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Text Box: THE STAGEA BUYERS GUIDE WHAT TO LOOK FOR GENERAL Even if the mileage is warranted take it with a pinch of salt as they all seem to be around 60K miles ,which of course cannot be the case .In fact high mileage stageas don't present a problem if they have been serviced properly. Check that the speedo has been converted and if not registered make sure the export certificate and VAT duty receipt are present as without them the car cannot be registered. BODYWORK Generally the bodywork is very good to excellent. Main places to check for rust are under wing mirrors , around the suspension turrets and inside the rear of car around the tailgate catch area where the tailgate rubber is . Under the bonnet check that the top cross member is absolutely straight and that the top headlight brackets are not broken. In either case this could indicate previous front damage. ENGINE Most Stageas in the UK are automatics so the motor has normally had an easy life. The engine should be very quiet and should not smoke or misfire. Cambelt should be changed at 70k so its always worth checking if it has been replaced especially as the mileage is often not guaranteed. Check the oil and water levels and make sure there is no mixing — take off the oil filler cap there should be no milky residue in the cap. INTERIOR Not much to check as the upholstery is very hard wearing .,Look for seat cigarette burns as smoking is still the norm in Japan,. WHAT MODEL IS IT Nearly all of the Stageas in he UK will be an RS Fours or an RS Four V .This means they will be single turbo autos with all wheel drive. They are extremely high spec as standard so take no notice of the impressive extras list as all wick have electric windows climate control, ABS , ESP (electronic stability programme, power steering , central locking etc The V spec model is not faster than the RS Four , it just has more gadgets as standard. As standard the V will have twin electric sunroofs , self closing tailgate folding mirrors a pioneer sound system and a rear load cover, These were all options on an RS Four so buy the car specifications not the V. THE ROAD TEST Before driving check that all the electrical gadgets work. and that all the warning lights come on and go off when running. A decent RS Four will be surprisingly quick for such a large car. Its worth driving it in standard and power mode to check the performance (use the rocker switch by the gear lever) Stagea suspension is often past its best as its such a large car. The suspension has a very hard life and is often not changed . The ride should be comfortable but the car should not roll like a boat. Often this can be solved by just changing the rear dampers. The standard brakes are not brilliant but should stop the car well at low speeds.. UPGRADES AND AFTERMARKET PARTS As with any upgrades the full cost is never transferred to the value of the car . This makes modified examples extremely good value for money .,It certainly is worth looking at modified cars especially if you are likely to upgrade the car later (and most owners do ) Even though the Stagea is a genuine high performance estate it can be tuned and improved to completely different level . . This is dealt with in the upgrade section so we will simply list the costs of the common Stagea modifications that can be done but on This should make it easier to assess the value of modified examples . These prices are for new items. Suspension Standard , Bilstein or coilovers £500- £800 not inc labour . Very easy to do Full bodykits inc painting £800-£1200 Brakes upgrade to:- fronts from £200 up to £ 500 for R33 Brembo set up Parts only (used) Stainless exhausts £300-500 dependant on make Bolt on parts such as wheels should simply be taken at face value

stagea Owners Club

The Stagea Range

BUYeRS GUIDe

Maintaining a Stagea

 Stageas  For Sale

Our RB 26 STAGEA

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