Potential Lemons/Chumpcar on craigslist in Charlottesville
Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 8:42 pm
Hey!
http://charlottesville.craigslist.org/c ... 94557.html
For anyone who is interested, I just went to check out a 93 miata that was advertised on Craigslist for $500.
The car is rough, and I decided it was probably only suitable as a crap-can racer, which I'm not really in the market for.
The main problem I have with the car is that the top leaked (leaks) onto the tray behind the seats. When I removed the (smelly) carpet, the tray is completely rusted out. I understand that this is a common problem on these cars, but I don't know how hard it is to fix. But I bet it involves welding and I don't weld.
Other problems:
Airbag light is on
Battery light is on. The battery is new. Perhaps it needs a new alternator.
Several dings
Front driver headlight damaged and not aligned properly (not sure whether this would be difficult)
Unknown rattle from engine compartment-- perhaps an exhaust bracket
The engine seems to pull nicely and the suspension is clunk-free. The shift linkage seems to be slightly vague, but it shifts fine.
The coolant leak as described in the ad, the owner now claims was condensation and not a problem.
So despite the revelation of the rusty tray, the owner is sticking to the $500 price.
http://charlottesville.craigslist.org/c ... 94557.html
For anyone who is interested, I just went to check out a 93 miata that was advertised on Craigslist for $500.
The car is rough, and I decided it was probably only suitable as a crap-can racer, which I'm not really in the market for.
The main problem I have with the car is that the top leaked (leaks) onto the tray behind the seats. When I removed the (smelly) carpet, the tray is completely rusted out. I understand that this is a common problem on these cars, but I don't know how hard it is to fix. But I bet it involves welding and I don't weld.
Other problems:
Airbag light is on
Battery light is on. The battery is new. Perhaps it needs a new alternator.
Several dings
Front driver headlight damaged and not aligned properly (not sure whether this would be difficult)
Unknown rattle from engine compartment-- perhaps an exhaust bracket
The engine seems to pull nicely and the suspension is clunk-free. The shift linkage seems to be slightly vague, but it shifts fine.
The coolant leak as described in the ad, the owner now claims was condensation and not a problem.
So despite the revelation of the rusty tray, the owner is sticking to the $500 price.