Author Topic: (Will be) looking for Pintara soon...  (Read 3054 times)

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TheCaptn

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(Will be) looking for Pintara soon...
« on: Aug 10, 2003, 04:54PM »
By current beastly car (73 beetle) is starting to cough up blood. It's last breath could come at any time.

Research into quality seconds led me to the Pintara, research into the Pintara led me here... You know how it goes. My other options are a Mitsubishi Magna (early 90's) or a Toyota Camry (late 80's). For a variety of reasons I'm not a big fan of either of them... Plus I've barely heard a bad thing said about the Pintara, as opposed to those two.

Anyway, around Sep/Oct I'll be looking at purchasing something, preferably in the Melbourne area, and around the $4000 range... I'm not really after a TRX, since I don't like spoilers. I want a clean-lines sedan (but it can look spiffy, like fmx_rider's 2.4T... I'm not at all adverse to something like that ;D).
I prefer the U12's but if I can't find something in my range I'm prepared to go to the earlier model... And I should add that I will -not- be spending extra dosh on the car (that's what I have a motorcycle for). No mods other than what's in it when I buy it. I can do without a CD player, but it's gotta have working aircon and power steering... Oh, and be a manual obviously.

I'm not just here to (potentially) buy though... I was hoping you blokes could point out what I need to watch out for when I'm car hunting. Are there problems common to the Pintara? any obvious signs of  a poorly cared for vehicle? That kinda stuff.

Anyway, thanks in advance.

Offline Budgie

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Re:(Will be) looking for Pintara soon...
« Reply #1 on: Aug 10, 2003, 05:33PM »
Are you going to limit yourself to the pintara?  As I'd say there are about as many corsairs around as pintara, and they are much of a much-ness! ;)

Anyway, when I was looking for my car the specific items other then obvious things like smoke and knocking sounds, oil leaks etc, I was on the look out for CV joint creaking, rattles, idle smoothness, etc.  Seeing as I went after an auto, I didn't have to worry about the manual gearbox, which from what I've heard is not as strong as it should be (the auto boxes seem to be fine however).

The only thing thats given me trouble on my car is the water pump, and it now has 203,150ks on it.  Everything else is solid.

I'm sure some of the other guys can elaborate on any items that need to be looked out for.
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Offline fmx_rider

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Re:(Will be) looking for Pintara soon...
« Reply #2 on: Aug 10, 2003, 11:25PM »
I'm not really after a TRX, since I don't like spoilers. I want a clean-lines sedan (but it can look spiffy, like fmx_rider's 2.4T... I'm not at all adverse to something like that ;D).

Thanks for the comments!  ;D hehe
I would say, when you test drive it, make sure you give it some stick in each gear, this will highlight a clutch slipping problem if it has one-they are very weak. Also watch for smoke as budginator said...sign of worn out engine. Apart from that, maybe sagged out suspension, a loud engine could be a cracked exhaust header pipe, but apart from that they are pretty reliable cars.
Good luck.
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TheCaptn

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Re:(Will be) looking for Pintara soon...
« Reply #3 on: Aug 11, 2003, 02:07AM »
Didn't think of the Corsair because I don't know a damn thing about them... Seems like an ok car. I like the look of the U12 Pintara a hell of a lot better though.

I'll keep a lookout for those things... I knew the CV joints and shaft were a trouble spot with Camry's, but I hadn't read anything about them in the various reviews of the Pintara.

When it comes time to buy I'll be taking the most likely candidate to the professionals to get it properly checked out as the final stage of the deal (after I'm happy with the test drive, and before I hand over the dough).,
I'm -really- on the lookout for one of those  2.4 T's now. It's a nice looking car, and I'm guessing it's got a little zip to it as well.

I tell you what, it'll be a whole lot nicer shuttling pizzas around in one of those than it is in the old clunker. ;D

Offline bungs

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Re:(Will be) looking for Pintara soon...
« Reply #4 on: Aug 11, 2003, 02:54AM »
Didn't think of the Corsair because I don't know a damn thing about them... Seems like an ok car.

The Corsair is 95% pintara. The only differences are: No LSD, Shorter front indicator lights, Rear number plate in different location, and of course the Ford badging. If i had it my way, i would rather a pintara, but as the car was a hand-me-down i didn't really have a choice.

 ;)

TheCaptn

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Re:(Will be) looking for Pintara soon...
« Reply #5 on: Aug 11, 2003, 04:18AM »
Forgot to ask earlier, how much does the fuel economy vary between the 2.0 and 2.4 litre engines?
I do mostly city driving throughout the year, but then in the breaks from uni I've been known to head off out on multi-state rides/drives.

It's mainly the cost for work that's important to me. I average about 50 miles per night (the old VW is in miles)... That works out to about 80km a night chauffering pizzas around. Two nights a week, 5pm till 1am.
Just that costs about $20 a week for LRP, nevermind the rest of the weeks driving... The clunker's one hell of a gas-guzzler.

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Re:(Will be) looking for Pintara soon...
« Reply #6 on: Aug 11, 2003, 11:55AM »

I get approximatley 500k/s out of a tank, thats a mix of highway driving and around town.  Its a 60ltr tank.  Although my car is getting fuel filter, plugs etc replaced on friday so that should improve a little.

The CV's are just another 'wear' area and if the car has lived in the city most of its life and done alot of turning and general city driving you would expect the car to be a little more worn than a vehicle with the majority of its kilometeres having been accumulated on the highway, driving in a straight line.

