Real-World Trade-In Values

cubscott · July 2005

Reposting my trade-in value question. Also, forgot to put in the color, which is Gold w/ tan cloth interior.

I know it won't be much, but looking to trade in the following vehicle and was wondering what to expect. Edmonds says $3000 to 3400, which I realistically don't expect.

Location: Fresno/Clovis, CA
Year/Make/Model: 2000 Dodge Neon Highline
Body Style: 4 DR
Engine: 4 cyl
Driveline: FWD
Mileage: 61659
Major Options: Alloy wheels, aftermarket AM/FM CD Player
Condition: Normal wear, couple of minor dings, tires are good, brakes are new, has noise in power steering that needs to be addressed.
Other: None to my knowledge. Vehicle was purchased used from Dodge dealership 2.5 yrs ago.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

rroyce10 · July 2005

..**Reposting my trade-in value question. Also, forgot to put in the color, which is Gold w/ tan cloth interior.
I know it won't be much, but looking to trade in the following vehicle and was wondering what to expect. Edmunds says $3000 to 3400, which I realistically don't expect.
Location: Fresno/Clovis, CA
Year/Make/Model: 2000 Dodge Neon Highline
Body Style: 4 DR
Engine: 4 cyl
Driveline: FWD
Mileage: 61659
Major Options: Alloy wheels, aftermarket AM/FM CD Player
Condition: Normal wear, couple of minor dings, tires are good, brakes are new, has noise in power steering that needs to be addressed.
Other: None to my knowledge. Vehicle was purchased used from Dodge dealership 2.5 yrs ago** ..
===================================

In funny ol' Fresno ..... we have a 00 Leon Highline, we got 62k, auto, wheels, tunes, newer round things, new stoppers and some funny noises .... well, if it isn't painted the Mary-Kay color and the breeze is cold .. then trade side, in and around the low/mid $2's, might maybe get a dealer to waddle towards the $3 figure -- maybe much less depending on the funny noises .........

Terry.

wingman3 · July 2005

Looking at the above vehicle at a Suzuki dealership. It has 22k miles (program car), leather heated seats, heated outside mirrors, sun roof, CD changer, alarm, and some other stuff I can't remember. There is a small ding on the drivers side passenger door and the tires are about half gone (measured at 6/32 when new is 10/32). Dealer is asking $17,999 to start. No trade involved (current vehicle leased).

Any ideas on a fair price for this vehicle.

Thanks,

Steve

autonuts · July 2005

Sorry, rroyce10, I'll just list the options.
It has the following: 83,700mi., 4X4, auto, V6, SR5 Model, alloy wheels, sunroof, roof rack, A/C, rear heat, PW, PDL, PM, am-fm-cass-cd, cloth interior, wide tires, running boards. Can't think of anything else. The glove box is either broke or misaligned? The backseat cupholder has a broken piece on the cup retainer. Some minor fading of the wood dash accents. Body is clean without any noticeable dents, dings - paints good. It has the decorative hood scoop. The seller is asking $11,250. I thought it sounded pretty good. I took it out for a test drive and it road nice without any noticeable vibrations. Did notice the brake pedal seems to depress a little too much. I'm having it inspected by a Toyota dealership for $82.50. What do you and others think of this deal? Thanks for anyones reply.

woodyww · July 2005

You should give the LOCATION as well, because prices can vary in different areas......

Mr_Shiftright · July 2005

I'll take a shot at this since it's old iron and Terry is very cruel to them

Decent car but price is high since miles are very high. I think $4,500 is more than enough for the car. You might check for defective power steering racks on those cars and keep in mind that any repairs will be costly---so I'd have someone go over the car with a fine tooth comb and be sure you play with every dial swtich and knob. At 173K it's Russian roulette with any old luxury car, so the more you check beforehand the happier you'll be.

If the car is truly flawless and needs nothing I suppose overpaying $1,000 isn't the worst crime you could commit. Buyer and seller are close enough here to make a deal, so get it checked and bargain as best you can.

