FAO distinguished GT owners ...

[rj]

Could some knowledgeable people please advise me on what basic checks to do when looking at a GT, including things to do when driving to test it's boosting/running OK. Would help me out alot. Thanks.

[xzibit]

Engine

Check for oil leaks, the cam cover is a common fault, but only about £3 to fix, so don't worry about that.
The GT engine taps quite a bit on idle, so also don't worry about that too much.
Boosting, drive along in 2nd gear at about 1500rpm and floor it. It'll take off slowly, but when the turbo spools up at about 2750rpm it should pull well, and boost into the red for a split second, then drop to about 3/4 on the gauge.
Check for mayo under the oil cap.
Check for smoke outta the exhaust on idle and boosting. A little condensation is normal on the GT's in the colder weather.

Body

Check for any dings and scratches. Also check for any overspray, and under the carpet in the boot.

Check the rear arms by looking at the back of the car. The wheels should be parallel (|---| not /---\)

I'm sure other people will fill the rest in.

[rj]

Cheers xzibit ... anybody else?

[xzibit]

Another way to tell whether the rear arms are on the way out is that they will "knock" on all the bumps in the road.

Obvioulsy check tyres and brakes.

The turbo should be pretty silent when spooling too, although a very quite noise can be heard on some.

Temp wise, they should sit around 1/4 to 2/3 on the gauge with normal driving once warmed up, and should only go upto 1/2 when sat in traffic, and the fan should kick in at half way too.

Oil pressure at idle should be 2.8-3bar cold and 1.5-2.5 bar warm as it varies from oil to oil.

[baby]

Taking someone who knows about gt's wouldnt be a bad idea. You can't beat experience

[Dale]

look at the engine for any signs that parts have came from a scrappy, you can tell if they have a little bit of paint on them

[xzibit]

look at the engine for any signs that parts have came from a scrappy, you can tell if they have a little bit of paint on them

Why would that matter?

[Dale]

Why would that matter?

becuase if the car has done 50k and you notice a new head and other parts it could be a result of the car being abused.

[130kGT]

Bodywise rust isn't a problem because Punto's are galvanised.

Just check to make sure all the panels line up nicely.

I think xzibit summed everything else up.

[mark1984]

Oil pressure at idle should be 2.8-3bar cold and 1.5-2.5 bar warm as it varies from oil to oil.

My oil is always sat at 3 bar even when warm is this bad ?

cheers

Mark