Excellent cars, but most of the ones in NZ are now getting on a bit in years.There is still the odd gem to be found though.Be aware that on the Limited models the air suspension eventually gives up with age and is very expensive to replace with the actual factory kit - cost wise you usually end up having to change the suspension back to conventional suspension simply on a cost basis.My pick is the 4.0 GT - less to go wrong and if you can get a good one they are a lovely car to drive.
the_don_61,
Mar 25, 3:50pm
cheaper badged Lexus.
some look nice, has to be a V8 one. Engine is lighter than a Nissan V8 but doesnt rev out like a Nissan.
hopie,
Mar 25, 3:52pm
Yeah im aware about the air suspension, it has already been put back to conventional suspension. It was actually a 4 n rota V car they gave away. timing belts been done also.
tgray,
Mar 25, 5:35pm
A friend of mine took out the big block Ford V8 and installed one of these engines into his Cobra. Very happy with outcome.
jasongroves,
Mar 25, 7:47pm
Only issues I remember my mate having with his were a few electrical (dash etc) niggles and the interior was getting a bit rattly. Was a nice car to drive though, a very good cruiser.
bopbargains,
Mar 25, 11:49pm
as abovehave all said.Cambeltscost heaps(labour),the LCDscreen for theheater fades, Thetoptank(thebitwhere the radiator cap goes)crackswhere thelowwater sendergoes, thedoor trimsfall apart, the CDplayerwon't play copied disc's,the speedo sender can give trouble,
budgel,
Mar 26, 4:05am
Nice cars with a very reliable engine, but getting long in the tooth.
pnh4,
Mar 26, 4:12am
A whale of a car, but engine is first choice for rodders conversions today, gone is the 350 he he
phillip.weston,
Mar 26, 4:20am
have seen steering rack bushes wear out prematurely too, along with the complex door hinges. not a bad car otherwise.
hopie,
Mar 26, 3:09pm
Crazy. Cam belt has just been done. Has a alloy radiator just put in, the LCD for the heater is 1/2 black and half normal, no door trim on the drivers side, has after market stereo just put in. seems sweat now then haha
Thanks everyone for their input
motorboy2011,
Mar 26, 4:29pm
I think you will find the heater lcd panel is the same as the one in toyota windoms heater control (though the heater control is different), of which there are plenty for spares! if your handy with electronics you may be able to swap the lcds
Don't expect fuel economy out of a 4.0 Soarer though.I'm sure you've already figured that out already before purchasing :-).If you want economy, have a Suzuki Alto to run around in as well.
doug207,
Mar 28, 9:29pm
Most of the common faults have already been said. With the LCD screen, it is UZZ31/32 specific, no other cars were fitted with that exact screen it was made under instruction from Toyota by Toshiba, same as the back light for it (and the ever failing power inverter for the light) However, you can put different inverters and back lights in.
The other big cause of LCD screen failure is dead capacitors, easy enough to check if you have the know how, but a very time consuming job nonetheless. The worst problem you can have is a video driver error and you'll probably never get the screen working again unless you're genius.
The infra-red sensors on the screens can die too, but those aren't too hard to replace.
They can get a bit noisy in the diff, have seen a few let go.
Try to find the UZZ31/2 model over the 30 as they have the better interior. Electric seat switches can give problems, they get a bit fiddly and the knobs fall off.
The fuel level sensor can be somewhat problematic too, but a simple removal, clean and recalibrate will sort that out.
Alternators in the UZZ31/2 may fail beofre a ZZ30 due to the higher load with the airbag pump (ZZ31) and hydrualic suspension pump (ZZ32), but another easy replacement.
The drivers seat bolsters wear out on most as people slide over them to get in.
Out of the box, don't expect to be beating all the Evos/WRX STIs and 300ZX boys, but the Soarer are a fantastic car to drive, with the airbags and TEMs they ride well and sit very nicely in the corners. Great tourer and have a reasonable amount of power too.
timmo1,
Mar 28, 11:26pm
The LCD also refers to the A/C display on all cars without the EMV display (i.e. JZZ30, JZZ31, UZZ30, UZZ31)- Because it sits above the stereo, it can make part of the display go black. It doesn't interfere with function.
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