Also might add just subjectively that this is a pretty big boat for an around-town car.

qbrozen · July 2005

i agree with above .. sort of.

173K?? Why bother?

I just did a search on yahoo classifieds in my area for old Lexi and came up with several potentially better examples.

For instance:
'93 LS400 w/110K = $6995
'91 LS400 w/125K = $5800
'93 LS400 w/155K = $4295

jbollt · July 2005

1999 Olds Sihloette (sp?)
Tucson az
ext minivan
v6 3.4L?
fwd
72,000 miles
gold(bronze)/tan interior
alloys, power everything, auto leveling, etc...
car is in decent shape, well maintained mechanically, but shows age physically, a few dings, scratches... not detailed...
tires over 70% left
brakes they work, don't know when last done
no body work or claims
thanks for quick response....
Jeff
=================================

Am jsjdio erbeb 99 veuwe ...... ooop's let me slow down, I'm missing all the keys ...... in Tucson we have a 99 Silhouette (probably a Ext GL.?) hopefully dual breeze, color is faded but okay for the Tucson area, 72k, level control .. not much of description .. but with the faded paint, no hydes, cold breeze and the rubber being ok ... then trade side, in and around the mid/tall $3's, maybe the low low $4's .. if it's a GLS, then maybe the mid/high $4's, maybe the low low low $5's - big maybe ...........

-----------------------

Dealer in Scotsdale (toyota) gave $5,500 it is an ext GLS, against $500 over MSRP for Highlander Hybrid Limited 4X2, with no extra added "stuff"....Alot of money, but hey, it's HIS money.. My friend is extremely happy, so all is well..Thanks for your help, yet again.....without your input, he was thinking he would accept $4K for his trade. YAY!

PS Dealer made out good, but buyer is happy....win/win

autonuts · July 2005

woodyww... the location is in Indianapolis, Indiana. Sure hope I get some opinions!

pat · July 2005

Hi autonuts ... what you really need to do is put all the information into one post. The list of needed information is just above the post box if you create a new post (instead of replying to someone else).

We can't expect Terry to take the time to go back and collect all of your posts in order to get the whole story. Make it easy for him to answer you.

jedwards2 · July 2005

I came across a Montero sport 2003 XLS and test drove it. It is a second hand car and drives well, though i felt a little bit of vibration. I popped the hood and the engine looks quite new. The VIN is JA4ls31r73j006165. It has 49k on it (i think quite a lot for a 2 yr old vehicle). And price is under 12k on road and the owner is willing to drive it to a mechanic to do a inspection. Do u think it is a good deal. What else should i be looking for ? any hidden tricks?. Also, if anybody has access to the carfax report for that VIN, that might help too.

Vehicle details.

Body: 4 door
Drive: 2wd
V6 engine
mix of gold and brown color
Interior - light grey
tires look new (90% new)
seats are fiber (not leather)
Condition is generally good except for a slight ding (not visible though) in the rear
brakes looks good
owner tells me that all he does is change oil and rest is ok.

One thing i noticed is that the 60,000 mile servicing for this vehicle is quite expensive ...is that true.
vehicle is in the name of the finance company (not the owners)

rroyce10 · July 2005

.. **Personally I wouldn't touch old BMWs unless they are absolutely flawless; other wise..."cheap is never cheap" with an old German car** .....l.o.l......

As they say in the olde' country: Das ist ein Tatsachenwagenheber ..

Terry :shades:

cti · July 2005

Babelfish says: That is fact jacking equipment.

Too funny. :P :P

rroyce10 · July 2005

.. **Body: 4 door
Drive: 2wd
V6 engine
mix of gold and brown color
Interior - light grey
tires look new (90% new)
seats are fiber (not leather)
Condition is generally good except for a slight ding (not visible though) in the rear
brakes looks good
owner tells me that all he does is change oil and rest is ok.
One thing i noticed is that the 60,000 mile servicing for this vehicle is quite expensive ...is that true.
vehicle is in the name of the finance company (not the owners)
========================================

In Texas .....

