Price Check Please
#16
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OK, so we had some free time after seeing santa with the kids and we go by the dealership. Being Sunday I knew they would be closed. At first I couldn't find the car and figured they had sold it as there was a buyer looking at it when we left on Saturday.
Then my wife spotted it in the service drive which was nice as it was under lights on flat pavement. The car was locked, but my wife and I searched the car for any signs of paintwork. We pulled back the rear quarter window rubber looking for paint lines, laid on the ground looking for over spary under the car, drips on the bottom edges of the rear bumber and absolutely nothing. The panel gaps are perfect when you run the tip of of your finger through them. This seems to be the real deal.
Then my wife figures out why it is in the service drive. There is a note on the dash board that says "Art, the car shakes at 65 to 75 mph, have mechanic drive it." Know I felt this too but it really feels like flat spotted/hard tires. Remember they are dated late 2004/early 2005.
I'm no expert, but I would swear this car has had zero body work. If it was in an accident it would have had to been due to hitting something hard with the suspension/tires. Either way the car is going to the dealer in the am. I know Tony at Carl's and will call him in the AM too. If there is floor board damage we'll see that on the lift. I'll add checking for air bag codes to the list as well. I'll keep everyone posted.
Then my wife spotted it in the service drive which was nice as it was under lights on flat pavement. The car was locked, but my wife and I searched the car for any signs of paintwork. We pulled back the rear quarter window rubber looking for paint lines, laid on the ground looking for over spary under the car, drips on the bottom edges of the rear bumber and absolutely nothing. The panel gaps are perfect when you run the tip of of your finger through them. This seems to be the real deal.
Then my wife figures out why it is in the service drive. There is a note on the dash board that says "Art, the car shakes at 65 to 75 mph, have mechanic drive it." Know I felt this too but it really feels like flat spotted/hard tires. Remember they are dated late 2004/early 2005.
I'm no expert, but I would swear this car has had zero body work. If it was in an accident it would have had to been due to hitting something hard with the suspension/tires. Either way the car is going to the dealer in the am. I know Tony at Carl's and will call him in the AM too. If there is floor board damage we'll see that on the lift. I'll add checking for air bag codes to the list as well. I'll keep everyone posted.
It is true these tires -- I have experience with N rated tires only on my Porsches -- will take a bit of a set if parked hot and if overnight temps drop down. Milder days and cooler nights seem to bring this about more often than hot days and warm nights or cold days and colder nights.
But upon startup and drive off the next day the bit of indistinct roughness goes away in a just a few blocks of driving. Unless the car someplace you can drive off car lot and onto highway and hit 65mph or more in just seconds (with cold engine/drivetrain too boot (shame!) I do not accept the cause as flat spotted tires.
Now I can tell you from experience with my Boxster that over inflated front tires will cause a high speed vibration that could be attributed to flat spotted tires. Just a few PSI over 29psi (the recommended cold inflation pressure for the 17" tires on my 02 Boxster) will cause this. It feels like some bit of imbalance and had it not appeared "out of the blue" I would have thought so, but the vibration was not present for a while then it was. I believe I had been playing with the tire pressures and put 2 and 2 together and lucky for me adjusted the tire pressures back to what they should be and the vibration symptom gone.
If tires are questionable or worse not even N rated, or even if they are N rated but the tires are different front to back, or side to side, I'd like to have new and correct tires mounted and load forced balanced and an alignment done then another test drive.
Not sure seller will go for this. You could try to negotiate a lower price by the amount this would cost, but my concern is the new tires, balance, alignment would not eliminate the shake or vibration. And the presence of this even after new tires, balancing and alignment, indicates something more serious underlying the cause of the symptoms.
Sincerely,
Macster.
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OK, Called Tony at Carl's Place. Luckily he had the VIN of the car that was messed up. It is not the same car.
Just need to get the car to the dealer or Indy for inspection. I'll keep you posted.
Just need to get the car to the dealer or Indy for inspection. I'll keep you posted.
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The car is at the dealer right now. Should be ready by 4:00pm.
All I can tell you is what the carfax shows. It was leased from 2/7/2002 to 8/16/2005. That works out to a 42 month lease. then is looks like it sat at the dealer until 10/12/02005. Carfax says another lease was issued. The car was traded in to the dealer on 12/7/2009. A 50 month lease I guess.
The carfax shows it was last registered on 10/19/2006. The dealer shows a service for a RMS in 2007 and battery and oil change in 2008. The mileage is only slightly higher today than it was in 2008. The tires look brand new, but they are dated 2004/2005. The brake pads have 7mm left on them. All signs are pointing the milage being accurate.
I've asked the dealer to specificaly list any fault codes, over rev codes, air bag codes and the total engine running hours. The car appears to have simply been an executive car of some sort for its entire life. All the dates and milegae seem to be adding up and I can't see where the car has been damaged.
Here is the original craigslist ad. You can see the trade pencil writing on the window:
http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/ctd/1499621940.html
All I can tell you is what the carfax shows. It was leased from 2/7/2002 to 8/16/2005. That works out to a 42 month lease. then is looks like it sat at the dealer until 10/12/02005. Carfax says another lease was issued. The car was traded in to the dealer on 12/7/2009. A 50 month lease I guess.
The carfax shows it was last registered on 10/19/2006. The dealer shows a service for a RMS in 2007 and battery and oil change in 2008. The mileage is only slightly higher today than it was in 2008. The tires look brand new, but they are dated 2004/2005. The brake pads have 7mm left on them. All signs are pointing the milage being accurate.
I've asked the dealer to specificaly list any fault codes, over rev codes, air bag codes and the total engine running hours. The car appears to have simply been an executive car of some sort for its entire life. All the dates and milegae seem to be adding up and I can't see where the car has been damaged.
Here is the original craigslist ad. You can see the trade pencil writing on the window:
http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/ctd/1499621940.html
Last edited by kevjandon; 12-21-2009 at 06:00 PM.
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Here is the skinny.
6,000 plus type one over revs.
zero type two over revs.
rear main seal is leaking again.
How the hell do you hit 6,000 red lines?
The motor had 700ish hours so the milege is right. But damn, a redline every 8 minutes/4 miles.
I'm out. back to looking
6,000 plus type one over revs.
zero type two over revs.
rear main seal is leaking again.
How the hell do you hit 6,000 red lines?
The motor had 700ish hours so the milege is right. But damn, a redline every 8 minutes/4 miles.
I'm out. back to looking
![typing](https://rennlist.com/forums/graemlins/yltype.gif)