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Am I Betraying My G3 Brothers And Sisters?

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firespirit

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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
Ok guys,

I'm going to look at a White G2 after my car comes back. I'll probably be test driving the G2 next week, and I'll need some help...

I know that this G2 is a vulcan, but I haven't been inside the car (Even though I've looked inside, the interior is Red) and the exterior is OK (small spots of rust on the rear wheel well) but other then that, the paint is actually glossy and looks to have been well taken care of.

I don't know how many miles are on the car.. but my uncle says it needs new front struts.

They are selling this car for $525.. All I want this car for is an "emergency" vehicle, in case (god forbid) my Taurus is out of comission for more then a day.

So what questions should I ask the man selling it? What should I make sure of while taking this car for a test drive? What things should I look for, including interior and exterior? Should I be scared of miles, since I don't know the history of the car?

Also, anything else I should know or take steps in doing before deciding to try and talk him down to around $300 for the car?

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#2 ·
That seems pretty fishy. How many miles are on it? Have they rebuilt the transmission at all?

If you do end up test driving the car, make sure you turn off the radio and listen for noises. Look under the hood that fluids look clean, and that hoses and belts are in good shape.

IMO, there's no point to buying a car for emergency use. You will have to insure it and it will just sit there.
 
rudedog

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#4 ·
Hey Ash, LRB still out of commission?

I would ask if the trans has been serviced on a regular basis. I would ask if the owner has copies of invoices of previous maintenance or major work, see how accurately/regularly the maintenance HAS been kept up. If it is possible take someone from the club that would know what to look for as far as the car being in previous collisions (Bob), to look it over. Let it run for about 20 minutes to see if it starts smoking or not then go drive it to see if it smokes. But I would definately get someone to go with you. You could even ask him if you could take it to a shop to be checked out.

Just be sure to NOT wreck it on the test drive!!!
 
M

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#6 ·
ask how many previous owners, and any damage that he found when he bought it. if its changed hands many times that could be a bad sign, could be something about the car that wasn't working and they just kept transfering the problem around, or the current owner probably doesn't know what the previous owners have done with it.

oh yeah, and watch out for parked neons when you test it :D
 
T

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#8 ·
Well...

For $500 bucks, you can't really ask for too much, except that the tranny still shifts without harsh clunking ('cause I guarantee it's an AXOD and it likely WILL clunk anyways) and that the steering doesn't bind. Would help if the brake pedal doesn't travel to excessively and that the car can pass an emissions test visually (catalytic converters, etc, are in decent shape.)

Other than that, you'll find the second gen cars have a plethora of squeeks and rattles, positively more entertaining than any Top 40 or country-western! I'm currently trying to diagnose a few on mine! Whee! :lol:

Welcome to the 2G dark side! Muahahahahah!
 
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B

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#10 ·
5 days to LRB :thumb: Wait...Ashley How are you going to go get LRB if Dodge is seized?
 
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R

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#12 ·
Originally posted by Firespirit@May 17 2004, 03:08 PM
Mommy is leaving on Thursday by Train :) I'll get to see my baby once more!!! I'm so excited!!
Click to expand...
BTW, how did your Dodge Intrepid end up with a seized motor?

That Chrysler quality engineering is something, isn't it? :p

I swear, they are engineered to be defective!

As for squeaking gen 2 Tauruses, I have a gen 2 with over 210,000 miles raked up on the odometer and it hardly ever squeaks, even over rough bumps.

However, I need to replace the A/C hoses for both the low and high pressure sides as well as replacing the VSS (Vehicle Speed Sensor) to fix a little behavior problem with the VAPS (Variable Assist Power Steering) and PCM (Powertrain Control Computer). All of these problems on a vehicle which was built with the largest engine that was optionally available for it.

Then there are the halfshafts and the heater core.

Oh, joy!

These problems wouldn't be a big deal except that most of these parts are a pain to get to, especially the heater core and VSS. - Reinhart
 
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#13 ·
Ashley.. you could drive that emergency car down to california and get a picture with my Gen 2.. YAY.. ohh.. that's odd. ..I can see the future :huh:

 
S

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#14 ·
Originally posted by TrueBlue@May 17 2004, 02:15 PM
'cause I guarantee it's an AXOD and it likely WILL clunk anyways
Click to expand...
Not if it's a '95 GL. White GLs came with the AX4N in 1995. :) Although I think they got rid of the red interior for '95, so it's probably older than that. :(
 
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firespirit

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Discussion Starter · #15 ·
It's a 92.. :)



BTW, how did your Dodge Intrepid end up with a seized motor?

That Chrysler quality engineering is something, isn't it? :p

I swear, they are engineered to be defective!
Click to expand...
The way i like to explain it.. is... The 3.5L Intrepid is comparable to the G3 SHO. The bigger engine has bigger maint. issues, and like the cams need to be welded on the G3 SHO, the Intrepid threw a rod in the cylinder and seized the engine. Which pretty much sucks, because we had the whole front end body panels replaced not even 4 months ago. The Intrepid is/was a great car, I wouldn't say that it was crappy D.C. work!


Ashley.. you could drive that emergency car down to california and get a picture with my Gen 2.. YAY.. ohh.. that's odd. ..I can see the future
Click to expand...
Oh dang... I think you're right on the dot about that one :)






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R

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#16 ·
Originally posted by Firespirit@May 20 2004, 02:59 PM
The way i like to explain it.. is... The 3.5L Intrepid is comparable to the G3 SHO. The bigger engine has bigger maint. issues, and like the cams need to be welded on the G3 SHO, the Intrepid threw a rod in the cylinder and seized the engine. Which pretty much sucks, because we had the whole front end body panels replaced not even 4 months ago. The Intrepid is/was a great car, I wouldn't say that it was crappy D.C. work!
Click to expand...
Once you get the cams modified on the gen 3 SHO, it's not really a problem. This problem was the result of a design oversight that has a fix. Although welding the cams works, it is not a preferred method to fix the problem.

http://www.shoshop.com/ssnews.htm

This weblink provides a service to modify the cams with a roll pin solution instead of welding. Welding can cause cam warpage from the heat, which is why it's not recommended.

On the Intrepid, a piston throws a rod usually because the motor was pushed and neglected or was just plain worn out. If you had bought the car used, it is most certainly possible that the original owners had something to do with this. Of course, the engine may be damaged to the point where you cannot rebuild it. A thrown rod can crack the block in addition to causing a seize.

Although the Intrepid is a sharp looking car, it is not an easy car to work on. You do know that this vehicle uses an inline mounting configuration for the engine, even though it's FWD.

However, the 3.5L was a better engine than the 2.7L. The 2.7L is plagued with problems. I don't mean to be disrespectful, but that kind of negates your argument about larger engines having bigger maintenance issues.

If that were the case, then the legendary GM 350 C.I. and Ford 5.0L motors would be nothing but nightmares.

You can still attempt to get your Intrepid fixed up. You just have to find sources for a good used 3.5L motor and someone who can do the swap. You have to make the determination about whether or not it will be worth it.

As for worst Chrysler vehicle: the Dodge and Plymouth Neons. - Reinhart
 
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firespirit

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Discussion Starter · #17 ·
Thanks for the insight Reinhart, but the Trep's fate was decided long ago (probably the day we got it). My mom had always said she was going to trade it in to get another Taurus.. So there is absolutely no hope of rebuilding the engine. It was/is a beautiful, well running car.. but I'm not interested in the Dodge engines.. So I'm not going to waste my time on it. Besides, parts have already been sold.. And I've got someone wanting to buy the rest of the car from me.

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