Need opinion on a used car purchase

[surfstar]

Originally Posted By: pacem
The owner says they have a $1100 offer for it but they will honor a $1000 price for me.


What a deal! Sounds like a used car salesman. I could get extra money, but instead I'll loose 10% just to give you the deal.
You'd be money and headaches ahead if you gave a buddy $500 to hit you in the back of the head.


This thing will be a money and time pit. $1000 is 2x too much, as everyone has said.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: TrevorS
So nobody thinks the newish engine, transmission and other parts can be sold for a profit?


Not for $1000 for the vehicle. At $500 you might be able to turn a profit parting it out, but it's probably more hassle than it is worth. The body will be worth much less without the engine and trans, so scrap value of what remains might be $250-$300 optimistically. Then you have to get someone to pay at least $500 for a used engine and trans. Might get a couple hundred for each if you separate them, and there's a lot of labor involved. Just not worth it.

The offer of $1100 sounds like total [censored]. If someone offered me $1100 for a high mileage, 16 year old common SUV that doesn't drive, I'd jump on it before they change their mind. Nobody has offered him $1100 for it.

 

[spasm3]

Originally Posted By: TrevorS
So nobody thinks the newish engine, transmission and other parts can be sold for a profit?


They are newish, the op said the engine had 90k when installed 3 YEARS AGO, the trans had 60k when installed three years ago.

 

[The_Jeff]

Originally Posted By: spasm3
Originally Posted By: TrevorS
So nobody thinks the newish engine, transmission and other parts can be sold for a profit?


They are newish, the op said the engine had 90k when installed 3 YEARS AGO, the trans had 60k when installed three years ago.


Without receipts or even with them will be hard to add value.

I just bought a rusted out cavalier for $350 for the engine, and heard the engine run. And drove it home. I'd have a harder time buying an engine off some dude's garage floor.

An engine with 3 years on it will have surface rust and grime and will be hard to distinguish from a factory original.

 

[spasm3]

Originally Posted By: spasm3
Originally Posted By: TrevorS
So nobody thinks the newish engine, transmission and other parts can be sold for a profit?


They are newish, the op said the engine had 90k when installed 3 YEARS AGO, the trans had 60k when installed three years ago.


I meant to type they AREN'T newish!

 

[pacem]

well, engine was installed new 3 years ago and now has 90K miles.

it's a 16 year old SUV with 260K+ miles and a rear end that needs complete replacement, and an engine that cost 2.5K to buy and I am sure 1500 to install, and similar for transmission. A money pit I am sure.

all the similar SUV in the 4K range all seem to be in the 180K mile range, which means the transmission is ready to go out.

 

[surfstar]

Find a 4runner if you need true SUV. My sis bought hers (1998) used with 115k miles, never touched the transmission (as in no fluid changes!) and its got 340k currently. Needed a U-joint once and shocks, everything else simply routine maintenance (and some would put the shocks under that for sure too). Brother had over 250k miles on his trans when the 4runner got totaled. Those things seem to be rock solid (3.4L V6 / trans)

Look at Saturn Vues if you can get by with a CUV - they depreciate a ton and are a good used value. Don't buy one with a CVT auto, though.

 

[01rangerxl]

Those are totally different classes of SUV. If the OP needs a tow rig, an Expedition is a far better choice than a tipsy, 190 HP 4Runner.

Lots of Expeditions go well over 300,000 miles with few issues, but clearly based on the history, this isn't one of them. This one was probably owned by the "I HAVE TO HAVE AN SUV FOR KIDS AN WALMART LOL" crowd, and so it's a ragged out nasty piece of junk.

 

[Barkleymut]

If it has the 4.6L engine then run from this car. If it has the 5.4L engine then go running and screaming away from this car.