09/06/2002 TX Motor Vehicle Dept. REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL
10/17/2002 TX 10 Motor Vehicle Dept. TITLE (Title #:22032237534101734) (Lien Reported)
05/19/2003 SOUTHWEST REGION 13,336 Auto Auction REPORTED AT AUTO AUCTION
05/21/2003 SOUTHWEST REGION 13,336 Auto Auction REPORTED AT AUTO AUCTION AS MANUFACTURER VEHICLE
01/20/2004 WACO, TX 25,907 Dealer Record VEHICLE IN DEALER INVENTORY
03/03/2004 MART, TX Motor Vehicle Dept. REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL
03/11/2004 MART, TX 26,297 Motor Vehicle Dept. TITLE (Title #:16130638047082500) (Lien Reported)
03/01/2005 MART, TX Motor Vehicle Dept. REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL

=================

He's had it "about" 15 months and dropped about 13k on it ... it comes back as a factory driver til' 13,300 miles ... I would definately have it checked out for the service and potential body work -- could be something, could be nothing at all .... as far as the price.? seems kinda cheap, maybe he needs the peso's .... but look before you leap ..!

Terry.

rroyce10 · July 2005

..... It's supposed to say -- thats a fact Jack ...!

Where's Mathias.? .. he's almost German, he can figure it out ..

Terry.

rroyce10 · July 2005

....... I can't figure out if they buried themselves in the trade or maybe discounted the new vehicle $1,000 ...... the most important thing is - he's happy.!

Thanks for the update ...

Terry.

sampson464646 · July 2005

Virginia Beach, VA
2004 Honda Accord EX V6
4 door
V6
25,000
Gray/Black
Leather, Sun, Alloy
No dings, scratches, etc
tires original
$10,000 in auto accident damage-repaired back to factory specs

jwats · July 2005

I concur that the price is high for the mileage and it is not a good around town car. If you really want one, why not wait until you can find a lower mileage one? For example, there are a couple on EBAY that have far lower miles. I owned an older Lexus and loved it, but the mileage was much lower and I am not sure I would have kept it over 150,000 miles. You are correct that they are fairly reliable, BUT any car with this mileage will require repairs AND Lexus is notoriously expensive to service.
Good luck-let us know what you decide
John

rroyce10 · July 2005

Looking at a '93 Lexus LS400 4dr sedan. Has everything, incl aftermarket 10CD changer in trunk. Beige/beige leather. Looks very good for 12 yr old car. Couple minor scratches is all. Tires nearly new Yokos. Runs strong and true. Has 173K on the odo. Pretty much everything with a couple minor exceptions works as designed. Owner asking $5500 which is pretty much what KBB says. In Calif bay area.
Would be using as wife and teenage daughters 'round town vehicle. I figure old Lexus should still be fairly reliable??? Owner recently did brakes, has receipts for lots of oil changes (says 3-4K was norm. He is 2nd owner, bought from his brother). Timing belt replaced at about 125K. Body looks great - never an accident is his claim and looks to be true.
Anyone know of particulars I should consider with this vehicle? Anyone think price is right?
TIA
George
===========================

I'm not crazy about a 175k anything .. but if I was going to buy one, it would be a Lexus ....... If ~ the service history is piled high, the rubber is super deep, the air is Arctic, no Sherwin Williams, no Swiss Army knives in the seats and it looks, drives and feels like 60/70k .... then it's a $3,5/$4,000 vehicle to a dealer .... if he's *asking* $5,500 see if we can get it to $5,0 ... if it's really nice, then how bad of a mistake can you make for $5 grandish -- except for the last one in Vegas you forgot to tell your wife about ..l.o.l... ... if it needs stuff, just keep lookin' ...

Terry

dawnee · July 2005

Posted this back middle of June, never saw any reply:

We have been told, just not a good market for the vans is reason for low quote.

