Advice Please

[ARKG]

Hi new to the 3/s forums, iam coming from the firebird forums and i had a question for you guys there is a VR-4 in my area that iam interested in but i want to get some opinions from some expierenced owners. its a 94 VR-4 a little over 100k miles i asked the dealer about the 60k mile tuneup and he said he didnt know, and i dont know what to look for under the hood. the engine started right up the idle was smooth and when it was revved everything sounded fine. the body looked to be in good condition a little of the chrome on one of the wheels was peeling a little, and the interior looked to be okay. the price is 12,900. i was told by a mechanic i know that the car would be to high maintain and that the engine isnt strong enough to handle high mileage and that Mitsus are nothing but hyundais i did read the Before Asking FAQ so i hope i didnt go on to long and didnt ask to many dumb questions but any advice and opinions would be appreciated.

[AutostradaVR4]

with that milage, it would really be pushing it on the original timing belt. Im not saying to assume the 60k was done, but you should factor it into your purchasing price. or, you can take off the timing cover easily enough and check the belt, and should be able to see if the water pump looks newer as well.

i would only recommend a VR-4 to someone who has some mechanical ability. not because they're unreliable or anything, but simply becasue when normal stuff does go wrong, like it does with any 13-year old car, labor costs are outrageous, and no one knows how to work on these cars. chances are, as an owner, you will be the best qualified person to do the work (unless you wanna shell out a heavy chunk of change at a specialty shop.)

as for engine being not strong enough, dont know what hes talking about. power-wise they can handle TONS, and mileage-wise, id say they're above average. Im not saying it will outlive your Camry, but theyre plenty of guys on here pushing into the 200k zone. Treat your engine good and it will be good to you.

the fact is, when you look at these next to cars of their similar age, they are generally cleaner, better maintained, and more reliable.
if you read the faqs then your already ahead of the game. bring a list of the common issues to check for next time you go to look at it.

anyways...calling mitsus hyundais is like calling chrysler's mitsu's. You can more so call chrysler's mercedes's...The company's have delt with each other...hyundai bought/used mitsu engines and chassis for a few of its models IIRC...they also do joint reasearch and developement projects...as do ford, chrysler, and GM...as does almost every car manufacturer...but, NO, theyre not the same company. I'm fairly certain that mitsu does not currently and has never bought/used and hyundai components.

[AutostradaVR4]

found this (in case your interested)

http://imvp.mit.edu/papers/95/Hyun/hyun-1.pdf

its basically a history of hyundai, including all involvement with mitsu., and specifically what was involved. after reading it it seems that all relationships were very 1-sided. Mitsu had a hand in some hyundai cars, but hyundai has nothing whatsoever to do with mitsu's cars.

long winded, but theres some interesting stuff in there if your bored (like me )it would also appear that until 1992 GM had a large dealing with them...as did ford.

[Stealthee]

Haha, sounds like a mechanic to avoid. Hyandauis do use alot of Mitsu engines but they have zero to do with a Mitsu built car.

[ARKG]

thanks for the insight and while iam not that mechanically inclined iam a fast learner and willing to learn so with that being said do you think that i could pickup the general maintainence for the VR without having to go to a school?

[AutostradaVR4]

absolutely. Like every car, they have theyre little quirks that you need to know when doing certain things. its not that theyre really complicated or anything. the hardest part is sorting through all the BS and myths and people who think they know what they are talking about.

I would never listen to anyone who has never owned or worked on one before, because theres a good chance they dont know what theyre talking about. Even most dealerships are clueless when it comes to the 3/s.

just remember, when you need help or have a question, thats what this forum is here for. Luckily for the 3/s, it has a small but VERY devoted following. some owners are so devoted they make websites like www.stealth316.com which is basically an encyclopedia on our cars. working on them, upgrades, history, everything. And www.3si.org which is the 3/s owners club.

the only thing i wouldnt do if i were in your position, is spend all your money on a VR-4. Make sure to leave yourself some bank for the "unpredictable". Again, its a 13 year old car. It doesnt matter make, model, mileage, etc., things will break on a 13 year old car.

if you can find a 3/s owner who would be willing to look the car over for you before buying, that would be awesome. if not, just look for the common problems and whats listed in the faq.

[ARKG]

okay then are there any owners in the northeast ohio area more specifically cleveland who want to lend an expierenced hand to a fellow driver?

[new2mitsu]

if i were you, i'd consiger registering on 3si.org and asking that question, there are quite a few more 3/s owners there, and you're more likely to find one in your area... but be cautious, because some of them can be real assholes

[ARKG]

thanks

[new2mitsu]

keep us posted, we're definately anxious to hear you're end result....