what's it worth?

[cbuck]

97 Metro, 4 door, auto, great paint, a few dings, runs out good, clean, needs tires & exhaust pipe. 78K miles. I want to buy but don't know value or specific problems to look for. Any suggestions?

[dayle1960]

Well a couple of things come to mind. First if it runs alright then look under the hood. Pull the oil dipstick and check the level and color. Look around the engine for leaks.(i.e. top of engine and underneath). If the engine looks good, has no leaks, and the oil isn't sludge, then we can proceed to the transmission. Pull the transmission dip stick and check the level and color. The color should be bright red or close to it. If it is brown then beware!!! When you drive it see if it shifts easily. Check the tire wear pattern. Is it even across the tire or is one side worn more than another? This could be indicitive of an underlying problem--maybe in an accident. Which is why you should look close at the paint. Sight down the car and look a the trim. If it doesn't line up a question should arise.

This isn't a complete list of things to look at but it should get you on a good path. When you look at the car ask yourself " Is this how I would have kept my car?" If the answer is NO, then ask " Why is this car in the condition it is?"

Remember Engine, Tranny, Fit.

LOL

[cbuck]

Thanks for the info. Did all that previously and all was Ok except it needs an oil change (dark but not fried yet) Car looks excellent, but I was wondering if I needed to look for any problems specific to this make and model. The guy's at $1900 rock bottom.

[dayle1960]

Well, I own a 96 2dr HB. I'm not familiar with the quirks of the 1.3 auto. Maybe others on this forum can share some of their information. But the price sounds about right. Check kbb.com for a retail price and autotrader.com for other vechicle prices in your area. For other info check previous posts from the geo dude (geosukigti). He is a wealth of knowledge.
My personal feeling about the Geo is it is a good car all around. Some of the guys on this forum have said some very good things about the dependibility of the vehicle IF you maintain it. If you want to use it as a commuter then it should last 150k. If you want to race it then you had better plan on spending $$$$ for upgrades.

[cbuck]

It turned out to be a '96 when I checked it over. Driver's window off track, AC blower only runs high speed, headlights not working. The guy said $1900 rock bottom, but ended up at $1500 when I turned to walk away.
Thanks to the threads posted on this forum, I knew that these were minor fixes, but he didn't!!!!! I fixed these in an afternoon (yes, the 2X4 chunk in the door does fix the window) and replaced the exhaust, muffler, did a tune-up, new tires, water pump (found that problem after the cooling system flush) and new belts the next day. The glove box was FULL of receipts from the previous owner's maintenance and repairs.

My daughter LOVES her purple Metro, and I got out for less than $2000 total including a full tank of gas. BUT....Her first year's insurance is actually $27.00 less than what I paid the guy for the car!

[Staypuff]

id say try for 1500$ and really put time into inspecting the car. bring a clipboard and write down everything you have to do to id right after you buy it. then write down all the things that look like they may need replacing soon. after making list as long as possible(even if it means saying you need thing when ya dont) show it to him and go over it. all these things on your list should make him look like the car is gunna be hard to get rid of and he will consider selling it for way less just to get it off his hands. TAAAA DAAAA you just got yourself a kickass deal