Question from first time buyer

Hey there everyone. This might sound like a strange first post, but here goes; I am 17 and looking for a good starter vehicle. These mid 1990s B and D platform cars really caught my eye because of their size (I will never own a tiny car that I have to drive in the fetal position) and efficient V8 power as well as the interior space and safety that comes with that. I had been my eyes on a few Caprices, Roadmasters, and even a custom cruiser, but now my focus has shifted to what looks like a good deal on the surface - a 1994 Cadillac Fleetwood.

The first thing I noticed when searching for these cars around here is that there's a whole lot less of them for sale than the Caprices or Roadmasters. After seeing some pictures and videos of the Fleetwood, I can't say it would be a bad choice, as it has a lot of unique features and stuff that make it a bit different from its Caprice, Roadmaster, and Custom Cruiser "sibilings" that I really like. This particular one is dark blue and while it has the Brougham package, it is one of the rare few of those with the hard top instead of the vinyl roof stuff.

My questions come from a couple of problems that the seller said it has. The first is a small spot of rust on the roof closeby the drivers side doors. I've never seen or heard of this happening before, and if that's rusted through, could water have got into the roof and door areas and started causing other problems? The body has no rust according to the seller, but there is apparently some on the back bumper as well.

The second (and main) problem is that apparently it had some brakes problems last spring, so the seller's neighbor ran all new brake lines and couldn't "get the bleed right or something" (quoting the seller), so it hasn't been safely drivable since. To be honest, I'm not much of a car person myself, so I don't have a lot of knowledge or tools for fixing that type of stuff, but I still think could be worth it. What I'm really worried about is not being able to test drive it. The seller claims it's sound (I assume it was good the last time he drove it) and was owned by an elderly antique collector who sold the car to his son in law who sold it to its current owner. If this is true, then I assume it has been well maintained over the years, but I don't want to go through the hassle of getting the brakes fixed only to find that there is some other cost prohibitive problem that I missed because I didn't get a test drive.

I have a highly probable "plan B" incase this doesn't work out (and I might go with it anyway), but I really like the Fleetwood and just want to know if this sounds like a good idea to those with more experience or if I'm taking too big of a risk with this.

Thanks.

::K2013

Frankly, if you can't repair it yourself, be wary. Shop labor is EXPENSIVE. These cars are relatively easy to work on (and fun). I bought mine when I was 18. Never getting rid of it, either.

If the brake lines have been replaced there is a lot more rust underneath and since you are just
starting out,leave it alone.Dont know where you are from but go south and find a rustfree car
and you are money and frustration ahead.With your limited funds and knowledge rust can make
you tear out your hair and there are a few balding members here that can verify this!

I would be more concerned about the rust on the roof than fixing the brakes. Obviously the brakes are important, but you need to find out the extent of the rust.

I just bought a 96 Fleetwood.

Tom C.

A rusty roof and rear bumper are big red flags to me (living in the rust belt). I bet the underside is incredibly rusty. I wouldn't even waste time looking at it.

As for a rust free body, the sides can be clean even if the underside is toast. I saw a roadmaster wagon in the junkyard last weekend. The topside looked clean (even the quarters were good), so I crawled underneath it (needed tailpipe brackets from one). It had the roughest underbody I've ever seen. Every inch was rusted heavily (the underside was dark orangey-brown), the gas tank straps were rusted to pieces, and it had severe frame rot.

Thanks for the feedback. At this point, it'd probably be a good next step to take a look in person to see how the underside looks and maybe glean as much more information about the brakes issues as possible (as the owner is willing to share, hopefully). Is there anything in particular that I should really watch out for on this car? From the blurry cell phone pictures I got (all four of them), it looks like it's sitting in the middle of the forest, but that could just be an optical illusion; it sounds like it hasn't gone very far since the issues last spring.

::K2013

1. where r u located.
2. what is the mileage on the car
3. assuming you r 17 u dont have a lot of cash. what is the seller asking.
4. take good photos and share them here, people will comment accept comments frompeople in your geographical area about rust (don't listen to a guy from TX if you live in NY or PA.)

