Considering purchase

[Slinz]

Hey gents, have just jumped aboard this forum because I have been admiring Legnums from afar for a couple of years and am now in a position to think about buying one of my own.

I've done a fair bit on reading online etc. but I still think the best way to get the right answers is from other people who have already been through it! So here's some questions and any/all answers are appreciated. Sorry if the answers are posted in other threads, I had a look around to no avail.

1. It seems that the Legnum should be fairly nimble from the AWD and AYC for its size, is that the case? And the 30-40 kg extra weight in the back end doesn't disturb this?

2. Are there any common flaws/faults that are important to look out for (specific to the VR4, not the obvious stuff for any car) when looking at buying?

3. Import versus local. It seems to be a fair bit cheaper to buy and import from Japan through an importer (inclusive of import costs, tyres etc.) rather than buying 2nd hand in Australia. True? Also there are practically none in SA for sale at any given time.

4. Any helpful tips that anyone has for the browsing/buying/importing side of things would be great.

 

[naughtika]

answers to the followinig..

2. typical flaw.. if the auto transmission wasn't well looked after back in japan, get your savings account ready.. might cost around $1500 to fix.. (runs and hide from auto owners)
...but also alot of auto owners here have thrashed their car and never had issues with it.. and some just driving normal and it just gives them the sh!t..

3. import vs local.. import = you have to wait... local = be ready to an extra pay approx. $5k compared to imports..

and 4. i'm pretty sure this topic had been discussed many times.. look under the general questions.. otherwise the mods and admins might flame you..

 

[MooIsTaken]

I recently made the swap from a 95 vtir prelude to a Galant VR4 (manual). Had mine imported through Iron Chef Imports and I'd highly recommend using them from my experience.

Galant feels awesome compared the the prelude but I can't comment on the legnums. Just remember rego costs to get it on the road here can be fair expensive, especially if it's modded. Don't forget having to take it through regency either .

 

[snickells]

I wont bite, but yes, this has mostly been covered in other topics.

Just remember this Tom: It's a car, and cars break.

Head down to a local meet and see some in the flesh, that's the BEST way to learn about them

 

[Slinz]

Ahh yeah cheers. I will be definitely after a manual rather than the auto/semi-auto. Also will be hunting for something stock to prevent hassles coming through Regency etc.

Also yes I am in Adelaide and Iron Chef imports is based here. A friend of mine is mates with the guy who runs it so will probably be looking to import with them. Thanks.

 

[cyber_scriber]

1. It seems that the Legnum should be fairly nimble from the AWD and AYC for its size, is that the case? And the 30-40 kg extra weight in the back end doesn't disturb this?

They definitely handle well for something of their size and weight. However, if you're expecting something quite chuckable or a razor sharp scalpel in the vein of a Lotus, then this isn't it.

Regarding the extra rear weight of the Legnum, I have heard that this makes it easier to get the tail out, if that's your thing.

2. Are there any common flaws/faults that are important to look out for (specific to the VR4, not the obvious stuff for any car) when looking at buying?

I've got a list of common faults in my Galant guide but unfortunately, can't currently upload the document. Here are the more significant items from the list:

(a) Cracked radiator top tank.

(b) Faulty control arms (listen for knocking sounds).

(c) Wheel Bearings.

(d) CV boot splitting.

(f) Clutch master and slave cylinder.

(g) Check front and rear bushes for wear.

(h) Leaking factory plastic BOV – replace with metal BOV from Evo IX.

(j) Lifter noise.

(k) Worn suspension bushings.

(l) Engine mounts collapsed.

(m) Faulty idle stepper motor.

Auto gearboxes prone to fail if not properly serviced and had a cooler fitted.

3. Import versus local. It seems to be a fair bit cheaper to buy and import from Japan through an importer (inclusive of import costs, tyres etc.) rather than buying 2nd hand in Australia. True? Also there are practically none in SA for sale at any given time.

4. Any helpful tips that anyone has for the browsing/buying/importing side of things would be great.

You are likely pay less and are more likely to get the spec of car you want through importing. The way the Aussie dollar is going, and with the GFC, you're even more likely to pick up a bargain via importing.

