Second thoughts on purchase (1 Viewer)

[stonepa]

I'm sure you made a good choice as it may have been flooded or possibly something else. But it could have been something else. Tons of air fresheners? Some people, especially SE Asians and Indians, seem to really like car air fresheners. May be a cultural thing. My 98 had rusty seat tracks from people sitting in the back seat in the winter. My 60 has a rusty cigarette lighter for some unknown reason. Sun roofs get out of alignment occasionally, especially if rarely used, but that is a semi-easy fix.

My experience with flooded cars are that if they were really flooded, especially with salt water, they are dead. Rusty parts under the dash, cloudy door and interior lights, muddy fog, tail lights, mud under the carpet, etc.

 

[ylexot]

I kind of doubt that this car was flooded. I'm pretty sure it wasn't taken care of very well though. If the PO for 109k didn't car enough to keep the car modestly clean, then what about the mechanical maintenance? This was the biggest question mark, on top of the other oddities.

I've thought about offering 9k and taking my chances with a $2k buffer to cover what may come and assume I could get whatever stink out. It did drive well.

Then I think about the attempted slyness with the air freshners. I get one freshner, or maybe a handful if they're all the same scent, just cuz someone likes a smell. But there were 3 tree types of 2 flavors and then many covert clip on the vent type freshners too. Then the seller never owned up to the fact the car had a smell hr was trying to cover up. C'mon...

My search continues for a nice lower miles LC100 or LX470.

 

[super90]

Time is on your side. It took me maybe nine months to find my LC and I drove 180 miles to get it. Well worth all the effort. No rust, all the records, super clean, well documented and pricing was very fair. And the color I wanted. I looked maybe six months for my LX. Enjoy the search. It's part of the journey.

 

[duggy]

I'm sure you made a good choice as it may have been flooded or possibly something else. But it could have been something else. Tons of air fresheners? Some people, especially SE Asians and Indians, seem to really like car air fresheners. May be a cultural thing. My 98 had rusty seat tracks from people sitting in the back seat in the winter. My 60 has a rusty cigarette lighter for some unknown reason. Sun roofs get out of alignment occasionally, especially if rarely used, but that is a semi-easy fix.

My experience with flooded cars are that if they were really flooded, especially with salt water, they are dead. Rusty parts under the dash, cloudy door and interior lights, muddy fog, tail lights, mud under the carpet, etc.

What an odd generalization. Care to elaborate?

 

[ylexot]

Aye, we aren't in a hurry to buy a 100. The 80 serves our needs until we find its replacement. We could drive the 80 indefinitely. But it's kind of like when you know you're going on a road trip and you just want to get on the road. I'm there.

I've only been looking for 3 months, but I've been lucky so far and have been able to find 'my next cruiser' within the first month usually. I've been spoiled by a combination of luck and seeking project trucks in the past, rather than a squared-away-no-worries truck. This is my first 100. As always, the more I look, the more I learn, the more I know what I want, and the happier I'll be when I find it.

 

[super90]

ylexot,

Just like when I was looking last (driving my totally sorted and reliable 80-series daily and enjoying it, but ready for the 100), you're in the perfect situation. Just go see every 100 for sale you can, even the ones that are probably not your car. After seeing a bunch, and even letting a good one get away, you will know your truck when it comes up and there will be no "what if's" or regrets that you pulled the trigger too soon.

I've gone through this on multiple vehicles and I find the chase to be enjoyable and part of the experience. Never regretted the learning process along the way or the vehicle I ended up with. I hate "settling". Consequently, I know my two trucks well and that I will continue to be their "custodian" for many years to come until they are passed on to their next owner.

Good luck

 

[stonepa]

What an odd generalization. Care to elaborate?

I've spent a lot of time working in Thailand, Vietnam, India, China, and Pakistan. I've seen a lot of cars with a lot of car fresheners. If you ever go to this part of the world be on the look out for what looks like a gold crown sitting on the dash. That's the grand pappy of all air fresheners.

I once had a rental car that, for the entire time I had it, had a weird banging noise up under the dash. The day I returned the car I dropped something under the seat. While I was under there retrieving it I looked under the dash and noticed the source of the banging - 3 pine tree shaped air fresheners hanging from a wire UNDER THE DASH. That seemed a bit excessive as my feet didn't smell that bad.

 

[ylexot]

Wow. <stifling a laugh> To each their own...

I remember those 'crowns' well from all the pimpin' hoopties with gold plate rims and curb-feelers. I'm so glad that trend has gone out of style. I almost like what replaced it: 20+ in rims on sedans: made them look like giant hotwheels or matchbox cars.

Maybe the guy wasn't hiding anything with the air fresheners. Perhaps that does explain his oblivious tone when probed about how many. (He blamed some of them on the guy that cleaned the carpets in the car. I wish I had asked to take a look at his own LX. If that was chocked full of dangling pine tree shaped smelly cardboard, then I might know more.

I suspect that hundy has good bones and mechanicals. It looked pretty clean on the surface and I suspect removing the interior and giving it a good hosedown, a fresh carpet kit, and whatever interior rust countermeasures are required and that hundy would shine. My reality these days is I don't have time to dink around with what else might be under the surface. Last year I would have been a little more daring. Next year, maybe as well. For now, I'm realizing, my requirements list includes the right back story and documentation.