Buying a 10+ year old car what could go wrong?

[bodywhomper]

Buddy has a 2000 4Runner 4WD with only 79K and a new timing belt. Thinks he can get close to $9K. Is it worth that much or is he high?

i'd like to think that they are all high:
https://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/6022168175.html
https://goldcountry.craigslist.org/cto/6015203206.html
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/5972912518.html
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/5995564958.html
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/6029542855.html

[basinbeater]

Tough to find a good low miles 3rd gen 4runner. Fantastic vehicles. I deove one from 50k to 190k and had onlyhad one problem the entire time.

[BmillsSkier]

True. I put 239,000 on my '00 Limited. Replaced a ball joint and a few sets of tires.

It was more reliable than the new X5 my wife got out of the trade in.

[stfu&gbtw]

02 Suburban, 128k, 5.3, no rust, original paint, no accidents, pristine interior, barn doors, split second row, paid 4K. Been looking for one of these for quite some time, pretty happy right now. Planning on having this deep into the clock.

Sick... great "trucks". Just think, if you can keep it rust/accident free, you can drive it for 50k miles, pack the family up, drive to SLC, sell it, and finance a week-long ski trip and your return flight with the profit.

[DBdude]

hi,

the GF's 94 mercedes c230 awd is starting to get really wonky on the electronics and electrical system. I don't trust the damn thing. That said, it has been a great car and has approx 200K on it. She uses it to commute from VT to CT for work. Her daily driver is a chevy truck.

I am suggesting she look at a 2015 accura tlx with the awd.

any suggestions from the auto savants? I want to recommend a similar rig that is not from a german auto maker.

I am not a car guy. I beat the shit out of ford escapes. rinse and repeat.

thanx, I really want her to get rid of the benz.

[BmillsSkier]

^^^
Oh, hello! Why yes, your beautiful 27 year old Alpina 5 series with electronic self-leveling suspension sounds completely reliable. I'll take 2.

That's a good looking 944, looks like the one Clarkson drove to France to ice race.

[basinbeater]

Question is, why are the older German cars so much cooler than all the other ones?
I think it comes down to engineering and build quality.

[Mazderati]

I sat in a 1985 MB 300D last week. 160k miles. Blue interior still in good shape and the doors had a satisfying close.

[4matic]

I want to recommend a similar rig that is not from a german auto maker.

thanx, I really want her to get rid of the benz.

What's your beef against German cars? You obviously have no experience other than her good one.

E-class is a good car.

[4matic]

I sat in a 1985 MB 300D last week. 160k miles. Blue interior still in good shape and the doors had a satisfying close.

The old benzes really are remarkable in build quality.

[Bromontana]

I have a soft spot for mid 2000s Benze designs. Don't judge..

Honda classics and some Nissans like the Silvia/240sx were done right. Lexus GS is a favorite going back a while. German cars tend to be well powered and comfortable at speed, probably what separates them from the average car. It probably just comes down to emotion, something Japanese automakers seem to eschew in favor of kaizen.. it's their ethos, dude.

That said I saw a silver F355 coupe yesterday that made me feel a little funny.

[gravitylover]

Good job Aldo. The 06 Durango that I picked up a year and a half ago for $4k that had almost no rust at all other than a spot on the bottom of one of the doors has blisters turning into cancer all along the bottom of most of the body panels now. It hit 180k yesterday and runs great, has a couple of Chrysler electrical gremlins that I live with like the blower fan only works on high and the fog lights don't turn on but mechanically it's a beast and has turned out to be a great road trip rig other than the 17mpg. I think it was worth $4k but would like to find a couple of good condition doors and a passenger side front quarter to replace the bad ones. but if it rots away before that happens I probably won't be too bummed.

[El Chupacabra]

Blower fan running only on high is usually failure of the resistor. Usually an easy and fairly cheap fix.

[Obstruction]

Good job Aldo. The 06 Durango that I picked up a year and a half ago for $4k that had almost no rust at all other than a spot on the bottom of one of the doors has blisters turning into cancer all along the bottom of most of the body panels now. It hit 180k yesterday and runs great, has a couple of Chrysler electrical gremlins that I live with like the blower fan only works on high and the fog lights don't turn on but mechanically it's a beast and has turned out to be a great road trip rig other than the 17mpg. I think it was worth $4k but would like to find a couple of good condition doors and a passenger side front quarter to replace the bad ones. but if it rots away before that happens I probably won't be too bummed.

I've got an '02 Dakota yard truck/spare vehicle (same as a Durango for the most part). it's been a real test of my limited patience over the past four years.

Like El Chup said -- One of the easiest things I've fixed was the blower motor and resistor. It exhibited the same symptoms as your Durango only hi or low on fan. It's Direct cause is a burnt out resistor, but ultimately the problem is the blower motor. Fixing the resistor is an immediate cure that might work long term but changing the blower motor should get to the root of the problem. Changing the resistor and wiring harness is a piece of cake and short money >$15 on Amazon. Blower motor a little more work but not too tough. Dozens of YouTube videos by guys named Darrel and Automike etc to choose from. Here's one selected more or less at random.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mVs7QhQt-eA

Testing the old resistor is clearly a waste of time if it's burnt up (and it probably will be). One top tip is to try to buy a resistor with a pre wired harness or "pig tail". I found wiring up the plug to be a pain in the ass.

