low mileage 100

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Patrick Bateman

10 Year
Joined
Feb 1, 2011
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17
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49
hi,

looking at a 1998 100 series that has only 40,000 miles on it. looks great and i'm thinking i'm ready to make the jump from my 80 series to the next generation.

here is my question though - would any of you be worried about running into issues with one that has been used so little? i know the mileage is low, but rubber hoses and thing like that don't tend to age well when they are used so little.

at least, that was the experience i had when i bought my 1988 M5 with only 30,000 miles on it. The engine wasn't even broken in, but still needed $4K in rubber and various odds and ends.

i like the IDEA of the lower mileage, but i'm actually a little more worried about this vs one with 100K miles that has had proper servicing.

am i being crazy? would love your thoughts.

also, would love your thoughts on the jump to the 100 and if there is a better year of 100 i should be looking for.
 
Go get her...

I'd do the standard 'baseline' service...

Take a close look at the cambelt...age more than mileage.

Serp belt and any coolant hoses (engine coolant as well as tranny), rubber brake lines between calipers and hard pipe.

I'd grab her in a second.:p

How much?

Pics?

Steve
 
they are asking $18K - which i won't do. if they will do $15K i'd probably give it a go.

any more issues with a '98 vs a couple years newer since that was the first year of the V8 and new body etc..

also, its a LX 470 if that makes any difference (which, i thought it didn't aside from cosmetic stuff)
 
Patrick Bateman said:
they are asking $18K - which i won't do. if they will do $15K i'd probably give it a go.

any more issues with a '98 vs a couple years newer since that was the first year of the V8 and new body etc..

also, its a LX 470 if that makes any difference (which, i thought it didn't aside from cosmetic stuff)
Click to expand...

My opinion is that the LX has the AHC system to worry about which being 15 years old would cause issues even on a low mileage rig with things like rubber detoriating in the system. I think that the low miles are nice, but I don't think it significantly raises the value to the point it will help when you go to sell it. If you keep it for say 3 years and put another 50k miles on it and go to sell it, you'll want a premium for the rig because it only has 90k but everyone else will say "ya nice low miles but it's still 18 years old". I don't want to discourage you from buying it, but be prepared to spend a few g's to get it right after you buy it and keep it in mind when you make an offer. I think somewhere in the $12-14.5k range is reasonable.
 
thanks mcgaskins - that was my line of thought and why i was balking at the price too. still a great looking truck so going to see if i can bring them down on the asking price.

thanks guys.
 
Hello,
I was in a fairly similar issue with a 2000 with 71,000 miles. I did greatly benefit from it actually being a vehicle my older brother intended on purchasing and had spent hours inspecting it. Thankfully his background in the auto industry made the decision much less harrowing.

That being said, I just spent just over $1300 having nothing but preventative maintenance completed due to age. This included the Timing Belt, Serpentine Belt, Transmission Flush, Spark Plugs, and changing the Differential Fluids. However, these trucks could not be more different than a BMW M Series as I am sure you know.

Without question I would have a PPI (pre purchase inspection) completed. Some Toyota dealers will actually do this for free. At Lexus, it will probably be around $200. I would pay special attention to where the car was registered as if it was in the Rust Belt, that could really be an issue.

I do agree that it is more reassuring to see a truck with more mileage and a complete Service History than one without one. However, you might have truly found, for lack of a better term, a unicorn.

A PPI will reveal much. No doubt they will recommend replacing many of the items I described above, but once that has been taken care of, you should be golden.
Best,
Jack
 
Hello,
If it is the LX I just looked at, you would be looking at $20,000 out the door. While they might come down somewhat, I would be shocked to see them move down to even $16,000 and that does not include dealer fees and taxes...

It does look clean from the few pictures I saw and dealerships that sell new vehicles as well as used tend to be pretty picky about what they decide to sell on their lot and what they send off to auction. While I have not listened to the stock Pioneer OEM stereo, I must say that the optional Nakamichi system is shockingly better than I expected and utterly crushes most any Blose car stereo you might come across.
All the best,
J
 
definitely a different beast than my old M : )

just spoke with them and they are being firm on the price. my gut instinct is telling me no. just a big premium to pay just for a number on an odometer. so, i'll somewhat unhappily pass and at least let you guys know where you can find it - its at Holler Honda in orlando.

http://www.hollerhonda.com/index.htm

love that color too. such a shame.
 
Depends on the price. You'll probably replace houses, belts, fluids, etc on any vehicle this age regardless of miles. My 80k mile 100 was a huge pain because those 80k miles were all in the rust belt. Meanwhile my 169k mile 100 that spent its whole life in CA is much easier to work on. There might be more than 40k miles of wear on the engine if it was all 1 mile cold start trips. But still, that's a low mileage truck. If you ever get into an accident the insurance company will pay you handsomely for it since the kbb will still be so.

That all being said, if the prices were the same, I would rather have a 2003 with maintenance records and 150k miles than a 1998 without unknown history and 40k miles.
 
Patrick Bateman said:
definitely a different beast than my old M : )

just spoke with them and they are being firm on the price. my gut instinct is telling me no. just a big premium to pay just for a number on an odometer. so, i'll somewhat unhappily pass and at least let you guys know where you can find it - its at Holler Honda in orlando.

http://www.hollerhonda.com/index.htm

love that color too. such a shame.
Click to expand...

Hello,
Yep. Out of respect, I did not want to acknowledge that without you doing so. I live on Siesta Key which is a barrier island just off the coast of Sarasota, Florida.

Truthfully, for the money they are asking, you should be able to procure a 2002-2003 LC/LX. The 2003 would give you a 5 Speed Transmission and both offer Navigation, Anti Skid Control (2000>), and the quite decent Mark Levinson system.

Regardless, I love my 2000 and with your budget you should be able to get a great one.
Best,
Jack
 
Ibought a 2002 with 60000 miles drove it around for 1000 or 1500 miles had the timeing belt and waterpump done. Had front wheel bearing adjusted and drove to grandcanyon, Utah, Denver, and back to NH, 6000 miles. I like low miles. If you buy an older car the rubber and stuff may have issues regardless of miles.
 
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