Black 2002 Olds Silhouette
FWD GL Trim
Passenger power sliding door
Greensboro, NC
approx 45000 miles
new tires
quad seating, AM/FM/Cass/single CD, alloy wheels, rear air, parking sensors, driver info center, OnStar availability,
Interior clean and in good shape with cloth seats
All maint is update
Not sure about brakes but they seem to be in good shape

Were quoted about $9,500 to maybe $10,000 trading on 2005 Toyota HL Ltd FWD. Good price or not?? Of course, this price leaves us with some negative equity in vehicle which I hate but if the market is bad for these type vehicles is waiting going to make it any better???!!!

notyou2 · July 2005

My vehicle was rearended by 2 other vehicles yesterday, it is a Grand Voyager, and I can see where the bumper is pushed in, and the van is not performing lie it was pre accident, but, if the van is repaired, will that affect the trade value? We have been looking at cars for a month, and had just decided to go ahead and buy one, but, the large Econoline van, doing 40 mph, that pushed a Durango onto and into my bumper, without hitting it's brakes, has put a "dent" in my buying a new car tomorrow. So, where does my value stand if they repair the van?

rroyce10 · July 2005

......... 4wd ..................?

3rd seat ................................?

Auto + are we sure it's a 04 ..............?

Terry.

fanbelt · July 2005

I'm thinking about moving up to the 2005 version of same car (but in blue), if the price is right for new and trade/private sale... Would appreciate your estimate of appropriate trade-in and private sale values for my 2002 Accord EX MT.

Location: Mid Hudson Valley, NY
Year/Make/Model: 2002 Honda Accord EX
Body Style: 4dr Sedan
Engine: 2.4 liter, 4 cylinder, manual 5spd
Driveline: FWD
Mileage: 23,900
Color: Red/Tan Cloth
Major Options: Standard EX stuff (alloys, Sunroof, 6CD/Cassette) plus
Factory Leather Steering Wheel (not sew-on)
Leather Shift knob
All Weather mats (front)
Trunk Liner
Cargo Net
Condition:
Paint - clean and deep, 2" scratch in top coat on right rear bumper
Interior - Immaculate (some wear on floor mats)
Tires - 50? % worn
Brakes - uncertain (no problems, though)
Maintenance - Records available, 5-7K oil changes
Eligible for HondaCare (less than 3rys old)

Many Thanks,

heyjewel · July 2005

Thanks to all who piped in on this one. Ah do 'preciate it. I'm not crazy about 175K on anything either. But I do feel like Terry - if I'm gonna buy hi mileage might as well be Lexus (or Toyota, or maybe Honda. Say, come to think of it, my Cherokee has over 200K on it ...). That said, I did offer him $4800 this AM. He declined saying he's got another offer coming in today and 2 more folks road testing as well. He's in no hurry and apparently wants his price.
The car is quite nice, but does have a few minor annoyances that are usual with these Lexi I guess - the LCDs for the HVAC and radio I think are non-func (though he says he is incl replacements with the car and I figure I'm handy enuf to fix that) some wud pieces are loose and fall off when the door closes:>), can't close the hood until you pull back the release cable under the dash - must be a spring broken or something - couple more little things like that. But engine and tranny etc seemed great, as far as one can tell from a hard test drive and 5K on new Yokos and brakes is icing.
Anyhoo, moot point for now. He's going to keep me in the loop, but I'm not going any higher than $5K.
BTW, he's selling cause he bought a 3 year old BMW 7-series. He was complaining that he's had it just a few months and it's already spent more time in the shop than the Lexus did in 10 years!! :>)

Just to keep gabbin 'bout cars - this car like I said will be for wife and mainly daughter til she goes off to college, where she says she won't need a car (har dee har har - but hey - that's her idea and I'll stick with it!) so whatever we get will fall to the wife after daughter gone. Wife **really** wants a Honda Civic del Sol (midlife crisis?) We've been looking for one, but they are as rare as hens teeth anymore. And when one pops up, you can forget blue book. Owners seem to think these things are made of platinum. A '95 with 160K popped up a few days ago. Nothing special, clean etc, She wants $6800. I tried to reason with her a bit, splaining the kbb etc to her, but she says the price is based on what she's seen them going for and that's that./ Also she has a standing cash offer from a relative for $5500, which is still like $1500 above privparty blue book. I'm not going there for sure. Wife is beginning to realize a search under time pressure (which we are under) for her del Sol is futile. So when the Lexus came along, parked at the bottom of our street with the for sale sign, we thought that'd be a nice vehicle to bide time in while watching for some grandma to sell her del Sol. So that's the story. Later and thanks again.

rroyce10 · July 2005

....... He probably rolled it by the local Lexus dealer and they dropped $3,500 at him .. when he dropped his jaw and they got his heart pumping back to normal he staggered home ....

