Should I buy that Solara? [UPDATE page 2]

[mac-phisto]

i wouldn't buy it w/o taking it to a mechanic. it sounds like a great deal, but the guy could be playing you w/ the "i have a mechanic interested" line - sounds like he might be trying to rush the sale. w/ that tow hitch, you definitely want to make sure there isn't any frame damage & pretty much the only sure-fire way to do that is to put it on a lift.

something else to think about - the 1mz engine had some issues with sludging. the seller may say he's using all synthetic all the time, but it could be that he just switched to synthetic to mask a sludge problem. it's kinda hard to see if that's really an issue without pulling the valve cover or the oil pan though. you might be able to see some evidence of sludging by opening the filler cap. if he truly has only been using synthetic, this won't be an issue.

i went from an accord to a solara & they're both great cars. the one HUGE difference i've noticed is that the solara doesn't handle as well in the winter. i used to run all-season toyos year round on my accord; did that one winter on my lara & ended up in a ditch. you'll need snows if you're taking it out in the coming months.

g/l. you have a tough decision - it's a great deal, but without having a mechanic check it out, you don't know what you're buying.

[DriDed]

Yea the Accord just handle better than the Solara, (same year model comparison).

The 03 Accord V6 auto that my dad drives handles way tighter and has less body roll than my Solara, the steering response in the Accord is also better.

[mig0s]

Thanks for the replies guys I'll update y'all on this...it's an epic dilemma for me right now lol

[toytim]

Your car looks to be in good condition but being an ex bodyman I know that pictures can be deceiving...

look around the chrome and window edges, basically anywhere there could have been tape applied for repainting. Also look under the car along the rocker panels and in the wheel wells to see if there is any over spray and if only some of the car was re-painted then look further to see what damage may have been done in that area. while your down there take a quick look at the exhaust and for oil/gas leaks.
It was mentioned that you should look at the hood, fender and door gaps to see if they are all even and equally spaced (good tip by the way)

When you test drive it take notice how well it shifts up and down and how the clutch feels. Do the brakes feel soft or do they go to the floor. Check if the car wants to turn to the either side while on a flat stretch of road and if it bounces over bumps.
Check for heat and A/C and if the roof/windows work, and while your in there check the glove box for any service records and possibly the original owners name or number. You may find that info attached to the inside front cover of the owners manual...I did

Another trick is to find an empty parking lot, crank the wheel all the way one way and slowly drive in reverse while listening for a clicking noise in the front end. This will indicate that your CV joint needs replaced. Do this in both directions and it helps to open the door and lean down so you can hear well.

This is a very good price if the car is in good condition. The mileage is good (as long as it wasn't turned back) and if your mechanic gives you a thumbs up then I would say get it and enjoy man!

I purchased my 2000 SE 5-speed last spring here in Ottawa for $7800 cdn mind you it had 69000km's at the time and is in almost mint condition.

So take this along with all the other stuff everyone shared with you and let us know if you get it !

[mig0s]

Hi everyone,

It's been a long time and I'm here to make some interesting updates...

First of all, I didn't buy that Solara I mentioned. I decided to keep my Accord for another 4-5 months and sell it, then get myself another car (Solara or Maxima).Now it's time, I've put up my accord on sale and I think/wish it will be sold during the week. When it comes to the new car, I'm desperately trying to find manual BLACK 1st gen solaras in Montreal area.

There's only about 20-25 solaras on sale currently near my place and only TWO black, V6 manual solaras.


The first one has 150k km on it, which is 93k miles. Dude is selling it for 6200$, which is a decent price, especially with the leather interior.

http://montreal.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicl ... Z194222101

I have called the guy and he told me that tomorrow, someone's supposed to come and make a deposit. If he doesn't (which I pray), I'll be looking forward to be the next owner of that car.



The second one, here's what's interesting...

http://montreal.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicl ... Z193976325

136k km (84.5k miles) for 5400$, Black v6 manual without leather interior... Seems good, BUT WAIT, doesn't it look as the same as the car I was going to buy? 1k more kilometers, 6 months later? It can't be... from the pictures I can't tell the difference, then i decided to call the guy and ask him some questions including "is there a hitch"? He told me yes...

