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Originally Posted by MikeMcMo
It was driven 90K over 10 years in Hawaii and then was flood damaged and totaled by the insurer. How bad? How deep? Fresh water or salt water? Unknown, but it appears to have been running throughout. Owner says it was actually a water heater leak in the prior owner's garage, but I don't know if he really knows that. I know water damage can be a black box of headaches but I got away with it on a flooded Saab for 4 years once so maybe my luck will continue.
If CarFax can be trusted...
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If the ins co totaled it, how can it have a clean title or carfax? Has the title been washed clean in some other state? That all sounds fishy to me. Also, the heater core is generally on the passenger side so if it leaked, it would be in the passenger foot well. The CPU is under the driver's seat. No way the passenger flood from a heater core leak would get to the driver's side. There's nothing valuable enough to total a car in the passenger footwell or seat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeMcMo
On the console, is the little shock image on the button next to the spoiler button the PASM? The car doesn't really have any other options, FWIW.
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Yes, the button with the shock absorber on it is for PASM. When activated, the suspension tightens up but it DOES NOT lower the car. PASM cars come 10mm lower than std suspension cars but are always 10mm lower whether PASM is activated or not.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeMcMo
Current owner bought it at auction in CA, appears to have driven it 10K in his first two years with it, and just a few hundred miles in the last 2 years.
I drove it from cold. Starting up, it spat about a half cup of water out within 10 seconds. Seemed like way too much to me. Seller said it was because it was a high compression engine, but IDK, my '99 Boxster never does that. It didn't dump any more water that I saw after that.
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That's not normal. My guess is based on it not being driven much lately is the owner has been in the habit of starting the car and just letting it idle for 5 min. That's not long enough for the water to evaporate from the exhaust heat, so it just lays there in the mufflers. Then when you got on an incline, it came out. That's why you should never start a sleeping car and just let it idle - instead drive it for 30 min. And blaming it on a high compression engine is 100% total BS.
99% of the time you need to be a dealer to buy cars at auction. When you throw in the BS this guy is shoveling when it comes to the leak from the heater core, lowering when activating PASM, and the water bomb is normal, I think you have a used car salesman who will tell you anything to make the sale. It's way too easy to poke massive holes in his stores. And what is he NOT telling you?
I agree with JFP - save your $500 for a better candidate. This one has more red flags than a CCP parade. We're shifting to a buyer's mkt. There will be much better cars available at reasonable prices.