Hi all,
Hope you are all well?
I am going to look at a 98 3000GT on Thursday with only 102k on the clock.
Never owned one, but has been a dream car for me and with the amount of ultra low emission zones going up, I feel like if I don’t get one now I probably never will.
Just looking for some pointers as to what to look out for more than anything, common issues, deal breaker rust locations ect.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
Hi @steven5
firstly welcome to GTOUK and you’re in the right place to get advise on these cars as our forum has over 20 years of knowledge and experience in working on these cars!
the first thing i would do is read the club buyers guide - which can be found here:
when I was looking for a car i actually printed this off and took it with me when i went to view them. Also depending on where you are in the country a member may be local to you and be able to view the car with you etc…
finally do post up a link to the car for sale advert as it is possible the car is already a club car or has been in the past.
good luck in your search and if you do find your new pride and joy do sign up for full membership to the forum:
James
Thanks so much for the warm welcome and the info!
Just to confirm here is the link to the 3000GT in question - Used Mitsubishi 3000GT 2dr 2 Doors HATCHBACK for sale in Bucks, Buckinghamshire - Misbourne Motor Group
Issues currently listed are active aero is intermittent, however I am handy with turning wrenches and have no issues digging into faults for solutions.
Brake lines need done according to last MOT but again ive done lines in a 350z I previously owned so no issues there.
I am in Scotland and this beauty is around a 7hr drive away, small price to pay if the car is right.
I will keep you all posted.
Thanks again!
I was tempted by this too. Looks a beauty
i looked at this as i have one…its a 97 not 98 …also no front fog lights …and not sure on heated seats and auto wipers . think a generic description.and i would think its up for the cambelt etc change…check out that full service history as it says ?
rik
Thanks for the info!
Yea will definitely check the service history as if I do get it, its got 400 miles to get me home and blow the cobwebs out!
Ill keep an eye out for the heated seats and auto wipers just to confrim spec.
Im more just wondering what the underneath looks like at this point!
when i bought mine i took a jack and had a good look …mine was mainley surface rust but solid
OK, here goes. I see a few issues on this car, some minor, some which raise questions. On the face of it, it seems like a good car for a fair price but;
it’s a UK car, with what looks like a UK front bumper (with the cut-out for the towing eye) BUT it is missing the headlight washer nozzles, so what happened there? Accident? Bumper replacement? Aesthetic choice? The washer bottle is still present you can see the fill cap near the bonnet latch, so is the button on the end of the indicator column. The front bumper has definitely been repainted as you can see there is overspray on the rubber seal where it meets the front of the bonnet - lazy repairer.
Wrong battery fitted, which looks lower than the correct battery so the terminals won’t catch the underside of the bonnet and be a fire risk, but it is the wrong battery and the cabling is routed wrong.
Replacement non-original exhaust tips are jubilee clipped on, the originals probably fell off due to corrosion of the mounting brackets.
Get underneath the car with a torch and inspect the length of the sills, in particular pay attention to the areas behind the front wheels and in front of the rear wheels. If it needs welding or shows signs of previous repair, be cautious as you might be following up on that in years to come depending on the quality of the job. If the seller allows, try lifting away the sides of the carpet in the footwells to see if there is evidence of repair.
Other than that, it looks like the interior is in good order and some age related bodywork dings, could be a good car if it has been looked after service wise and it goes through the gears.
Don’t ever buy one of these cars unless either the owner/driver or you can PROPERLY give the car full throttle in 2nd and 3rd gear once it has fully warmed up. You want a smooth, strong pull from 30mph to the top of 3rd gear that doesn’t show any hesitation or hiccups. Ensure you go through all gears up and downshifting to highlight synchro issues.
Good luck!
Thanks for that Mad_Luka,
Very handy knowledge to have when I see it tomorrow.
Thankfully I get batteries cheap with the company I work for so if its over 3 years old, was planning on replacing it anyways.
I will do timing belt water pump ect, even if the servicing history states its been done, for piece of mind.
Ill get a test drive and listen for anything out of place and get a good look underneath.
I noticed the tips being clamped down from the pics, and depending how the rest of the system looks, its something I would replace down the line.
Alloys need refurbish / replaced but will have a better idea when I seem them up close.
For the washer nozzles, Ill try the colum switch to see if I can hear the motor trying to pump, or if the system was gutted during bumper respray / replacement.
Leaving around 4am to get there in afternoon so will have plenty of time to go through it and make sure its right for me, and any issues are ones I can resolve.
Thanks again!
Where are you driving from/to? If you’re passing anywhere near me I’d be happy to make you a brew and give you some advice on the cars and run you around mine. Ah, sorry I see you said you’re in Scotland and the car is in Buckinghamshire - well if you plan on coming up/down the M1 then I’m not so far and maybe a halfway break for you!
Sounds like a shout!
Ill see how I get on and how far I get down the road!
Whereabouts in Bucks are you travelling to? I’m in Winslow, about 10 miles north of Aylesbury if you need any extra help…
It might be that you have already been and gone. I have been grandparenting for a few days, and only just opened this thread.
Mike
Hey all,
Quick update -
So went and seen the 3000GT.
Good test drive, nothing out of place, loads of corrosion underneath but nothing I wasn’t prepared to spend time fixing.
So I bought it!
Got 2hrs back up the road and a rear wheel bearing decided it didn’t want to be a bearing anymore.
I have left it with a garage that is part of the company I work for until I get it recovered.
Had to get back up the road pretty quick so just jumped on a train.
I have RAC national recovery so will head back down next weekend to get it recovered when I’m not pressed for time.
Once it’s home I’ll do rear wheel bearings on both sides.
Thankfully I have access to other vehicles so I can take the time needed to get this sorted.
I’ll get some pics for you all when it’s home!
Hopefully an easy fix - the rear bearings are readily available and I would advise to do both the inner and outer one and on both sides.
James
Thanks James!
Yea I had it up on the ramps to confirm it was wheel bearings.
Out of interest do you have a link / know the diameter of the inner and outer bearings so I can order two of each by chance?
I think you can get them from a number of places.
Now that you have got the car and introduced it I would suggest this thread has served its purpose of the newbie thread. I would recommend that you start a project thread in projects section of the forum. So as per club guidelines I’m closing this thread.
Cheers,
James