i plan on going and looking at a car being sold by a private party. he lives about an hour away from where i live but i talked to him on the phone and hes basically in his mid-twenties and is selling the car because he got a job overseas. what are some things i should ask and do? hes asking a few hundred over the blue book value so should i try to talk him down any? i kinda wanted to take the car to a mechanic but do i just take it to some random mechanic in that area that i have never been to? what others things should i ask and do? car is a 99 accord 2dr ex v6 with 74k miles

 

Check the trans if it's an auto be afraid of hard shifts the engine is pretty tough
You can get the VIN number and ask the dealer to check for recalls for you.
Nobody pays full Kelly Blue Book price..The market is soft right now, try Edmunds.com True Market Value for realistic prices.
Kelly prices are an average of what the dealerships are ASKING for cars, the Kelly Blue Book is to help dealers rip people off, The price is in no way an indicator of a cars value!!!

 

ok i did the edmunds tmv for the car and it gave me $8133 as the private party price. although the edmunds site didn't give me the ability to put as many options as the kbb site but it basically got it in terms of a 2dr accord v6 ex. so you think i should come out and say 7500 cash first?

 

Do a Carfax's inquiry for the vehicles VIN Number
Be sure to ask if the Titles clear (no liens)
If the Seller's legit, he should not flinch at an independent evaluation by YOUR technician. He may ask for some "collateral" to insure you return with his car (however); usually leaving your car with him is sufficient.
The hours' drive to and from will give you sufficient time to evaluate the Transmission and the other systems as well.

Considering a 15,000 mile average usage, the car is considered low mileage (I'd expect to see 90,000 on a 6 year old vehicle) and that could be the reason for a higher price.

Hope this helps as well.

P

 

whoa i just found another accord for sale 2000 accord ex v6 2dr
here is their description:
grey metallic with black Leather interior, V6, Automatic w/OD, 57053Miles, Tilt, Cruise, AM-FM, Air Conditioning, Power Windows, Power Locks, Power Mirrors, Power Seats, Rear Defrost, Spoiler, Sunroof, new tires, factory mag wheels, great gas mileage, garage kept, very pleasant to ride and drive, very dependable , it is a honda
they are asking $6500. this has got to be too good to be true right? theres just no way its this low right?

 

You're correct to ask what's wrong with this deal. At that price, I'd expect it to have a Salvage (or Flood) title assigned to it, either that or you'd be assuming payments on it.

Here's what Kelley's Blue Book has to say:

Engine: V6 3.0 Liter VTEC
Trans: Automatic
Drive: FWD
Mileage: 57,000

Equipment
Air Conditioning
Power Steering
Power Windows
Power Door Locks
Tilt Wheel
Cruise Control
AM/FM Stereo
Single Compact Disc
Dual Front Air Bags
Leather
Moon Roof
Rear Spoiler
Alloy Wheels




Consumer Rated Condition: Good
"Good" condition means that the vehicle is free of any major defects. This vehicle has a clean title history , the paint, body and interior have only minor (if any) blemishes, and there are no major mechanical problems. There should be little or no rust on this vehicle. The tires match and have substantial tread wear left. A "good" vehicle will need some reconditioning to be sold at retail. Most consumer owned vehicles fall into this category.

Private Party Value Search Local Listings | List This Car for Sale $10,820

I'd Tread Carefully

P

 

too good to be true was right. i did a carfax report and it showed that it had been salvaged with a rebuilt title plus 50k mile roll back on odometer. so i guess im still going after that first accord that i mentioned and plan on going to look at it on friday.

 

check the title in carfax it may be salvage or they may have trans problems....

 

Good for you. Do the dilligence first and be the smart shopper. It's always fun to know the answers b4 you go into something like this. I would have been curious of the sellers answer if you'd asked about the title............
Glad you found out b4.

P

 

with mechanical odos, the difference in odo readings could be due to the cluster being replaced.........but I didn't think it was possible to alter the odo on those cars...........since the information is stored in the cluster and the ECu..........

 

Hey man I am willing to sell, My 99 Accord it has 100,000 on the odemtor.
I have recipets for every transmission fluid change. I live in Cincinnati.
PM for details.

 

hmm it says i don't have permission to instant message. could you post all the details or email me at jamesj@uky.edu

 

If I were you... go look at the car an hour away (assuming Ninjasword's car doesn't work out), ask to see the maintenance records of course.

A '99 with 75,000 miles should have had, under normal conditions:

A radiator flush & fill, and a brake fluid change (both at 45,000 miles (36 months))
Air filter at 30,000 and 60,000 miles (24 and 48 months)
Air conditioning (a.k.a. cabin filter) at 30,000 & 60,000 miles (not a biggie if he
hasn't done this, but if not you will want to do it)

Along with oil / filter changes, tire rotations, brake inspections, and other visual inspections. Take a look at his owner's manual, page 198 (I'm looking at the '99 Honda Accord owner's manual right now - I have an 4-cylinder Lx with manual transmission). Note that per the schedule the transmission fluid doesn't need to be changed until 90,000 miles / 72 months under normal conditions. Automatic transmission problems are relatively common for these cars; hopefully he's already done it. Also, for what it's worth, the 6 cyl. '99s won't be due for a spark plug change until 105,000 miles or 84 months.

Anyway... ask to see the maintenance schedule. If he doesn't have any records keep in mind when discussing price that you'll need to have pretty much all of the maintenance work done. Regardless, I'd take the car to a transmission shop in the town where he lives and have them take the car out for a quick spin, get their opinion. If you are serious about the car, consider going to his local Honda dealer and having them do a quick inspection - shouldn't be more than 30 or 45 minutes of labor (wild guess on my part).

