Right, the day is finally dawning - going to have a look at a S2 at the weekend with around 55k on the clock...

Apart from making sure that mileage is genuine - what do i need to check for?

Obvious things like emulsified oil on the oil cap etc...

First time buying a forced induction car - what do i need to look for to see signs of engine wear/turbo wear etc?

Where do i need to check for rust?

What can i do to try and make sure i'm not buying a shed?

Cheers

 

Check the boot pan, and the battery tray. Also another bit there bad for is just under the roof at the top of the back seat area (hard to explain)

Mileage wise, make sure it has a good history (which should be stamped at services with the milage).l If theres no history with it then its unlikely the miles will be genuine.

Its worth getting the car up on the ramp to check the floor - it may need weilding, or it may have already had a good lot done. Nothing wrong with a bit of genuine weilding though, for the age of them its whats expected. I looked at one which the floor had actually been taped with duck tape to hide the holes, the guy couldnt believe I found him out.

A little bit of rust is OK but I mean a little bit.

 

check the car from start up, any smoke can indicate worn valve stem seals, or even worse a worn turbo, take it for a spin and watch for smoke on overrun this can indicate a worn turbo, it will be a oily blue smoke, check there isnt any knocking from the bottom end, a rattle in head isnt as bad as the cvh is easy to work on, at around 50k the standard cam is coming to the end of its life and normally changed at 60k so bear that in mind.

 

Mines just crept up to 55K now You need to go over these motors with a fine tooth comb mate.

I wont post all the same as above as they are good suggestions, also checkthe sunroof, open it right out (check for any falling flakes of rust, which will be a bad sign), if the runners look mine like mine did should be good.

Rear chassis rails, rear sills up behind the kit, common place to go as with behindthe back bumper at the sides, my last S2 had gone right through here, although not an mot failure so not too much of a worry.

Just spend as much time as you can, if it takes an hour to look over first off even before starting the car then so be it.

 

nice advice

useful for everyone

 

Well i'm going to see if i can get it down to Power Engineering for a dyno run and a compression test etc - see what nick the engine's in - the shell'll be going into the bodyshop for a respray - but i don't want them to start sanding it and it fall apart!

 

expect some rust somewhere....but its not to much bother to get it sorted....the main thing u want is a good engine and turbo the rest is a piece of cake...dont want to be rippin an engine out for a rebuild and put the thing back in...cost u a fortune. obviously u dont want it to be a rust bucket....some rust is acceptable...these cars are are gettin on a bit now and there not the most solid of cars anyway. good luck

andy

 

Well mate - i'm certainley competent to whip an engine and gearbox out - it'll be coming out, as will the interior, the wiring loom, all the fixtures and fittings etc. for the shell to go in for its respray...

I don't mind a bit of engine work - i.e gaskets and the like - but really don't want to have to do a bottom end rebuild and valve stem seals etc...

Should be nice when its finished - i'm going for "Old Skool - New Rules" - when the tuning side comes together, there'll be some jap influence Cutting edge performance technology in a 17 year old car

 

Valve stem seals is a 40 minute job - I generally do this on any CVH which is eating oil, it's not expensive. Just use it as an excuse to get a better price. Camshaft too - you know that something better will be going in eventually so use a rattly head to your advantage. TBH I'd be more worried about rust and the quality of the interior, also things like uneven tyre wear, CV joints, gearbox selection etc.