New RL owner :D (need expert advice)
02-09-2014, 11:50 PM
#1
3rd Gear
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
New RL owner :D (need expert advice)
Hello,
I have recently bought a 97 RL from my girlfriends uncle for 500 dollars.
it needs a catalytic converter and 2 front tires the body is in great shape except for the left side rear bumper hanging down and the interior is PERFECT. It has 260k kilometers on the odometer and no lights on the dash except for the maintenance light. This is my first car and it has also been parked for about 3 months. i test drove it and it started on the first try, the car was very quiet and smooth.
here are some pictures:
So my questions are,
was this a good buy?
how much do you think the catalytic converter will cost me with labour?
what first steps should i take to prevent future problems?
what little things can i do to make the car look better?
I was told to replace all the filters right off the bat before i do any driving is this recommended?
Thanks in advance and sorry for all the questions.. i am a new owner and just want to really treat this car with the best care... P.S i live in Toronto canada.
I have recently bought a 97 RL from my girlfriends uncle for 500 dollars.
it needs a catalytic converter and 2 front tires the body is in great shape except for the left side rear bumper hanging down and the interior is PERFECT. It has 260k kilometers on the odometer and no lights on the dash except for the maintenance light. This is my first car and it has also been parked for about 3 months. i test drove it and it started on the first try, the car was very quiet and smooth.
here are some pictures:
So my questions are,
was this a good buy?
how much do you think the catalytic converter will cost me with labour?
what first steps should i take to prevent future problems?
what little things can i do to make the car look better?
I was told to replace all the filters right off the bat before i do any driving is this recommended?
Thanks in advance and sorry for all the questions.. i am a new owner and just want to really treat this car with the best care... P.S i live in Toronto canada.
02-10-2014, 02:09 PM
#3
Welcome to the forums!
I'd say 500 for the car is a very good deal. The mileage isn't bad at all as these cars will go forever with proper maintenance. I'm not too sure on the new cat cost but whats wrong with your current one?
Regarding preventing future problems you should change a lot of the fluids. Service manual says to do the tranny fluid every 75k so your probably due again. It's recommended you change the transmission fluid using the 3 quart x 3 method vs a flush. You should also change the differential fluid at the same time. Inspect for any rust, I live in Maine and I've noticed my gas tank neck has a fair amount of rust on the top and the tops of the inner fenders are also beginning to rust. The RL is better than average at being rust resistant thanks to the factory undercoating but it's still something keep an eye on.
For looks there is little aftermarket support for this car so your going to have to do most things custom, or stick with OEM parts. Some options you can look into are a debadged grill, 99+ nose, projector retrofit, a few rare front lips, blacked out emblems, 03-04 tails, paint matched rocker panels guards / mudflaps, the DIY paver front lip, JDM window sills, lowering it, switchbacks, tint (almost looks like yours already is lightly), aftermarket rims (TL rims are a big favorite in the community). There's also some interior stuff you can do such as swapping the bulbs for LEDs, leds in the cluster, custom colored needles (I made mine blue), vinyl wrapping your woodgrain, aftermarket radios, footwell leds, aux port adapters (if you don't have nav or follow a DIY if you do).
These aren't all of the options just some I could think of off hand. You just need to be willing to do a lot of it yourself and it really pays off in the end.
I'd say 500 for the car is a very good deal. The mileage isn't bad at all as these cars will go forever with proper maintenance. I'm not too sure on the new cat cost but whats wrong with your current one?
Regarding preventing future problems you should change a lot of the fluids. Service manual says to do the tranny fluid every 75k so your probably due again. It's recommended you change the transmission fluid using the 3 quart x 3 method vs a flush. You should also change the differential fluid at the same time. Inspect for any rust, I live in Maine and I've noticed my gas tank neck has a fair amount of rust on the top and the tops of the inner fenders are also beginning to rust. The RL is better than average at being rust resistant thanks to the factory undercoating but it's still something keep an eye on.
For looks there is little aftermarket support for this car so your going to have to do most things custom, or stick with OEM parts. Some options you can look into are a debadged grill, 99+ nose, projector retrofit, a few rare front lips, blacked out emblems, 03-04 tails, paint matched rocker panels guards / mudflaps, the DIY paver front lip, JDM window sills, lowering it, switchbacks, tint (almost looks like yours already is lightly), aftermarket rims (TL rims are a big favorite in the community). There's also some interior stuff you can do such as swapping the bulbs for LEDs, leds in the cluster, custom colored needles (I made mine blue), vinyl wrapping your woodgrain, aftermarket radios, footwell leds, aux port adapters (if you don't have nav or follow a DIY if you do).
These aren't all of the options just some I could think of off hand. You just need to be willing to do a lot of it yourself and it really pays off in the end.
