Originally Posted by
Debo
Blue smoke when accelerating, this is usually a sign that the turbo oil seals are going. White smoke on lift off when the engine is warm can be the valve stem seals going, so watch out for that aswell. Bubbling in the header tank when it's idling, that's a sure sign of headgasket damage.
These are a good starting point. If it has any of the above, repairs can be quite costly. General tips when driving, are for you to listen to any unusual knocks, particularly from the rear - trailing arms are starting to go on them now as they're getting old. Watch the in-dash boost gauge, when you floor it from low revs in say 4th or 5th gear, the needle should hit the top of the gauge in the red for a split second, then settle at around 2/3rds up the gauge - it should drop down to below half above 6000rpm (turbo is running out of blow by then). If it has an aftermarket bleed valve fitted, it may be running higher boost, and without any form of extra fuelling chip, this can be very bad for the engine, especially the head.. which are prone to cracking.
Prices for a good condition GT3 ('98/99) are still £3k+ - the earlier models, such as '94/95 can be picked up for as little as £1200, and some poor condition examples are less than £500!!
Hope this helps. Good luck.
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