The Del Sol's ..........? Nutso prices and it's a fantasy market ... they're like boat owners, same thing: says the price is based on what she's seen them going for .. My question is always: "where, in Morocco ?" .. boat owners say the same stupid stuff, they have an offer - but they never sell ..

The funny part is, there has to be 5/6 Del Sols for sale in my area and they've been up for sale for 2/3 months - and like clock work, they come in every month and ask me if I've changed my mind and will I give them $5,000 for their 96Si .. for what.? it's a $2,000 car, "maybe" .. it's got 155k, the air don't blow cold, you can see the air in the tires, the paints faded, it needs service, the interior looks like it was in a knife fight and other than hitting every Love Bug between Gainsville and Delray beach, it's puuuuurfect ----- go away little man you're bothering me ..l.o.l...

Terry

woodyww · July 2005

Terry hasn't answered this yet (you need to put every single detail of the vehicle & location in one post for that) but I'll give it an amateur shot: I'm looking at a really nice looking '99 4wd Limited 4 Runner with 63K miles that sold for $13.9K on ebay. I'm guessing $11.2K for a '99 SR5 is not crazy, but that $9-$10K is more like it. It's got high 83K miles, & doesn't sound like the interior is that nice (?). I'd probably keep looking myself, or offer the guy $9k-ish. Also, check e-bay, including "completed listings", for reference.

rroyce10 · July 2005

...... Thanx Pat ... I spend more time chasing stuff here than I do chasing the little blonde at the Eat N' Run .................

Terry.

rroyce10 · July 2005

..**Virginia Beach, VA
2004 Honda Accord EX V6
4 door
V6
25,000
Gray/Black
Leather, Sun, Alloy
No dings, scratches, etc
tires original
$10,000 in auto accident damage-repaired back to factory specs** ..
===========================

Wow.! ..... $10,000...? .. I hope nobody was hurt ......

Kinda hard to put a figure on this bad boy without seeing it - it will all depend on the finish work .. ya know, if there is any Mr. Fix me-up on the frame, any overspray in the fenders and door jams, paint blending and fill and what it looks like in the right light ...... for starters the miles are kinda tall, so it could be worth anywhere from $9,000 to $18,000 -- who knows.?? ....... the best way to find out.? take it to a few dealers and see how much they might pay ya for the car ...... $10,000(?) there has to be some frame damage somewhere ..

Don't forget to let me know ......

Terry :sick:

steine13 · July 2005

" As they say in the olde' country: Das ist ein Tatsachenwagenheber .."

THAT's funny.
I didn't get it at first, and the wife didn't get it either.

But it makes sense.
Fact = Tatsache, yup.
Jack = Wagenheber. (As in, to "jack" up your car, bottle jack, etc.)

That's a fact, Jack! = untranslatable.
The best I could do is "Genau so isses!" ("That's exactly how it is")

But now you all know what to call that thing that jacks up your car: Wagenheber. "Car Lifter." Us Germans are nothing if not logical.

Thanks for the laugh,
-Mathias

rroyce10 · July 2005

...... Guten Morgen ...

Since your here .. why don't you pull your "Wagenheber" over and show Sampson what to look for on his minor $10,000 kiss to his Honda .....

Terry.

mldj98 · July 2005

Terry,

Ol' wise one...how come Edmunds does not have the model year 2005 listed for their trade in values? I mean we are already into July and the new model year is only a couple of months away...what gives ol' wise one of the deep green walking course????

wingman3 · July 2005

Terry, Yes it's an 04. There's no 3rd seat, it is 4wd and it's a 5spd auto.

