AFW

History

On Sunday, 4/13/08 we were coming back from breakfast in my then daily driver smashed 96 Olds Ciera when we passed this car at a residence with for-sale information on it.  A little lazy after eating at the buffet I almost didn't turn around but I did.  I quickly realized that the car was very clean and well kept.  The price, mileage, and appearance of the car peaked my curiosity.  However, I called the number listed on the car, but there was no answer.  

I then went home and began researching the 97 CV to find "the good, the bad, and the ugly."

Monday 4/14/08 I went to work and could not stop thinking about the car.  I pulled a CarFax report, and it came back clear.

Monday evening after work I went back, saw that people were looking at it already, and I figured for sure it was sold.  Well, Chuk advised it wasn't sold, the other people left, and I began my painfully detailed inspection of the car, including test drive.

I left to come home, and as I sat at the dining room table, I had the hardest time making a decision, until finally I asked my wife to come with me, I grabbed the license plate off the Olds, and off we went.

I performed another meticulous inspection including test drive at higher speeds.  I found the cruise control didn't work.  "Darn", I thought, but not a deal-breaker.  

I finally made Chuk an offer, he countered at $3700, I accepted and so the deal was sealed.

"Chuk" was "selling it for a friend", and it appeared completely garage kept, as he said.  59, 600mi.  The only evidence of exposure to the sun was the slightly yellowing plastic headlights.  The side marker lights, tail lights, etc., were not faded whatsoever.  The interior was in absolute excellent and clean condition.  It was like the owner stepped into a plastic bag, before he inserted himself to the driver's seat.  The car was even recently waxed.  Not even was the steering wheel faded like most used cars.

And get this:
Like I mentioned above, I test drove it over and over and over and couldn't get the speed control to work. I ended up saying to myself, "well if I have to put $500 into it to get speed control working well then that won't be too bad". The morning after I purchased the car I am looking under the hood and find a wire disconnected and taped. I plugged the wire back into a hole I thought it should fit, in the side of the master cylinder. voila!...Speed control now works! But a week later I discovered that the most likely reason the wire was unplugged was due to the 9.6 million Ford vehicle recall concerning the Speed Control disengagement safety issue - I went to the Ford dealer the next morning and in less than 20 minutes had a fused harness put inline.

There was (and still is) some rust on the brake lines, steering shaft, front upper suspension area, drive shaft, and differential.  But it mostly looked surface.

I would have been foolish to not purchase this car.  I figured that if for some reason I didn't like the car, I could simply sell it for at least $5500 and make an easy $1800 on it.  If you think I am nuts then try buying a car at blue book value here in Florida.  It is very rare.  Get ready to pay NADA prices or higher for vehicles.  So anyway, NO BRAINER!!!

What a sweet deal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The other thing that is odd is that the car had a coolant smell when I was evaluating it before the purchase.  After I purchased it for a day or two it still had a coolant smell.  But a week later the coolant smell mysteriously vanished!  What? - Problems that go away by themselves?!  Unreal.

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