A few pointers before buying this BZG

[watchthisspace]

Last night I went and had a look at this : http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing ... =290870883

Which was a very very nice car and didn't seem to have any problems at all.

I am going to try get an AA check on it next weekend as I'm very very keen on the car.

Is there anything I should look out for when I next look at this car?

It will be the first car I'll be buying and I really like it, but don't want to spend so much to find I might have problems down the road..


All help is apprecriated

[gurutasker]

Check out this thread.

viewtopic.php?t=53515&highlight=ae111+problems

That one specifically the sun-roof would give me shivers. Check the seals to make sure there is no sign of leaks, grab a hose and spray it if you have to!

They are fantastic vehicles for what they are really, that one may be slightly over-priced IMO for the amoutn of k's, but depends on what is out there.

[Bling]

No point me typing out what guru has said.... so +1 for everything he said.

Good cars, reliable, fun, etc

Can only go by the ad, but sounds like the current owner has looked after it, AA report (or even better, a check over by a toyota workshop, probably same price as an AA report, but better idea imo) should give you an idea of how true the ad is

Screw them down on price when you find out its all good, win.

[watchthisspace]

Thanks for the replies! Especially that thread, has some very helpful tips!

The owner seemed like the type not to thrash it and said he gets it serviced and oil changes every 6 months.

Does anyone know of a Toyota workship in ChCh that would pref be open on the weekend? Next week is exam week and the guy works during the day makes it hard for me to get the car taken for a AA inspection.

[MrOizo]

I would say before you go and get 'professional' checks, take some one with you to have a thorough look over it.

i have found the AA to not pick up things and things they do pick up, are wrong.

[Leon]

It's about $2000 overpriced in my humble opinion.

[TRD Man]

The information in the other thread is good. Particularly Sergei's. Look for sludge and radiator blockage. Those are the engine killers. And the wear in the superstrut if it has this setup.

As for the price, you need to determine that yourself. A quick glance through TradeMe shows a number of later models, including BZ-Rs for the same or less money. One BZ-R even has a full TOM's bodykit.

In average condition and with standard, or simple replacement wheels etc..., I would agree with Leon that this car looks like $4 ~ 5k.
However it does look to be in very tidy condition and to have some costly enhancements and it's for you to decide how much you value those factors.
There is no rulebook or guideline for determining price, especially at this end of the market and often paying a little bit more than the average price buys you a very much better car.

[MR2BOY23]

Wow $6500

Seriously?

[sergei]

Wow $6500

Seriously?

Yeah, $4000-4500 is the good price for this.

[Alex B]

Thats high km ITR money.

[touge_ae101]

Thats high km ITR money.

if you could put up with driving a honda...

[MR2BOY23]

Save a little more and you could buy my car !

More fun than you'll ever have in a levin

[watchthisspace]

Luckily, my brother who is knows quite a lot about cars just arrived from Sydney, so I'm going to get him to have a look at the car but still get an AA inspection done next week.

It is on the expensive side, but I'll try haggle the price down a bit. I don't really need the sub and amp.

[RS13]

From what I've experienced personally, and heard from a lot of people, most cars have done all of their reliable motoring by 150,000km.

If you're going to buy a car like this, I would say get the price down as low as possible, because things are going to start wearing out and you're going to have to spend more and more to keep it reliable and in a reasonable condition.

[Kittah]

Aside from everything else that's been mentioned, I'm a bit skeptical on the price. I picked up mine with similar kilometers for $3500, though it didn't come with things like wheels or an alarm. Definitely around $2000-2500 overpriced IMO.

No complaints with my BZ-G though, it's an awesome car. The things to watch out for are the usual maintenance. Mine is up for brake pads, brake hoses are starting to wear out. Mostly the usual stuff on any car, so nothing specific to worry about. Just have a good look over it for any signs of rust, particularly with that sunroof.

[watchthisspace]

Definitely going to try get it cheaper.

It is going in for an inspection on Thursday at the AA so will read through the report and see what they have to say about the car!

[ROBODISCO_20v]

I only got $6500 for my BZ-G with similar km's on it 2 years ago. I did take the first offer though as I was sick of it. Like everyone else here has said, nice car but about 2K over priced.

[rollaholic]

Thats high km ITR money.

if you could put up with driving a honda...

if you could put up with driving a car that kicks the pants off the BZR in every area?

[Bling]

Serious business ^^


Good luck with the car, I would have still gone Toyota garage over AA check though

[watchthisspace]

Serious business ^^


Good luck with the car, I would have still gone Toyota garage over AA check though

Do you happen to know any good toyota garage's in ChCh?? I will probably end up with this car, but would be nice to take it to one and just see what they have to say about the engine.