Buying my first HSV..?

[MoshMMA]

G'day everyone..

I'm looking into buying my first HSV and would love some advice, so here's the deal..

Budget: Around 20k
Interest: Sport/Luxury
Current: Looking at a 98 HSV Senator 5.0 (Just love the look of this one)
Problems: What should I look out for?

So any help would be great

[troytroy]

I guess because no one has answered yet. I'll give you a heads up on some generic things to look out for with my limited model specific knowledge!

For the budget and model you're looking for, the main things to look out for are age related problems as these will be the things that will cost you more in the long run than anything else.

I'm sorry if you're an experienced car owner or HSV knowledge guru....if you are ignore! Otherwise:

Priority is things that'll cost you the most:

Engine: If it's a high km engine (and it most likely is given the model age) you'll seriously need to have a back up plan to give the engine a refresh/rebuild. Think about it. The people who have owned these cars will always tell perspective owners that it was only used by their grandma to go to the shops (event hough the car has 170,786km on the ODO!). Reality is, is that people who buy these cars use them the way they were intended otherise they'd buy a Volvo. So any Km's will be hard km's. Things like alternators, power steering pumps, battery's, ignition modules etc are the things that die over the years.

Gearbox/transmission: If it sounds clunky or hesitates or makes whiny noises...you're in trouble. First and second gear synchros are the first to go......if it is difficult to go from thirs to second or second to first gear when decelerating that's your synchros.

Diffs: these especially get worn out with a hard long life. If it sounds clunky between gearchanges or when selecting reverse..........If it supposed to be an LSD and spins the inside wheel when flooring it from a T- intersection...it's on it's way out.

So if your Engine is freshly rebuilt or has rediculously low km's and the gearbox is fresh and the diff is great...anything else wont matter as much!

You buy an older second hand Australian made 'sports' car, expect to feed it with money to keep it alive as the little things here and there add up. Petrol consumption will also be scary. Although it wont need 98 Octane.

There are thousands of other things.....just make sure it's the car you NEED that has all the things you NEED and not the things you dont need, but are paying for. Are there other cars that will give you more power and speed or performance at a lesser ownership burden?

With this car, the cost of ownership will be the biggest issue you need to consider : Insurance, petrol, repairs, servicing, parts, tyres, brakes and the list goes on. If you have this considered and mitigated against this, do it.

[AGGREHSV]

Get a VS clubsport mate

[haggles]

when i bought mine last Nov there were a few VX Clubsport R8's in the very low 20's (one guy had agreed to come to 21k but i found a slightly better one.)

had 100,000km's on the clock and was in good nick.

just had a look in all the regular traders and they seem to have gone up if anything lately which is weird.

good luck.

:)

[Johno]

always on the money troytroy....

a good run down

many pitfalls in a car of that age - get it check out independently, don't take the word of the seller as gospel.

:cry::cry::cry:my baby has just left the building for good today @ 1300hrs to it's new owner......there's not enough kleenex in this damn house, going over to toilet paper.


aarrrgghhhh

[clubby 285]

always on the money troytroy....

a good run down

many pitfalls in a car of that age - get it check out independently, don't take the word of the seller as gospel.

:cry::cry::cry:my baby has just left the building for good today @ 1300hrs to it's new owner......there's not enough kleenex in this damn house, going over to toilet paper.


aarrrgghhhh


:(Its a sad day for ya Johno....in fact sad day all round when a fellow hsv owner has to let go of his pride and joy.!