Warning signs buying used

[antoneloc]

I have my eye on a 2018 GT2 with 49k miles for about $32k. Interior and exterior are pristine and it seems to drive beautifully. However under hard acceleration I heard the turbos. Lo and behold, I open the hood and two K & N cones are staring back at me.

This on it's own isn't necessarily cause for alarm, but what other things should I look out for? Are thete any tell tale signs that a jb4 would leave in the engine bay, for instance?

 

[Kodiack]

The only signs would be if they had it mounted somewhere with screws and the holes where still there. If the only thing on it was some cold air intakes I doubt it ran a JB4, usually people with them do more mods than that.

 

[NS_Stinger]

I'd look closely at the top of the fuse panel cover under the hood. When you pop the hood its a cover at the far back left of the bay if you see velcro stuck to it or signs that something adhesive was on the top of thar panel chances are someone mounted a Racechip or JB4 to the top of that panel.

Pic for reference with a JB4 installed:

 

[antoneloc]

Perfect, thats exactly what I was looking for, thanks!

 

[Deviate]

I'd look closely at the top of the fuse panel cover under the hood. When you pop the hood its a cover at the far back left of the bay if you see velcro stuck to it or signs that something adhesive was on the top of thar panel chances are someone mounted a Racechip or JB4 to the top of that panel.

Pic for reference with a JB4 installed:
View attachment 79627

Super clean install! Usually people have wires showing everywhere

 

[ChaneRZ]

Look for a pierced O2 sensor wire. If not, maybe they ran an adaptor. Who knows.

 

[rpoffen]

Look for a pierced O2 sensor wire. If not, maybe they ran an adaptor. Who knows.

The jb4 is both a curse and a blessing. On one side, if you have one, it is easy to remove if you are concerned with warranty work.
On the other hand, as a used car buyer you don't know if they had one on and removed it before sale. At least if it was just a jb4, it isn't that radical of an upgrade if used moderately. If the previous owner had gotten more into things, like WMI, etc. then you might want to know more history, however these mods tend to leave more telltale signs.

 

[stoopid]

I wouldn't buy a car like a Stinger used (unless expecting issues/ready for potential major issues/can turn a wrench).

Few owners baby them.

I'm hurting my own vehicle's resale posting that on the intrawebs, but it doesn't change its truthiness.

 

[bfglitch]

Personally, I bought new because I browsed the forums prior to purchasing. Saw the amount of people tuning and modding, then returning to stock and selling within 2 or 3 years of ownership. I have no issue with people who tune/mod but I just don't want to buy someone elses punished car.

 

[JSolo]

I'm one of the few that baby's the car. It doesn't get driven much (just over 8K mi at ~21 months). I see no point in beating the crap out of it. Need the car to last.

 

[antoneloc]

I wouldn't buy a car like a Stinger used (unless expecting issues/ready for potential major issues/can turn a wrench).

Few owners baby them.

I'm hurting my own vehicle's resale posting that on the intrawebs, but it doesn't change its truthiness.

I've done my fair share of wrench turning, and I'm not a stranger to modded/modding cars. I wouldn't be surprised if this one was driven fairly hard, but at the same time the owner took very good care of it. Paint protection film all over, interior is pristine, and not a scratch on any of the wheels. Just hoping to gather as much info as possible as I'm new to the platform and they all have their quirks.

 

[stoopid]

I've done my fair share of wrench turning, and I'm not a stranger to modded/modding cars. I wouldn't be surprised if this one was driven fairly hard, but at the same time the owner took very good care of it. Paint protection film all over, interior is pristine, and not a scratch on any of the wheels. Just hoping to gather as much info as possible as I'm new to the platform and they all have their quirks.

While those are definitely potentially good signs, it can also signal "I suddenly had issues and had to dump my baby". For the amount of money involved it's just not worth the gamble.

 

[Volfy]

I wouldn't buy a car like a Stinger used (unless expecting issues/ready for potential major issues/can turn a wrench).

Few owners baby them.

I'm hurting my own vehicle's resale posting that on the intrawebs, but it doesn't change its truthiness.

^this. Pains me to say this as a Stinger owner that bought used, but true nevertheless. While I'm sure not every Stinger is thrashed and trashed, the likelihood is far greater, especially for 3.3T. This is true for enthusiast cars in general. BRZs, Mustangs, Camaro, etc.

As for warning signs... they could be very easily spotted, or impossible to trace. Not all mods are done meticulously and not all mods are taken off before sale. This is especially true for those who don't/can't work on their own car and have to pay to get it done. If it cost close to what the aftermarket parts are worth on the secondary market, a lot of guys just leave them on. So the easy ones should stick out like a sore thumb.

The JB4 thing is a red herring. Like CAI, i's so popular that any modded Stinger is likely to have had one at some point. That means that the user base runs a wide range, from hardcore 1/4mile redline-bangers, to mild weekend AutoX warriors, to everyday commuter. IMO, the location everybody installs it is just flat out dumb. It is all the way on the other side of where the OBD2 wire goes thru the firewall into the cabin. For the 2.0T, the connectors are also both on the right side too. make zero sense to stick the module all the way to the left... out in the open exposed to dripping rain water too. But, that's where BMS showed it, and so most folks just follow along.

