Daily Driving 1993 3000GT

[nealdiamond97]

Hi All!

I'm new to the forums but I'm interested in daily driving a 3000GT. I am currently in need of a new car (old one got totaled) and I have found a good deal on a 1993 3000GT with 133,000 miles. I currently don't know how many owners the car has had; I am waiting on a message from the seller currently. What should I know about daily driving one of these cars?

Thanks,
nealdiamond97

[95gto]

The biggest thing to know about these cars is the maintenance history, if the maintenance has been done properly the car will work great as a DD. The main maintenance to look for is with respect to the timing set and oil pump. By now the car should have gone through two 60K maintenances. But in addition to this work having been done, it is important to know what parts were used. If the most recent maintenance was done with non-Mitsu parts I would factor in the cost of redoing the maintenance correctly on top of the purchase price. Other items to pay attention to:
1) digital climate control display - Is it really dim or not lit up at all
2) Active Aero - The system should function both automatically and via the switch with no light coming on in the cluster
3) ECS functionality - does the car properly change from tour mode to sport mode
4) Power steering lines on the rear end - Are they rusty or showing any signs of leaking
5) Are any of the interior panels bubbling, where the vinyl is pulling away from the panel (can be common on door panels and rear side panels)
6) Does the manual sunroof, if equipped, crank up and down correctly
7) does the car have signs of rust
8) Check the transfer case for signs of leaks

[nealdiamond97]

95gto,

Thanks for the response. I am currently waiting for the owner to message back and I will make sure to ask about all of these items. The timing belt and water pump have just been recently replaced. Do these cars have any transmission issues? This is a manual btw.

[95gto]

The transmissions on these cars are pretty stout, so as long as the previous owners weren't abusive it should be fine. If you can get the car on a lift it would be worth checking a few things though. You can check to see if the VCU in the center differential is still good. And you could drop the transfer case to inspect the output shaft of the transmission, the input spool of the transfer case, and check the transfer case for signs of leaking.

[nealdiamond97]

Also, it should be noted this isn't the VR-4. It's the SL trim.

[95gto]

Also, it should be noted this isn't the VR-4. It's the SL trim.

In that case the potential issues are reduced quite a bit, you shouldn't have to worry about ECS, Active Aero, rear steering, or the transmission output shaft and transfer case. You will still want to check on the timing set maintenance details though.

[leadfoot]

Hi All!

I'm new to the forums but I'm interested in daily driving a 3000GT. I am currently in need of a new car (old one got totaled) and I have found a good deal on a 1993 3000GT with 133,000 miles. I currently don't know how many owners the car has had; I am waiting on a message from the seller currently. What should I know about daily driving one of these cars?

Thanks,
nealdiamond97

I bought a 97 SL automatic with 247,000 miles on it in 2015 for my DD. Electric OD was out, had radiator leaks, crappy tires. All electrical worked including the AC. Payed 1k for it. Fixed the OD (easy fix), new tires, installed trans cooler, new cam seals, thermostat, radiator cap, plugs and wires. Dumped 2 quarts of Lucas heavy duty oil treatment plus 20/50 oil in it. Soon stopped smoking. Took it on a 1200 mile round trip with no issues, drive it every day. Now has 267,000 miles on it. This is my 4th 3000GT so I do know these cars. Drive the car, check for leaks, usual stuff, before you buy. Good luck.