Newbie

[andyman4444]

Hi :-)

I don't own a mazda 323 yet... but i want one

I will proberly be asking for some help soon :P so I thought i better sign up

Are there anything to look for when buying a mazda 323 Astina? I want 96 ^ and I don't want to pay more then 7000.


Great Site!!

From AnDy

[Tom]

is that 7000 also catering for rego, insurance, etc etc?

because i ended up paying $1575 for full comp insurance and $277 to transfer my the rego from the previous owner over to me..

i paid $8400 (after talking down $1400) for a 97 astina hardtop with only 86500k's on it..


but im sure you could find something for 7 and under

what model are you wanting?

hatch? hardtop? 4cyl? v6?

[andyman4444]

Well I proberly won't be going for the full comp insurence cause I am a P-Plater and its a rip off lol maybe in the future i will look into comp. As for the type of car well they kinda all look the same to me as I have not actually sat in one as yet... I'm going for a test drive this weekend woo
I will be defintly getting a manual (cause my gf gives me heaps for driving an auto) and I am not really sure on the difference between any of the cars.
I will give you a link to the car I'm test driving if you like
I will also have to get one of your awsome photoshoot things tom looking Awesome!
(well when i have a car I will haha)

Regards AnDy

[Joczy]

Hey Andy. Welcome . If you're not really sure about the differences and what kind of Astina you want youve come to the right place. Theres lots of info here about all the diff type of Astinas. Not that I really know too much about them myself(haha), but most of what I have learnt, has come from just browsing around the forums
Test driving eh, ahh its always exciting getting a new car esp. if its gonna be your first.

[Tom]

haha im a green p-plater.. and thats how much it cost me for full compo.. its a bitch.. but the car was insured for $11500 or something.. then i updated my policy with the system and rims, and it was upped to $1300 for an extra $50..

i think it works out only at $100 a month for me to insure my car, which is about 1 days pay.. so i didnt have much problem paying it haha.. i like to look at things in that perspective.. in regards to how much per month..


These are basically your 94-98 Astinas:

Hatch
Hard-Top (Sedan)


For your model dates and details, go here:
http://www.astinagt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4215

[Aaron]

Andy, Welcome aboard
If you're on a limited budget you may want to stick with the 4cylinder models, the 1.8L BP motor is tough, durable and there's a lot of upgrades out there as well as parts shoudl things go wrong.

The Manual is always a good choice, a and generally while you'll see talk about F and G series gearboxes it won't matter until/if you ever get into the whole turbo chraging thing. Just make sure the car shifts easily, including into 1st gear from a standing start. Hard shifting into first from a standing start can indicate poor clutch adjustment, a stuffed clutch or worse still dmanaged 1st gear synchros.

While on your test drive, find a large quiet open space, drive slowly in a circle with the wheel full left and then a cirlce full right. You shoudln't hear clicking or clunking coming from the front end, that would indicate worn CV shafts, not expensive at a couple hundred $$ per side, but something to be aware of.

Also check everything works including the rear window (if it's a hatch) washer, all the windows go up and down (power or manual), all the doors lock and unlock correctly with the central locking.

These cars are tough and reliable, so the biggest hurdles will be wear and tear (like the CVs and clutch) or electrical/trim gremlins caused by lack of care and old age.

If you're really on a budget, look at "KJ" Lasers which are much the same under the skin but more bland on the eyes, You may for example buy a KJ laser with power everything for the same price and a basically equipped Astina.

As for differences, there's 4 basic flavours of Astina, Two Hardtops (sedans with frameless windows) and Two Hatches. They were split by Mazda into roughly two trim levels, v6 engines with power everything, and 4 cylinder models with less features, although early (1994?) 4 cylinders had all the power features.

Airbags and ABS appeared on some cars as options, ABS is always good to have, and worth looking for.

At the end of the day they're all great, keep an eye out of poorly repaired crash damage and you'll do well, although you budget does mean you'll be likely to be looking at rougher examples.

A.

[andrewgrazier]

far out i didnt realised how much some of you guys were paying for insurance!!!
i just got my name shoved on along with my parents names and then you get all the bonusues that you get after havin insurance for 50 years with the same company
saves like $500 i guess

[pr1mo]

yeah i got my astina lie 5 years agp when i was 19. was going to be $3000 to insure in my name. did it in the parents and now its only $450 a year or something.

[andyman4444]

Hey all some really great advice thanks Aaron and the comprehensive insurence is all really great info I will be going to my parents for sure sounds like the best bet.
What Kilometres should I be looking at?
is 250000 ok?
Thanks for everyones quick responses

[mazdamanik]

id be wanting less then 250,000:| i bought a 93 model with 235,000 for 4000$

[ATOMIC]

Far less than 250k if you're looking at a 96 onwards.

Welcome to the boards!

[Melbastina]

Welcome to the club and happy hunting.

I'm sure you'll get all the answers your chasing in here!

[Cosmo Dude]

Hello and welcome,
Enjoy your stay and happy hunting for your new ride.

[project.r.racing]

Hej Da
Hiya and greetings - enjoy this crazy place.

[Rupewrecht]

and here's another welcome!

[ZoomZoom]

and welcome from me too!

Gotta say though ... I've own both the 4cyl and the V6 ..... the 6 is far more fun to drive (although I got my 1st speeding ticket on Monday ... )

If you can find one for the money I'd jump at at .... however you may need to go privately. Get an NRMA inspection though .... worth the $200.

I paid $9500 for a late 96 V6 with 103000kms from a dealer!

Good luck