Fox_ wrote: ↑Mon Apr 13, 2026 11:34 am
I'll have a 2000 mile shakedown run on it.
Anything outside of the ordinary to look for or inspect with minimal tools before the drive?
Sorry life got in the way and I didn't respond sooner.
But as
@amdavid mentioned, take a look at the oil if possible and make sure there's no metal or plastic in it. Metal is worse, but plastic can also blow things up too if it means the pads on the chain rails are close to being finished.
Other than that here is what I look for:
- Oil puff when starting up: could be harmless as these cars do that at times but it could also be the AOS which is a simple device to replace and relatively inexpensive but either requires the engine to be slightly dropped or for your arms to hinge in 4 places to get to it
- Check the coolant tank and water pump: Again both easy to replace but they cause a mess and will leave you stranded if they go bad
- Oil leaks: Most are harmless but if you want a clean driveway it could be the RMS which requires dropping the transmission
- Engine mounts: see if the exhaust pipes are in alignment with each other. If one is lower than the other it probably means an engine mount is going bad. Aside from not handling properly and getting more noise/vibration it could also make it harder for you to shift if these need replacing
- Ignition switch: if it's sticky and hard to turn then it might need replacing, not that bad of a job and not too expensive but could keep you from starting the car at the worst time
- window regulators: see if they're clicking or sticking as these go bad a lot, also see if the window lowers when you open the door or it'll get caught on the upper window rubber and stress the window if not. Both require the regulator to be changed, not the most fun job but not awful
- Check the AC vent to see if foam is flying out. Generally is and that means in time the car won't send heat properly, the fix is pretty painful but this is more of an annoyance than anything critical
- Sticky buttons: the radio and some other buttons get sticky, you can work around or live with it
- Radiator inlets on bumper: check for leaves, a lot of crap gets collected there, try to clear it out if you see anything in there. To really clean requires removing the bumper, not a big deal but something you do when you get home.
- Finally once you get home don't let the car sit for over a week with the alarm on, it will kill the battery. If you want it to sit for an extended period of time use a battery tender or leave it unlocked and it'll be fine
Have fun and let us know how the drive went!
-
- By h2pmr
- By MFranke
- By NSXguy