Am I getting a good deal?

I may purchase a 1993 G20. It is Pearl White, 5sp, Sunroof, cloth, cass., pwr everything, and has 68,xxx miles.

They are asking $3500, but I am can get 3000k. Is that a good deal for this car? What would the costs to maintain this car be? Any problems/flaws I should look out for? Right now I have an '87 Accord and have had absolutely NO problems; can I expect that from the G20?

Sorry If i have a few questions, im just excited!

Thanks.
Joe

Please E-Mail me responses - WestJet7@hotmail.com

Oh yeah, here is a pic of the car (dirty from a MN winter).

http://images.autotrader.com/images/2002/1/13/831/217/5236970.83121767.MAIN.240x180_A.240x180.jpg

68,000 miles on a 93 G? That is really low for any car of that age.

Should I check for Odometer fraud?


(how do i check for odometer fraud?)

First thing you should do is take down the VIN and run a title check on it and look for anything fishy. Things like 'salvage' should be looked out for. If that looks OK take it to a trusted mechanic and he can check that all VIN's match and there is no fishy damage.

id do a lemon check. and check all its records, but remember its possible to still get by that as well.

ask for records. repeat. ask for records. people who keep records on it are more likely to have taken better care of it than someone who has not. if the person claims they do their own oil changes then ask for the oil receipts.

check out interior wear. if the driver's seat looks considerably worn then it's probably had more than 68K. b4 u buy a car check out carbuyingtips.com. read how to sell a used car and how to buy a car so you know both points of view. it's full of ads but contains a plethora of useful info. don't rush on a car. there are lots of older gs out there.

check this month's consumer reports mag article on buying used cars.

i plan on buying a 99+ g20 and i'm giving myself a couple of months.

remember on older cars a number of things start to go wrong after reaching about 100-120 K.

i'm no expert but things that need to be replaced on these cars are. struts, cv boots, o2 sensors, power windows, suspension arms/links, and motor mounts. if you go to se-r.net you'll find more about maintenance of the engine.

like the others said, take it to a trusted mechanic and have him do a multi point inspection. you might also want to have an autobody man look at it too if you're suspicious of accidents.

use edmunds.com true market value and nada.com to guestimate the worth of the vehicle. remember the top market value is predicated on mint condition of the car. this assumes the dealer has reconditioned the car. always ask for receipts or proof that work was done on said improvements.

just use those as a guide. some people may need the cash so they'll sell under the blue book while others think they can get just as much as or more than the dealer. (some imbecile wanted 17.5 for a 2000 G with higher than normal mileage and it had three accidents.) if you really want the car and aren't satisfied with the price, walk away. most people who are selling are not likely to turn down a guaranteed sale.

Originally posted by primera_gte
check out interior wear. if the driver's seat looks considerably worn then it's probably had more than 68K.
This is not ALWAYS true. It could have 68K city driven miles instead of a clean interior which would most likely have 68K freeway driven miles. SR's are strong, if it is in sound condition, it will treat you better than ANY Accord (talking from experience).

you're right. but even for 68K interior wear should not be noticeable

Joe,
You should do all of the above, but have you test driven the car yet?

In addition to interior wear, check the pedals. If it has a lot of miles they'll be very visibly worn. This won't change much between city vs. highway. For the VIN check, www.carfax.com (http://www.carfax.com) is excellent. If you're looking at more than one vehicle, do the multi-check for $19.95. It lets you check as many VINs as you want within a 30 day period. In addition, Carfax guarantees their title reports. If it says there are no title problems and later on you find out about an odometer rollback or flood damage or whatever, you are "insured" for up to $5000.
The price on this car sounds excellent to me. Infinitis are renowned for their reliability. Also look at
http://www.consumerreports.org/main/detail.jsp?CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id=23463&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=23439&bmUID=1011244504435
This lists the most reliable cars and the best bets to buy.\
Also reference http://www.consumerreports.org/main/detail.jsp?CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id=27883&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=26995&bmUID=1011244666806
This is reliability for all kinds of cars...you'll notice that in every category Infiniti made a car for, they're first for reliability. Can't beat that.
Finally, check this car you're considering inside and out for evidence of abuse. See my Abused G20 Story in the General forum. Make sure the tires match. If they don't that's evidence of someone who really didn't care about their car.. http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/t19050.html