One of the major downsides of importing is that you have to wait longer than if you just walked into a car yard and drove away in something. Factor in at least 3 months from the time you contact an importer and the time you get behind the wheel of the car.

Trevor has written up an excellent guide that sets out the pros, cons and procedures for importing. Check it out:

http://ozvr4.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1602

I've also just received my car after going through the importing process myself so I'm happy to answer any specific questions you might have about importing.

 

[Slinz]

Thanks Bruce for your help here and in private. Will now post questions in the thread in case there are some other people in a similar situation now or in the future!

Currently at uni doing an awful assignment so will post any other questions I can think of that haven't already been answered by other threads when I'm home and less deluded.

 

[ygoslo]

Import one. Australia tends to break cars (our lovely roads are at fault).

And if you don't get an auto you shouldn't have reliability issues.

 

[Mortz]

They definitely handle well for something of their size and weight. However, if you're expecting something quite chuckable or a razor sharp scalpel in the vein of a Lotus, then this isn't it.

Gotta disagree there. They may not be as light as a Lotus but they are sure as hell "chuckable", although in a different way to a RWD sportscar. Throw them into the corner and they ALWAYS come out the right way. Hell I was chasing a STi home from work the other day through the hills and he could not get any distance from me in the corners. AYC is a beautiful thing and makes the car a beast in the twisties, the QLD cruise we recently did showed me just how hard these things can corner. IMO they are the best handling car I have ever driven, and with minor suspension mods they really do feel like they are on rails The main reason I bought the Leggy was cornering ability and looks.
And if you look at the moment there are some amazingly cheap Legnums around locally at the moment, the car market is dead.

 

[cyber_scriber]

They may not be as light as a Lotus but they are sure as hell "chuckable", although in a different way to a RWD sportscar. Throw them into the corner and they ALWAYS come out the right way. Hell I was chasing a STi home from work the other day through the hills and he could not get any distance from me in the corners. AYC is a beautiful thing and makes the car a beast in the twisties, the QLD cruise we recently did showed me just how hard these things can corner. IMO they are the best handling car I have ever driven, and with minor suspension mods they really do feel like they are on rails The main reason I bought the Leggy was cornering ability and looks.

I think you hit the nail on the head with the last bit of your comment i.e. "although in a different way to a RWD sportscar".

Having come from a powerful RWD sports car (S15), I find that in comparison, the Mitsubishi is not as chuckable. I guess this is to be expected from an approx 1,600kg car vs a 1250kg car.

Even going around round abouts, I find the Galant is less nimble than the S15. This is probably a function of both size and weight and I don't imagine that the heavier Legnum is going to be better.

Regarding the comment about chasing STIs, it really boils down to the skill of the driver and unless we're talking about like for like skill, it's not an accurate comparison. Put a top race driver in an STI and the same driver in a Legnum, and my money is that the STI will run faster lap times.

Best Motoring did a track battle between the Legnum and Legacy GT-B (Liberty here). They effectively ran almost identical lap times (I recall the Liberty just won the track battle). I think most people will agree that an STI will run faster lap times than the Liberty, and hence, the Legnum.

Maybe you and I just have different expectations of what "chuckable means". Either that or your Legnum is just more chuckable than my Galant

 

[Mortz]

Nah, all good points mate I do agree btw that the STi would have run faster times on the track, he caned it on the straights but in the corners it was either relatively slow, or more likely the driver just wasn't dedicated enough.

 

[cyber_scriber]

Nah, all good points mate I do agree btw that the STi would have run faster times on the track, he caned it on the straights but in the corners it was either relatively slow, or more likely the driver just wasn't dedicated enough.

Definitely agree Luke. Commitment and skill makes a huge difference in the corners. On the straights? Just press the loud pedal

I've been on a cruise where a GT-R could not shake an Integra Type R through some tight twisties. The Integra driver had done track days, advance driver training etc. The GT-R was bought for the driver by mum and dad - nuff sed!

Slinz, the other thing that you should bear in mind is the major service. Galants and Legnums that have around 100,000klm on the clock will require a major service, which includes changing the timing belt, water pump, all spark plugs etc. Due to the labour involved, this will not be a cheap service. Some members have been quoted $3k+ for this service and parts!

