don,
A perfectly good in my opinion and accurate
description of Soarer ageing. All the cosmetic things I told my wife to look for when she went to Sydney to pick up our UZZ32. It had 55000km on the clock and wear in all the places mentioned but she did not see any of it. It also had a 24hour old pink slip -probably fraudulent- (road worthy certificate)which I relied on to indicate any major mechanical faults.(like faulty suspension)(and none of the authorities care)
When it arrived here in Far North Queensland it had numerous minor electrical faults and one major one, the suspension was shot, front bushes and three leaking struts and was rebuilt better than new for about $8000 twice what we paid for the car.
At the time I could have imported a similar vehicle with a genuine 81000km on the road here for about $9000.
Blinky dash had just started and the repairer indicated that the odometer had been played with.
My estimate and now confirmed by your post is that the true milage would be about 155000km.
I have sent an email to the seller ( who couldn't afford to properly maintain the car and is likely to be the only person to have altered the clock) to ask him for the sake of proper maintenance to indicate if 155000km is correct .
Whilst the extra 100k km and the suspension was an unpleasant surprise. I love my car. |
Michael Fabian
Tinkerer
queensland
soarer JZZ31
Posts: 10
Reg: 07-2008
|
Some more pics!!!
|
Craig Webber
DieHard
Vic
TT and LS400
Posts: 683
Reg: 07-2005
|
Ok Guy's
Get over it stop kidding yourself,FFuuckk Meeee
If it a soarer from japan GET IT the clock been change and been temped with.No matter what service books you have, no matter what shape the car's in now, how good the inside outside is.Get over it .
just love it service it and have lot's and lot's of fun with it. |
Maurice Diggler
Goo Roo
Victoria
TR44 HF
Posts: 2063
Reg: 06-2006
|
Craig Webber wrote on Wednesday, September 03, 2008 - 10:12 pm:Ok Guy's
Get over it stop kidding yourself,FFuuckk Meeee
I agree, all you guys seem like your trying to convince yourselves more than anyone else.
90% chance your car has been wound back, that's 9/10 dreams, so 9/10 of you are gonna be upset lol...
Please don't lose any sleep over it. |
Mike Beck
Goo Roo
New Zealand
Soarer Limited UZZ31 & Soarer 3.0GT JZZ31
Posts: 2441
Reg: 11-2005
|
Hmmm fair opinions! |
Matthew Sharpe
Goo Roo
North Island
JZZ31
Posts: 3734
Reg: 10-2005
|
Its a bit different in NZ - laws were introduced here in the late '90's that make it pretty harsh for importers if they are caught importing cars with incorrect K's - regardless of if they were responsible for it. The fines are huge, so most of them are pretty careful about who they source their cars off. If you have a NZ Jap import brought in after about '98, its probably got genuine mileage on it. |
Dave Rose
TryHard
wa
uzz31 v8
Posts: 458
Reg: 03-2007
|
Craig there are lots of Soarers going through U.S.S. auctions with 16ks to 40ks grade 4 (this is before they are sold) to change seats, wheel,vents .etc to make a grade 4 is just to hard ,yes there are a lot of wrong mileages but lots of speedos were changed under warranty due to the blinking dash. |
Craig Webber
DieHard
Vic
TT and LS400
Posts: 684
Reg: 07-2005
|
Hey they have laws for importing drugs, that are a dam site harsher.
Guess what dosen't stop pepole from trying.
They have laws here to in Aust for new and used car yards.
Guess what it dosen't stop car dearlers from doing there little trick to the cars before they sell them.
Not all but some.
But then again they must be ALLLL honest in NZ.hehehe. |
Matthew Sharpe
Goo Roo
North Island
JZZ31
Posts: 3737
Reg: 10-2005
|
Hence "probably" - there are still exceptions of course. The thing is, most people in NZ drive Jap imports, unlike Australia where the majority of cars are Australian new. There was a huge uproar in the late '90's when people discovered what sellers in japan and importers in NZ were up to, and the Government had no choice but to tighten things up so average Joe Kiwi wasn't being ripped off (again "usually").
