I think I may have found my car....need serious input

[terminator02]

Ok like Transamer, I am going to pray the Viperclub community respects my honesty and eagerness to buy a viper and the trust that I instill with members here that know a lot more than I do at this point. I am a serious buyer and I have come across a listing that appears "too good to be true" (which we know how that usually goes). I just ask that this info doesn't get taken advantage of!

The car is located in Fredricksburg VA. I have already emailed Lee to see if he knows the owner but haven't had a response just yet. The car is a 97 Viper GTS in Red with 8k miles. It has borla headers and exhaust, 2008 HIDS, baer calipers and rotors, 5% tint, "all records" "title in hand" and a clean car fax for 39,900.

I called him today and told him that I am very interested in the car (he wasn't very friendly and seemed very busy) and he rushed me off the phone and said he would email me back. The little info I did get from him I did not like. He had the car only 8 months and when I asked about the tires he said that they need to be replaced.

Now 39,900 is a good price and am wondering if anyone knows aobut this car or can provide me with advice. I am going to send over the link but the problem is that the link is very long so it will need to be copied and pasted. If anyone is in that area and can look at it, I would be grateful and I am very serious about buying a viper GTS...this may or may not be the one for me. And again, if you know anyone who is selling or u are selling yours in the 40-45k range I would be happy to learn about your GTS!
dave
Link: Cars For Sale: Car Details - AutoTrader.com

 

[Chopper]

Where are you located?

 

[terminator02]

i am in michigan

 

[transamer79]

hey terminator, call my cell when you see this, i already talked to the guy about the car a few weeks ago and i have some info for you. i pmed u my cell number.

 

[RobZilla]

OK, here we go. First if the seller seems rushed or uninterested in your sincerity to purchase, your probably looking at someone who is trying to get rid of something without giving you the whole history. Most sellers take pictures of the car when "they" got it, and show the condition around the time of "their" purchase. Not every car on AutoTrader is a scam, but when they seem a little to good to be true, you gotta be skepitcal to begin with (as you already mentioned). If you could find someone to go look at it for you, that would be a huge benefit.

You said he is the second owner I believe... question him about his purchase and why he is turning around and selling. How many miles did it have when he bought? What was the condition? If it needs tires already it probably wasn't babied like the ad says.

Just a few thoughts to keep in mind... keep us updated and keep searching. You'll find the right one if this isn't it.

~Zilla

 

[triblk6spd]

Red? NO WAY!



Just kidding. Looks good.

 

[Casey]

And the result of your conversation with Transamer was?

 

[transamer79]

i just told him everything i discussed with the seller and that it was listed on craigslist for 38,500

 

[Casey]

i just told him everything i discussed with the seller and that it was listed on craigslist for 38,500

Is the car clean? No issues?

IF so, IMO, that is a GREAT price on a low mile GTS!! Hope it works out!

 

[transamer79]

no history as far as i know

 

[okloneranger]

Again, it's very wise to have a qualified Viper Tech. put it on a lift and say grace over it. A seller who would balk at that has to be trying to hide something. Sounds like he bought it to make a quick profit. Good luck, hope it's right and you get it.

 

[terminator02]

how would i find a viper tech that would do that in his neck of the woods? I am also looking at a pretty nice 97 BW GTS with 9k miles for about 45k. There are a few scratches on the lower front fascia and rear bumper and will post pictures to get some input in the community in the next day or so. I am finding I have to be pretty patient with this process. It definitely is a buyers market right now

 

[ViperJay]

one of you guys needs to subscribe to carfax. you can get unlimited reports for a month on a flat fee. that will at least get you to the point where you can take a look at it. sounds like a very good price. just because someone wants to sell after 8 months is not necessarily a bad thing. he could have bought it and then decided he cant afford it. it wouldn't be the first time i heard that. and if he is backed into the corner, he could be looking to sell fast.

 

[terminator02]

Ok this car is not going to happen. I have since called twice and the owner has said "Can i call you in a few because I just got busy." I make sure he has my number and he does not return the call. If I am trying to sell a car, I do that; SELL. If he treats potential buyers with this lazy attitude, I can't imagine how lazy he was with the car. Great options, great price...but won't return my call. Time to move on.

Edit: ironically had to go when I started to mention that I saw his ad on craigslist for 37,500 then 38,500 and now it is 39,500 on auto trader.

 

[Purdue_Boiler_Viper]

My 2 cents. Don't buy a Viper site unseen. I almost did and I would have made a HUGE mistake.
Make sure you know what color you want. And stick to your goals. With a Viper, it is easy to get anxious and do something you will regret. Patience is a virtue....
And, call Chuck Tator before you buy. He will give you the official scoop on the car.

 

[PDCjonny]

Check out this car in the VCA classifieds:

http://forums.viperclub.org/rt-10-gts-discussions/614494-my-97-b-w-gts-classifieds.html

 

[Kenneth Krieger]

The old addage that we all still must go by is: IF IT'S TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT'S PROBABLY TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!

 

[V10 PWRD]

Let's all take a step back and think about how reliable Carfax may or may not be. It's my understanding that issues are only reported to Carfax if it's brought to a dealer. If the car has been brought to a private garage or body shop for repair the repair is not reported to Carfax. A report is nice but not always telling the whole history. This happened to me on a Jag I was looking at. The car was 2 years old and the paint just didn't look right on the rear quarter. If I wasn't so picky no one else would have ever notice. Jag Dealer showed me a clean Carfax. I asked for the previous owners number to ask them about it. Seems the car was his wife's and she backed in to something and dented the quarter panel. Got it fixed at a reputable body shop but no Carfax report was made. Don't go by just a Carfax report.

 

[Red Snake]

Let's all take a step back and think about how reliable Carfax may or may not be. It's my understanding that issues are only reported to Carfax if it's brought to a dealer. If the car has been brought to a private garage or body shop for repair the repair is not reported to Carfax. A report is nice but not always telling the whole history. This happened to me on a Jag I was looking at. The car was 2 years old and the paint just didn't look right on the rear quarter. If I wasn't so picky no one else would have ever notice. Jag Dealer showed me a clean Carfax. I asked for the previous owners number to ask them about it. Seems the car was his wife's and she backed in to something and dented the quarter panel. Got it fixed at a reputable body shop but no Carfax report was made. Don't go by just a Carfax report.

True but you would want to check carfax anyway.

I wouldn't want to buy a car without checking CarFax and learn later that CarFax showed a major accident.