Buying a modded car......

[nmcgrawj]

Hey guys, i dont know what it is but i've always been "hesitant" to buy a modded car. Now im coming to the point of getting a new ride and im gonna be calling a guy tomorrow about a 01 GT vert thats got an intercooled S-trim on it, long tubes, and a forged bottom end.

So how do u guys feel about cars like this? I know i can ask the guy a million questions in the world and he could have the perfect answers, but i'd still be hesitant. So if i drive it, and all "seems" well, would u go for it for the right price? What would be key questions or "check list items" that would have to be checked off in order for you to get it?

Thanks guys
Nate

 

[cbarr300]

have him spin the vortech with the belt off and see if you hear any abnormal noises and make sure it turns freely. Also, you can get the info off the supercharger and call vortech to get info about it.

check the usual things (oil, coolant, smoke out tailpipes, abnormal noises, etc.)

of course, go for a test drive and see if that's what you really want. I'd also do some stop and go to test the coolant system outj (with a/c on if it has it).

Just make sure everything sounds, looks, etc. like it should.

 

[BlackVert]

and get the paperwork for that forged bottom end

 

[mackey]

Have him drive the car and floor it and listen for detonation. If it isn't tuned and he has been driving it hard like that, that isn't good.

 

[WHITE94COBRA]

I always have the owner drive it first, you can tell how they drive it just by watching them, if he or she drives like a grandma or grandpa while your in the car, let them know to drive it like they normally do, if they tell you thats how they drive it there lying. Why would you put a SC on a car and drive it like a pansy... Not likely. Now on the other side of that token if they drive the piss out of it pass as well. We all get on our cars, and not all the time, but if the driver thinks WOT is normal driving then I would pass. I also will not buy a car from a teenager or even twenty's, they always drive the piss out of them, I know I did.

 

[94-302-vert]

Take all your hints on he car.. but ultimately expect to pay jsut over what the car is worth without mods...

I drive my cars.. heck my new trucks have even had nasty looking oil from day one... my wife's cars get babies and the oil always looks great...

Just look to see if the car appears to have been maintained. A guy i know used to lease and after 3 years he would have the oil changed for the first time then drive around to the front of the dealer to return the vehicle... look for something that is taken care of...

See if he will let you take it for a while. I sold a car privately once, let the lady take it for the afternoon so she could take it to her mechanic, jsut drive it. she bought it that day. then 3 days later a sensor let go and she tried to blame me. I was able to say that why would I let you take a car for that long if I thought something was wrong... problem quickly averted...

Just be cautious and if ANYTHING seems fishy keep walking...

With that said I would buy a modded car (newer) especially since the newwer stnags are known to be good for SCing...

 

[final5-0]

I'm so picky about how things need to be done.

Some peeps say mods make the resale value to be less than a stocker

I've always just been uncomfortable with a car or bike that someone else
has hosed around with.

Hey ... I hose better than those other guys

Grady

 

[HISSIN50]

I'm with Mr Grady. Unless it was ownded by an old school gearhead, I wont touch a modded car. Now if it was Grady's car, Almost Stock's car or another one of the savvy old timers........ then yeah I'd buy it. And those guys would be real sad to see the cars go, which always indicates to me that it was a good car. It's a bad sign if the owner pulls 5 gas cans out of the trunk after you purchase a car, grumbling about how he won't have to torch the car anymore.

I also need to hear a real good reason for selling. Look at our stangs - guys mod the crap out of them till they're undriveable. Then they sell them or part them out when the owner can't deal with it anymore. You gotta make sure you're not buying 'that car'.


Anyhow, how did the car look Nate? If you bought it, forget what I said above.

 

[bimmertech]

and get the paperwork for that forged bottom end

no documentation=no forged bottom end as far as i am concerned.