Advice Needed: Seriously Considering Buying Another Rdt Tib
10-05-2006, 03:18 PM
#1
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So here's the story:
I have a 98 Tib with 120K miles on it. To say it looks like crap is an understatement.
Screwdriver's Exterior Thread - BLECH!
However, the car runs GREAT and it is in PRISTINE mechanical condition. (I've pulled the valve cover and the insides look like a carwith <40K on it) - Thanks AutoRX. New timing + accessory belts, new alternator, o2 sensor, bearings etc. 31 mpgs regularly
It will need a Paintjob and some stage down the road, a new clutch. That means a minimum of $2000 that needs to go into it. If I sold it the way it is, I'd probaby get $1500 for it, perhaps.
It so happens that 'Gmantiby' is selling his 99 Tib with 52K miles on it. It needs a new control arm and a front engine mount but other than that, he states that it is in good shape.
That's just it. The car is in Philly and I am Chicago. I have never seen it nor have I met George (a great guy by the sounds of it).
We've reached an advanced stage in our correspondence and I am keen on purchasing the car. And while George seems trustworthy, I can't help but be a little apprehensive about a car I've never seen, other than in pictures, or driven!!
Assuming the cost of $2000 and the value of $1500, buying gman's car for $3500 makes economic sense perhaps.
What do you guys think?
P.S. George, the purpose of this thread is to gain my RDT brother's advice, not doubt you.
I have a 98 Tib with 120K miles on it. To say it looks like crap is an understatement.
Screwdriver's Exterior Thread - BLECH!
However, the car runs GREAT and it is in PRISTINE mechanical condition. (I've pulled the valve cover and the insides look like a carwith <40K on it) - Thanks AutoRX. New timing + accessory belts, new alternator, o2 sensor, bearings etc. 31 mpgs regularly
It will need a Paintjob and some stage down the road, a new clutch. That means a minimum of $2000 that needs to go into it. If I sold it the way it is, I'd probaby get $1500 for it, perhaps.
It so happens that 'Gmantiby' is selling his 99 Tib with 52K miles on it. It needs a new control arm and a front engine mount but other than that, he states that it is in good shape.
That's just it. The car is in Philly and I am Chicago. I have never seen it nor have I met George (a great guy by the sounds of it).
We've reached an advanced stage in our correspondence and I am keen on purchasing the car. And while George seems trustworthy, I can't help but be a little apprehensive about a car I've never seen, other than in pictures, or driven!!
Assuming the cost of $2000 and the value of $1500, buying gman's car for $3500 makes economic sense perhaps.
What do you guys think?
P.S. George, the purpose of this thread is to gain my RDT brother's advice, not doubt you.
10-05-2006, 05:28 PM
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Vehicle: 1999/Hyundai/Tiburon
Hurray for AutoRX! I did 2 treatments at 90k.. should I do a third one since I"ve driven 30,000 miles since then? I think I will.
10-05-2006, 06:01 PM
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Vehicle: Hyundai Tiburon FX
as good idea as it may sound, if your car is in excellent mecanical condition i'd just deal with the bodywork and give it a new paintjob off the bat and consider it finished. it's not difficult to have dents and paint repaired. you could get a clutch from a scrap yard used which would lower your cost.
i'd keep the car and finish up the body. it would be better because you know the car well and you know its history.
i'd keep the car and finish up the body. it would be better because you know the car well and you know its history.
10-05-2006, 06:05 PM
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Vehicle: 2001 Hyundai Tiburon
well if you decide to sell, i may be interested and if youre only in chicago it wouldnt be to hard to get.
my opinion is if you cant drive the car, i wouldnt want to spend a whole lot. but, if someone can take it for a test drive for you, then it wouldnt be a bad idea since everything is good on it
my opinion is if you cant drive the car, i wouldnt want to spend a whole lot. but, if someone can take it for a test drive for you, then it wouldnt be a bad idea since everything is good on it
10-05-2006, 06:20 PM
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Vehicle: 97 Tib
i flew to jersey to buy my tib, without seeing or driving it beforehand. but then again, i was only risking 800, not 3500. guess it's your call..
personally, i don't think you can tell too much about a car by the test drive anyway. if the car had problems, it's easy to cover them up for an hour and make things look nice. you don't really realize what you have until you've had it for a few months, imo.
i say go for it..
personally, i don't think you can tell too much about a car by the test drive anyway. if the car had problems, it's easy to cover them up for an hour and make things look nice. you don't really realize what you have until you've had it for a few months, imo.
i say go for it..
10-06-2006, 10:17 AM
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QUOTE (Mad-Machine @ Oct 5 2006, 05:53 PM)
If he is in Philly, I can run up there on tuesday and check it out if you want. I am only 40 miles away
There isn't another person on this Forum I'd consider more perfect to get an opinion from MM. Pm Sent.
QUOTE (korean_redneck @ Oct 5 2006, 06:28 PM)
Hurray for AutoRX! I did 2 treatments at 90k.. should I do a third one since I"ve driven 30,000 miles since then? I think I will.
I think you should be fine running 3 Oz. as a maintainance dose my friend.
