Buying an SVX, but weird "thunking" sound... (Diff?)
 

After lurking for a month it's time to post something. D:

I've always loved SVX's! I joined this forum even though I don't actually have one... Yet! I'm only 15 right now, but I just finished getting my permit, and I have money saved up so that I could buy a car!

Naturally, I tried to find an SVX, and after some searching I did. It's one that's been in my neighborhood for as long as I can remember, my teacher drove it! I first saw it in elementary school in the parking lot, and that's when I started liking them. I got in contact with her again, and she said he'd be willing to part with it for $2,200. It's a 1992 LS-L that's he's had since he bought it new; It has 96,000 miles.

I jumped on the offer, but she said she hadn't been driving it recently because it had developed a weird "thunking" that came from the rear-ward of the car. She took me for a ride and let me drive, I'll try to explain the noise as best I can:

It only happens when you very first begin to take off from a stop, it emits a audible "thunk-thunk-thunk-thunk-thunk thunk" each accompanied by a little shudder, all from the rear of the car. After you get going to about 6-7MPH it stops and smooths out. It also on occasion does the thunk noise when coming to a stop, but I couldn't get it to happen often enough to get an accurate MPH that it happens at, I'd guess 5MPH or under.

Otherwise, the car is in very good shape! She has the receipts for the oil changes all the way back to 1994, the interior is very good, and even the paint doesn't have any damage yet. But the thunking has got me worried...

Does anyone have any idea what it may be, or how much it may cost to fix? It's hard to me to come up with money forvery quickly, as I can only work with a work permit at my current age. If she had more time, I would save up whatever it costs! But she said if I don't want the car, she already has another interested buyer for it, who's offering her 4,900 with the problem.

But she's giving me a chance first since I was one of her students in elementary school, and I think that we're good friends! So any quick help is appreciated!

Did you check to see if any of the exhaust pipes are hitting the underside or rattling from the cats?

I shook the muffler and pipes as far as I could reach when I first looked at the car, as a friend told me it's a good way to see if any of the hangers are missing or bent. It feels very firm, I don't think that could be it, but I'll check again tomorrow.

It's not so much of a metallic noise, as it it just a loud thump. It really almost feel like someone getting a bad start in a manual transmission car, where it shudders and then gets moving.

Hmmm.....Could it be something driveshaft related? mabey a bad u-joint or something? Backlash perhaps?

That sounds like it would be likely! Though, I'm not sure how I could go about checking something like that~

Put in the FWD fuse in the engine compartment fuse box and that should de-activate the AWD and power to the rear.(only the front wheels should have power now). See if the noise in the rear goes away then.

The only "thunks" I have heard come from an SVX was when I drove one with some teeth chipped off the ring and pinion in the differential and when my transmission mount was bad on my 92 it would clunk when I put the car in gear. You can check the transmission mount by getting under the car and pushing up on the transmission. If you can easily push it up a few inches then the mount is bad.

Just fixed this problem not a month ago on mine.... though mine was from the front end.

Its you CV joint/halfshaft. Narrow down the side, put the car up in the air, pull the tire, and I am willing to bet alot of marbles if you look at the CV boot it will be torn or open somewhere, causing all of the grease to leak out (it's supposed to be packed with it). This causes a lack of proper lubrication and thunking. Mine did it up front only when I turned it to one side, and thats how I narrowed down the side it was coming from. In your case, I'd put the whole rear axel up and check em both

Craig

Re: Buying an SVX, but weird "thunking" sound... (Diff?)
 

Bringing this back from the dead. I believe my RR half shaft is going bad and making the same sounds as the op, went underneath the car and started to grab and shake things around and noticed the noise when I moved the half shaft.

So my rear bearings are going out and I need to replace them so I might as well do the axles also. My question is, I have a 4.44 xmsn from an Outback, do I need axles from an Outback or an SVX?

Re: Buying an SVX, but weird "thunking" sound... (Diff?)
 

i call BS on that
basically i've been looking around for SVX's in the bay area for a year now and even in here, which cars are over-priced, an SVX won't go for 4900...i've seen superclean and slightly tuned ones go for 5k

now i don't know much about the noise but i'm sure you can wait a few months to find a better one...trust me i've been there, it's worth it
(i bought mine at 17, with my own money, and i'm so lucky that i didn't buy the first one i found, but i strongly recommend getting a 300zx or 240sx...your choice though)

Re: Buying an SVX, but weird "thunking" sound... (Diff?)
 

The thread is from 2007- I'm sure he's waited a few months already :)

Re: Buying an SVX, but weird "thunking" sound... (Diff?)
 

You recommend a 15 year old to get those cars?

I recommend you go jump off a bridge without a parachute/bungee cords.

That sounds aboot right, eh?

Re: Buying an SVX, but weird "thunking" sound... (Diff?)
 

when i was buying my SVX many people, both in this forum and from family, said the same thing and here's what i responded: NOT ALL TEENAGERS ARE DUMB
if you are one of those crazy ones, you can crash driving mom's minivan so stop already...
and what's with the Canadian accent?!?!:confused::rolleyes:

Re: Buying an SVX, but weird "thunking" sound... (Diff?)
 

If it was done PROPERLY, normal SVX rear axles will be in order. If not, then you need outback/legacy rear axles.

Re: Buying an SVX, but weird "thunking" sound... (Diff?)
 

Thanks Nate, I think it was done properly as it was Geoff old car. But how would I make sure?