Rust at the top of the a-pillars is unfortunately more common than most think. I've had a couple of wagons that rusted there.

Get yourself a nice Fleetwood. I have a Roadmaster, Caprice and Fleetwood. The Fleetwood is a very nice car. Turns a lot of heads.

Here's my 96, Florida car. Only in NE winters for about 3 seasons... Now garaged in winter.

There are a number of Fleetwoods on Tampa Bay craig's list. Prices are good too. You still have to check them out for rust, you never know where they came from.

If the guy had a friend do the brakes, the brake problem is probably the master cylinder not being bled properly. That is a minor issue. If there is any rust, run the other way as fast as your little feet will carry you. You can get a rust free Florida car for about the same price. Airfare is cheap, and you can drive the car home. The 94-96 cars have the LT1. The 93 has an LO5. At 17, you would probably appreciate the LT1 (about 85 more HP).

"No, really, it runs perfect. You just can't test drive it because of the brakes."

The brake lines rotted out, suggesting a rusty underbelly. The friend couldn't get the brakes to work right, suggesting the friend didn't know what he was doing, didn't do the whole job, or doesn't have the right tools. Brakes are a critical feature, suggesting that a whole lot of less-critical features may be broken too.

It's a parts car then. Maybe a rebuildable one, but a parts car nonetheless. If you have the space, tools, time, money and desire you can learn a whole lot about mechanical repairs fixing this up -- if that is your objective. If your objective is to drive it soon, walk away and find something else.

One thing to bear in mind during your search: "Features" is a word that means "things that can go wrong". "Unique Features" means "parts are hard to find and usually priced accordingly". The original Volkswagen Beetle was a piece of crap, but it was the world's most popular and best selling car because it didn't have very many "features".

Don't get me wrong, I think these are great cars -- especially the B bodies -- but make sure you have your eyes wide open while you are shopping. Don't fall for a vendor's assurances that something is just a minor problem until and unless you have the skill to evaluate it yourself. Since you are inexperienced, I would recommend you take the car to a mechanic and pay him what he's worth to do a complete mechanical inspection to find the hidden (sometimes deliberately hidden -- a great way to mask a problem is to simply remove the warning light!) flaws before you buy it.

^^^^^^^^^^^Amen to that. Bought a VW bus with a 'miss' that was a 'bad plug' found out two of the 4 cylinders had the wires detached at the dist. plugged them in and blew the freeze plugs out of the motor 10 miles later.....Needless to say I dumped that POS pretty quick (got about a grand on the trade in and lost about 300 bucks) lessoned learned, "don't buy a car cuz you wife like's the looks of it" Traded in the car and wife!! Although I lost ALOT more on the trade in of the wife

Sprocket wrote:

1. where r u located.
2. what is the mileage on the car
3. assuming you r 17 u dont have a lot of cash. what is the seller asking.
4. take good photos and share them here, people will comment accept comments frompeople in your geographical area about rust (don't listen to the guy from TX if you live in NY or PA.

Rust at the top of the a-pillars is unfortunately more common than most think. I've had a couple of wagons that rusted there.

1. Michigan :-)
2. 200K
3. The asking price is around 950

I might just pass on this one even though it's very close (which is what drew me to it in the first place; only a 30 minute drive or so). From what I've been hearing here about the probability of rust on the underside and the fact that it would probably cost a bit to patch up that hole in the roof, I'm not too sure.

But, for the sake of observation, here's the (less than fantastic) photos the seller sent me.
First, the spot in the roof:


And from the back bumpter:


A sideways picture of the interior:


And an even smaller, blurry picture of the car from the front:



I spotted another one now (a 1995 Fleetwood), semi locally (closer to 2.5 hours drive away according to Google maps) in what looks to be a darker burgundy color exterior. The two liner basically tells that the vehicle has about 150K miles on it, no rust, a new fuel pump, new water pump, and a new muffler, all for just 1500 or offer.