So I'm guessing that this guy bought the car I was going to buy, drove 700 miles with it and he's trying to resell it. I'm almost 100% sure that the car has a problem but I'm just curious to find out what is the problem.
I'll try to meet this guy tomorrow if the other solara is sold.


Meanwhile, there's another V6 manual but in RED. I really don't like non-black cars (no racism ), but that red one is the last v6 manual. It has 105k Miles in it. Price seems OK but I really don't wanna buy a car with a color that I don't like. You guys think it's a big matter?

http://montreal.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicl ... Z185871769

The other choices would be a manual Maxima, but I've seen too many maximas on the road and seriously, I like Solaras much better.


So here I am, a little bit messed up in my head. Any advices from you guys would be appreciated.

[02slera]

i thought about the maxima, thought about the mazda6, bought the solara, couldn't be happier. mine is silver and looks great, when i was shopping for mine i decided that i would buy the car if it was black, blue, or silver, those are the colors i like best on the car. the white looks good i just think it would show dirt very easy, black probly would too tho.
you may have to expand your search, i drove around 200 miles to buy my car.

[juankc03]

That's a good deal. Check for a cel, put the ignition switch on and make sure that all the lights on the dash come on if the cel doesn't light up there hiding a cel. Check for oil leaks (look under the car), front radiator support and fender wall for dents, that's a sign that it has been in an accident. One thing to keep in mind your gonna have to do the waterpump and timing soon. I prefer the solara appose to the accord, it is true the accord handles better,but that doesn't mean that the lara handles badly. Besides everyone has an accord! +1 lara

[gasolara2002]

I'm on the suspicious side of the fence. Get it checked out by a mechanic. I say it is a little too cheap. Do a vehicle history report and test drive it extensively. And if it is a good car please get rid of the trailer hitch.

[DSM_Lara]

Lol he jack up the price. Maybe he just wanted some. extra cash? Buy a cheap car sell it for more.

[dug320]

Any car with a trailer hitch is a car that should be passed. It is so easy to abuse a vehicle by towing something at the maximum rating for the hitch and the car.

Expand your search. Anything along the 401/417 and I-87/I-91 (within reason) should be considered.

[ozone]

I think if you want a black Solara, you should not settle on a red one. Personally, I much prefer red, so I think you're nuts, but that's a matter of opinion. Seriously though, color is very important and you will regret it every time you get in the car. Of course, if the manual transmission is more important to you than the color, you might have to reconsider, because they are pretty rare. Usually, if you are willing to wait, you can find what you want.

As far as the black one goes, it sounds like three possibilities. 1) Someone saw a great price on a used car and bought it to turn a profit. 2) The guy only drove it for 700 miles before encountering problems and put it up for sale at the price it should have been listed at (because $3650 was a fantastic price) or. . . 3) a combination of 1) and 2).

I bought a wrecked 2002 Solara for $2500, so I think the $3650 was a steal. If this is indeed the same car, I would definitely have it checked out in case 2) applies, especially under the valve cover. I wouldn't worry about the towing thing personally, as long as the car drives well. It's a 9 year old car, how perfect is it supposed to be? Anyway, if it checks out ok, then you know how much the guy paid for it and you can talk him down a bit. Right?

Between 4 cylinder Accord and V6 Solara, hands down Solara. They are more unique and there's no replacement for displacement. Plus the gas mileage is still pretty good, especially for a V6.

You mentioned that the engine was pretty dirty. Are you sure this just wasn't normal wear due to the salt you guys use up north? The wrecked one I bought was from Pennsylvania and it looked very crappy compared to my wife's Florida driven engine. Does your Honda look better under the hood?

Finally, I wouldn't even bother with CarFax. I put my car into CarFax and it didn't show up as having been wrecked even though I knew it had. Plus just because a car was damaged doesn't mean it hasn't been repaired properly. If it has been repaired properly, what do you care?

Good luck.