AZMotorgod
Enthusiast
Help with '96 GTS purchase
**THREAD TITLE CHANGE**
Hello all,
I am new to the forum (obviously) but I am a research hog and detail/ document freak and I am looking for advice prior to a vehicle purchase. Anyway here is my story:
I am in the market for a Blue and White GTS and I have found one, a '96 with 8450 miles on it. The Carfax and Autocheck history on the vehicle show discrepencies with the odometer. The first one was when the vehicle went to and then came back from Canada around 2004. That was the prior owner (second owner) and business partner of the current owner (third owner). I was told that it was a miles/ kilometers error when canada said that the 6,000 MILE car was a 6,000 Kilometer car. So when the owner then went to the local DMV in the states to have it registered the person at the DMV converted the reported 6,000 Kilometers to Miles and came up with 3,728 Miles, thus the discrepency. That I can write off as an asinine but honest mistake. Then last year seemingly out of nowhere the mileage goes from 8,000 up to 17,500 (the mileage otherwise seemed very consistent the entire cars life:
219 @ 3/98 (oldest record Pennsylvania)
4,919 @ 6/00 (titled in Nebraska)
5,135 @ 7/00 (titled in AZ)
3,728 @ 5/04 (BC Inspection Station ODO reported as 6,000 Km)
----- @ 9/04 (new owner AZ no mileage reported)
6,784 @ 11/04 (titled/ registered in AZ)
8,000 @ 8/06 (emissions)
17,500 @ 7/08 (title or registration issued) ***?
8,273 @ 3/ 09 (registration renewal)
According to the current owner the car was transferred from private ownership into a trust and the lawyers screwed up the mileage and somehow made it 17,500 miles. He said that when he found out he went to the DMV and had to jump through some hoops to get it corrected from 17,500 back to 8,000, which he did because the latest AZ title again shows 8,272. This seems legit...right, because why would AZ give him a new title with the lower miles unless he proved it to their satisfaction?
The local and VERY reputable viper tech in the area vouches for the vehicle and said that he has been servicing it since 2000. He gave me the print-out from the service department computer which shows the mileage to be:
5401 @ 10/00
5613 @ 3/01
7044 @ 2/05
7566 @ 1/06
8145 @ 10/08
He showed me on the engine management computer and the mileage showed the range of 8100 to 8300 miles (roughly from what I remember). I am told by another VERY reputable viper tech in another state that the cars computer CAN be altered under certain circumstances but it is unlikely due to the loss of credability (tech) and a steep fine (Dealer/ tech?) if caught. Also unlikely due to the documented dealer service log, could that be altered too?
The tech is getting me more extensive Dodge history for the vehicle (which I will get tomorrow), which he said that the motor was rebuilt by some company beginning with an "A" (sorry forgot), probably for a dropped cylinder sleeve (unknown at this point if the engine numbers match, which I WILL be looking into). My guess is some sort of warranty thing?
The thing is that it is a VERY CLEAN CAR and looks like an 8,000 mile car. Chin spoiler, side sills, paint, interior, wheels, everything LOOKS like an 8,000 mile car.
The tech said that all recalls were done, no evidence of collison damage, only mods are smooth tubes, K&N filters and a straight through replacement on the very back part of the exhaust (eliminating the back muffler). It even has the original window sticker, unknown on any other documentation at this time. It has original tires with good tead left (again consistent with mileage) but I will still need to replace them. I will also need new hatch struts (there but will not hold up hatch), probably a fluids change. Also any suggestions like a compression test, leakdown test, etc... The only ever mods I would consider are, headers, exhaust, updated computer, brakes, etc...MAYBE, but never anything drastic like a supercharger or turbo. Not only because I don't want the headaches but because I could not afford it.
I plan to drive it between once a month or every weekend depending on wheether or not I think I could ever sell the thing down the road (5yrs,10yrs,25yrs, never who knows) IF I buy it. Sorry for the long post but...