[huckbucket]

Question is, why are the older German cars so much cooler than all the other ones?
I think it comes down to engineering and build quality.

Would drive ... and drive ... and drive

[Tye 1on]

What's your beef against German cars? You obviously have no experience other than her good one.

E-class is a good car.

if my E-class starts getting weird electrical faults it won't be long in my garage either...

[The Tortoise]

any suggestions from the auto savants? I want to recommend a similar rig that is not from a german auto maker.
.

The nicest Lexus IS or GS that fits in your budget.

Or an AWD Acura TL.

Infiniti G37x is also a great car.

[El Chupacabra]

Like El Chup said -- One of the easiest things I've fixed was the blower motor and resistor. It exhibited the same symptoms as your Durango only hi or low on fan. It's Direct cause is a burnt out resistor, but ultimately the problem is the blower motor.

I thought it was the other way around -- the resistor fails, and if you don't replace it, it can cause a burnt out blower motor.

Hmm. Maybe this is why my GMC blower seems really weak. I replaced the resistor (visibly burnt) and got back all the fan speed settings, but the airflow isn't what I think it should be. I figured it was a vacuum leak.

[Obstruction]

I thought it was the other way around -- the resistor fails, and if you don't replace it, it can cause a burnt out blower motor.

Hmm. Maybe this is why my GMC blower seems really weak. I replaced the resistor (visibly burnt) and got back all the fan speed settings, but the airflow isn't what I think it should be. I figured it was a vacuum leak.

Usually I swap out as little as possible but a number of Internet posts on this question dealt with the Dakota/Durango blower motor drawing too many amps as well as problems with spinning properly. I dunno much about electrical but I figured it was a fairly easy/inexpensive job and by doing it I'd be done with the heater and on to the next shit sandwich this beast wanted to serve me.

[leroy jenkins]

Met a dude who lived in a trailer in Moab of all places who had one of these, a 2005 Saleen tuned Ford Focus with NO2 from the Saleen factory. He tried to sell me his for $7k, should have taken him up on it, somehow.

http://jalopnik.com/5771719/for-9550...the-focus-blue



Personally, I've opted for older off road vehicles, as I'd have more fun getting somewhere cool on a gnarly road than just going on the same old paved roads faster and risking tickets, but thats me. Had a lot of fun with a 97 and 98 Land Rover Discos.

[gravitylover]

I guess I should deal with then, I've just been running the fan on high for the last year and adjusting the temp as necessary. Thanks for the vid link. Like I said, it's been pretty bomber and I feel like I got my moneys worth @ $4k. Just got back from 2 600 mile road trips in one week and the thing just rolls along happily at 70-75 @ 17mpg and really doesn't care what the road conditions are. This year it will probably need some new rubber and shocks all the way around and front rotors and pads, nothing too terrible. If I find some body pieces to replace the cancerous ones I'd have to think about throwing down for them too.

[Aldo]

That's the ticket - motor and resistor - easy swap.

One of the reasons I bought that Burban was to consolidate my herd.
I've come to the realization that I can't drive them all at once. I realize you're supposed to sell before you buy but I'm just a hoarder I guess, I see it I need to grab it.

First on the block - the 78 New Yorker ... No substitute for cubic inches, or sheer size ....

[Aldo]

For such a gargantuan sled the interior is surprisingly tight, it's all hood n trunk ...... Rolling at 90. On the turnpike is a feeling few vehicles can duplicate- like a magic carpet strung with lead

[Tri-Ungulate]

Not quite 10 years old, but what do you guys think?

[Obstruction]

I guess I should deal with then, I've just been running the fan on high for the last year and adjusting the temp as necessary. Thanks for the vid link. Like I said, it's been pretty bomber and I feel like I got my moneys worth @ $4k. Just got back from 2 600 mile road trips in one week and the thing just rolls along happily at 70-75 @ 17mpg and really doesn't care what the road conditions are. This year it will probably need some new rubber and shocks all the way around and front rotors and pads, nothing too terrible. If I find some body pieces to replace the cancerous ones I'd have to think about throwing down for them too.

Glad yours is treating you right. Could be they addressed some gremlins between '02 and '06. Check out the net if the thing throws you a curve though. I've had great luck at finding answers to seemingly weird problems for my Dak by asking teh Google.

As far as the rust goes I tackled some major rust issues over the wheel wells DIY and it turned pretty well. (By that I mean you can't see the repair from 10 feet but I'd be pissed at how it turned out if I paid a body shop to do it). The basic components were: 1) cheap after market steel body panels - new online for about $50 each for 18 gauge steel. 2) Two part body panel adhesive from 3M - amazing shit- apparently manufacturers and body shops use it now. $40 for the 2 part epoxy and $60 for the special applicator (a fancy caulking gun and mixing nozzles). 3) bondo to blend the seams 4) custom matched rattle cans of paint about $20 each. Carved out the rot with an angle grinder and went to town.