Sorry im not sure if this the right forum section to post? but I didn't find any other place.
Wondering what this 98 corolla is worth... I already gone through KBB but I have some circumstances I would like an option on...
140k miles
98 corolla LE
5spd
2 owners
1st owner drove it about 130?
2nd (present) drove it about 10k mainly to school and back.
my friend test drove it for me b/c i wasn't as familiar with manual. I was in the car while it was being driven.. it runs and feels fine..
however brakes pulsate a bit during hard braking... based on records pads were changed in 2008 @ 119k... so im assuming i would prob need new rotos and pads and possibly caliber?
my freind said the clutch feels tight... and he can't feel it going into the other gears --- i dunno what that means but he says i prob need a new one... from what i know clutch was only changed once... the owner says you can just adjust the clutch to make it feel looser... not sure if its possible or makes sense
otherwise.. there are some interior defects... left light signal doesnt work but works on exterior... defogger button gets stuck at times... trouble opening hood ... the molding (or w/e u call it) is coming off on the inside... various dings and sractches on side and bumper was hit a while back (no dents)
b/c the owner is leaving hte country & lack of time on me... he has lowered the price all the way down to 2600 as is... now he priced it fairly high at 3400... i believe he doesn't know the value of cars all too well.. he just went by KBB and overestimated what his car is worth... in my opinoin his car is probably a FAIR condition (based on KBB)...
now if i put lets say 500 into it and fix those "known" problems... it will coem to 3k... and IMO its probably not worth it... b/c there might be other probs under the hood... flush trans oil.. radiator etc..
so am i missing anything? or is my train of thought ok?
Go with your gut on this one - if you feel the guy is charging too much, not worth it to you - just let that car go.
You are correct, IMO, too many problems for that price range. You can find others in better shape for that price. No sense in worrying about what to fix. If you don't feel comfortable with a standard shift, don't buy one - that is just a recipe for problems down the road.
Sure, you can learn, but you could miss something during the test drive. Also, I would not trust anyone else in test driving the car for me, unless your friend is willing to buy the car off your hands if it becomes trouble.
Well yep its overcharged and i've seen worser ones but hey if you really like it and want it just go for it and try to offer him 2000 firm that you'll take it and if not than forget about it.
ALWAYS have a used car inspected, unless you want to just throw away money.
From the sounds of it, more and more problems are being found with the car. That is a automatic pass on the car. I wouldn't even think that $500 would be decent price for that car.
Make, model, year, and overall size of the car has very little bearing on how long a car will last - more on how that particular car was maintained during its lifetime. You stay ontop of the maintenance, the car has a good chance to last a long time. Your description of the car (especially rust and non-functional parts) shows that the car was poorly maintained - definitely pass on the car and look for something else.
I looked at the 98' just about two years ago my daughter currently drives. payed $2,100.00 two years ago. Less miles, new brakes all around good body, no rust, auto, decent tires, good stereo, working A/C. Ask to see the carfax on the thing before going any further. If he says 'now way' on the carfax, walk away.
I say $15-1800.00 tops. There are other car value websites to look at. It sounds like it will need more work than what is visible once you start driving it everyday. Remember wideload-"let the buyer beware!" ( especially since he is leaving the country!!) If you rush-buy this you will regret it.
im getting the car checked out today by a mechanic... his asking is 2800 (which i think is still too high)... let's say the repairs are like 500... and i talk him down to 2k... so i guess the total cost would actually be 2500.
are you guys saying like 1800 / 1500 ish... should be the cost before fixing the problems or after? if i can talk him down... depending on the repair cost... what should my final target price be (post-fix)
If you can do the brakes yourself, that will save some$.
You need estimates on the clutch and brakes. Price for new de-fog switch, internal signal lamps. If you can't do any of the work yourself, it may be too much to put into a car.
IMHO, I still think it needs to be $1800-$2000 tops, before work. It's not your fault that the car need all of this work, it the seller's. Might be worth it if there is no valve knock, good tires, no major rust, no alignment needed.
Get the CARFAX before buying!!!!! Don't forget to look up that actual value of the car with Blue Book on line.
left turn signal light out on dash
right turn signal light out on dash
left signal blinks really fast ( i think the signal lights work outside as i tested them before)
tire belt shifted
power steering pump leaking
brakes gone rotors and pads
muffler flanges leaking
rear shoes done
this doesn't include new tires and some other misc items
also the mech never checked the clutch... he said u can't?? wth??
anyway... im assuming repairs are about at least 1000... some more crucial than others as they wont be able to pass inspection.
i offered the guy 1800 and he said no ... came back with 2200... and i said no
There no way to check the clutch without pulling the engine or trans ( unless it is already malfunctioning), but at 140000 it could be getting pretty thin. 8th gen also have the oil burning problem to consider, and its hard to tell if it burns oil unless you drive it for a while or you are good at reading plugs.
Pass - let this car go. Has way too many problems for almost any amount of money.
If you are dead set on getting the car - I'd offer $500, seriously - not worth any more than that. To get all that stuff fixed at a shop - you'll be easily looking at $1500 to $2500 - assuming they don't find anything else. Do all the work yourself, might be able to get it done for less than a $1000 - again, assuming that you don't find out anything else and are able to do the work yourself.
All those items that the mechanic found are simple, normal maintenance items. If the original owner didn't even take the time to take care of the simple / inexpensive tasks, I shudder to think of the condition of more critical engine and powertrain components are.
Just start looking at another car - this one isn't worth even a second glance.
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( especially since he is leaving the country!!) If you rush-buy this you will regret it.
Don't forget to look up that actual value of the car with Blue Book on line.
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