Thanks,

Steve

steine13 · July 2005

Courtesy of Bill W, now pirated here:
http://www.msu.edu/~steine13/paintwork.html

graphicguy · July 2005

Mathias....that "body work" tutorial is outstanding.....thanks! I'll never fear to venture over to a "used" vehicle.

sampson464646 · July 2005

Thank you and yes, everyone was ok. What would the trade in value be without the accident?

sampson464646 · July 2005

Virginia Beach, VA
2004 Honda Accord EX V6
4 door
V6
25,000
Gray/Black
Leather, Sun, Alloy
No dings, scratches, etc
tires original

ncb81 · July 2005

Wife want to trade the Minivan and want the Highlander limited AWD! I want the Murano or Tribeca myself.. Toyota Dealer in my area giving me $17,500.and Nissan dealer is $18,000

Thanks,
Nel

Southern Maryland
2003 Honda Oddysey EXL with RES
minivan
mileage: 40900
color: Black
Interior is excellent condition no spill or KFC on the carpet.
minor scratches on the bumper on the passenger side
maintenance is up to date with evry 5000 miles oil and tire rotation
tires still original

jwats · July 2005

I agree with Terry--if you buy at 175K car--it ought to be a Lexus. I think the nightmare here is having a bunch of "small" problems--which on a Lexus can be expensive if you go the dealer--and end up putting a lot of money in a car because each time you have no choice but to fix it. And soon, you have a $10,000 Lexus with 200,000 miles and limited resale. As a benchmark, my dealer wanted over $600 to do nothing but replace fluids on my Lexus.

stickguy · July 2005

gotta write this stuff down so I can drop the words in conversation with the new neighbors (they just moved here from Germany). I have heard more German spoken at their house in the last couple of months than Iin the previous 40 years total.

Kinda funny to hear people yelling at their kids in German. Sounds very serious.

first_subie · July 2005

I plan on trading my 4Runner in towards a lease on a new car. How much do you think they'll offer.

Boston, MA

1999 Toyota 4Runner SR5 4x4
Sport Package
3.4L V6
73,000 miles

Light Beigh Exterior/Beigh Interior
Automatic Transmission
Power Moonroof
Alloy Wheels
Roof Rack
Keyless Entry System
Rear Heater
AM/FM/Cassette/CD
Power Doors and Windows
Running Boards
AC

No exterior problems. The AC could use some work, I think the compressor needs replacing. Could use new tires in the next year.

woodyww · July 2005

Plus which, if the fancy dash light display goes out, it's like, what $2k-$3K to fix? (I think). And what you said about limited resale at 200K--it's already got limited resale at 175K--what's it worth at 200K--$2000-$2500? Also, there's tons of good indie mechanics who specialize in older bmw's, benzes, volvos, etc. With a Lexus, aren't you more a prisoner of the Lexus service dept?

oleg · July 2005

Hi Terry,

Looking for a fair trade-in value:

Providence, RI
isuzu axiom xs 4x4
3.5l v6
36600mi
color: blue
fully loaded
option: NAV, TOW package,parktronik

I wood like to trade to Nissan murano 2004SL AWD with touring package 100mi( it is new leftover). Can you also tell me if 28000$ is good price for Murano.

Thanks a lot . Oleg

dillydill · July 2005

Hello,

A friend is interested in buying this from an independant store.

Located in Central MA
1995
Honda Del Sol SI 2dr coupe/targa
1.6 4 cylinder MANUAL 5 speed
136 K Miles
FWD
Black with gray cloth
alloy wheels, ac,

Haven't yet seen it but was wondering if there is no paint by numbers or Taliban interior and all maitenance is up to date what is a good price for both.

He is asking 4995

It says online the VIN is

JHMEH6162SS007736

Thanks for the help

Mr_Shiftright · July 2005

What does the word really mean?

corvette · July 2005

I saw one of these today in Central Kentucky. Really uncommon cars, but neat, and it's funny that we've been talking about them recently.

rroyce10 · July 2005

.. **..what gives ol' wise one of the deep green walking course????** ...