In Australia Jap imports are still considered "grey" imports - buyer beware. |
Dave Rose
TryHard
wa
uzz31 v8
Posts: 459
Reg: 03-2007
|
Here in WA when i buy a car from the public or dealer i have to compleat a form 7 for the government ,this has to have the ks on it ...when i sell a car i have to state the ks on the transfer papers...as each owner sells the vehicle a complete mileage record is kept by licensing, so as you can see a car is easily tracked, plus at any service dept the miles are always put in the computer |
Maurice Diggler
Goo Roo
Victoria
TR44 HF
Posts: 2066
Reg: 06-2006
|
That's all well and good Dave once it's 'in' Australia, the problem is before it gets here.
Edit: Even the system you stated is flawed, what is stopping you from servicing the car yourself and just before you sell it, buying a dash with 10,000km less than it actually has, or more. |
Dave Rose
TryHard
wa
uzz31 v8
Posts: 461
Reg: 03-2007
|
Well if the car has full service history its worth more in dollars than 10 or 20 ks knocked off.
Its like i said a private owner can get away with it..MAYBE...its a big fine not to inform the buyer of a speedo change and trading standards are hot on clocking
do you know on some cars when certain terminals are shorted the speedo shows the vin number of the car it was fitted when new.
At the end of the day i think Dons check is the way to go its hard to cover up wear. |
Don Bagnall
Moderator
New Zealand
Mercedes Benz SLK230 Kompressor
Posts: 6973
Reg: 05-2005
|
I've been involved with cars as a "Hobby" and a profession since 1968, and in that time I've gained a well developed sense of what is a good clean car, and what is Mutton dressed up as Lamb.....(said like a true Sheep Shagger!)
As I said above, I don't give a Rotund Rodents Rectum about the kays (real, or imagined!).
As Craig says, just buy it, service it and love it for what it is!
You can have either a pragmatic approach to the whole thing, and buy a reasonable one NOW that suits your immediate needs with the intention of tu tuing around with it as time, finances and Care factor permits.
OR you can be a fussy bugger and spend yonks looking for the perfect car, with the perfect mileage, at the perfect price..............Good luck, ya gonna need it Ha Ha.
Such Soarers DO exist..........BUT, in reality they don't pop up THAT often. When they do, they're snapped up pretty damn quickly by knowledgeable buyers with the bucks to do so.
Mike Beck has been lucky to get a clean, tidy, well above average Ltd at an El Cheapo price, though that, in part is because Soarers in NZ have always been regarded as a bit Left of Centre, and never really caught on as much as they have in Orstralia, plus the gas price etc etc.
Michael Fabians JZZ31 is again a very clean example of the breed.........REGARDLESS of kms!
When I bought our Soarer, I didn't even LOOK at the odometer until after the car was purchased and parked at home, and then only to give me a clue as to how far it had to go before the next service.
I was sufficiently enamored of the old girl, that the kays could have been 60k or 360k...........= Care Factor: not present!.
But, each to their own I say. If "Kays worshiping" is your thing.......so be it.
Just don't get fixated on em to the exclusion of all else.
If ewe find a mint, low kay UZZ32 at a good price, budget lotsa bucks for NEW suspension legs (around $8k as Michael sadly found out!) because even IF this pristine, much loved but seldom driven 32 has done bugger all miles, the unique suspension does NOT like sitting around parked up for a mega long time, and WILL deteriorate with lack of regular usage..........ask Rob Hayden, and he will tell ewes the same.
Caveat Emptor!...........or, Try, Try, Try (again).....BEFORE you BUY, or you will be saying Bye, Bye, Bye to dollars,happiness and sanity (in that order!) 
Keep the shiny side up, and don't spare the Shee..............err, Horses!
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Craig Webber
DieHard
Vic
TT and LS400
Posts: 687
Reg: 07-2005
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Well said Don.
