Follow up to the "odd color"
 

First thanks everyone for their thought and opinions on the 1980sc Euro in Champagnie Beige. I decided that whats inside is more important than whats outside. I made an offer on the auto, asking price is 13,900, I offered 12000 and was willing to go 12900. The seller said he is firm at 13,900 and would part the car before he sells for less than 13,900. He has owned this sc for 20 years has all records, no winters, body is 9/10 interior is 9/10, 90000 miles in body, 20,000 on rebuilt engine, which was rebuilt when all the head studs were replaced, new trans, clutch, axles, stainless steel exhaust, ss heater box, chain tensioners, bilstiens, pop off valve, short shift, carrera oil coolers, k&n. Says it produces 240 hp. No leather, no a/c. Assuming the ppi comes back clean, do you thing I am being penny foolish for 1k and should pay his price? I felt that in this buyers market my 12000 was good. Thoughts??

Thanks
Ashton

The truth about PPIs are that they rarely tell you that the car is better than you thought, almost always the opposite is true. If the PPI comes back really good, and you are sure you like the car (color, interior, everything) then I think it might be worth the 1k. BUT, it is a buyers market so that means you can be picky too.

I would ask myself if I would really want the car for the asking price before I would even pay for the PPI. If so then anything turned up from the PPI is room for negotiation. Good luck!

The PPI I had done on mine missed a few things. A PPI seems, to me, to be good about telling you if its hunk or there is something there. I suppose I also look at it as a twenty year old car will have suprises. Some people do evil things as a quick fix.... Other than that if the car looks good to you (physically) and Mech give it a thumbs up - go for it.

Anthony

Ashton,

The offer which seems acceptable to the seller is $12.9k? There is a little confusion in your post, and sometimes it appears that he will not deviate from his $13.9k asking price ???

If he would accept $12.9 and the PPI checks out acceptably, then I say go for it. It is only $900 more than your initial offer, and you had to like the car enough to offer $12k.

As always, if the PPI shows something that the seller didn't tell you about (which might be something he did not know), that just gives you more bargaining power in this soft used car market.

Good luck, I think that you will get to like the beige very much if you buy that car.

Tom

240 HP ???

That's what I was wondering. Rebuild at 90K? . . .Was this a performance rebuild?

If not, you may want to consider the possibility that the car has more like 190K. (and the guy is FOS about the 240hp claim too)
. . ..hmmm, you did list a k&n. Maybe that did the motor in prematurely.

Why pay a pemium for a grey market car? SC's don't usually got for $13,900, do they? Grey market cars used to have a 25% mark down in Kelly Blue books. For a premium price, you have a stripped car. I.e. No leather, no AC, probably no power windows, no center console, no sport seats, no cruise control. Does it have the 16" fuchs or the 15" cookie cutter wheels?

An 80 euro SC made 188 HP DIN, didn't it? When you do the kluged up EPA conversion, you'll lose some HP. Where does this guy get off claiming 240 HP. The 74 RS 3.0 made 330 DIN with high compression, mechanically timed injection, the old S cams and a good exhaust. How does this CIS car make more HP?

Why did the motor need rebuilding at 70,000 miles?