hey all, im about to buy an ae92 coupe and want to know if there is anything i should look for and expect to go wrong with it. it's an '88 SR5 w/ 97k miles. i plan on taking it to a mechanic to check it out before i offer him a price but are there any things that are likely to need to be fixed immediatly or soon? any easily identifiable problems i may run into or that i should be aware of? it has some minor body damage and according to the ad it (needs minor work but ios a solid car". i've never bought a car before, so i want to hear from the ppl who have b efore what i should expect fromt he vehicle. also, i wanted to know what i should expect to pay for if it checks out w/ the mechanic. i plan on offering him 700-1000 for it. is that a fair deal? would i be paying too much/little? is the kbb value what i should expect to pay for the vehicle? thanx all.
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Originally Posted by REN69
OMGWTFBBQ!!! he must have typed it on his blackberry.
"Whenever cannibals are on the brink of starvation, Heaven, in its infinite mercy, sends them a fat missionary." -Oscar Wilde
If it runs for $700 your good. If it runs and it has nice interior for $1000, your even better. Seriously though $1000-$1400 is what you should expect to pay. Of course offer him low end, then haggle over the rest. Ask him why he is selling it. Dont look too excited, cause you've lost any hopes of a really good deal at that point, unless he just out and out doesnt want the car. Check to see how dirty it is under the hood. See if it looks like oil is all over the place under the hood or any old spills are obvious. Check and see if the struts are blown or leaking. With less than 100,000 miles on it, you probably wont run in to many problems unless it just wasnt taken care of. Check and make sure all your normal stuff is working. Take someone with you and have them help you check all the lights, horn, inside accessories and so forth. Crank the wheel back and forth while you test drive it. Take it to a local shop and they will do a complete inspection for you for about $50-$75 depending on where you go. Send us some pictures....
On body exams, beware of what I would call "false symmetry". For example, you check that the drivers door handle works, so you assume the passenger's handle does also. You see that both doors on the drivers side have their door lock cylinders, so you assume the doors on the other side do too. Each item must be checked individually.
thanx all, i appreciate the help. the following is the pic of the car that he posted on the ad. i'll try to get some more pics after i get a better look of the car.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by REN69
OMGWTFBBQ!!! he must have typed it on his blackberry.
"Whenever cannibals are on the brink of starvation, Heaven, in its infinite mercy, sends them a fat missionary." -Oscar Wilde
Last edited by fistofmeat; 09-21-2006 at 04:57 AM.
Beware of
-rust on the fenders, AE92s in General are prone to it.
-Sunroofs, they're usually broken by this age
-Seat rips
-brakes, most likely time to get them done by now.
-Rad, might be on it's way out soon.
Other than that (I think) you should have a decent ride if they took care of it well.
it looks decent i would give 700 for it ....a fender will run 50 bux at a junkyad at the most.....those lights are hard to come by but they usually cost about 20 bux at a junkyad .....scrap the sunroof and get a moonroof ....or get some metal and smooth it out
as far as seat rips, interior damage, etc, i plan on fixing it up anyway, swapping out the seats for some aftermarket ones is something i had planned for it anyway, so for me it's not a big problem and as long as theres no stuffing falling out of the seats so i can drive it around. it will just mean the car will be cheaper it the seats are ripped :P btw, will the parts off a gt-s fit on an sr5? i know of some junkyards that have the gts but not the sr5. also, will the rear fin/spoiler from a gt-s fit an sr5?
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by REN69
OMGWTFBBQ!!! he must have typed it on his blackberry.
"Whenever cannibals are on the brink of starvation, Heaven, in its infinite mercy, sends them a fat missionary." -Oscar Wilde
Last edited by fistofmeat; 09-21-2006 at 03:06 PM.
All GTS parts will fit the SR5, suspension, strut bar (you might have to drill the firewall), seats, spoiler (needs drilling OR you can swap the whole trunk door), skirts (drilling), center console with door, etc.
they are prone to leak. Check the grooves in both sides and the spare tire well.
also said, sunroofs and the bottoms of the fenders (although fenders aren't that hard to find at a wrecker)
with the sunroof, even if it doesn't leak it might be rusting.
other problem area's are the adjustments for the headlights, the plate thing that holds the sealed beam headlight tends to rust. If the fenders are rusted check the bottoms of the doors at the front to make sure they haven't begun to rust the door frame away.
The tail lights are the ones that leak into the trunk, both my cars are showing it now. Luckily I have weatherstripping from my previous job that I can use on my car now.
Check to see if the sunroof works as previously stated. Once opened pull the lip of the gasket down to see if the metal underneath is rusted. Check the A/C while you are at it. I would take it to a shop and let them TI it for you. Basically its a thorough inspection from top to bottom for a reasonable price.
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