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TME Pre purchase inspection-Advice needed

6K views 44 replies 18 participants last post by  Mr Ralliart 
#1 · (Edited)
Its great to be on this forum and looking at my first ever Evo to buy.

I have finally found a very nice TME (JDM) and have just had a pre purchase inspection done. It came up with several issues, but most of them Im ok to get sorted. There were a few that Im not sure about and I wanted to ask some advice from forum members who are experienced with these cars:

- Brake rotors have lips. Would you normally be able to have these machined as opposed to replacing them? I didnt get given any actual measurements.

- Brake pads (I found out the Brembos are EXPENSIVE to buy) - The wear is 50% at the front and 20% at the rear. I dont track/race or drive very hard, how long would be an estimate before replacement required eg 2 years normal driving etc

- There is an oil weep from the centre diff. Is this expensive to fix (replace a seal I assume).

- The engine bay hoses are "getting perished" and may need replacing in a year or two. Would anyone know an approximate cost, including the power steering hose.

- Two of the windows dont operate properly eg they go down with the electric switch but not up. Is that a door card off and motor or other part fix?

- There is water leaking into the boot from the rear wiper/washer.

I know I havent included a huge amount of info as this is all I have. If this post is in the wrong section Mod could you move it please.

Basically Im amazed how this car drives, Ive never owned any Jap performance car and I know the Evo is right for my fisrt one!

Many thanks for any help.

PS No one told me these things were THAT fast! :mitsi::jump
 
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#3 ·
https://www.rosssport.com/

The above link will take you to Ross Sport. They are well known on here & you should be able to look up the price of the parts you have mentioned on this site.
As above rust is the big problem with Evo's. Check the boot floor, door sills, engine bay area but especially the underneath of the car paying attention to the rear chassis legs & filler pipe.
With reference to the leaking diff it could be as simple as needing tightening up or replace the seals.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the replies. I've had the car checked fur crust it is bone dry, no rust at all. Car is exported from Japan.

I suppose a lot of these cars have these bits and pieces to sort. It drives well but appears to need some maintenance. This particular car is completely original, no mods etc, so I will probably buy this one. I'll update on progress if I end up as the owner.
Any other advice would be much appreciated.


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#5 ·
That's good it's a Jap import, shouldn't be too many rust issues :)

Have you asked for an auction grading sheet? Make sure you ask for this. Then use the link below for the company to do a full HPi check to make sure the grade is what they say it is. They will also translate your auction sheet which is handy.

Don't be put off by a grade R, many are better than a 3 or 3.5 it really does depend a lot on the person inspecting it at auction on the day.

https://www.lancerregister.com/showthread.php?t=521798

Keep us posted, best of luck
 
#16 ·
I posted this on another thread about the CarVX site check, but wanted to answer and give feedback on my recent 'near purchase' on this thread.

I just checked the Mak I was about to buy and - it came out as an R auction rating with extensive panel damage and a different non Mak colour at the time of auction (I viewed the photos). No joke.

I'm highly ****ed off with the seller, but that CarVX website reference saved me big £££.

I could've ended up in the gun. I'm really quite nervous about getting one of these Maks now- possible accident damage, paint, panel issues etc.

How on earth do you make sure your Mak is genuine and not a beaten up POS? I guess by having a clear trail all the way from Japan.

Back to searching for a genuine original Mak. Feel free to get in touch thanks.


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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#25 ·
I posted this on another thread about the CarVX site check, but wanted to answer and give feedback on my recent 'near purchase' on this thread.

I just checked the Mak I was about to buy and - it came out as an R auction rating with extensive panel damage and a different non Mak colour at the time of auction (I viewed the photos). No joke.

I'm highly ****ed off with the seller, but that CarVX website reference saved me big £££.

I could've ended up in the gun. I'm really quite nervous about getting one of these Maks now- possible accident damage, paint, panel issues etc.

How on earth do you make sure your Mak is genuine and not a beaten up POS? I guess by having a clear trail all the way from Japan.

Back to searching for a genuine original Mak. Feel free to get in touch thanks.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Use a reputable trader - i would only trust my money with two importers in the UK - Torque-GT and HJA Imports.
 
#19 ·
It's a jungle out there mate . Just as said before use a reputable place (not many exist)

Don't be put off an R , judge each car on its own merits, just make sure you have all the information to make your decision.
Exactly this ^^^, some R grade cars are superb examples but go on condition.

If it's still in Japan then it's a different story, you are fully reliant on the representative over there to inspect the car. This is where it gets more difficult, I think for me I would highly recommend HJA to find something exceptional but be prepared to pay. These cars are slowly dwindling away but with more people searching for them now for investment purposes.
 
#33 ·
Just a reminded on the 'R' grade thing.

While we often think of the R as being a written off car that has been rebuilt, that is not the case here.
In Japan, literally the ONLY way a car that has been in a decent accident would ever be repaired was if the owner was a Panel Beater, had tons of spare time and was a masochist. They just don't do it here regardless of what the car is.
Sure cars are rebuilt after accidents IF the owner insists, but it is generally confined to panel replacement. From what i've been told if there is any chassis damage at all they won't touch them (some claim that it is even illegal to repair, I can't confirm or deny that though).

R grade can be given to a car if it has a different rear wing from factory, has a custom paint job, has had the bumpers replaced. I have seen absolutely MINT cars classed as R because of jack marks under the car, and even one because there was a half mm more gap between the wing and body on the RHS compared to LHS (assessor claimed it wasn't the original gap so the car 'must' have been rebuilt).

Case in point, 3 assessors looked at my TME, one said 4.5, another said 4.5, one said R :lol:

A car can be rated a 2 simply because it has an after-market turbo :shake:


On the flip side we have all seen highly graded cars that had absolutely ****e interiors and blew smoke.
They don't drive them or even turn the engine on when they assess.

Even so personally I would much much rather buy a car with a blown engine but had a mint interior and was rust free, than a car with a perfect drive train but looked like dogs have lived in it.

So anyway i'm certainly not saying to ignore grading, but it CAN vary depending on who grades it, so do your research, don't blindly trust what the importer / seller tells you no matter how 'reputable' he is, ALWAYS buy on condition, and just use the grading as a price indicator at best.
 
#36 ·
Torque gt all the way very open very honest and sourced me my TME.

Currently helping my source a r34 and delta intergrale the lancia not really there field but I trust them completely.

Not sucking them off but there inspectors in Japan are very thorough they will only source you a good example.

Also agree totally on grade R don’t let it put you off go just get it properly inspected .

Good luck
 
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