New here. Looking for some buying advice! Options

[Delbasid132]

Hi all!

I've been lurking the forums for quite some time now. I'm on the verge of buying a 6gen celi and was wondering if I could get some advice on how much I should spend on a car like this.

116,xxx miles
Clean Carfax, other than odo inconsistency (dealer said it was a clerical error).
Seems pretty clean inside and out to me (no crazy mods, paint seems good, etc). I don't have much experience in owning a car/anything car related so your advice is greatly appreciated!

I've tried searching for a price range and have looked up KBB, NADA, Edmunds, etc and came up with a price range of $2500-$3000 for a celi like this.

My question is: what should I spend on it? I'm going to go look at it tomorrow and am planning to pay $3500 total (dealer fees, etc). They're asking for $4000. Am I bargaining too low at that price or does that seem pretty fair?

Here's some pics:








I apologize if this is in the wrong section, if so mods please move it to the right place!

Thanks in advance and hope to join the 6gen-family soon!

[kurt95gt]

Seem like 3500 wouldbe fair for her with tqx an title
Is it gt or st ?

[dudeofchaos]

Considering it's a GT (I assume so because of the 5 spokes mags) 3500-4000 seems pretty fair to me. I paid way more for my Gt-S though it had 120 000kms on it and had all options and mint as ****.

4wheel disc brake?
4-6-8 speakers system?
Amplifier?
Remote starter?
Alarm system?
Power mirrors?
Power doors?
Sun roof?
Rust? (Look carefuly in the rear wheel arches, rockers, shock towers, trunk, bottom and inside of doors, A pillars, behind the tail lights and under the car. If the part is rusty but can be replaced it's no big deal, if it can't then it's something to consider at the end of the line)
Driver side airbag? Passenger side airbag?
Any weird noise comming from suspention? Brakes? Engine?
Heater and A/C work? Do you see any leaks somewhere along the A/C lines and system?
Any leaks under the car? (Check for prestone, engine oil, tranny oil, brake fluid...)
Do the windshield washer nozzles work front/rear?
Defrost works?
Vents work normally? Any weird smell?
Any smoke at cold start? Any oil consumption? Revs smoothly? Idles well?
Shifting is smooth? (Damaged syncros)
Radio casette/cd player work?
Uneven wear of discs or pads?
Any exhaust leaks?

If you check all these things you should have a pretty good idea if the car is in good shape.

This post has been edited by dudeofchaos: Feb 26, 2012 - 10:51 PM

[Delbasid132]

It's a 2.2L GT. So including the bs dealer fees, $3500 is a good price? I've been looking for 2 months now and I haven't found anything with low miles like this one. I'm super excited but don't want to get ahead of myself just yet!

Considering it's a GT (I assume so because of the 5 spokes mags) 3500-4000 seems pretty fair to me. I paid way more for my Gt-S though it had 120 000kms on it and had all options and mint as ****.

4wheel disc brake?
4-6-8 speakers system?
Amplifier?
Remote starter?
Alarm system?
Power mirrors?
Power doors?
Sun roof?
Rust? (Look carefuly in the rear wheel arches, rockers, shock towers, trunk, lower inside of doors, A pillars, behind the tail lights and under the car. If the part is rusty but can be replaced it's no big deal, if it can't then it's something to consider at the end of the line)
Driver side airbag? Passenger side airbag?
Any weird noise comming from suspention? Brakes? Engine?
Heater and A/C work? Do you see any leaks somewhere along the A/C lines and system?
Any leaks under the car? (Check for prestone, engine oil, tranny oil, brake fluid...)
Do the windshield washer nozzles work front/rear?
Defrost works?
Vents work normally? Any weird smell?
Any smoke at cold start? Any oil consumption? Revs smoothly? Idles well?
Radio casette/cd player work?
Uneven wear of discs or pads?
Any exhaust leaks?

If you check all these things you should have a pretty good idea if the car is in good shape.

Thanks for this! This checklist is exactly what I'm looking for!

The options listed are:
Air Conditioning
Passenger Airbag
Alloy Wheels
Power Locks
AM/FM
Power Steering
Bucket Seats
Power Windows
Cassette
Rear Defroster
Cruise Control
Sun Roof
Driver Airbag
Tachometer
Extra Keys
Tilt Wheel
Interval Wipers
Tinted Windows
Leather Seats

[mkernz22]

That's a very clean Celica. Just make sure the clutch is still in good working condition and it's not slipping.

[Delbasid132]

That's a very clean Celica. Just make sure the clutch is still in good working condition and it's not slipping.

Sure is! I actually don't know how to drive a manual. I'm know the general gist of it but am hoping my dad can give me a crash course tomorrow night if all goes well. He and his mechanic are going to check it earlier in the day cause I have class and am unable to go down to check it out before them.

One last question: What is the maximum I should offer without paying his asking price? He said the best he could do is 3400 + dealer fees + tax but as I mentioned, I've been seeing $2500-$3000. I just don't want to pass a deal up if he gets offended by my $3500 offer but I'm on a very tight budget so I the max I'll be able to go is $4000 all inclusive.

Anyways, I apologize for the questions. I've been very patient these last two months and I'm just getting antsy because tomorrow will be the big day.

[cheela]

manual is pretty easy once you get the hang of it and this would be a perfect car to practice on.

[dudeofchaos]

Yeah I forgot about the cruise control hehe. Make sure you have working airbags and if there's an airbag on the passenger side make sure there's one in your steering wheel!
Gt's don't have bucket seats though they are pretty bucket for standard seats.

Look for how long it has been listed on the sale site, the longer it's been there the more chance you have to lower the price. Tell him you have a tight budget and can't really go higher than *your price*.

This post has been edited by dudeofchaos: Feb 27, 2012 - 1:58 PM

[rave2n]

Buy it, its a steal.

I just purchased close to that, but blown clutch and few other items for 1500. Bunch of cosmetics

That one is definatly in far better shape.