1995 sunfire, looking to buy it but have questions

[Xalis]

Im looking at a 1995 sunfire. It has 150,000 miles on it and the body has like 2 small rust spots but the clear coat and paint is peeling a bit (no biggy for me) The engine sounds good, no knocking or noise. When i drove it i heard and plastic like thumping type noise coming from the passenger side (i think around the wheel area) The car seemed to handle well, I didnt have any problems keeping it straight or turning so im dont think its a tie rod end or tie rod but i dont know. My buddy said it could be a tie rod or ball joint. How can i find out? If it is a tie rod im telling her to drop the price 100 bucks because thats about how much it will cost to have it installed if its a ball joint, maybe 200 bucks or more depending on the price to have it installed. Its an overall nice car I just dont wanna cheat myself. This will be a first car for me. The oldsmobile Ive posted about is basically my moms lol.