newguywithTL99'

Should I purchase the car or not? What should I look for so I know what to fix or consider when purchasing this car? I haven't messed with use cars in a long time and lost my touch. Help please.

Mr. Maker

iTrader: (4)

do you like the car...?
was the 105k service preformed..?
how does the trans shift..?
pics?
how much..?
do you like the car..?

Mr. Maker

iTrader: (4)

you should change your screen name to

"newguythatstartsthreadswithoutsearchingaroundfirs tandmightbuyacuratlwit143kondat

fourthmeal

Mine has 127k, and other than a couple nagging trans-related possibilities (on the 4speed too), I like mine OK. My main hangup with the car isn't something that is the fault of the car... it is the fault of the moron who repainted the whole car with a Maaco paint job which I then had to wetsand and polish the living hell out of to get a decent shine and texture. Then it started flaking off...!

But yeah, see if the car has a solid maintenance record, all that.

01tl4tl

NO!!! never buy a car from someone you want to keep as a friend or neighbor
There will always be issues of maitenance and failures- bad feelings form easily

at least with a used car unknown to you,, you can say~ that momo nobrain LAST GUY DIDNT NOTICE THE MOTOR MOUNTS AND CV JOINTS WERE DESTROYED!!!! arrrgh

to consider on any used TL: transmission may fail at any time, timing belt and water pump- full service done 105?, by now it should have the steering fluid changed twice,(every 60) brake fluid should be done every year- it really does!!!

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

but i bought my car from a friend though, and still friends, but yeah i also know the full history of it though, and i know shit breaks over time, there was a couple of annoying things i had to fix that did not tell me about, butthere where minor though (like the passenger seat was not moving foward and back on one rail, due to a stretched crossover cable (was not fully engaging the one track)

and shit the headlight ballest crapped out like a week after i had got it from him, but i know they crap out occasionally though

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

but yeah the first thing i would do before possibly buying it from your friend is have it FULLY checked out, then know if anything happens after that it is YOUR problem not your friends, remember a car with that mileage from a dealer would be AS-IS, ABSOLUTLY no warrenty
that way you can still stay friends, while also getting a car at the same time

piggylover1985

Bring the car to a trusted garage, have it check out if your friend doesn't mind, if he say "no you can't" then might be a problem there.

01tl4tl

any used car the owner wont let you take it to a private shop for inspection--something is wrong
- current owner can drive it over if thats the issue, you pay for the inspection on a lift to ck all steering and suspension

Be aware these cars tend to need ball joints and such around the 150 mark
The timing belt being done is your first question- with documentation of what parts really went on

good friends are hard to find, good cars can be found with a little work~

friesm2000

iTrader: (4)

just did a pre-purchase today, where the current owner drove it there, then picked it up afterwards (car was quite good btw, not perfect, needed a little work, but an above average car i would say), and the potential buyer payed for the inspection
hell we have had salesmen from dealers drop off cars to us for potential buyers, so no biggie wanting an inspection before purchasing

and shit we have kept customers from buying some shitty cars before, that are going to be moneypits (like the one before for this particular customer mentioned above, had blown head gaskets [a 2.5 subaru btw ], and the dealer said if he would pay $100 more on the purchase of the car they would fix the heads LMFAO

or another one, where all the panels had been repainted except for the driver's door (aka no vin sticker left except for the door), and even then the rear hatch was rubbing too, like that had not been rolled bowled and assholed before

and remember, if you buy the do buy the car, it's a done deal, no wanting a partial refund for problems (but you can wheel and deal though before you purchase it though), or your friend saying you did not pay him enough (pay him in full, not a payment plan, if you must do a payment plan, go through a bank or something instead)