I'm a bit more drawn to this one by the low mileage and lack of rust. For just 500 more, this seems like it would be worth it over the blue one. The only disadvantage is that it would be the kind of thing I'd want to be more sure about when I go look at it, 5 hours is a lot of time to waste if it doesn't end up being all it's cracked up to be. Does 1500 sound like a good deal to you guys from the two liner?

::

I'd pass on the first one for sure (even at 900). That hole is through the metal, so it has been raining in the interior for some time (not a problem if the floor rotted through from the water though LOL). The rotted bumper, hole through the roof, and trashed drivers seat don't look good though.
The second one sounds ok, but I'd want pictures (including a couple of the undercarriage if possible) .

Sound advice from all per usual but like anything else these cars are not uncommon and with your price range there are many more in poor condition than there are in good. I wouldn't buy anything until youve seen 5 maybe even 10 cars. No matter the deal(unless its a smoking hot deal on a garage kept grandpa car). This is to keep you from falling in love at first sight with a heap. Youll also learn to interact with people and read them. Right off the bat the fact the car is kept in the woods is a red flag imho. If youre serious about driving a nearly 20 year old car you're going to either need the money or the time to maintain the things that will go wrong. The more you go look and learn and read the more power you have to make decisions on such things. Asking a forum is a good start to sound off your ideas. Good luck and happy hunting

I was not aware of the forum when I bought my first OCC, and I got singed a little. I wish I had known about the forum, and asked a lot of questions. I would have passed on the first car (known as the White Elephant for the obvious reason), and probably ended up with a better experience. The other side of the coin is that I would not have all of the experience that I have garnered from taking the car apart and putting it back together. The only redeeming quality is that the car is pretty much rust free, and the minor amount is easily fixed. I basically bought a good body, and had to fix almost everything else. The trans and rear are about the only things I have not messed with. I even replaced the engine.

MOST of the B-bodies available nowadays are clapped out and it's rare to find one that isn't unless you pay big money ($4k or over) and then you still have to watch out not to get hosed.

If you're looking for a first car, I'd look hard at a '92-05 Buick LeSabre or Pontiac Bonneville. Nice cars, decent power, excellent gas mileage, powertrain is more reliable and cheaper than b/d-cars, tons of them in junkyards, parts are cheap, and there's a much greater selection of them available. Especially look at the '01-up LeSabres if you can spend a little more; it appears that they've depreciated very fast. FWIW, the 00-04 Chevy Impala is junk and I say that having worked on or driven a number of them.

I've bought plenty of b body's in good shape for less than $1500. If the second fleetwood is in nice shape 1500 is a decent price for it. Not sure why Sherlock is trying to steer you away from these cars. They are a good learning experience and can be very reliable.

Gastt wrote:

I've bought plenty of b body's in good shape for less than $1500. If the second fleetwood is in nice shape 1500 is a decent price for it. Not sure why Sherlock is trying to steer you away from these cars. They are a good learning experience and can be very reliable.

I have found that roadmaster sedans and caprice wagons are a good deal as far as 90s b bodies go (you can get nice looking ones for 2k or so). roadmaster wagons are more expensive than caprice wagons for some reason (2500-3500) and most caprice sedans are really messed up. The 90s fleetwoods also offer a good deal for the luxury (about 3k or so)
If you go for one from the 80s, the b bodys offer a great value, especially the station wagons (most are 1500 tops.)

I am steering away because:
1. First time car buyers seldom have the ability to do major work on the cars like most of us do, I haven't come across a single one of these cars for sale that didn't need some sort of work unless you pay real money ($5k or more for a non-Impala).
2. The 4L60E transmission can drain you if it breaks, which it often does if it's the original one.
3. In Michigan where the OP is from, it will be tough to find one that is not significantly rusty given the age of these cars.

If somebody got on the forum and was in Virginia or North Carolina, knew how to work on cars and didn't mind wrenching, I'd say the same thing as Kevin - Roady sedans or Caprice wagons.

