just bought a 97 lsi w 27k miles..couple of questions

ebaybrad · #1 03-14-2007, 07:48 PM

i used to have a 94 l model fwd. I went through a tranny at 35k. i now acquired a 96 with 27k miles. i was wondering if the later cars still have tranny probs? should i instal a tranny cooler and use synthetic tranny oil (if so which one?). i would rather pay some up front to prolong the tranny if it helps.... any advice to a sort of 2nd time newbie would be appreciated.

Mike621 · #2 03-14-2007, 08:19 PM

Good Luck, it looks like you've made a nice purchase.

If you do a search, there are many threads of information available on upkeep of your SVX!

Personally, I would recommend a transmission cooler install and high performance fluid like Royal Purple.

I frequent Long Island, and would love to see the car sometime.

Welcome to the forum!

ebaybrad · #3 03-14-2007, 08:36 PM

anytime. thanks for the reply. i will assume that the later cars are not better than the earlier cars tranny wise. the car is making its way to me from tennessee next week or so. need to change the ugly aftermarket wheels. unsure weather to put the orig wheels or aftermarket. i kinda like the stock look as usually aftermarket wheels are poser like to me. I am getting rid of my 03 m3 next week and purchasing a wacky and useless car (thats what i like about it) in it;s place (called a noble m12). the subie will be my daily driver. The m3 rwally gets annoying as a daily driver.

Mike621 · #4 03-14-2007, 08:43 PM

Ah.

Daily driver Eh? There are probably only a handful of those cars left in such nice shape with such low mileage. Cherish it.

Id love to have a garage queen with that kind of mileage on it, just for special occasions.

However, if your weekend car is a Noble, that puts things into a better perspective I suppose.

Mike621 · #5 03-14-2007, 08:46 PM

Please do all of us a favor and install the OEM wheels :-P. Hehe.

A few of us were looking at the auction and agreed that they would be changed if we ended up with the car.

Edit: (If we were lucky enough to end up with that car!)

ebaybrad · #6 03-14-2007, 08:50 PM

actually, i just really enjoyed the 94 l that i had. it was really comfortable and a great touring car. it is unique and you dont see many. i paid 11 grand for it. where would i get anything even close to it for double that amount. but, i guess you know this already. If they made a new one i would have bought it....This was the closest thing. Now that I rid myself of the m3 payment...the noble was in reach as a replacement payment.

i agree it is a shame to drive the premium out of it...but, i am losing far less over time than i would with ANY newer car. That is as long as i dont kill too many trannies.

At least this is the way i rationalized it all.

Ottobon · #7 03-17-2007, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebaybrad

actually, i just really enjoyed the 94 l that i had. it was really comfortable and a great touring car. it is unique and you dont see many. i paid 11 grand for it. where would i get anything even close to it for double that amount. but, i guess you know this already. If they made a new one i would have bought it....This was the closest thing. Now that I rid myself of the m3 payment...the noble was in reach as a replacement payment.

i agree it is a shame to drive the premium out of it...but, i am losing far less over time than i would with ANY newer car. That is as long as i dont kill too many trannies.

At least this is the way i rationalized it all.

i havn't owned a SVX, but i drove a 95 LSi with 110k on the clock, original tranny, and it drove like it was new, loved it, your 97 should last, especially if you maintain it well

i also drove a 92 that was completely hopeless!

Phil Hill · #8 03-16-2007, 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebaybrad

anytime. thanks for the reply. i will assume that the later cars are not better than the earlier cars tranny wise. the car is making its way to me from tennessee next week or so. need to change the ugly aftermarket wheels. unsure weather to put the orig wheels or aftermarket. i kinda like the stock look as usually aftermarket wheels are poser like to me. I am getting rid of my 03 m3 next week and purchasing a wacky and useless car (thats what i like about it) in it's place (called a noble m12). the subie will be my daily driver. The m3 rwally gets annoying as a daily driver.

Yeah yeah yeah, what-ever !! Now tell us about the Noble !!

I like them, a lot, but unfortunately I don't think I'll ever get to own one. Must be a pretty specialist vehicle for the US, athough I'm not sure if the basic motor isn't similar to units in US market Fords, but hey, it's about as far removed from them as it can get !! Which version have you gone for ?? Colour ?? Pics ??

Phil.

RSVX · #9 03-16-2007, 05:22 AM

We would LOVE to see some pics of your new car (and the noble)!

shotgunslade · #10 03-16-2007, 06:09 AM

Welcome to the forum. I think I saw your new car on Ebay. Great buy. I had the opportunity to ride in a Noble M12 for about 20 minutes at Watkins Glen. It was quite an experience.

If you are interested in a set of stock wheels with tires already mounted, I may be able to help you. I'm currently planning to get a big front brake kit which will not fit under my OEM 16 inch wheels. They are mounted with Pirelli P Zero Nero M&S tires with at least 60% tread life left. Probably have about 8-10,000 miles on them. They are my winter wheels, have 17's with KDW2's for summer and for the track. I had planned to bring them to Reading to sell (Look at the Reading thread - prime annual meet for East Coast and MidWest SVX-ers). Let me know. I'm sure we can negotiate an acceptable price.

