$4,600 for a 1998 Ford; pre-purchase questions?

CarCampire · Jun 11, 2013

Found this on Craigslist: <A href="http://newyork.craigslist.org/lgi/cto/3842381887.html" rel=nofollow target=_blank>http://newyork.craigslist.org/lgi/cto/3842381887.html</A>#Description:Just installed rebuilt transmission balance of 12 months/12,000 mile warranty. Air conditioning is ice cold. Delay wipers, AM-FM radio, power steering, power brakes. Runs and drives great. Fleet maintained used by a national company. I was told the van was used for internal mail delivery. And I was told the van was later used for a Verizon company. 4.2 v-6 cylinder engine with automatic transmission. With auxiliary transmission and power steering coolers. Reclining front seat. 117k miles. Tires 80%, Some scratches, dings and dents in body. Adrian cargo partition. Auxiliary door lock. Back up beeper. $4,600 Looks ok from the pictures and I really REALLY want a window-less cargo area. Windowless GMC/CHEVY 2500 Ã¢Â€Â“ FORD E250Ã¢Â€Â™s are hard to find in my area looking this clean in pictures but I have yet to view this one in person. So what I will be checking for is:1.       Rust under the back mat2.       Rust under the front mat3.       Rust under the tire wells4.       What the heck that thing is sticking up on the top of the bans back. Seller says it might be a vent. 5.       Whats behind that cardboard Ã¢Â€Â“ is the partition damaged? But what else should I check for?<SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri', 'sans-serif'; COLOR: #222222; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">I will obviously have to get it checked out by a mechanic but im wondering if there are any BIG things that I can look for and lower the price off the bat. Any suggestions?

offroad · Jun 11, 2013

tires-muffler-shocks-brakes when were they changed last and where are the reciepts? Oil leaks any.  Compression test to see if they are all about the same?

CarCampire · Jun 11, 2013

Compression test?

toshiku · Jun 11, 2013

http://www.popularmechanics.com/car...ars-101-how-to-do-a-compression-test-14912158 I've never done one on a car, you may have to have special tools?

Guest · Jun 11, 2013

IMHO they are asking way too much. I looked up the value on KBB.com and they said:         Excellent<div class="value">         $1,325</div><ul><li>Very Good<div class="value">$1,250</div></li><li>Good<div class="value">$1,200</div></li><li style="border-bottom-color: currentColor; border-bottom-width: medium; border-bottom-style: none; cursor: pointer;" class="selected">Fair<div class="value">$750 Did you notice: 1. the huge dent on the passenger side? 2. the front bumper faded and is turned down a bit? 3. the dirty engine compartment and dirty interior? I would say that van is in Fair condition according to KBB's description of: Condition: ExcellentKelley Blue Book assumes excellent condition for this price type3% of all cars we value meet this criteria</div><div class="clear"> </div><div class="value"><ul><li>Looks new and is in excellent mechanical condition</li><li>Has never had any paint touch-ups and/or bodywork</li><li>Does not need reconditioning</li><li>The engine compartment is clean and free of leaks</li><li>Is free of rust</li><li>The body and interior are free of wear or visible defects</li><li>Wheels are flawless</li><li>All tires match and are like new</li><li>Has a clean title history and will pass a safety and smog inspection</li><li>Has complete and verifiable service records</li><li></li></ul></div><div class="condition-container very-good"><div class="sect-head"><label class="section-title">Very Good</label>23% of all cars we value meet this criteria<div class="clear"> </div><ul><li>Has minor cosmetic defects and is in excellent mechanical condition</li><li>Has had minor paint touch-up and/or bodywork</li><li>Requires minimal reconditioning</li><li>The engine compartment is clean and free of leaks</li><li>Is free of rust</li><li>The body and interior have minimal signs of wear or visible defects</li><li>Wheels are flawless</li><li>All tires match and have 75% or more of tread remaining</li><li>Has a clean title history and will pass a safety and smog inspection</li><li>Most service records are available</li><li></li></ul></div></div><div class="condition-container good"><div class="sect-head">54% of all cars we value meet this criteria<div class="clear"> </div><ul><li>Has some repairable cosmetic defects and is free of major mechanical problems</li><li>May need some servicing</li><li>The paint and bodywork may require minor touch-ups</li><li>The engine compartment may have minor leaks</li><li>Has only minor rust, if any</li><li>The body may have minor scratches or dings</li><li>The interior has minor blemishes characteristic of normal wear</li><li>Wheels may have minor repairable scratches or scrapes</li><li>All tires match and have at least 50% of tread remaining</li><li>Though it may need some reconditioning, it has a clean title history and will pass a safety and smog inspection</li><li>Some service records are available</li><li></li></ul></div></div><div class="condition-container fair"><div class="sect-head"><label class="section-title">Fair </label>18% of all cars we value meet this criteria<div class="clear"> </div><ul><li>Has some cosmetic defects that require repairing and/or replacing</li><li>Requires some mechanical repairs</li><li>The paint and bodywork may require refinishing and body repair</li><li>The engine compartment has leaks and may require repairs</li><li>May have some repairable rust damage</li><li>The body has dents, chips, and/or scratches</li><li>The interior has substantial wear, and may have small tears</li><li>Wheels may be warped or bent, have major scratches, scrapes, or pitting and require replacement</li><li>The tires may not match and need replacing</li><li>Needs servicing, but is still in reasonable running condition with a clean title history</li><li>A few service records are available</li><li></li></ul></div></div><div id="Condition-container-poor" class="mod-secondary poor"><label class="section-title">Poor </label>Kelley Blue Book does not provide prices for cars that meet this criteria I hope this doesn't crush your dreams but I think you can do better. Good luck in your searching for a van. </div></li></ul>

