I'm planning to buy a white 03 corolla LE for $4,000.. It has about 125k miles and was used by a company for business travel..
The body is in pretty decent shape, no major dings or dents.. Interior could use a little detaling , but its not too rough.. It was in an accident, Passenger side door was hit, but no structural damage.. Mechanically, its in pretty good condition.. AC works and so does everything else.. I forgot to check, but I"m certain it also has cruise control too, which i'm looking for as well..
On price alone, that's a pretty good deal. But I'd have a few more questions.
Who is selling the car? Is it on a lot somewhere, or is the business selling it themselves? Are service records available? How long ago was the accident damage repaired, and was it done at a reputable shop? I'd want to put the car on a lift and take a good look underneath and check everything out (you can pay for a used car inspection at many repair garages).
If everything seems okay, it's most likely a good deal. I'd make sure to change the spark plugs, engine oil, transmission oil, and all filters when I got it. You never know how old some of that stuff is.
Original asking price was $5K.. I offered $3K, but we settled on $4K.. The car is being sold by an Appraisal company that used it to drive around to appraise real estate properties.. Now that the market is down, business is slow which is why they want to sell the car..
There is some presence of rust coming down from the rear passenger side door handle.. This indicates to me that there was work done to it and somewhere under there, there is exposed metal that is beginning to rust, which is causing it to run down the door. It can be wiped off from the paint surface w/ some cleaner/degreaser.. I'm assuming this door was damaged from the accident and that's why I wanted to get the repair shop's info so I can see if they will warranty their work/labor.. Alot of shops do that, but we'll see if this one does.. Aside from that, theres no obvious structural damage to the B pillar. I also checked the VIN tags on these parts and they all still match the vehicle's vin..
I work on cars, so I'm not too concerned about minor issues.. Oil change, plugs and the regular tune up things will be done just to get a good starting reference point and piece of mind.. I just want a cheap and reliable commute vehicle as this will be my daily driver/ winter beater.. My summer car is a 2004 Honda S2000..
KBB has this car around $8000 retail and about 5500 from a private party.. So in general, it does seem like a good deal as well..
It should be an excellent car for you. I use mine as my commuter also, and get over 35 MPG with it on a mostly city cycle. Mine's a 5-speed, and that helps a lot. I've been able to get as good as 38 MPG with it driving it easy.
Unlike most Japanese engines, Toyota's 1ZZ-FE doesn't use a timing belt, but a chain. You're typically good to go for life with the chain. No maintenance issues like that to worry about.
picked up the car today and washed it tonight.. MAN , it looks practically BRAND NEW!! The paint is still nice and shiny..
good man, congrats
Quote:
Originally Posted by JasonA
It should be an excellent car for you. I use mine as my commuter also, and get over 35 MPG with it on a mostly city cycle. Mine's a 5-speed, and that helps a lot. I've been able to get as good as 38 MPG with it driving it easy.
Unlike most Japanese engines, Toyota's 1ZZ-FE doesn't use a timing belt, but a chain. You're typically good to go for life with the chain. No maintenance issues like that to worry about.
even though the timing chain isn't an issue the water pump is, replacing it is a bish
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