Regardless, a heavily modded car can be put back to stock and, if done well, leave little to no trace. So, the truth is... if you are gonna buy a used Stinger, do look it over thoroughly before signing on the dotted line and check Auotcheck and/or Carfax for ownership clues. Just know that, at the end of the day, it is still a roll of the dice, any way you play it.

 

[Mo-mo]

Only reason I bought mine used. One owner, retiree. Was used to trucks his whole life and traded this in at a truck dealership. Clear cover was still over the door sills.

 

[Maljey]

Agree 100% on not buying a used performance car, ESPECIALLY if it's going to be my daily driver.

My previous car was a V6 Camaro, and the new V8 cars were always 8K to 10K more expensive at the time. They were way out of my price range back then. People would always say 'just buy a used V8!' I'm like hello no. The car was my daily driver and I just don't trust the previous owner(s) enough, even if the car still had a warranty. Plus all the local used V8 cars were rentals which is a HUGE hell no from me. I still see people says that used rental performance cars are a good idea, because the rental companies take care of the cars. It's not the company I'm concerned about. It's the customers! They drive these cars like they stole them, frequently use 87 gas (in cars that require 91+), plus who knows what else. I'll pass on that.

If I'm buying a performance car as a second/toy car then yeah I'll consider used. Even then, I'm still going to be skeptical.

 

[Transmetal]

I personally know 2 people that have worked at a rental car company and a car dealership. Some of those guys beat the snot outta cars. Heard some crazy stories over the years.

I remember the moment I realized I would NEVER buy a Stinger used. Use to see this guy who worked at 3M probably once or twice a week going to work. His car looked amazing, was literally the first micro blue car I saw in person. He would smoke the tires on that thing everytime I saw him at the multiple stop signs that run along 3M. One day I followed him into the ramp to ask him about his car. He said he loved it but it's a lease and he'd be onto something else. He said if he owned it long term, there's no way he'd drive it that hard everyday. When I was at the dealer getting ready to pull the trigger on my car I saw that they had a used gt2 in micro blue with white or the light grey interior. Reminded me of his car.

 

[LordKOTL]

I wouldn't buy a car like a Stinger used (unless expecting issues/ready for potential major issues/can turn a wrench).

Few owners baby them.

I'm hurting my own vehicle's resale posting that on the intrawebs, but it doesn't change its truthiness.

Technically, mine was "used" but she had ~200 miles on the clock when I bought her, so for all intents and purposes new. Carfax showed no "civilian" owner (just dealerships), and let's be real here: even if she was a full-on "on the lot" new car with ~200 miles on her (assuming of course A stinger would be sitting on a lot long enough to rack up ~200 miles prior to a sale), you know those are still driven hard; if not by the test drivers then by the salesdroids. I do think the point has merit though: if you're going to buy used at least know what you're getting yourself into. The previous owner for a Stinger wasn't the stereotypical "little old lady who only drove it to church on Sundays."

Of course, that will soon be academic. But yeah, I bought her because she's a car that you can have fun with, so she's not being babied. I take care of her like she's my firstborn (except the bloodline ends with me), but I drive her like I stole her.

As for resale value, as I said before I didn't buy her with the intent that I was going to resell her, I bought her with the intent that I was going to drive her into the ground and get my money's worth. So...that resale value is moot at least for me .

 

[antoneloc]

Thanks for the input guys. It has me leaning towards a new GT-Line. While I'll miss the twin turbo V6, the car will be my daily driver, so the peace of mind of a fresh car along with the warranty will hopefully make up for it.

 

[Transmetal]

Thanks for the input guys. It has me leaning towards a new GT-Line. While I'll miss the twin turbo V6, the car will be my daily driver, so the peace of mind of a fresh car along with the warranty will hopefully make up for it.

Uh, idk. If you have already test driven a gt model then I'd think it'd be hard to go with a gt-line. Would be hard for me at least. With that said, I had to "settle" and get an awd base gt instead of an awd gt1/gt2 which is what I wanted and looked at test drove first. I only wanted the 3.3tt so I had to settle for less to get the engine I wanted if I was gonna buy new, which is what I did. Mine is also a daily driver. Although, the refresh 2022-2023 2.5 has like 300hp now I believe. Obviously it would feel slower, how much slower, not sure.

 

[antoneloc]

Uh, idk. If you have already test driven a gt model then I'd think it'd be hard to go with a gt-line. Would be hard for me at least. With that said, I had to "settle" and get an awd base gt instead of an awd gt1/gt2 which is what I wanted and looked at test drove first. I only wanted the 3.3tt so I had to settle for less to get the engine I wanted if I was gonna buy new, which is what I did. Mine is also a daily driver. Although, the refresh 2022-2023 2.5 has like 300hp now I believe. Obviously it would feel slower, how much slower, not sure.

Gt2 new is out of my price range. I've driven both, and I can live with the gt-line, jb4 will numb the pain sufficiently.