I have a chance to pick up a SC1 as a beater/secondary vehicle. It has 194k miles and was just serviced and some things replaced. It shows 2 ODB codes related to secondary air injection and a small EVAP system leak, which the mechanic is going to look at. Overall the body is pretty good and it's starts and idles fine. Going to test drive it after I get a temp, the seller let me have the title to transfer before I pay him (we are friends). Is this model and year decent? Anything to look out for on it? He wants $1500 and it's a manual (thank God, hate automatics!). Any opinions are welcome, just need this as a drive to work beater (until my main car gets fixed) around 37 miles each way and later to be left at my hotel out of town where I take work trips so I have a car there.

 

Sec air injection has to do w the air pump that runs about 10 seconds at startup to inject more air and cut emissions. See videos by richpin06a on YouTube to troubleshoot the secondary air injection issues.

Small evap leak could be gasket on gas cap. Check where the gasket contacts the vehicle. Even a little corrosion can lead to a small leak. However the leak may be elsewhere.

Don't want to get between friends, but 1500 seems kind of steep for an sohc w 200K.

If it has been maintained under the hood inside and out, maybe.

Also ask him if the shifter cable bushing has broken yet. Not a big deal to fix but a pain in the *** on the road.

 

If you pay that much for a car with that many miles on it, I have a 2017 Forte that I'll take $20,000 cash for. It only has 119,000 miles on it.

 

Well the guy I would be buying from is a friend but he does own and operate a small used dealership where he had this car at, he did put some money into it to fix multiple things on it and he did cut the price by $300 off the window price for me and let me have the title to drive it around as long as I like to test it. And pay him according to whatever schedule and amounts I want as long as I pay him for it. It's only had one original owner before he got it at his lot

 

Do what you feel is the right thing to do, man. I'm just saying I wouldn't pay that much for that car with that many miles on it. Maybe a thousand bucks, but no more than that. But, you should know that I'm a grouchy old bastard living on a fixed income and Social Security is neither social nor secure. It's hard to get by on it.

 

Oh I get you man..... I work on railroad it's a well paying job so the money isn't really that big of a concern for me, as long as I can get 50k+ miles out of it I'd be happy. Plus I would replace things on it and try to be proactive on maintenance to squeeze what I could out of mileage wise. I looked on Craigslist at used cars in my area and most everything that is priced around $1k or below has well over 200k miles or nonrunning needing work. Thanks, guess I have just drive the car around for awhile and see how it runs.

 

This is starting to sound like he is trying to break even on the total cost of him acquiring the vehicle and fixing it. - a small allowance for you being a friend. It's still a business transaction to him not a one-on-one sale. So he is still offering a used car dealership ish price. There is no right or wrong and whatever you do don't have this be something you lose a friendship over. It's an old car that's all.

I'm wondering why he did not fix the secondary air injection or the EVAP leak. Makes me wonder if he can't find the issues. Small evap leaks can be difficult to find in general, and the air injection on the S cars, 3rd generation, wasn't exactly problem-free. It's easy to diagnose and correctly and dump money into without solving the issue.

Do you have state inspections? Specifically emissions testing? Without fixing those two it will automatically fail.

Please advise

 

The emissions testing is no issue, I live in a county where it's not required, I thought of that one already hah. Yeah it's mostly him making back cost of the work he did on it and really it's fine, him letting me take it without a payment deadline or even how much each payment is what the friend part gets me (I mean I already have a signed title in hand and havent handed over a dime yet)it's all at my own pace because he knows I won't screw him over on it. He 9s supposed to be checking the emissions issues right now so we will see. The money isn't an issue or that much even to me, I really just want to get at least some decent mileage out of it for what it is and I'll be using it for

 

He sounds like a good friend and I don't think he's trying to screw you. Sounds like he's giving you a fair shake, so you should drive it a couple of weeks and see how you like it. The S series cars get excellent mileage and that's one of the things I miss about not having either SC that I used to own. If you like it, buy it. If not, then just tell him thanks for letting you drive it around.

 

I work at a dealership and cant get that kind of deal 😂 I'm slightly jealous.