Buying a vr4 galant. What do i look for?

Hello, I am looking at buying a Galant vr4 and I was wondering what are the major things to look for when buying one. Apparently this thing just keeps getting sold on craigs over and over and I have asked previous owners and they say they just didnt have time to work on it.

So as of right now the owner is getting it running which he believes is a short of some sort. It was running but dieing out so he changed the alternator and now he is not getting any power. I am going to let him sort it out but when I go back to look at it and drive it what should I look for. He also said that it has a boost leak that is pretty severe....

Any help would be appreciated. There is another post on craigs about being weary of the buyer because this car has been put on craigs 3 times now by different owners. I dont know why people keep buying this thing and selling it soon after but its a little sketch.

Thanks

James

 

here was the original post click

 

and then the second owner click

 

and finally the most recent click

 

[thedsmguy]

Sounds like a bad ecu, and really crappy intercooler piping. I'd buy it!

 

[rdomeck]

Buy a cheap compression gauge and do a compression check of the engine. It will only take you about 10 minutes at most and it will give you a good idea if the engine has any internal issue's!

 

[Dark_Horse]

"Don't have time to work on it"...That's just code for, "Oh sh*t! I got myself in way over my head. This car is too messed up for me to fix."

With that said, someone I know went to check that car out and from what he said it:

Ran like crap
Was overheating
Oil was pouring out of the catch can
Front fender was trashed
Hood was very crooked
Crappy home paint job with huge drips everywhere
Big dent left rear quarter panel

Granted, I haven't personally looked at it, but I trust his opinion on the condition of cars. From his description, I'm wondering if the headgasket is blown at minimum. And if it overheated, he may have warped the head too.

If I were you, I'd look elsewhere. Unless you got it for a steal and then part it out.

EDIT: Have you gone to look at it yet? If not, and if you are still interested in checking the car out, I'd go look at it with you if you want. I can bring my compression tester and I have a spare ECU, spare upper IC pipe (since theirs is hacked with that stupid GMAF) & spare 1G MAF. So if it's any of those things causing it to run like sh*t, we'd be able to figure it out.

However, even without looking at it, from the # of times it's been on craigslist in the last 2 months, it's got to be a hacked up POS.

 

Yea I went and looked at it. Paint is definitely a rattle can job. There is a dent in the front passenger fender, I didn't see the rear one. Those things really don't bother me, I am fine to have a ghetto looking car. I had a 323 gtx that had danger cart spray painted on the side, it aint no thang.

I haven't test drove it but yeah if multiple people got it and just didn't want to work on it that would cause it to get sold over and over. Especially since it seems that dsm buyers are kind of impulse buyers, especially on a good deal.

I would be stoked if you want to come look at it with me, pretty new to dsm's. I do expect to get it for cheap if all those things you mentioned are wrong with it and possibly not even worth it to buy I understand.

Give me a call, I don't know when I am heading back to look at it yet. 303.513.4643

James

 

[AnotherNewb]

Beware of hacked titles. Make sure that if you buy this car that you have a proper unaltered title and bill of sale and get it all notarized. Beats the alternative of going to your dmv only to be told you have to track the owner three people back from another state and convince them to applie for a lost title and sign it and send it to you for a car they haven't owned in ten years... just sayin...

 

yea thats true, i thought about that when it seemed sketch from the ads. i need to ask him about the title, the guy is nice and doesnt act like its not a project car whatsoever.

 

offer him 800 bucks.

 

yea maybe that is all i would pay for it. i need it to run right at least, not looking for a project that i cant drive. if anything i might trade him for one of my cars thats worth about that

 

yup, mine was the sameway...it traded hands about 10 times in a broken state...some said slipped timing, bad head, ect ect. he wanted like 2000. i gave him 800...i found a no fuel issue in about 3 minutes haha. MPI relay.

if u wave 800 in his face, i bet he will take it. or trade one of your cars, and use that money to fix it

 

[dlesser]

I have tried to setup a meeting to look at this GVR4 but the lack of response tells me something is fishy. I would get 5-6 word emails and when I offered to bring 1k cash he flat out said that wouldn't be enough....

In my opinion this is just a rolling shell. If the title is clean (big IF there) it could still be a good buy, for 1k or less. I live in Westminster, CO and would be happy to look at it with you. Although, I doubt this will be a car you can drive around daily without a decent amount of work.

 

[Diego]

Or you could come look at mine up in Greeley....

just saying... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hsugh.gif

 

yeah... dark horse if you want to go look at it with me that would be rad. let me know?

 

[dlesser]

Diego, if I had the $$ to spare I would be all over it

 

yea diego how much?

 

[toybreaker]

[quote name=Dark_Horse
EDIT: Have you gone to look at it yet? If not, and if you are still interested in checking the car out, I'd go look at it with you if you want. I can bring my compression tester and I have a spare ECU, spare upper IC pipe (since theirs is hacked with that stupid GMAF) & spare 1G MAF. So if it's any of those things causing it to run like sh*t, we'd be able to figure it out.





good lookin' out! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif



sounds like crushed ring lands with a side of blow-by to go.

definately check the title against the vin on the firewall/verify the other vin stickers/tags located around the body before making an offer.

If the car is legit, he won't mind /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Diego]

Pm's sent.