Alright, here's the ad I was referring to the other day:
http://baltimore.craigslist.org/pts/2063155704.html
She has 270,000 miles
Transmission rebuilt 6000 miles ago
Plenty of tread left on tires
Radiator and alternator replaced 10k miles ago.
(all of which I'm told: haven't been able to see it yet)
My 1990 colony park has 116,000 miles.
Lots of things have already went: transmission on mine was rebuilt 6000 miles ago also, all new window motors, new radiator, and now the lock actuators are starting to go (might try to rebuild from scratch
).
It was his fathers car. Guy wants $500. He seems sadly quite firm on that, and was deeply offended when I suggested I might have more like $300 in mind, even not having seen it.
What I would use, really, are just 2 bits of trim that are dented on my own car, and the 4 wheels as I need new tires anyway.
However, I don't even know how much (or how little) tread is on them anyway, just his word before I see it (new tires = 11/32" generally?) and of course, there will be no warranty.
At 270,000 miles, I seriously doubt any window motors or door lock actuators are in any better condition than my own, unless his father had them replaced in the last 50,000 miles-- but he can't say at all about that. No records or paperwork of any kind, is the impression I'm getting, when I asked about a warranty on those tires or that transmission... I'll have to see for myself.
Finally, while he's very defensive about that recent "$1000 transmission," I think he's forgetting that it was probably a $500 rebuild + $500 to install, and I'll have to uninstall it (yup, a fun friday after thanksgiving for me, on my back, with only a jack and jackstands) to use it, and then keep it in my garage for quite a number of years until my own transmission gives up the ghost a 2nd time, or, try to sell on craigslist for probably not that much $$.
If it is towing package, it would have more I can use. I don't see a trailer hitch, and he doesn't know: what would I look for?
Obviously this is adding up to, I'm very unsure about taking on a parts car and spending my holiday weekend stripping it, only to store parts for the future, taking up space in the garage.
I'm thinking, better by far to only replace parts as I well and truly need them, and if I feel I need a 2nd set of wheels for winter tires, go to crazy rays and pay $120 for all four; and pay $30 for the two pieces of trim, and not have to deal with the rest of the shell of the car sitting on my driveway, trying to find a towing company that will take a car with no wheels.
Would you agree with that stance?
Take my $500, put $400 into a set of quality tires that'll last the rest of the life of this car, and take another $40 and just buy the 2 pieces of trim that I need?
I'm still tempted... for $500 I get a WHOLE CAR. But then I'll blow this entire weekend pulling parts off of it, and another weekend trying to sell what I don't need, and another weekend trying to find where to store all that sh*t in the basement for the day years from now that I might need it... it's very tempting to become a packrat!
Or, while $500 I suspect is well and truly overpriced for a 21yr old, nonrunning, 270,000 mile car, what would you offer for it?
Maybe let him sit on it for 2 weeks and call him back, after he's gotten no interest, or other "lowballers" like me
http://baltimore.craigslist.org/pts/2063155704.html
She has 270,000 miles
Transmission rebuilt 6000 miles ago
Plenty of tread left on tires
Radiator and alternator replaced 10k miles ago.
(all of which I'm told: haven't been able to see it yet)
My 1990 colony park has 116,000 miles.
Lots of things have already went: transmission on mine was rebuilt 6000 miles ago also, all new window motors, new radiator, and now the lock actuators are starting to go (might try to rebuild from scratch
).It was his fathers car. Guy wants $500. He seems sadly quite firm on that, and was deeply offended when I suggested I might have more like $300 in mind, even not having seen it.
What I would use, really, are just 2 bits of trim that are dented on my own car, and the 4 wheels as I need new tires anyway.
However, I don't even know how much (or how little) tread is on them anyway, just his word before I see it (new tires = 11/32" generally?) and of course, there will be no warranty.
At 270,000 miles, I seriously doubt any window motors or door lock actuators are in any better condition than my own, unless his father had them replaced in the last 50,000 miles-- but he can't say at all about that. No records or paperwork of any kind, is the impression I'm getting, when I asked about a warranty on those tires or that transmission... I'll have to see for myself.
Finally, while he's very defensive about that recent "$1000 transmission," I think he's forgetting that it was probably a $500 rebuild + $500 to install, and I'll have to uninstall it (yup, a fun friday after thanksgiving for me, on my back, with only a jack and jackstands) to use it, and then keep it in my garage for quite a number of years until my own transmission gives up the ghost a 2nd time, or, try to sell on craigslist for probably not that much $$.
If it is towing package, it would have more I can use. I don't see a trailer hitch, and he doesn't know: what would I look for?
Obviously this is adding up to, I'm very unsure about taking on a parts car and spending my holiday weekend stripping it, only to store parts for the future, taking up space in the garage.
I'm thinking, better by far to only replace parts as I well and truly need them, and if I feel I need a 2nd set of wheels for winter tires, go to crazy rays and pay $120 for all four; and pay $30 for the two pieces of trim, and not have to deal with the rest of the shell of the car sitting on my driveway, trying to find a towing company that will take a car with no wheels.
Would you agree with that stance?
Take my $500, put $400 into a set of quality tires that'll last the rest of the life of this car, and take another $40 and just buy the 2 pieces of trim that I need?
I'm still tempted... for $500 I get a WHOLE CAR. But then I'll blow this entire weekend pulling parts off of it, and another weekend trying to sell what I don't need, and another weekend trying to find where to store all that sh*t in the basement for the day years from now that I might need it... it's very tempting to become a packrat!
Or, while $500 I suspect is well and truly overpriced for a 21yr old, nonrunning, 270,000 mile car, what would you offer for it?
Maybe let him sit on it for 2 weeks and call him back, after he's gotten no interest, or other "lowballers" like me
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