"Deep green walking course" ... were talking about golf, right.?

aaah, I must be having a blonde moment .......

I have no idea why Edmunds doesn't have 2005's on their list ... me.? I'm already buying and selling 2006's ....... how about a nice 06 CLS500 Benz for those Sunday go to meetin's in..? ...l.o.l.....

Terry.

rroyce10 · July 2005

.. **Thank you and yes, everyone was ok. What would the trade in value be without the accident?** ...

BA .....? (before the accident) ..... probably in and around the tall $20ish figure, maybe the low low low low low low low low low low (did someone say low.?) low low low $21ish figure .... the miles would hold this one back ...

Terry.

autonuts · July 2005

I had the '99 4Runner SR5 checked out (bumper to bumper) by the Toyota dealer. Everything checked out great! Not a single problem mechanically or anything. The glove box issue I stated in earlier posts, which by the way I didn't feel were that difficult to find, is a common issue with this particular design. It isn't broke just very loose and I will replace this and the cupholder. The interior as a whole is in very good shape, I was only pointing out the misses. I think after looking on KBB as well as Edmunds TMV, that the price I paid was extremely fair. $11,150 after the seller took $100 off for the inspection seemed really good. I'm not sure who made the comment, but 83,000mi. on a Toyota isn't high miles for a '99. I'm very happy with my purchase and hope to be one of those owners who report back when I have 200,000mi.

steine13 · July 2005

I posted this mistakenly in the ebay discussion, so I'm reposting and cleaning it up... was a bit in a hurry, see...

I looked at this today at work for one of our post-Docs: 2002 Prizm, white, base 3spd, crank windows but air and power locks.

Some foreign dude -- I should be talking about "furners" -- pulls up in this thing, which appears to be pretty straight from the auction, with a GMAC sticker still in the windshield. He told our post-doc that he's a car dealer, but he's got private plates on the car... he also doesn't know from cars, as becomes apparent pretty quickly. Well, that's his problem.

I checked it out stem-to-stern... it was kinda hinky:
No hits as far as I can tell. All VIN stickers there, no clamp marks or anything, the fender bolts looked original. OK.
But the template in the door jamb that has the manuf date was missing. Someone peeled it off...??? Never seen that before.

The rear left turn signal isn't working, and someone pulled all the covers off on the inside but didn't replace the $2 bulb..?

The tranny looks and smells OK, but the engine oil dipstick is just coated in waxy brown buildup, and the cyl head looks like a 70k car, not 36k. Not black, no goo, and no chunks, but nothing like *my* cars, which tend to be silverish rather than honey-colored under the valve cover. I'm guessing "once-a-year'" oil changes, cuz it's just leased.

The valve cover has a plastic lid that has been off (why???) and is held on with 3 of four bolts ..?? it rattles when you drive.

Other than that, it's OK; I'm not fond of the 3spd, but it drives alright, makes the right power and sounds, makes cold air to hang beef, and seems to be in ok shape. Smoker's car but you can barely tell... Only noticed it when I pulled out the ashtray.

Oh, it needs new tires, the old ones are so bad they have totally round shoulders, and the car goes down the road funny because of it.

My friend still likes it, so he's taking it to a competent shop to have it looked at.... the thing is, the guy is asking $6 for it, and that's a really good price as near as I can tell in the present market. So I encouraged him to pursue it so long as he has it checked out. It seems like last year and even earlier, you could buy nice, equipped, 4sp 01s for $6ish from a GM dealer of your choice. Now the stripped '02s in good shape have $9 asking prices.

I told him, I'd get a $4,800 Taurus (02 SE, off-lease from the state, with 90k "hiway" miles) instead and have a *real* car. But that's just me.

Boy, this got long.

What do y'all think?
Ta -Mathias

rroyce10 · July 2005

....... Congrats ...... enjoy the 4-Runner ...

Terry.

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