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Re: First-time buyer Buying a '91 9000S. Is it a deal or dump? Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Mon, 11 Jun 2001 15:55:11
In Reply to: First-time buyer Buying a '91 9000S. Is it a deal or dump?, Kate, Mon, 11 Jun 2001 14:09:38 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Price sounds about right. As the others have said, check out Quasi's site for do's and don'ts. Weak spots would be the air conditioning compressor, heater core, blower motor, and motor mounts.
That said, you're looking to buy a car for $2,500 that cost over $25,000 new. It's unreasonable to spend $2,500 for *any* car and expect it to be totally reliable, or not require repair. No car has cheap parts these days - yes some are less expensive, but they all cost $$$. An equivalent Toyota or Honda will also have many, many miles on it, and despite the press, they do require work.
If it's a good, solid car, then it's a good price and a good deal. The non-turbo is fine with an manual (I think it's slow with an auto). You'll be getting a luxury car that can haul major appliances, and one that will keep you safer than the majority of cars out there in a crash.
Having walked away from a head-on into a bridge abuttment in my 900, I replaced it with a 9000. Will it take more maintenance than an equivalent Toyota or the like? Probably a little more. Will the 9000 carry more? You betcha. Will it perform better - depends if we're talking Maxima or Corolla here, but probably. But statistics show that the 9000 has the lowest fatality rate of any car. Maybe that's due to the folks that drive them, but I've seen just as many a**holes in 9000s as in any other car.
If improving my chances in a car crash mean I do a few more repairs, then I'll do the repairs.
Given that, my '92 9000 has been totally, completely, and utterly trouble-free. All I've ever done is regular maintenance and replacing normal wear items - oil, coolant brake fluid, tires, thermostat, spark plugs, and valve cover gasket. My '88's have required more work, but then they get driven harder and are older.
Maintenance is the key. You want to find a car that has been maintained by a fanatic. You want the oil changed regularly, the coolant replaced every three years, the brake fluid flushed every two to three years. Not only does that mean the important bits will last longer, it means the previous owner fixed things when they went wrong, or even better, before that. If someone was sloppy about having the oil changed regularly, then what else hasn't been done?
Don't get fooled by a great paint job and nice interior. Yes, those are great, but they don't mean a great car. I've know plenty of folks that will spend $75 to detail a car, but won't spend the $4 for a new fuel filter - they'll steam clean the engine, but the hell with maintaining it. In my experience, it's always easier to sell a good looking car than to sell a good running car - I had a girlfiend that sold a great looking car with a siezed engine, and nobody seemed to notice.
If a car looks good, and the mechanicals are sound, great. But there are many cars out there with great mechanicals, but a few dings from a shopping cart and a little faded paint. Those cars will drive just as well and keep you just as safe, but will cost thousands less because everybody wants the beauty, the heck with the contents. A less-than-perfect car is also very freeing - you can take that narrow parking space near the door instead of out in the boondocks, and you can drive the car in a snowstorm and not sweat another pebble kicked up by the plow.
Look for a solid car with a good maintenance record. If a dealer has serviced it, ask them to print out the service record. They will. Look for breaks in service, but also look for regular maintenance of all systems, not just oil changes. If all you have on service is somebody's say-so, then walk away. WAIT for a car with good records that's in sound shape - they're out there, and worth waiting for. Much better than buying a heap of trouble. This is true for any car, Saab, Mercedes, or Hyundai. If you're willing to buy a car with a few dings, you'll greatly increase the available pool of cars, and spend MUCH less. Buy a car in good mechanical shape - don't buy a car that needs work. That trick is for experienced mechanics that know the breed, and even then they get burned. If one or two big things are wrong, then you can bet a bunch of other things are too, just under the surface. If the owner was willing to drive it with a few things broken, what are you missing?
Good luck!
, Mon, 11 Jun 2001 15:55:11 <-- Viewing This Message
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