wagoneer · Jun 11, 2013

you pull the spark plug out get a compression meter stick it in the sparp plug hole hold it tight and get some one to crank the motor or get a remote starter a couple revs should get you a reading you are looking for even readings

wagoneer · Jun 11, 2013

Worn rings will produce smoke  (blow by)cracked block will be visible looking at the radiator fluid foam in the oil all bad signs. I don't like the V6 but thats just me too much water vapor cummin out the tail pipe so on so forth. these are heads up indicators 1997 a good year for ford should be a sturdy van 3/4 ton great size 

twokniveskatie · Jun 11, 2013

Oh, I will never be able to speak directly to you with a user name like that....

MOTOWN · Jun 20, 2013

I have a 1997 Dodge (wood) 2500 conversion van, I paid $2300.00 it has 122000 miles on it. the interior was a 10. every thing works perfect runs and rides like new, the body is cherry, it has a 4.2 v6 3 speed auto. I love this van it gets 22 mpg, its a flat top but its cool none the less, I would look for a Dodge or Chevy, Fords are generally more costly to repair, I have had fords and dodge vans, try to find a small class b or c -motor home, you can find them dirt cheap, and I myself prefer a motor home over a stealth window less van. hiding out in a vehicle like a sneak thief only brings the ire of the rollers (cops), I saw 75 Dodge van style (73000 miles) class b motor home up the road from my place, the thing was in good clean shape, 360 v8, plenty of room, no leaks, nice lay out, clean, shower/bathroom, big windows, fairly aerodynamic, fiberglass body, it slept 4, it sold for $1800.00 did't smoke, stopped and ran great and was 24 feet long. this is just an example of whats out there, Generally motor homes are left in the driveways they don't get driven much, most people baby them. I curently live in Ohio and found some good deals on campers and motor homes, down south they have sometimes better body's no rust, but look at the interiors for mold down south, my Friend in Washington State, she had one simuler to the one I described up top, she redone the interior really cute, like most woman do, the designers who did the interiors in the 70, 80, and 90s had most of their taste is in their mouth so, it helps to get rid of the cheesy lime green shag carpet and earth tones. Always check the roofs and floors, go up top check the roof and its importent that these areas are not soft and check it out its importent out all the appliances, generator set, A/C, heat and also the water pump, toilets and sinks all work and propane is servicable. belive me this way beats the hell out of building some ones worn out work van and living like a troll in a tin can, to each his or her own, I like to stand up to put my pants on,  I have an Airstream Motor Home, I'am restoring, so I know how hard it is to find the right deal that works for me, but I feel when my happy home is finaly done, I won't be worried about if somebody knows weather or not I'am a mobile home less or just on vacation, its called hiding in plain veiw.

$4,600 for a 1998 Ford; pre-purchase questions?

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$4,600 for a 1998 Ford; pre-purchase questions?

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