So i went and looked at a TGP today....

[Euro]

I saw it originally the beginning of the summer sitting outside someone's condo with a forsale sign...totally forgot until i saw( what i'd imagine to be the same one) sitting on the side of Randall Road in St. charles today(anyone know where tahts at)

 

i stopped at it was a RAT!!!! if it was the same car i'd seen a few months earlier then i wouldn't wish any car the misery that this one was put thru in these last couple months!!!!

the facts are.....red with graty cloth, HUD, no sunroof, needed paint/rust repair around the hood vents(who knows where else) no front valence, at least 2 of the BYP flares were warping??? in a few spots, numerous dents

 

it looked like it'd been sitting for a while(cobwebs in the laces of the wheels, etc....and it had some kinda oil leak

 

96k miles, for $2100....darn i was really lookin forward to this but my hopes are shot to the ground!!!

 

what do you think would be a logical offer? i wanna take it for a drive to feel it out! (oh and sorry no pics)

[J]

$500-$600 bucks tops

[Bossman429]

Yeah, take it for a drive and see what you think...that's the least you can do.

Keep an eye out for ABS light, or brake light coming on when pedal is pressed as a sure sign of an accumulator problem ($150 or so).

I would also give a check under the hood.

Depressurize the PM3 brakes (press the pedal 40 times w/key off) and check the brake fluid level, it should be almost at the top of the reservoir. If it's not then the master cylinder is leaking out the back. That's about $500 for a Prior reman'ed unit.

Bring a 5/16" nut driver in your pocket, pull the turbo inlet hose off, and spin the compressor wheel, feel for it catching, or otherwise not spinning smoothly. Also check for endplay, and shaft play. Try to pull the wheel in and out, then up and down. A little end play is acceptable, but if it moves up and down by much, the turbo will likely need rebuilt (at least $300). Some others might verify this up and down play requiring a rebuild, but I'm pretty sure that if there is any play a rebuild is in order. My newest TSTE has a little bit of up and down play, but I'm not too worried about it. I don't remember if my first TSTE had up and down, but I do know it had a little bit of endplay.

Also take a look at the other vital fluids:

Is the oil full? clean looking? Gunk built up under the cap? Could be gunking up the turbo.

Trans fluid red, or at least dark red?

Coolant full and green?

Power steering? the pressure hose to the racks on these cars are prone to leaking.

EDIT: Oh yeah! Crossover pipe as well. listen and smell for leaking exhaust.

A TGP that runs decent is usually worth $600-$700 or so. Just do a little peeking around the car and negotiate off of what you see. The most they will do is reject your offer, or ask for more. If you walk away, they might change their mind and lower price.

[Darkness]

Value on the TGP is completely, utterly, subjective. Personally, I don't understand it. I have seen discussions on this board about total POS TGPs and people are going absolutely apeshit over them. They could be in pieces, missing trannies, have rust, missing body parts or interior, and you'd think that the turbo was plated in 24 karat gold or something.

 

I try to sell mine, and the major thing wrong with it is the 250k+ miles on it. Starts up 99 out of 100 times on the first turn of the key, no rust, runs great, little AC leak and the body is in great shape. But, I can't sell it. I asked around $1200 for my car, which if you flew in from California, you'd be able to drive it home without a single worry. It is reliable, looks great, and runs great. But, for some reason it is apparently worth less than these rusty, non-running, bastardized pieces of crap that people are buying for $600-$1500.

 

But, I'm not bitter.

[jeremy]

Darkness : I don't understand it either, your TGP looks great, especially for the mileage. Maybe once it hits 275K I will buy it off your for ~$1k

[digitaloutsider]

Keep an eye out for ABS light, or brake light coming on when pedal is pressed as a sure sign of an accumulator problem ($150 or so).

I could have swore an accumulator is a little more than that..

[Bossman429]

Could be, I was thinking of the Prior one. A GM one is probably like $250.

[mfewtrail]

The prior accumulator is $99.95. The reman brake master cylinder goes for "$732.51 with a core charge of $125.00 plus shipping" for what it's worth.

[93grandprixse]

if the turbo doesnt feel like its catching, or is moving alot, it will most likely need a new turbo, or the turbo rebuilt, as in my automechanics class, we have a messed up turbo tooken apart that the main shaft through the middle snapped...

[Euro]

thanks for the input guys....if i can get him down to that low i might buy it....just for the drivetrain though probably

 

ill have to give him a call next time im off