02-10-2014, 04:48 PM
#4
Cajun Gumbo Man
Many thief's steal the titanium out of the cat converters.....(the only reason I can think it went south). They are huge too on our RL's.....If buying used.....ALWAYS have that checked before buying.....I have a friend in colorado that bought a used RL....Bargain deal.....one month later he was having issues and ended up at the dealership to learn his cat converter was robbed of its titanium....they are not cheap to replace...
02-12-2014, 06:39 PM
#5
3rd Gear
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Welcome to the forums!
I'd say 500 for the car is a very good deal. The mileage isn't bad at all as these cars will go forever with proper maintenance. I'm not too sure on the new cat cost but whats wrong with your current one?
Regarding preventing future problems you should change a lot of the fluids. Service manual says to do the tranny fluid every 75k so your probably due again. It's recommended you change the transmission fluid using the 3 quart x 3 method vs a flush. You should also change the differential fluid at the same time. Inspect for any rust, I live in Maine and I've noticed my gas tank neck has a fair amount of rust on the top and the tops of the inner fenders are also beginning to rust. The RL is better than average at being rust resistant thanks to the factory undercoating but it's still something keep an eye on.
For looks there is little aftermarket support for this car so your going to have to do most things custom, or stick with OEM parts. Some options you can look into are a debadged grill, 99+ nose, projector retrofit, a few rare front lips, blacked out emblems, 03-04 tails, paint matched rocker panels guards / mudflaps, the DIY paver front lip, JDM window sills, lowering it, switchbacks, tint (almost looks like yours already is lightly), aftermarket rims (TL rims are a big favorite in the community). There's also some interior stuff you can do such as swapping the bulbs for LEDs, leds in the cluster, custom colored needles (I made mine blue), vinyl wrapping your woodgrain, aftermarket radios, footwell leds, aux port adapters (if you don't have nav or follow a DIY if you do).
These aren't all of the options just some I could think of off hand. You just need to be willing to do a lot of it yourself and it really pays off in the end.
I'd say 500 for the car is a very good deal. The mileage isn't bad at all as these cars will go forever with proper maintenance. I'm not too sure on the new cat cost but whats wrong with your current one?
Regarding preventing future problems you should change a lot of the fluids. Service manual says to do the tranny fluid every 75k so your probably due again. It's recommended you change the transmission fluid using the 3 quart x 3 method vs a flush. You should also change the differential fluid at the same time. Inspect for any rust, I live in Maine and I've noticed my gas tank neck has a fair amount of rust on the top and the tops of the inner fenders are also beginning to rust. The RL is better than average at being rust resistant thanks to the factory undercoating but it's still something keep an eye on.
For looks there is little aftermarket support for this car so your going to have to do most things custom, or stick with OEM parts. Some options you can look into are a debadged grill, 99+ nose, projector retrofit, a few rare front lips, blacked out emblems, 03-04 tails, paint matched rocker panels guards / mudflaps, the DIY paver front lip, JDM window sills, lowering it, switchbacks, tint (almost looks like yours already is lightly), aftermarket rims (TL rims are a big favorite in the community). There's also some interior stuff you can do such as swapping the bulbs for LEDs, leds in the cluster, custom colored needles (I made mine blue), vinyl wrapping your woodgrain, aftermarket radios, footwell leds, aux port adapters (if you don't have nav or follow a DIY if you do).
These aren't all of the options just some I could think of off hand. You just need to be willing to do a lot of it yourself and it really pays off in the end.
Thank you very much!! this was extremely useful information.
02-13-2014, 11:36 AM
#7
That's good to know. But picking a technical detail, it's Platinum, not Titanium. Platinum is a required "catalyst" in many chemical reaction. Catalyst means it has to be present, but does not enter into the chemical reaction itself, thus does not get consumed. Apparently though it can get dirtied or contaminated, because sometimes a cat converter has to be replaced. So the fact it does not get consumed means that a used cat has value in recovering and recycling. THERE! And you didn't even have to pass Chem 1 to get that.
Trending Topics
02-13-2014, 02:10 PM
#8
that's good to know. But picking a technical detail, it's platinum, not titanium. Platinum is a required "catalyst" in many chemical reaction. Catalyst means it has to be present, but does not enter into the chemical reaction itself, thus does not get consumed. Apparently though it can get dirtied or contaminated, because sometimes a cat converter has to be replaced. So the fact it does not get consumed means that a used cat has value in recovering and recycling. There! And you didn't even have to pass chem 1 to get that.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
rp_guy
Member Cars for Sale
9
07-16-2017 07:33 AM
lanechanger
Member Cars for Sale
4
10-13-2015 10:56 AM
4drviper
3G TL Audio, Bluetooth, Electronics & Navigation
0
09-23-2015 09:00 PM