Just wondering if I should buy this car. Any advice is appreciated. Apparently the only thing that is not good is that it has 260000 miles on it. Just can't see a regular guy driving so many miles in 5 years.

hrrrm...that is a lot of miles.

 

 

I dunno...price isn't bad for the year...worst thing that could happen is you buy a new engine/trans and have a nice car.

 

 

As long as the body is good i'd concider it.

I see you are in toronto is that miles or KM??

 

either way its alot, BUT, if the car doesnt burn alot of oil or other fluids and the suspension isnt all shot I'd personally go for it.

 

If the suspension is all creaky and it leaks everywhere, I'd probably pass unless you want to rebuild the car.

Offer like $2.5k and see what he says.

 

A new engine and trans. are a bit expensive...but it'd be like a new car if the body is all well...heh...i'd go for it

So 2 questions need answering:

 

1) km or miles

and

$US or $CAN

If the guy built up all that butt time delivering mail, or newspapers or even worse, pizzas ... be afraid, be very afraid. OTOH, if he was a road warrior and had accounts out in Alberta and the thing ran at 70mph for hours at a stretch, they almost don't count (assuming regular and timely maintenance).

 

Our '00 Legacy had 100,000 miles on it by it's 13th month of life. The dealer sold it to me really cheap because everyone was afraid of it. I figgered NO ONE could put those miles on except on the interstates, so I went for it. It's been the best car I've ever had, up to 146,000 now and nary a hint of a problem.

Is there a service history with the car?

 

One of my first questions would be, were the head gaskets ever replaced? Or any major engine or drivetrain work done?

 

I have a 97 OB with 382k km now. Other than an engine failure at 260k km and a couple of rear wheel bearings, it's holding up pretty good. I'm in need of rear struts right now.

 

I'm not normally scared off by high mileage, but I am leary of the head gaskets on the Phase I 2.5L engines.

 

Commuter

With that kind of mileage, you could be looking at the stuff commuter mentioned, along with CV joints and differential.

It's in US$ and miles....thought most people here were American...It is a Canadian winter driven car though.

 

The car is in mint condition bodywise and don't smell like pizza ... and passed the etest if that means anything???....perhaps the engine is still good??

 

I am going to take a look at it again and ask the guy more questions that have been raised here...but I feel the deal may be gone soon...lots of people looking at it.

You could also query about when the last timing belt change was. You are at 418k km. In Canada, the TB is suppose to be changed every 96k (ie last one at 384k). This is a fairly expensive service (add in crank and cam seals, oil pump servicing, possible water pump, idler or tensioner maybe... $1000...) This would influence how much I'd put out for the vehicle.

 

Commuter

 

97 OB, 383k km and counting...