I am looking at a car on CL and I am trying to decide if it is a good price or not. It has 50k miles on it, and a reconditioned title. His original ad said clean title, and I don't consider these to be equivalent. The car is red and has some bumps and bruises on the rear passenger quarter. The rear bumper cover probably is going to need to be replaced due to scratches and such. He posted it at $4995, but said I could have it for $4500 as he has three people coming to look at it this weekend. Yet it has been on CL for almost a month

So, is it worth it or should I keep looking?

 

man looks like it was in a rough neighborhood. just keep in mind that that rear quarter panel is part of the uni-body, so it can't be replaced. If its not too far a drive, I'd check it out. you can always beat some other dude's car up on a test drive and say "no thanks"

oh **** thats an oregon plate, just noticed. If you're actually in SoCal, I'd say its too much of a hassle to drive all the way to Sandy

 

How about this one :(

1996 Mazda Miata

torn up leather seats, destroyed front bumper, squished rear tire, no shifter ****, for only $5000!

 

ask to take it to a body shop for a free estimate. then offer him the original 5000 minus the estimate, which would probally be about 2000.

 

funny thing is he IS a body shop. He said the dents didn't bother him so he never fixed them. I actually thought about offering full price if he fixed the problem areas.

 

My buddies a mechanic and drives an old rabbit with a bunch of problems. You never want to keep doing your job when you get home.

 

so true. It is a bit of a drive, but I would probably fly there and drive it back home. If I could get it for $4k I would probably send him a check and be on a plane this weekend, but I doubt he will go that low.

 

Tan top with leather. Does it have a Torsen? You've gotta consider the options to determine the value. Especially if you're looking for a swap candidate as you're going to be selling the hard parts anyway.

Frank

 

The dents in the fender can be fixed.

If I had to guess, id say about 500 - 600 in work.

 

If it doesn't have a torsen, then don't waste your time.

I would put it on an alignment rack, just to look at it. If it checks out and you have room to go either way (indicating a semi-straight body) then buy it.

On cars like ours, its not hard to total a car out, you could probably total mine out with a hail storm.

 

Looks like Aholiab dropped da ganj spliff on da carpet, mon.

 

That shifter must be hell on the palm.

 

it probably had an attachment for an amputee.

 

My car is a 99 tan top with leather and it does have the torsen. At least it did from the factory. Perhaps I should get some more information on this reconstructed title before going much further...

 

reconditioned title? get a carfax on that bitch. if the title truly is clean, then it doesn't matter.

 

reconditioned title when registered in CA comes out to salvage title. I guarantee it.
however, that is not a bad price. here in norcal a car like that would be up for sale for 5500-6000, even with a salvaged title. if you can talk him down to say 4000 to cover cost of flying there and driving back, its not a bad deal IMO. make sure you carfax it and take it to a shop to get checked out to make sure whatever was "reconditioned" was done properly.

 

Your research and mine are the same. Out of state reconditioned title = salvage in CA. If I was going to keep it, I wouldn't mind. But at this point I am not sure what is original, what is replaced and if it was replaced with the right parts. Salvage titles suck :(