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ERAU944 ERAU944 is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Hobe Sound, FL
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JoshB View Post
On an 80k 951 if the only think wrong your mechanic can find on a car with bad hood shocks and bad tires is a possibly bad starter I would look for a new mechanic. I guarantee that there is something else wrong - hot side cv axle, tie rod ends, caster blocks rubber shot, cracked fuel lines, a-arm ball joint shot, sloppy shifter, ac compressor out, rust in exhaust tip, rotted j pipe, cracked header mount etc.....
good point

CV axle - definitely an item to listen for during the pre-buy test drive

tie rod ends - i assume you mean inner. ask your mech. if he checked them for play (he should know how to do this, and should have done it in the first place). if he didn't find a new mechanic.

caster block rubber - ask if he checked

cracked fuel lines - a MUST unless you want a 951BQ. not too difficult to replace either. the small one should have already been replaced once under recall, but subsequent replacements are up to the owner. if ANY of them are hard or brittle at all, REPLACE. many people frown on it, but i've used high pressure fuel line with double hose clamps on the longer hoses.

Ball joint - listen going over slower speed bumps for clunking. if you hear it, time for new ball joints/a-arms. big $$$ hit, and good price reduction point

sloppy shifter - easy fix, but good enough to reduce the price by about $100.

a/c compressor out - not so likely to be true and even if it doesn't come on that doesn't mean it's shot (more than likely the low pressure switch). be prepared for at least $500 cost to fix whatever issues, should the a/c not work

rust in the exhaust tip - the only thing this says is that it hasn't been driven enough, or that it was washed not too long ago. my '84 has a bit of rust in the tip, since i both washed it, and it hasn't gone anywhere in the better part of a year

anyhow. i tend to agree with jc, it seems like more COULD be wrong, just make sure you ask your mechanic about these things if they seem off on the test drive. if not, don't go offending your trusted mechanic.
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Mike - CFI, A&P Mechanic w/ I.A., Aztec driver at Island Tyme
'88 951S - zermatt silber/black - staying stock. purchased in 11-2006
'84 944 - gemini grau/tan+brown - lightly modified. purchased in 11-2001
2021 Tesla Y - to get me to work
Old 04-07-2008, 07:23 AM
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