Considering a purchase, need opinions

[benhogan]

$5000 seems like an ok price. I like the fact that it has high miles. I don't care for garage queens.

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/1682399966.html

[450slcguy]

Originally Posted by benhogan

$5000 seems like an ok price. I like the fact that it has high miles. I don't care for garage queens.

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/1682399966.html

The ad by itself is basically worthless. Runs great, no rust mean nothing based on a sellers opinion. Any car can look good from 20 feet away. The only way to evaluate a car is to see it in person and know what to look for. Anything else is just seller hype and meaningless.

That said, if the car is in decent condition body and mechanical, the price is decent. Even so, expect to drop at least a couple thousand into it after purchasing it. At that mileage, many things will need to be gone over.

Specifcally, check out the timing chain and guides, steering/suspension, and exhaust. If they haven't been redone previously, your into $3000 right there.

[benhogan]

I emailed the owner to inquire. He does not sound like an enthusiast. He got oil changes does at the quickie lube and repair work at Good Year.

Yikes! I will pass.


His response......
Yes it is still available, we have owned the car for 5-6 years Mostly any service was done at oil change place. Had other work done at a good year dealer.

[Jack M]

To me, aside from seeing and driving the car, would be to see how much mileage did the current owner put on it and if you can find the previous owner. Mine, an ebay car, was actually previously owned by a Mercedes Mechanic and he did it all.

My seller bought it at auction and did a bit of body work. ( really pro work) Found it just 20 miles from home. Best of luck, take people with you, look at everything, make list of what does not work, esp the A.C.

J

[Skid Row Joe]

Originally Posted by benhogan

$5000 seems like an ok price. I like the fact that it has high miles. I don't care for garage queens.

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/1682399966.html

Were I you, I would have bought it like yesterday!

Great looking, well cared for car - from all indications.

Hope you get it....and it passes your inspection.

[ctaylor738]

I wouldn't get scared off by oil changes at Jiffy Lube or service at a Goodyear store. The complicated parts of the 107s are the climate control and the injection/idle control. So you need to be sure that those work. The rest of the engine, suspension, brakes, and steering are pretty basic and should not be a problem for a good shop with an Alldata subscription.

You might want to inquire about the upper slide rails, timing chain, and tensioner, though.

[alabbasi]

Originally Posted by 450slcguy

The ad by itself is basically worthless. Runs great, no rust mean nothing based on a sellers opinion.

I tell you what, as someone who's listed a couple of cars recently on CL. I can tell you that It's full of dead beat tire kickers that will talk the leg of a donkey without any intention of ever buying.

99% of the time, it does not matter how much you write and how much details you put in, all you end up with is virtual tire kickers that email you asking for hundreds of pictures of each nook and cranny of the car with no intention of ever buying it, then they lob in a seriously low ball offer without even seeing the car in hope that you're desperate enough to sell.

At first, I stopped discussing pricing by email and if people ask for more pictures, i would tell them to come and see the car for themselves which would normally end the conversation quickly.

Recently, I've removed the Email link in my ad and just left the phone number which seemed to have cleared a lot more of the junk mail. If someone is not willing to call or come and see the car, then they're not a serious buyer.

Not to rant of course

[Skid Row Joe]

Originally Posted by alabbasi

I tell you what, as someone who's listed a couple of cars recently on CL. I can tell you that It's full of dead beat tire kickers that will talk the leg of a donkey without any intention of ever buying.

99% of the time, it does not matter how much you write and how much details you put in, all you end up with is virtual tire kickers that email you asking for hundreds of pictures of each nook and cranny of the car with no intention of ever buying it, then they lob in a seriously low ball offer without even seeing the car in hope that you're desperate enough to sell.

At first, I stopped discussing pricing by email and if people ask for more pictures, i would tell them to come and see the car for themselves which would normally end the conversation quickly.

Recently, I've removed the Email link in my ad and just left the phone number which seemed to have cleared a lot more of the junk mail. If someone is not willing to call or come and see the car, then they're not a serious buyer.

Not to rant of course

Not always.

Two years ago, I put an ad in CL without pictures of my antique Honda MC. After two weeks of tire kickers, a guy called and was so excited to buy the bike he could hardly wait until the next afternoon to bring the agreed to amount of cash to buy the bike. I was asking $3,250, and I told him that; "$3K would buy it." I got the cash, and he happily got the bike. I made over $1K profit over what I paid, and I rode it for a year. All it takes is the right buyer.

The 560SL is really sharp looking, but I'd try to get it for a little less, if it checked out.

[alabbasi]

Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe

Not always.

Two years ago, I put an ad in CL without pictures of my antique Honda MC. After two weeks of tire kickers, a guy called and was so excited to buy the bike he could hardly wait until the next afternoon to bring the agreed to amount of cash to buy the bike.

We're on the same page here. Serious buyers call and come over and perform their own inspection. Tire kickers ask for loads of picture and pointless questions that could easily be answered by coming to look.

Basically they waste your time because they have no interest in buying and therefore traveling to see the car will be a waste of their time.

[Skid Row Joe]

Originally Posted by alabbasi

We're on the same page here. Serious buyers call and come over and perform their own inspection. Tire kickers ask for loads of picture and pointless questions that could easily be answered by coming to look.

Basically they waste your time because they have no interest in buying and therefore traveling to see the car will be a waste of their time.

Since I haven't learned how to upload pictures - the buyer (and tire kickers) had no choice but to come see it - or forget it. I kindly stated each time that they would have to come see it.

It's almost a blessing to not have to take a jillion pictures then go through the motions of wasting time for the picture lookie loos, that would never come see it anyway.