Getting Tired of the Problems...Need Advice - Page 2

GTO JUDGE · 04-19-2008, 12:09 PM

Here is a true story a friend of mine just shared with me...

His brother in law recently purchased a "great condition" 1999 Cadillac off an old guy. Got a good deal for 5K. A day after having the car he noticed an oil puddle in his driveway. He took it to his garage for a diagnosis.

He was told there is 3 leaks, the major one being the main seals. The engine must be pulled at an estimate of 3-5K to fix the leaks. His brother in law said to the mechanic, I wonder if this guy knew there was a problem? The Mechanic responded, he sure did that car was just in here we are the ones that gave him an estimate to fix it.

He is now in the process of trying to dump the car.

Moral of the story... Get a used car checked out before you buy one.

fergyflyer · 04-19-2008, 12:47 PM

I usually follow this when buying a used car. I keep in mind that somone got rid of it for a reason. I then need to figure out what that reason was.

In the case of my Cavalier, they got rid of it because the wife was pregnant and they had a 1-1/2 year old and wanted a little bit bigger car with 4 doors. The dealer was willing to back that story up by showing me the sales contract for the Ford Fusion they bought. It was a manual transmission to top it off so I guess they like stickshifts.

I also asked to have them lift the car so I could look underneath it. I got them to show me the service work when they took it in. The front brakes were new, the back were at a little more than half and all they did was change the oil.

I also carfaxed it and it came up clean before I went to look at it.

With the Z06, I ignored most of this advice. I ignored the issues on the Carfax. I ignored my advice to never buy a car that has been modified. I ignored that the rear tires were at half and the fronts almost new meaning someone had been hard on it. I never figured out the reason the person traded it in. I got burnt. At least I got a good enough deal that I only lost $2000 on it in a 4 month period of time.

Here's what you need to take from this, you learned something and that education carried a price tag. The best education you get rarely comes free. You'll be wiser with the next purchase you make and hopefully won't repeat this error. Good luck with whatever you decide Yelo.

YeloTXGoat38 · 04-19-2008, 01:52 PM

Thanks, Ferg. Yep, learned my lesson. I bought it shortly after a divorce, when my credit was bad. It was my first muscle car, and all I know is that I saw it and wanted it. The price was right, and didn't really think much beyond that.

I can't imagine a Z06, I would have thought even less. I found an 03 Z06 with 50k miles on it for my buddy for 20k, had minor body damage. That car's been pretty good to him, and boy, is it a lot of fun to drive/ride in!

exwrx · 05-06-2008, 01:07 AM

I know... I sound like Benedict Arnold... as I love my car (06 Stealth Gray 6M). I sold my 02 WRX before buying a new GTO. My Subie spent 2.5 years of the 4.5 that I had it in the shop. Granted, it had STi engine transplant (jdm 2.0, rather than USDM 2.5), and a mod list that read like war and peace. I never thought I'd sell it. I spent over $7k the year before I sold it for $10.5K on parts and repairs. But man... I felt like an emancipated slave when I handed over the keys. Would I buy another used car?? Well, it depends. But on your topic, I'd say screw the cost, sell it. Money is replaceable, peace of mind, the stress it's on your life, and the constant love-hate relationship isn't worth keeping it. It's a car. After all has been said and done, you can always buy something better, and recover from the financial blow.

J.E.T. · 05-08-2008, 11:08 AM

Contact Krohn & Moss.........you can Google for a location near you. They handled my Magnuson-Moss action on my CTS and GM paid the fees. I don't know about used cars but they'll tell you real quick if you have a case.

JET