Buying high mileage

[nutnu]

Hello,

Sorry if this was already answered, I search but didnt find.

I want to buy a used FRS/BRZ with manual transition, and my budget is 14000 Euro. The cars in this price range have around 100k KM or more.

What should I check before buying the car at this mileage? How much do this engines go?
I understood that the is a problem with the clutch. I guess at this milage the previous owner already repaired it right?

Is it better if I buy one that has a lower mileage but its in worse condition than a higher mileage/better condition for the same money?
Or I found a few for around 10000 Euro but 140K KM on it. Should I go for a cheaper/ higher mileage and keep the 4000 extra Euros to change this and that on the car?

Thanks for any advice!

[humfrz]

Oh, I reckon that all depends upon how well the car was maintained and whether or not it was tracked and/or has (had) power mods (like FI).

Since you're looking for a car with a MT, be advised that the release bearing (TOB) is the weakest link in the power train.

humfrz

[nutnu]

Thank you for your reply.
Most of what I found have no power mods, and about if it was tracked I have no way to check it right?
How much is to change the release bearing (TOB)

Do this engines run 200 000 miles if you take care of them?

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by nutnu

Thank you for your reply.
Most of what I found have no power mods, and about if it was tracked I have no way to check it right?
How much is to change the release bearing (TOB)

Do this engines run 200 000 miles if you take care of them?

Usually, if a this car has been "tracked extensively" it will have suspension and/or power mods (FI, flex fuel kit, header - things like that).

In this country, the new release bearing only costs about $50. However, the labor to install it can be upwards of $1,000.

As far as how this engine will run, that hasn't been modified, we have some folks that have over 125,000 miles without any major repairs.


humfrz

[Decep]

200K is easy for a modern engine, just keep an eye on oil levels, and change it on time. flat 4s seem to consume a bit more oil especially if you're the type to redline daily.

[nutnu]

Thank you guys for the input and advices.

I am at the limit with the my money. I mean I could buy a random car with lower mileage or I could buy the GT (which I wanted since it came out) with around 100k KM ers and I just dont wanna buy it and than to take it to service every other week.

In the family we had only Toyotas so I trust them.

If the car wasant used to be taken to tracks should I go for 100k KM GT?

[Mr.ac]

I would say yes go for it. But before ask the seller if all the maintenance has been taken care of. If not it would be a good idea to do it yourself.
A good thing about these cars are they are easy to work on. That can save you lots of money if you have a place and tools to work with.

Remember to walk away if you have any doubt about the car when you are doing the test drive. Any weird noises or bad steering are not good.

There will always be other cars for sale. Just be patient till you find one that meets your check list

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Mr.ac

I would say yes go for it. But before ask the seller if all the maintenance has been taken care of. If not it would be a good idea to do it yourself.
A good thing about these cars are they are easy to work on. That can save you lots of money if you have a place and tools to work with.

Remember to walk away if you have any doubt about the car when you are doing the test drive. Any weird noises or bad steering are not good.

There will always be other cars for sale. Just be patient till you find one that meets your check list

Allow me to comment, here @nutnu , the engine in these cars makes a lot of racket, that most engines don't (except old diesel tractors). This doesn't mean there is anything wrong with it.

If you think the engine in the car you are looking at sounds rough, I suggest you compare it to another 86 (of any age).


humfrz.


humfrz

[RToyo86]

If you are concerned you can have a compression check done to the car in question.
Coming from hondas in the past, I've always done a compression/leakdown test to see the health of the motor.

Given how the boxer is a PITA to get to the spark plugs, That isn't something you can check quite as easily.

[jvincent]

Originally Posted by nutnu

Hello,

What should I check before buying the car at this mileage? How much do this engines go?
I understood that the is a problem with the clutch. I guess at this milage the previous owner already repaired it right?

Check the manufacturing date. Based on the mileage I am assuming it is an early model. There were some issues which were more relevant with the very early builds that most of the TSBs were for. These were largely fixed in later builds.

Other than that, if it looks well maintained it's probably fine.

Datapoint. I have a 2013 model, build day Aug 2013, so one of the last ones before the model year change.

Mine has ~140k km on it, has been to the track many times, and driven in the winter on some of the worst roads on the planet. Knock on wood, it's still running fine.

[max20s14]

I would wager your better off getting a higher mileage one since most of the problems with the engine seem to occur early on or around 60k miles