Possibly buying an 80 this Saturday (1 Viewer)

[petrotk40]

1997 Green w/ 155k miles. No lockers, but that's fine with me right now. It's at a BMW dealer so they claim that it would have to been in great shape for it to be on their lot? Any truth to that?

Would it be worth my while to have a mechanic see it? Anyone know who in the FW/Arlington area could do this? Perhaps a fellow mudder? would be worth a few .

If it's in decent shape, what's a reasonable price? $7000?

TIA

 

[tirewater]

Heh, now that you've broadcast the truck you should make your decision today before someone else picks it up. Not a lot to go from the website.

 

[petrotk40]

if someone swipes it from me, so be it
I'm sure people in the market already know about it

 

[tirewater]

You should go take a look at it. It's always worth it in terms of having a good comparison. It's unfortunate the dealer hasn't posted pictures. But that's your gain if you're close enough.

 

[ORdude]

Unless it comes with records, I would have it looked at. It may have clean paint and interior but need brakes, rotors, axle service, leaks fixed, hidden damage... Have a reputible mechanic write down everything the rig may need and you can use your list of to-dos as a bargaining chip.

 

[petrotk40]

unfortunately, it won't be until Saturday that I'll have a chance to look at it.

big ticket items I need to check:

-look for gunk around birfs/knuckles
-check for coolant or oil leaks
-how can I tell if the PHH has been changed?
-which fluids should I inspect?

 

[Mo Rocks]

$7000 seems a bit much for a '97 80 w/o lockers and about 150 K miles in todays market....unless it is a princess with all the servicing documented and up to date...

Do not forget you will have to pay their Doc Fee and applicable state taxes etc.....so you are at $7500 -$8000+++...minimum if you pay a base price of 7K .....

Do not be in a hurry.....get it checked out.


Good luck

 

[jsfgso]

You should always have a used car looked by an independent mechanic. A BMW dealer will screw you just as fast (actually faster) than a small dealer in a gravel parking lot.

 

[Mo Rocks]

A BMW dealer will screw you just as fast (actually faster) than a small dealer in a gravel parking lot.

 

[Limey55]

Congratulations on an excellent choice of truck!

I strongly recommend you go to the dealer with pricing information which is available on the net. I bought a '94 last October. Prior to buying I printed out the book values from Edmunds.com, Kellybluebook.com and NADA.com and averaged them because they varied so much. I used this information to settle with the seller (private party) at the average value, which was $1,300 less than asking price.

Do your homework, get the book values (be sure to include all options on the truck) and you will have evidence to argue a lower price. . Without something like that the dealer has got you.

The miles on the one you're looking at are not high but given the cost of Landcruiser repairs if you have them done at a shop, it would be a good idea to have a mechanical inspection done. You might find leverage for an even lower price. If you're very good mechanically don't bother. You can tell from a visual inspection and by driving it.

 

[1shot1kill]

1997 Green w/ 155k miles. No lockers, but that's fine with me right now. It's at a BMW dealer so they claim that it would have to been in great shape for it to be on their lot? Any truth to that?

Would it be worth my while to have a mechanic see it? Anyone know who in the FW/Arlington area could do this? Perhaps a fellow mudder? would be worth a few .

If it's in decent shape, what's a reasonable price? $7000?

TIA

My buddy who is wholesaler just paid 10k for 98 with 180k on her! So....yeah....

 

[Limey55]

Oh, chiming in one more time: Lots of little things can be wrong with it: Make a checklist and include things like checking the 12V power outlet, all five dome light door switches, power locks, power windows, dashboard lights, etc.

Some of the items above were inoperable on mine and are now all fixed. It was fun doing it but if you're not inclined to do that, check first.

Good luck!

 

[petrotk40]

dammit, it sold yesterday. Which one of you buttholes got it It's ok, I'll hold out for one with lockers

 

[Cannon88]

It wasnt meant to be then, dont sweat it!

 

[petrotk40]

It wasnt meant to be then, dont sweat it!

haha good point no sweating !

 

[jlg32281]

How far are you willing to travel? I saw a nice one here in Houston recently with lockers. Let me know if you're willing to come to Houston and I'll keep an eye open.

 

[tirewater]

dammit, it sold yesterday. Which one of you buttholes got it It's ok, I'll hold out for one with lockers

How much was it listed for?

It may take some time, but eventually you'll find one. You've got a huge advantage by living in a no rust state.

 

[pmccumber]

1997 It's at a BMW dealer so they claim that it would have to been in great shape for it to be on their lot? Any truth to that?

If it's in decent shape, what's a reasonable price? $7000?

Aren't there a bunch of BMWs on a BMW lot? I owned one and my neighbor has 4 of them. He has more repairs in one year than I 've had total in 20+ years of owning old Toyotas.

$7000 is too much. Check the front axle, look for bad leaks, check the compression, crawl under it and see if/where it is wet. Check the CarFax. I personally like to buy from private parties who can give me the history of the vehicle.

Everybody has their buttons and the biggest button I have on any topic is BMWs because if I told how crappy mine was, you wouldn't believe me.

 

[petrotk40]

How much was it listed for?

It may take some time, but eventually you'll find one. You've got a huge advantage by living in a no rust state.

It never had a list price. They asked how much I would spend and I said I wanted to keep it under $7k, they said ok. Who knows what that means.

Hooray no rust! What are the rusty states? Ohio, Indiana, Illinois?

 

[pmccumber]

Hooray no rust! What are the rusty states? Ohio, Indiana, Illinois?

WI, MN, MI, IA, ...

And I was shocked at the degree of rust in Florida along the coasts. Every bit as bad as Wisconsin. So I would look out for Atlantic coast.

The best would be Oregon, Washington, Northern CA. I lived in Seattle and great portion of the year the temperature is 42 degrees ... night or day ... sun has no impact. So you get no sun damage, no salt, and the thermal cycles are perfect.

Arizona has lots of cruisers too.