Therefore, if you're looking at buying a car with around 100,000klm, make sure that it has had the major service completed or bargain hard to take that into account.

This is the other benefit of importing. It's usually easier to find a low kilometre example (though you will need to ensure that the k's are genuine).

Good luck with it and chime in with any questions that hit the mind.

 

[VR-04-TT]

Best Motoring did a track battle between the Legnum and Legacy GT-B (Liberty here). They effectively ran almost identical lap times (I recall the Liberty just won the track battle). I think most people will agree that an STI will run faster lap times than the Liberty, and hence, the Legnum.

Sorry for the OT, but the reason the VR4 lost there was because it was spewing white smoke out the back of it and it had to slow down. It overtook the GT-B on the outside of a corner in the race and that was a stock PFL VR4 against the Bilstein equipped GT-B.

 

[cyber_scriber]

Paul, are we saying that our cars aren't as reliable as the Subaru's?

Is this the same video?:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmAoCBQsnoc&feature=related

If so, we can compare the best lap times of both cars (and presume that the best lap time for the Legnum was before it started blowing white smoke):

GT-B: 1'14"18 (best lap) and 1'14"16 (time attack).

VR-4: 1'14"28 (best lap) and 1'14"50 (time attack).

We can also compare the time attack figures, which presumably were set by each car on the track alone and without any mechanical issues.

As we can see, it's pretty lineball. Sure, the GT-B has the Bilsteins, but the VR-4 has half a litre of engine capacity advantage.

The other thing we can conclude is that yes, when driving hard, the AYC does make a difference. Did you see the GT-B get bent out of shape when racing through the cones?!

I wish I could understand Japanese so that I could work out what the drivers were saying about the 2 cars after the race.

 

[cyber_scriber]

Tom, just to add one thing to keep things OT, if you like to drive hard (or happen to find yourself racing through a set of cones), then make sure you get AYC

 

[bradc]

They had overfilled the legnum with oil which caused quite a bit of power loss.

What interested me was a few years later when they tested the same shape legacy with an rs260 stagea and those two cars also did identical times. That time it was in the dry and they both did 1:08's

 

[cyber_scriber]

That's pretty impressive times for station wagons!

1.08 is equivalent to a stock M3 (previous shape), Audi RS4 and 350Z. STI is about 2 seconds quicker:

Nismo Skyline GT-R Z Tune 1 min 01.150 secs
Ferrari 360 Challenge Stra' 1 min 02.440 secs
Lamborghini Gallardo 1 min 03.605 secs
Honda NSX-R 1 min 03.920 secs
McLaren F1 1 min 04.620 secs
Porsche 997 Turbo 1 min 04.730 secs
Murcielago 1 min 04.760 secs
Z-Tune 1 min 05.100 secs*(diff day diff driver)
EVO IX RS 1 min 05.528 secs
997 Carrera 4 1 min 05.980 secs
Corvette Z06 1 min 06.020 secs
Lancer Evo IX 1 min 06.060 secs
NA1 NSX-R 1 min 06.198 secs
Nismo GT-R S Tune 1 min 06.232 secs (340 bhp)
Ferrari F40 1 min 06.460 secs
WRX STI SPEC-C 1 min 06.651 secs ( Current STI)
NA1 NSX-R 1 min 06.80 secs (same race as F40)
BMW M5 1 min 06.560 secs
STI S204 1 min 06.800 secs
BMW M6 1 min 07.434 secs
350Z S Version 1 min 08.110 secs
BMW M3 1 min 08.200 secs
Audi RS4 1 min 08.368 secs
Supra Euro Version 330 bhp 1 min 08.460 secs
Mazda RX-7 1 min 08.70 secs
RX-8 A Spec 1 min 09.430 secs
Nissan 300ZX 1 min 10.70 secs

So Tom, you can be assured that you are getting a decent handling car

 

[bradc]

Imagine what one would be like with current model 225/45/17 tyres

 

[Slinz]

Haha yeah those lap times speak for themselves I suppose.
Regarding the major service, I assume they would take place in Japan at the same km's as well? And does that mean as a buyer you're better off looking for something with say 110,000 on the clock instead of 90,000 to save yourself a big wallet pocket pinch?