Quick! Rust Experts Weigh In!

[Globalksp]

Thanks all for your thoughts and replies. I slept on it last night and awoke leaning more toward a no go.

Aside from being interested in a good deal, which this may or may not be at $5,500, I'm always a sucker for a good/honest/ginuwine seller who is offering what appears to be a good deal. And without a doubt, that's what this is.

I have a bit more adventurous / foolhardy / you only live once outlook on life than a lot of folks I meet so that impromptu road trip across the southern US is actually appealing. That said, I ran the numbers and here's what buying that Mazda 3 would come to:

Purchase $5,500
Insurance $77 (+$11 /month)
Sales Tax: $228.25
Registration: $41
Total: $5,846

Flight = $5.60 (CHO->LAX or SAN) **would be using miles so only paying a small fee**
Gas = $211
Hotels = $200
Food = $75
Total: $561

Grand Total: $6,407

Even if I got it back here and could sell it for $7K, it still probably isn't worth it.

I posted another thread a while back on this forum called The Psychology of Vehicle Ownership... perhaps we should start looking into the psychology of car buying.

For anyone who is interested, here's the eBay ad: http://www.ebay.com/itm/132065987389?ul_noapp=true

 

[Vikas]

Have his photograph all the quarter panels. Those are the ones which start rusting prematurely on Mazdas.

 

[Vikas]

The problem with having to fly there means you are essentially committed to purchase it regardless of you find wrong with the car during the real inspection. I am glad that you decided to NOT go with this deal.

 

[Lolvoguy]

Originally Posted By: JC1
Originally Posted By: eljefino
I'd pass just because the rust you see is always less than the rust you get.

And as a seller they're framing the rust to be like, ooh, rust, while hiding the worst behind a camera flash shadow or whatever.

If you're dead set, find a mazda specific forum and figure out the most tender spots.

With a plane ticket involved, you'd have more into this than a local buyer.


+1.

Those Mazda's are known for being rust buckets around the rear wheels. I'd pass for this reason alone. Unless your only going to keep the car a few years.


Sorry, but within that few years you'll see rust appear faster than you can imagine.

 

[dareo]

A deal like this would be good for someone putting an obscene amount of highway miles on, like over 40k a year. That person could wear the car out before the rust is a real problem.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: NoNameJoe
Originally Posted By: JTK
That door skin crimp rust kind of sucks, but this is an 11yr old car. Your not going to stop that corrosion, only slow it down at best.

I'd just scrape the rust off, touch up paint over it and call it a day.

I would too. This would last a year, maybe two living in NY. I've been down that road several times with my daily drivers.