1999 Sunfire 20,000 miles

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kdeinv

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I have a co-worker who is interested in selling a 1999 Sunfire (Not sure what model yet) that has only 20,000 miles on it. I was interested in buying this vehicle for my son's 1st car. It has been in his parents garage and was his mothers car. They can no longer drive.

I am a little concerned with the age of the vehicle and how long it has been sitting. What things would you check on the vehicle before deciding to buy a vehicle 14 years old?


Some things I was wanting to look at were:

Dryrot (CV Boots, Belts, Hoses, Antifreeze, Oil, Fuel sitting to long - gumming things up) Transmission once started and driven. Tires.

Any other ideas would be helpful as I do not want to buy a lemon with major repair costs.

Thanks In Advance
 
The vehicle is 14 years old but you make no mention how long it has been sitting unused? You also dont mention what maintenance has been performed on the car, do the current owners have any records to show you? Have you compared the price they are asking for the car to sites such as www.nada.com www.edmunds.com ?
 
Not sure. The co-workers father and mother are both seriously ill and will never be able to drive again. His dad worked for GM and he said that his dad would occasionally crank the car every week.

As far as price I would say between $2500 - $3000 as long as it looks OK (Based on Kelly BB). He says it has been in the garage and was used only by his mother around town when she use to drive 3 or 4 years ago.

I need a checklist of items to check when I go out there.

Fluids, (Have they been changed, how frequently)

I need to see if there are maintenance records for the vehicle.

I can change fluids, belts, hoses, and tires if needed but just wanted some other ideas of what to check other than the normal used car things with a vehicle 14 years old.

Thanks
 
Basically look for leaks, engine, trani, brakes, etc. Check the color and consistency of the engine oil, and look in the oil filler cap, any sign of a milky/brownish substance indicates an internal coolant leak. Since it is stored indoors rust shouldnt be an issue. Good luck with your purchase.
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Does It have the OEM tires? I would think it does. I would get the tires replaced ASAP regardless of tire thread. maybe you can get them to drop the price for about $500 because of that.

But in other words rare and good find! Happy car hunting!
 
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