Edit- Mine is the CA20E, the 2ltr
« Last Edit: Aug 11, 2003, 11:59AM by Budginator »
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Re:(Will be) looking for Pintara soon...
« Reply #7 on: Aug 11, 2003, 02:59PM »
Quote
chauffering pizzas around

never thought about it like that before..hehehe cool. i just quit doing that ....only 2 more shifts to go....

i bought my Pintara Ti Auto ..with all the gadgets for 4000$ 3.5 years ago....(this was a great deal from some old folks i know. It had only done 134,000 km. BUT ... within those 3.5 years and 46,000km that i have had it i have had to replace outer cv's boots, all shocks, reconditioned the Auto transmission (expensive $2000), power steering hose, ...i just overhauled the brake master cylinder(which cut costs down) and alternator.

The steering needs doing, the inner CV boots need repairing also and radiator has small leaks in it but not worth worrying about....

so these sorts of things are probably good to look out for when buying ur pinny.

then u add the new tyres and servicing and fixing small things like dead batteries, rocker cover gasket etc......
and then mods .............

anyway i hope i haven't turned u off the pintara with that lot ........just be careful ... ;D
« Last Edit: Aug 11, 2003, 03:03PM by Resin89Ti »

TheCaptn

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Re:(Will be) looking for Pintara soon...
« Reply #8 on: Aug 12, 2003, 06:15AM »
How many of you have -needed- (as in, not mods that you just wanted)  to pour a lot more money into the Pintara after buying it?
I can't afford to have any major work done, and the thing that got me looking at these instead of a Camry or whatever was that they're the only medium-size car in my price range that the NRMA rates as 'good' for mechanical reliablity. Magna was 'Average' and Camry was 'Below Average'... Don't recall seeing Corsairs on the list.

Other than regular servicing I won't be able spend more than a couple of hundred, -maybe- as much as a grand. But that's the absolute limit... At least until the end of 2004 when I'm done with Uni and back into the full time workforce again.

Should I maybe look at the mid-80's beemers (318i) as well? I've seen a few of them in my price range and german cars are generally pretty apocalypse-proof (they don't appear on the NRMA list either though).
Plus, I can kraut (not rice) it up later when I'm working again... They're pretty funky when they've had some mods too.


[edit]
BTW, did the Ti models come in manual as well? Hunting around online I've found about a dozen ads for them. Some nice ones too (looks good, and in my price range) but every single one of them's a bloody 4-speed auto.
The two classiest  T's I've seen so far were auto as well... Damnit.

Oh, and I'm now officially looking for a Pintara T or Ti, 5-speed Manual... $4000 (upper limit of $4500, but only if it's still got rego).
The absolutest most importantest thing is that it's mechanically A1. Everything else is open to consideration.
A TRX (U12) is good as well, same standard applies. I just doubt I'd get the aforementioned "A1" for that price.
« Last Edit: Aug 12, 2003, 12:04PM by TheCaptn »

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Re:(Will be) looking for Pintara soon...
« Reply #9 on: Aug 12, 2003, 11:48AM »
TheCaptn, I've had my TRX for roughly 3.5 years now. Overall, it's been great with a few exceptions - the auto tranny went and like Resin89, cost around the $2000 mark. But other than that, nothing major at all. It's been reliable and still goes well :)

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Re:(Will be) looking for Pintara soon...
« Reply #10 on: Aug 12, 2003, 12:16PM »
money i've had to spend on my car included the gearbox ($2800) head gasket ($500) the brake & clutch master cylinders (both approx. $70 reco'd & installed myself) and the engine mounts (~$400) the rest has just been normal wear & tear.

the gearbox was so expensive because it is the 2.4 lsd box.. i also used to drive pretty damn hard.. i pushed first gear right off the spindle.. its a complete new box now though.. the head gasket blew as a result of the top radiator tank getting brittle and then splitting while sitting in traffic in 40 degree heat, the rest was just because of normal wear & tear.

other than the stuff mentioned by everyone else, look out for leaking gearboxes, they're not common, but they do show up every now & then. other than that, most things should be right.. the pintara is a pretty damn good car.. 90% of the time, major problems that arise are from over abuse, neglect.

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Re:(Will be) looking for Pintara soon...
« Reply #11 on: Aug 12, 2003, 12:52PM »
Also, if you have a quick look at our average kilometeres thread, the overall average for 29 cars is 194,131ks.  And all of these kilometeres are on original engines.

ALOT of member cars on antrx are way over 200,000ks and a select few are approaching 310,000ks.

Again, If you can't find any pintaras that are mechanicaly A1 and are forced to look at Corsairs, don't worry about any differances as they are 100% identical when it comes to the drivetrain/motor.  The Corsair Ghia is the same as the Pintara T (both don't have LSD), but the Ghia also has alot of Ti level options that the T does not.

The Corsair GL is the same as the pintara Gli (manual) and Executive (auto) in drivetrain/motor and most of the interior.  Ford simply rebabdged them and gave them a slightly differant exterior look.

$4500 with rego would be a good aim, but you probably won't pick up a great Ti in that price range in Victoria (move to Sydney, you'd have more luck up there ;D)
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TheCaptn

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Re:(Will be) looking for Pintara soon...
« Reply #12 on: Aug 13, 2003, 02:07AM »
I'd seriously consider flying up to sydney and driving the new car back, but only if I can be absolutely certain that the car's in good condition... For example if someone that a bunch of you blokes know was selling the car, and you all could attest to its condition...

But that's a pretty extreme (and unlikely) example. Unfortunately I don't have the money or time to take a trip to sydney just to car-hunt, and then potentially come back empty handed.
Thems the breaks though... I'm sure I'll find something around here if I just keep looking.

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Re:(Will be) looking for Pintara soon...
« Reply #13 on: Aug 13, 2003, 10:41AM »
yeah i've seen some pintaras in yards on my aimless cruises aroud town, they all seem to be around the $4-4.5k mark

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