NC01TA

I'm tending to overvalue these cars recently but a SOM example with just 24k miles seems quite desirable. If the seller accepted $16k or $17k this would be a no brainer to me. So much life and enjoyment to be had from this car still. Engine bay looks clean. The door crack isn't a deal breaker, that's for sure. Still need more details but am I wrong? What do you think it's worth?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2002-Pontia...xbaaxO&vxp=mtr

Firebrian

Clean looking car that looks like 24K miles. I agree with NC01TA on pricing. Tires look to be replacement Goodyear Eagle's of some sort. I'd have gladly paid $16K for this last time I was looking for one in 2012.

Only thing I will comment on is how does this 4th owner know that the previous owners never drove this car hard, or in bad weather, or at the track? While they can certainly vouch for their driving or garage stowed habits, I don't see how they could claim to know for certain what previous owners did. Appears to me to be a car being flipped.

If completely original, some things to budget for might include:

1. Changing out the PS cooler
2. New Monsoon stereo system speakers - as around this age they tend to fall apart
3. New headlight door motors, window motors, and radio antennae motor.
4. Sail panel? Unless a garage queen that could be an issue.

NC01TA

I did the bold thing with your post as that is always my biggest concern as well. That's the problem with multiple owners. I doubt those 24k miles were racked up 1/4 mile at a time just by looking at the car, and no mods either, BUT how do we know how many times it was floored from red light to red light by one of the prior owners who didn't give a crap?. Always a gamble with any used car though. That's why you have to test drive these things, look at the fluids, and look at everything in person. Buying sight unseen is such a gamble.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

I agree with that pricing as well, $17k could certainly be doable, possibly more. Often, the demand for this particular car is usually higher than the supply. If it was an M6, I would say $18k at a minimum and probably higher than that.

The car has the typical sunken/shrunken leather seat tops along the top of the rear seats (just as common as the door panel cracks), and could use a bit of detailing here and there to look its best. But it's a nice car overall. I don't believe the claim of it "never" being driven in nasty weather though, as the wiper blades don't appear as original (the slots in the frame are much smaller than the originals would have been). A true garage queen with such low mileage shouldn't have needed new wiper blades if the car never saw foul weather (i.e. they never should have been used). My '98 doesn't ever see bad weather either, and its assembly line wiper blades are still present and in excellent condition (and mine is certainly not the only one I've seen).

I also agree about the silliness of such definite claims in the seller's ad. How could he know so much to be fact when it's had so many owners? If he bought it from the original owner, and talked with him at great length getting a feel for his character and honesty, I could maybe see passing along some of the claims. But three other people? (he claims three owners total, but the report says four - so, I agree with Firebrian about this car being flipped.) What are the odds that he personally knew and/or spoke to all those folks?

The tires are definitely not original, so they've been replaced at least once.

The speakers should still be fine at this age/mileage IMO, unless they've seen aggressive usage or perhaps harsh storage conditions. One of the factory sail panel speakers in mine started making noise when it was only about ~7 years old, so I replaced it and chalked it up to a factory flaw. All the other original speakers have been fine for 20 years now.

NC01TA

Thanks for the replies once again. Just a few hours to go as I write this and no sale. Interesting that the car has not been sold, unless the best offer is just a $200 off or something very minimal.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

Looks like it got relisted for the same price. This seems to be further indication that it's a flipper, probably looking for a certain amount of profit since he may have had to pay close to the sort of money that we've discussed above just to get the car. There might not be much profit to wring out of this one, hence he's holding out for something extremely close to that ask (which might prove tough based on the auto trans and four previous owners).

NC01TA

^^ I have a feeling you are exactly right.

AnotherWs6

iTrader: (17)

Anything with painted black rims and a pop out radio is a rat in my opinion. Means owners have ahd extremely bad taste - again, IMHO - and that makes me nervous.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

The original ad has expired, so I think Ebay forwarded you to a different car - those items were not present on the actual car in question. It was a nice example, all stock.

NC01TA

Here is the new re-listed ad. https://www.ebay.com/itm/153139324897?ViewItem=&vxp=mtr&item=153139324897

02CamZ28

iTrader: (30)

I’ve never been a fan of the tan interior. Camel isn’t bad but I think Ebony >

Firebrian

I mentioned the speakers as on my 1999 with 19K miles the passenger door speaker is going out. And I don't ever play them loud. I just figured that was the norm. The speaker fabric just eventually falls apart.

My wiper blades are original too. I've used them once in the past 6 years / 7K miles......only to cycle them to ensure they actually worked. I doubt the previous owner got to use them much either.

AnotherWs6

iTrader: (17)

I see now. Ad says 3 owner car, auto check says 4. Though one might be a dealer.

Looks OK, seats in better shape than mine but that tan interior..... and auto.... and the hazy clear coated rims.....

Love those rims, hate the finish. Don't know why they didnt go with straight chrome. They make our cars look significantly S-Yer than they are, I think