As the title says. I have been looking at Mk2 STs for sale recently. I haven't got as far as actually viewing or test driving one yet.

What are the main faults to look for when checking if one is worth buying?

I have been told that the engine is not stressed as much as it could be on a factory spec unmodified ST. Apparently ones that have ever been re-mapped are best avoided as they will likely have been pushed harder. Would anyone here agree?

 

10 hours ago, AntonovAN12 said:

...Apparently ones that have ever been re-mapped are best avoided as they will likely have been pushed harder. Would anyone here agree?

That argument is decades old. I fitted a 'superchip' to my 1990 RS Turbo. I did it because I could. Even then, I wasn't much of a boy racer, and the car was certainly not driven hard. A remap is really no indication of the engine condition...

I think you'll struggle to find a Mk2 ST that hasn't been pushed at some point in it's life now.  They're all well over a decade old.

Common Mk2 issues - rust, wishbone bushes, water leaks, GEM

ST specific issues - Cracked engine liners, driveshafts, oil filter housing

Generic checks - Clutch, AC, battery, electrics

Thanks for the replies.

I saw advertised for sale locally that I was tempted to have a look at. Unfortunately it had already sold by the time I contacted the seller.

All of the important issues listed above, and check the coolant hoses as I’m seeing lots of these failing now with age on the FB groups. I’ve replaced mine with silicone ones. Mines been tuned to 330bhp for most of its life, and the engine is still smooth and strong so don’t be put off by a tune if it’s reputable (Mountune, Collins, Hypertune, Dreamscience etc)