where should i look for the dreaded rot?

i went to see a car yesterday and possibly going back today with a view to have a test drive and give it a second, thorough look over.

i checked the sills, rear chassis legs, near rear bumper and spring mounts. the bottoms of all the doors and the arches and all seems fine

The car still has what seems to be all original panels, and hasnt been welded underneath which is good, but are there any other places to check that i may have overlooked, or places that need particularly close scrutiny?

Also when i take it out for a test drive, what sort of things should i be looking for? i can check that it drives in a straight line, any odd gearbox noises etc, but what else.

when i started the engine it had a slight tapping noise, which went away after 1min or so? is this normal. what should i look for under the bonnet? common leaks etc, signs of wear and tear.

sorry for all the questions but just about to take my first step in to cosworth territory, and wanna make sure i start off with a good car, as this one is nice, but its also top money

any advice appreciated

cheers

rory

 

Try this m8.

http://www.rsownersclub.co.uk/CosworthBuyersGuide.pdf

 

is the engine noise tapping or knocking from cold? tapping could just be followers but they must be quite knackered to last for a minute, expect to cost around Ł200 to fix ( followers, gaskets, half moons)

check for bad oil leaks, smoke when on full throttle and over-run, should pull smoothly regardless of spec.

check tyres for uneven wear , suspension parts can be expensive.

loads more but can't think

 

On a 4x4 I'd be worried about transmission. Listen out for any strange noises from the diffs/box ect

 

try this

http://www.crustworld.co.uk/sierra/techspec/buying.html

 

cheers guys

put a deposit on one yesterday

 

how did you get on with it? ive just been doin the same and its scary sh*t parting with the wongaŁŁŁŁŁ. how many did you look at?

 

i bought the first one i looked at, but was very thorough

go in old clothes and dont be afraid of crawling round under the car, take a torch

the one i found came with full history and the bodywoork is all original and in fantastic condition, was lucky i spose, but i did pay top money for my 4x4 at 6.5k

dont be afraid to walk away if you are suspicious or unhappy, i know people who looked at 12 or 13 before they found what they were looking for

usually a case of a car being advertised as mint, and it not being

use the people on here, mine was owned previously by a PF member, so had a chat with him and other people that knew him and it seemed good enough, so went to see it, and was happy so bought it.

hope this helps

a good guide for buying can be found on

http://bbs.rsownersclub.co.uk

 

sounds cool stick some photos up of it. I got the moonstone silver 4x4 that was up in the for sale page the other week. happy chappy with a crap happy nappy now!

 

Pics then guys.

 

 

 

Whats the thing on the plug lead ?

 

I have no idea in truth?
its a plaster I think, maybe it had a cut ?

Are two of the leads the same length, to show which ones which. It was on there when I got it so ?????????????

 

quality colour