What is his asking price? And no matter what it is, there's a little bit of wiggle room in it, don't hesitate to offer $300 or so less (assuming that the price he's asking isn't outrageously high). Mention that you'll be paying cash and make sure he's got the title with him.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by quickness &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">hmm it says i don't have permission to instant message. could you post all the details or email me at jamesj@uky.edu</TD></TR></TABLE>
I sent the E-mail I will get all my records. For the car It has been well maintained. Its all Stock. I will E-mail you again once I get off work.

 

ok so i looked at the car i first posted about and it looks to be pretty good. drives well and mechanic and auto shop said it was good. there are only minor things: couple dings on the truck lid, cd stuck in cd player, cracked plastic cover in front of the odometer, speedometer, tachometer, etc. and it was pretty dirty. all of which can be fixed but cost money. i also looked at another car 2000 accord ex v6 2dr with 100k miles. it was very clean and the owner seemed like he cared for it VERY well and completed all maintenance very well. the only problem with it was there was a tear in the driver's seat leather and also the driver's seat rocked back and forth a little. he was asking 8700. im kind of leaning toward the first one simply because of the color, black on black and lower miles. my question is how i should try and play the price game. i would like to spend no more than 8000 if possible. is that reasonable? what should be my starting offer and what price should i not go above?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by quickness &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">ok so i looked at the car i first posted about and it looks to be pretty good. drives well and mechanic and auto shop said it was good. there are only minor things: couple dings on the truck lid, cd stuck in cd player, cracked plastic cover in front of the odometer, speedometer, tachometer, etc. and it was pretty dirty.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

My cluster cover cracked thats why I had to put a new cluster in. Honda Did not sell just the cover. $500.00 Make sure you get that check out.

 

I agree, the first one sounds like the better deal. But then I haven't seen either of them. What kind of maintenance records did the first guy have?

 

Considering the mileage (78k if I remember correctly), I'd play the Timing Belt Gambit on him. If he can't provide a hard copy of a repair order showing a timing belts' been changed, I'd start by knocking the $$$ of the job off the selling price; on the reasoning that the car requires it (Shortly) and it's an added expense that you'll have to take care of. Offer to buy it if he has the belt done, and 8 of 10 chances sez he'll balk and agree to the reduction.

P

 

ohh that sucks about the cluster cover. i was really hoping i could just buy a cover for really cheap. well the first one (black honda) the owner only had it for 11 months. i think hes basically just done oil changes on it since he has had it. thanks for the timing belt tip. ill definitely be mentioning that. but could you all give me some suggestions as far as price goes? im not really sure what to start off at. i want to basically mention all of the problems and then give a price. some people have said $7500. is this reasonable? i want to not go over 8000.

 

I start out saying $7500 and make him work it up, don't be too easy. You have to feel the guy out. When you get to like $7700 or 7800, stand firm. Pick one and stick to it. Make it look like your ready to walk away. Try to win the academy award with your performance.

 

i actually planned on calling him and dealing over the phone... is this a bad move or should be there in person when dealing?

 

Here's what KBB says about your 78K Accord V6 EX:

Engine: V6 3.0 Liter VTEC
Trans: Automatic
Drive: FWD
Mileage: 74,000

Equipment
Air Conditioning
Power Steering
Power Windows
Power Door Locks
Tilt Wheel
Cruise Control
AM/FM Stereo
Cassette
Single Compact Disc
Dual Front Air Bags
Moon Roof
Alloy Wheels




Consumer Rated Condition: Fair
"Fair" condition means that the vehicle has some mechanical or cosmetic defects and needs servicing but is still in reasonable running condition. This vehicle has a clean title history , the paint, body and/or interior need work performed by a professional. The tires may need to be replaced. There may be some repairable rust damage.


Private Party Value Search Local Listings | List This Car for Sale $7,900
Private Party Value is what a buyer can expect to pay when buying a used car from a private party. The Private Party Value assumes the vehicle is sold "As Is" and carries no warranty (other than the continuing factory warranty). The final sale price may vary depending on the vehicle's actual condition and local market conditions. This value may also be used to derive Fair Market Value for insurance and vehicle donation purposes.

I think you should start no higher than $7500 and work Down from there. Considering you're looking at a cluster, Timing belt. Etc. The KBB value is a price for the car in "Fair" condition only. Without submitting it to a safety inspection, you don't really know what you're dealing with.
Deal with him in person, you can point out the defects (and reasons why you're not willing to go Full Price on the transaction.

P

 

ok i talked the guy down to 8500 but i think i can go lower. hes looking around for his receipts for maintenance but i don't think he will find many. how much does it cost to do the basic maintenance procedures such as flush and refill and brake fluid stuff?

 

For trans fluid and brake fluid, probably around $35. I don't remember how much the coolant is. Get Honda fluids though. I know Honda stuff is a little high priced, but I think it's worth it for the good stuff. If you didn't already, tell him to go down another $500 for what you will have to spend on the timing belt.

 

Yes try to talk him down I don't care if he is 3k under blue book still try to talk him down. Be willing to walk away and tell him to give you a call when he makes up his mind. Worked well on my truck I got the guy down $1200 of course it was over KBB but so were all the other trucks in this area so I don't know why KBB was soo low but I got a decent deal compared to others in the area.

I honestly would walk away now and go look at another car as I don't want another 4cyl ever although I prob will own a few more and the 6cyl in these isn't much better. I'd go look at a Camaro. Of course most of you guys don't think they same way about them that I do.