QUOTE (Ericy321 @ Oct 5 2006, 07:05 PM)
well if you decide to sell, i may be interested and if youre only in chicago it wouldnt be to hard to get.
my opinion is if you cant drive the car, i wouldnt want to spend a whole lot. but, if someone can take it for a test drive for you, then it wouldnt be a bad idea since everything is good on it
my opinion is if you cant drive the car, i wouldnt want to spend a whole lot. but, if someone can take it for a test drive for you, then it wouldnt be a bad idea since everything is good on it
I will most like sell in 2 weeks. If you're interested, PM me. You won't get a car as mechanically sound for this price.
Bump for some more input.
Mad Machine, sent you a couple PMs.
10-11-2006, 07:48 AM
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Well, I went to go look at the car last night. No go, no show. It was quite an experience. An "interesting" trip if you catch the chinese definition of interesting.
So, first up, the guy is not in Philly, he is in Hatboro which is north and west of the city. Instead of a 50 mile trip to centre city, it is like 80 some miles to around the mess that is rush hour traffic trying to get out of Philly between 4 and 6 pm.
On the way there, my bmw hit 99,500 miles and my waterpump promptly took a crap on me. Everyone on the forum for that car warned me that I would be lucky to get 100,000 miles out of the waterpump. Like the tib and it's weak wheel bearings, BMW puts weak waterpumps in ALL their cars. Instead of a metal impeller, they use plastic, which weakens and sheers from the shaft.
So, my car is overheating and I have to keep the revs up over 3grand or she starts to overheat. In rush hour traffic that is near to impossible. I wound up stopping several times for antifreeze and several gallons of water. All told, I went through a gallon of antifreeze and 5 gallons of water as the car would just start pumping coolant all over the ground through the radiator cap on the expansion tank. I also burnt my hand slightly removing the cap when there was more water in there than I had expected. Thankfully I had put a work glove on to avoid a real scalding.
So, I get up there and get promptly lost. So I call the guy selling the tib, George, and he is nowhere near the car. According to him he had not talked to Aviv in several days and did not know I was coming up last night to check out the Hyundai. So, I headed home. Thankfully traffic was light now and I was able to get back to where I started with no more drama.
So all told. 210 miles, five gallons of water, 1 gallon of antifreeze, half a tank of gas, 5 hours out of my life, and 1 burnt hand. An "interesting" trip to say the least... and I never did get to see the car
So, first up, the guy is not in Philly, he is in Hatboro which is north and west of the city. Instead of a 50 mile trip to centre city, it is like 80 some miles to around the mess that is rush hour traffic trying to get out of Philly between 4 and 6 pm.
On the way there, my bmw hit 99,500 miles and my waterpump promptly took a crap on me. Everyone on the forum for that car warned me that I would be lucky to get 100,000 miles out of the waterpump. Like the tib and it's weak wheel bearings, BMW puts weak waterpumps in ALL their cars. Instead of a metal impeller, they use plastic, which weakens and sheers from the shaft.
So, my car is overheating and I have to keep the revs up over 3grand or she starts to overheat. In rush hour traffic that is near to impossible. I wound up stopping several times for antifreeze and several gallons of water. All told, I went through a gallon of antifreeze and 5 gallons of water as the car would just start pumping coolant all over the ground through the radiator cap on the expansion tank. I also burnt my hand slightly removing the cap when there was more water in there than I had expected. Thankfully I had put a work glove on to avoid a real scalding.
So, I get up there and get promptly lost. So I call the guy selling the tib, George, and he is nowhere near the car. According to him he had not talked to Aviv in several days and did not know I was coming up last night to check out the Hyundai. So, I headed home. Thankfully traffic was light now and I was able to get back to where I started with no more drama.
So all told. 210 miles, five gallons of water, 1 gallon of antifreeze, half a tank of gas, 5 hours out of my life, and 1 burnt hand. An "interesting" trip to say the least... and I never did get to see the car
10-11-2006, 08:48 AM
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Gmantibby, aka George, emailed me on the 7th telling me 2 things:
1) That he received a cash offer from someone else after me, and that he would wait for Mad Machine to talk with me before finalizing the deal. Yes, I had already made him a solid offer which he accepted. He knew MM was coming that evening as he had even specified a time he'd prefer MM to arrive. (I still have the email)
2) I called his cell phone on Monday afternoon - no answer- and left a message that everything was on track and that MM was coming that evening.
3) After I got the news from MM that he was a no show, I called his cell once more. Again, no answer. I have not heard from him since.
This leads me to believe that he has already sold the car, which sucks because MM was inconvenienced, and I had already made financial arrangements for the car.
Redz, does this break any forum rules? I hate that people like this try to do business on these forums! He posted on the site, we agreed to a price and he backed out and disappeared.
Once again, thanks for trying to help Mad.
1) That he received a cash offer from someone else after me, and that he would wait for Mad Machine to talk with me before finalizing the deal. Yes, I had already made him a solid offer which he accepted. He knew MM was coming that evening as he had even specified a time he'd prefer MM to arrive. (I still have the email)
2) I called his cell phone on Monday afternoon - no answer- and left a message that everything was on track and that MM was coming that evening.
3) After I got the news from MM that he was a no show, I called his cell once more. Again, no answer. I have not heard from him since.
This leads me to believe that he has already sold the car, which sucks because MM was inconvenienced, and I had already made financial arrangements for the car.
Redz, does this break any forum rules? I hate that people like this try to do business on these forums! He posted on the site, we agreed to a price and he backed out and disappeared.
Once again, thanks for trying to help Mad.