vs ss buying

[thedrunkfish]

Hey guys, being a vx owner i haven't ventured into this part of the forum before but i have spotted what seems to be a good deal at the local auction house but i want to be carefull as i have been burned before.

I had a search and couldn't find any info on specific areas to check on a vs ss. Can anyone help me out with this.
Also upon inspecting the radiator overflow it is rusty and quite a few particles in the bottom, and this rang alarm bells to me as the engine has done 308,000.
The oil is clean and the coolant doesn't have any oil in it. The trans oil is immaculate.

Im going to take it for a test drive this arvo and have another really good look.

[The1]

sounds good, as long as there are no major leaks and the price is good.

[lebowarrioz]

bro im selling my vs ss iis only done 123k first make sure it has an lsd some people try to rip ya in that sense then take it for a drive and see how it changes if it changes to hard the gear box is close to stuffing up on you and trust me thats an easy 1000 bucks. make sure its got the over the rad and the fan shroud make sure injectors are all good and the body bought my ss for 3,000 spent another 5 grand just to get the thing running properly so dont trust anyone but ur self get vspanther (omer) to give you his two cents worth or pm me for my number if u need help

[VSPantha]

Mines got 172000k's on it. Spent $$$ on it to get it on the road but I wanted a car that would be safe and nice to drive aswell. The 5ltr's are a good engine, the tranny's aren't too bad but ya got to remember that they're 13/14 years old so expect some wear and tear. If the car has been well looked after and not thrashed doing burnouts etc then you should find it to be ok. I've had to replace the cooling system... and recently changed the leads, dizzy cap and rotor, running better now but not as good as when it was brand new (my dad bought it brand new so I know the cars history).
Main things to check for are leaks (rocker covers and rear of the motor)... check ANYTHING under the bonnet that's rubber and make sure it hasn't perished (years ago I had a VN that popped a fuel hose in the engine bay one day... that wasn't fun)... take it for a drive in a 100 zone and see how it handles... make sure it drives nicely, test the electrics... things like wipers, econ/pwr button, cruise control, air con. The contacts on mine were really grungy and some things (like the pwr/cruise button) didn't even work. I ended up pulling apart the switch, cleaned it up and is as good as new now
When the car is running, let it idle and walk around to the back and listen to the exhaust... and smell it. If it stinks like rotten eggs then that's probably the cat converter on it's way out from unburnt fuel getting into it (most likely from dribbly injectors). Lift the bonnet, listen for any squeaks, knocks or grinding noises... get someone to turn the air con on and off a few times and listen to the compressor turning on and off and making sure the idler pulley bearing isn't cactus... It might pay to take it to a mechanic for a pre-roadworthy check (my sister got one done for a car she was looking at getting and it cost her $60... LUCKY she did coz the car was a POS), so might pay to do that just to make sure you're not buying a lemon.
Also check the interior for wear and tear... things like hoodlining that's hanging from the roof, leaks in the boot (check for wet or smelly boot carpet), make sure the gauges work as they should and aren't sticky or anything like that.
That's about enuff for anyones brain to digest I think Let me know if you need to know anything I may have excluded

[thedrunkfish]

cheers for the help guys. Had a good look over it and decided not to go through with the buy.

Few issues, the boot carpet was sopping, there was an oil leak somewhere in the engine. Slight milky residue under the oil cap. Rusty coolant.

It did drive nicely and change nicely, i even rang the garage that it was serviced at as it had a sticker from the last service. It had an impeccable service history but it seems that the maintenance was getting too hefty and decided to upgrade.

Im going to keep my eyes peeled for a good one.

[greenfoam]

I think they will all have wet boot carpet, thats why no sane VN-S has boot carpet .

Rusty coolant,,,, well it's a iron motor, that happens

[pillzor]

isnt milky residue under the oil cap really bad?

[The1]

it usually points to a leaking head gasket. Just clean it up and if it comes back milky quickly then you might be starting to have a issue if not it's very slow leak.

The wet boot carpet is a common issue in vs's you just need to reseal the lights at the rear. The water usually pools in spare tire compartment

[lebowarrioz]

i offered u my one to look at wat is ur price range??? i dont have that problem at all the leaking boot thingy.