I know one thing this thread clocking up some high Ks.All most time for a new beer change. |
Mike Triggs
Goo Roo
Western Australia
3.0GT G-Pack
Posts: 1127
Reg: 07-2005
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Don Bagnall wrote on Friday, September 05, 2008 - 08:13 pm:
Mike Beck has been lucky to get a clean, tidy, well above average Ltd at an El Cheapo price, though that, in part is because Soarers in NZ have always been regarded as a bit Left of Centre, and never really caught on as much as they have in Orstralia, plus the gas price etc etc.
Pics of Toyota WiLL VS:
Soarers are seen as "high class" here because we had a protectionist regime that kept a heap of exciting Jap cars off our roads and a load of rubbish on them. In NZ I guess Soarers are but one of a whole range of great cars (one of my dreams is to get hold of a Toyota WiLL VS if I get to live in NZ, but they are rare even in Japan) available to titillate the senses at reasonable prices.
.http://www.cars-directory.net/specs/toyota/will_vs/2002_7/picture/9257/ |
Brett Cutts
Tinkerer
south australia
v8
Posts: 16
Reg: 07-2008
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Ok guys, figured I would throw my ten cents worth in here.
I have been a mechanic for almost 20 years now and have seen a lot of things in that time and even I have been fooled by a couple of cars over the years, but a lot of the time it comes down to the owner not the mileage.
I service an early 90's GQ Nissan Patrol that is one owner and is treated like a baby which to look at and drive you would swear has done 100k at the most but has actually just cracked 350k.
I also service a V6 94 Camry Vienta which I have known since it was 3 years old and it's owner is feral but does not go anywhere.
If you looked at the car seeing its filthy torn seats, steering wheel that looks chewed on and carpet full of holes you would say its a high miler, but I know for a fact the 67000kms it had on it last time I patched it up is genuine.
I also know that for about $150 bucks you can get almost whatever you want set on a digital odometer (oops my dash broke, can you reset this second hand one I bought from Upullit with 390,000 on it back to the 150,000 my EB Falcon has done please).
So best advice is find a car that is neat in the body and trim get a good mechanic to check out the rest and take whatever the odometer shows with a big grain of salt.
At the end of the day a well maintained clean, neat 200,000k old car will probably give you less trouble than a clean, neat poorly maintained (don't need to fix it, I only use it once a month)60,000k old car. |
Don Bagnall
Moderator
New Zealand
Mercedes Benz SLK230 Kompressor
Posts: 6992
Reg: 05-2005
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Well said Brett, pretty much echos what my views are  |
Don Bagnall
Moderator
New Zealand
Mercedes Benz SLK230 Kompressor
Posts: 6993
Reg: 05-2005
|
Mike Triggs wrote on Sunday, September 07, 2008 - 11:14 pm:one of my dreams is to get hold of a Toyota WiLL VS if I get to live in NZ
Won't be hard Mike. The local import friendly Toyota dealer (Tasman Toyota) gets em in 2nd.hand as "Signature Class" cars from Toyota Japan.
There's at least 2 that I know of in New Plymouth.
There are 32 for sale on Auto Trader as we speak, ranging from $9,950(NZD) to $16,990(NZD) for 2001 / 2002 models.
http://www.autotrader.co.nz/UsedItemResults.aspx?N=4294967182+4294965673+0&Ns=P_LastUpdate|1
$12 - $13k(NZD) will get you a clean one me thinks.
ps; When viewing the link, you'll need to separate the gay-as WILL Cypha and VI models from the Darth Vaderish VS models.
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Mike Triggs
Goo Roo
Western Australia
3.0GT G-Pack
Posts: 1129
Reg: 07-2005
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Don Bagnall wrote on Monday, September 08, 2008 - 04:57 pm:ps; When viewing the link, you'll need to separate the gay-as WILL Cypha and VI models from the Darth Vaderish VS models.
Thanks, Don. I've seen a WiLL Cypha (in Nelson) and actually though they were kinda cute (in a Citroenish way). It's my understanding that the WiLL series were never full production models. |
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