[wdfifteen]

There are a number of red flags with this car. Both my friend and the dealership say he has had all the work on it done there, and they kept it in tip top shape. But there is so much that hasn't been done. I don't know why.
The service manager says they have to put a new battery in it every spring, but the alternator belt is worn out and loose as an old whore. I would think a service department that has taken care of the same car for 30 years would check the charging system when putting in a new battery - or at least when it needed a second battery in only a year. Most service departments can't wait to tack on extra work. Why just stick in a battery when you can sell and install a much needed alternator belt? Makes me wonder what else has been neglected. There is an obvious growling from the back, sounds like a wheel bearing. Why didn't they suggest he get that fixed? It runs on 5 cylinders, which could be a gummed-up, stuck fuel injector. The car has been sitting since last summer.
I expected the usual wear and tear of a car with 198k on the clock, but this car shows too many signs of neglect for me. If I could get in it and drive I would be all over it, but I don't need another project.
Bottom line, both the owner and the service manage says it has been well maintained, but it hasn't.
His is a strange situation. About a year ago he had to leave town in a hurry to take care of his dying mother, he got stuck with staying with her and basically gave up his life here in Ohio. Bought a car there and left both of his cars here. He eventually got his own apartment and had his belongings shipped down there. Forty years in the same city, the gone, poof!