Do you plan to take your Noble to the track? I drive my SVX with several groups, Tri-region SCCA, PDA, CART, and so far have been to Pocono, Watkins Glen and Lime Rock. Season begins weekend after this one at Lime Rock with PDA (Performance Driving Association). I've been trying to get some SVX-ers to accompany me to Summit Point in May (see Upcoming Meets thread). You might want to break in your Noble down there.

ebaybrad · #11 03-16-2007, 04:23 PM

ok...i will definitely install a cooler per your advice.

Who is tom? Is he on long island?

I ordered the noble from 1g racing in ohio (the importer) in carbon black...which is a really dark blue bmw color with tan and black suede interior (similar to the svx). However, I only put a deposit as it is 6 months wait. The more i look the more I see preowned ones that i can save a bundle on. I drove the car on the street about 3 months ago and fell in love. I do not plan to track the car as that is not my cup of tea. I just wanteed something different that was not a poser car. If i buy used, i can minimize the loss when i sell it. Who knows..I am a bit nervous cuz it is alot of money. I usually buy cars with intent to enjoy em and then sell them at close to a break even possibly a profit. Meantime, I get to enjoy em. I did not buy the SVX with this intent.

For the guy who was asking. The motor is a ford duratec, same as a taurus and mazda 6 that is severly upgraded and twin turbocharged...I believe deisnged by Roush Racing.

I am going to put stock wheels on the car. I did consider heavily the sti wheels (per a suggestion here), but think that I like the stock look best. I just missed a set on ebay with new tires that sold for 192 bucks!!! damn!

I saw the chromoe oes listed here and think they are a bit loud for my taste.

Thanks again for your replies. I am a certified car nut. I always get hold of something different and interesting...keep it for a while and then sell it. The only thing i know for sure about a car when I buy it...is that i will sell it....sometime soon. The SVX, however, is going to serve as my everyday car to and from work in snow sleet or rain. I plan to keep it for quite some time.

If anyone is interested. I have lots of videos and pictures of cars past owned. If not, let me know and ill stop.

Here is a teaser of the actual car from the movie Ferris Bueller that I owned for a brief time with the intent to sell it for a profit. If is a replica ferrari that was built for the movie and is on a custom chassis much like the cobra replicas. My bro in law is an aspring director and put the video to the music and sounds of the movie for effect. A bit overboard, but it helped sell the car. I terrorized my hood for this video, however... ENjoy...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZqADD0nphdA

ps... i am not bragging, just thought you all might enjoy (sorry if it comes across that way).

Ira Davis · #12 03-14-2007, 09:00 PM

You're my hero.

The Noble completely rocks! Excellent choice if you can afford it.

I would love to own one of those machines! Faster than many Ferraris and less pretentious. Maybe someday... but for right now I'll settle for my WRX and SVX.

Hope you enjoy both cars!

Ira

ebaybrad · #13 03-14-2007, 09:07 PM

any other opinions on the wheels? I have some others wheels (like the oz superleggera's) on the wheel thread on this site that i liked. However, the orig's just look right to me. Maybe that will change in time, but I certainly hate the wheels on it now. I just can;t wait have an svx again. thanks for all the replies. This site has already made me feel welcome.

And yes, the noble is going to be a trip. I am not a ferrari type guy. I am also too cheap to pay that kind of repair/maint bills.

w261w261 · #14 03-16-2007, 09:44 PM

I bought my 17 year old a '92 with 74k on it about a month ago, in Old Greenwich, CT, so we're not far away (we live in Weston, CT). So, I'm not at all an expert on the car, but I did do some research on the tranny problem as we were looking at various SVX's. Somewhere I read that there was a screen in the original trannies that all the fluid was pumped through. Eventually, pieces of stuff gradually choked off the flow, causing overheating and failure. The car I bought had a rebuilt unit put in at 70k about 4 years ago (it hadn't been driven much in the past few years). I hope...I sure hope...that when the rebuilts were offered they fixed that original problem. I'm sure someone on this board would know.

I have the feeling that all the original trannies have failed...or just the cars I looked at. So that might be bad news for you. I wonder if there's a way that a pre-failure repair can be made?

ps I'm kind of time-crunched, so haven't gone through all the tranny posts here. But I note that this site is very similar to 3Geez.com (Series 3 Accords 86-89), so it is pretty easy to use, just time consuming to work your way through all the threads.

Let's wish both of us good luck!

ensteele · #15 03-16-2007, 11:00 PM

Welcome to the site. Yes, you are right about the screen that is in the radiator and would clog. That is why it is a good idea to add a filter to the system. You can go into the How-To Docs and find how to find out if you have an original tranny or not. If you can't find it, let me know and I will find it for you. The cooler is the best way to keep the tranny from failing. Also, check and change the fluid frequently. Heat is your worst enemy. If you drive the car with the respect it deserves, you can get many miles from them. One owner on this site has 315,000 miles on an original tranny.

Good luck and ask for help if you need it. We have many very experienced members here who are happy to help.