I am looking for everyones thoughts, PLEASE!
**THREAD TITLE CHANGE**
Hello all,
I am new to the forum (obviously) but I am a research hog and detail/ document freak and I am looking for advice prior to a vehicle purchase. Anyway here is my story:
I am in the market for a Blue and White GTS and I have found one, a '96 with 8450 miles on it. The Carfax and Autocheck history on the vehicle show discrepencies with the odometer. The first one was when the vehicle went to and then came back from Canada around 2004. That was the prior owner (second owner) and business partner of the current owner (third owner). I was told that it was a miles/ kilometers error when canada said that the 6,000 MILE car was a 6,000 Kilometer car. So when the owner then went to the local DMV in the states to have it registered the person at the DMV converted the reported 6,000 Kilometers to Miles and came up with 3,728 Miles, thus the discrepency. That I can write off as an asinine but honest mistake. Then last year seemingly out of nowhere the mileage goes from 8,000 up to 17,500 (the mileage otherwise seemed very consistent the entire cars life:
219 @ 3/98 (oldest record Pennsylvania)
4,919 @ 6/00 (titled in Nebraska)
5,135 @ 7/00 (titled in AZ)
3,728 @ 5/04 (BC Inspection Station ODO reported as 6,000 Km)
----- @ 9/04 (new owner AZ no mileage reported)
6,784 @ 11/04 (titled/ registered in AZ)
8,000 @ 8/06 (emissions)
17,500 @ 7/08 (title or registration issued) ***?
8,273 @ 3/ 09 (registration renewal)
According to the current owner the car was transferred from private ownership into a trust and the lawyers screwed up the mileage and somehow made it 17,500 miles. He said that when he found out he went to the DMV and had to jump through some hoops to get it corrected from 17,500 back to 8,000, which he did because the latest AZ title again shows 8,272. This seems legit...right, because why would AZ give him a new title with the lower miles unless he proved it to their satisfaction?
The local and VERY reputable viper tech in the area vouches for the vehicle and said that he has been servicing it since 2000. He gave me the print-out from the service department computer which shows the mileage to be:
5401 @ 10/00
5613 @ 3/01
7044 @ 2/05
7566 @ 1/06
8145 @ 10/08
He showed me on the engine management computer and the mileage showed the range of 8100 to 8300 miles (roughly from what I remember). I am told by another VERY reputable viper tech in another state that the cars computer CAN be altered under certain circumstances but it is unlikely due to the loss of credability (tech) and a steep fine (Dealer/ tech?) if caught. Also unlikely due to the documented dealer service log, could that be altered too?
The tech is getting me more extensive Dodge history for the vehicle (which I will get tomorrow), which he said that the motor was rebuilt by some company beginning with an "A" (sorry forgot), probably for a dropped cylinder sleeve (unknown at this point if the engine numbers match, which I WILL be looking into). My guess is some sort of warranty thing?
The thing is that it is a VERY CLEAN CAR and looks like an 8,000 mile car. Chin spoiler, side sills, paint, interior, wheels, everything LOOKS like an 8,000 mile car.
The tech said that all recalls were done, no evidence of collison damage, only mods are smooth tubes, K&N filters and a straight through replacement on the very back part of the exhaust (eliminating the back muffler). It even has the original window sticker, unknown on any other documentation at this time. It has original tires with good tead left (again consistent with mileage) but I will still need to replace them. I will also need new hatch struts (there but will not hold up hatch), probably a fluids change. Also any suggestions like a compression test, leakdown test, etc... The only ever mods I would consider are, headers, exhaust, updated computer, brakes, etc...MAYBE, but never anything drastic like a supercharger or turbo. Not only because I don't want the headaches but because I could not afford it.
I plan to drive it between once a month or every weekend depending on wheether or not I think I could ever sell the thing down the road (5yrs,10yrs,25yrs, never who knows) IF I buy it. Sorry for the long post but...
I am looking for everyones thoughts, PLEASE!
Last edited:
