I bought this car on eBay in October 2012. Since then it has been my only vehicle and I have used it for daily driving here in Los Angeles for a year and a half. I do not know how many owners it has had, r how it was stored, r what states it has resided in. The previous owner told me it had been repainted (to match the original color) and from some areas in the engine bay this seems to be true.
In December 2013, he engine was completely rebuilt. Service records are available to anyone interested. I drove the car from New York to Los Angeles in January 2014, hrough rain and snow and sun. The car was amazing and made the 9-day trip with 2 minor events: I lost a windshield wiper in Tennessee and it was so cold one morning in Oklahoma City, t needed a jump start. Other than that, t was a champ.
Since coming to LA, t was my only vehicle for a year and a half and I used it for commuting, rrands, nd pleasure, n streets and highways. Never been in an accident while in my care.
Shifting and the clutch has always been reliable and was not part of the engine rebuild because it was in fine shape. The brakes are excellent and have been well maintained, ith a new master cylinder, ads and drums put in in June 2015.
It’s not a restored and flawless 2002 (which is why it’s not $20,000) but it’s also definitely not a clunker. The cosmetic issues are not severe, nd with a little gumption and a little cash this car could look even better. It’s not easy to be selling it.
Some things to note:
- The odomoter does not work. It has only five digits, nd has always read 72233. It could have 172,233 or 272,233 miles — there’s no way to know the total mileage. The speedometer functions but is not calibrated. The actual car speed is roughly double what the speedometer says. The horn does not work. There is no AC. I believe there are AC units that can be installed in these cars, ut this one is all windows. The heat does work and while it’s not very strong, t’s also not a major issue in LA. The fan works but is not strong.
- The driver's seat is torn, ut the interior is otherwise in terrific shape EXCEPT: the center console where the radio was and where the shift boot fits in is gone. The radio was stolen on my cross-country drive and I decided I liked the open feeling of the legroom without the console. Thus no radio or stereo.
- Rust is really quite minimal, een on the driver's side front quarter panel and the driver's side rear jack mount. Inside of wheel wells is all clean, nside of trunk and engine bay is free of any major rust and certainly no structural deterioration.