Some valid points. If he goes TBI the reliability would be better. It's also a more simple motor to fix. TBI Roadmaster. About as Cadillac as you can get. I loved my 92 Roady sedan.

On the other hand, I paid less than 1500 for my 96 Fleetwood. I've put close to 30k on it in a year and a half and only had to replace the fuel pump.

Keep looking, you'll find a better one. With rust like that the roof there is not much life left in that car, although I do really like that color. I bought my Fleetwood off ebay cheap last winter from a guy in NJ because the transmission lost 3rd and 4th. As sherlock said, these repairs for the non do-it-yourselfer can be very expensive. I tackled the job and put in a used one myself and get a rust free car for cheap in the end.

Turns out that the 1995 Fleetwood (the other one that supposedly had no rust and only 150K miles) has been smashed on the side by a careless driver since the ad was posted. The story goes that the driver of the Fleetwood was slowing down to pull into a driveway and somebody passed it at 60 miles per and smashed up the door and right quarter panel. The car might be for sale in Febuary for 400-500. A local place quoted around 500 for parts for driver side door and front quarter panel. Apparently it's still drivable, but could a smash like that have caused other damage? Is this even worth looking into, especially considering it is quite far away?

::

95BRMW wrote:

Keep looking

x2

Tom

Pass on both.

I'll add that these cars are less expensive here in South FL than they seem to be up north.....except for the fleetwoods. Everybody loves a Caddy. Yes, it's a D body but we all know the mechanicals. Agreed for the price point Roadie Sedans are the bargain that no one seems to want to buy. I keep looking for the smoking deal grandpa car mentioned above (we have lots of those down here, lol).

The TBI cars will be lighter on the pocket book and easier to understand for a first time car buyer.


My advice, first off go see as many of the car you like for sale locally. Meanwhile save some bank, look for a southern rust free car (FL, OK, TX, etc). I've bought 3 cars (2 wagons) out of state, flew in and drove home. One way tickets are usually fairly cheap if yo fly on off days (think tues-thurs) and gas is not that bad. So it may add 200-400 to the buy price, however, you may get twice the car for half the money if you shop smart.

The whole secret to getting 'the deal' is
knowing what you are buying, knowing what it's worth for real, and not messing around when the 'smoking deal' presents itself. Hemming and hawing and being non-commital will lose you the deal everytime.

It's alot easier to pull the trigger when you know what you are getting.

Of course now, buying a car remotely (out of state), you have to either know and trust the seller look at a million pictures of it, or have someone that fits that bill that go look the car over for you. I've always been lucky enough to find someone that does that latter.

I'll put it out there, you find a caddy you want me to look out within 20 miles of my house, I'll check it out for you.

Sprocket wrote:

The whole secret to getting 'the deal' is
knowing what you are buying, knowing what it's worth for real, and not messing around when the 'smoking deal' presents itself. Hemming and hawing and being non-commital will lose you the deal everytime.

I'll put it out there, you find a caddy you want me to look out within 20 miles of my house, I'll check it out for you.

This. x1000.

It's moot now, but I'll throw in my .02....

The Fleetwood bumpers rust out even on relatively rust-free cars. My '94 looks pretty good underneath, but the back bumper is starting to rot. I've seen them with front bumpers rotted through but are otherwise okay.

Ditto with the brake lines. Rotted brake lines on the 'Woods don't necessarily mean a trashed underbody. The lines rot along the frame rail as they travel to the rear. When I got my '96, it had no rear brakes because someone had replaced the lines without bleeding them. My '94 is good so far.

There are a lot of knowledgeable people here, but if you're looking for Fleetwood-specific info check out the Cadillac forums. There's a RWD section where you can find out a lot about the nuances of the Fleetwood vs. their B-body cousins. The biggest difference is another 4" in length giving you more legroom and more accommodating rear doors.

I've heard the moderator for that section is a jerk.

jayoldschool wrote:

I've heard the moderator for that section is a jerk.

Yeah, well we tolerate him nonetheless.

He smells bad, too.

Allegedly.

Let me guess,he stutters and walks with a limp too!
Anyone we dont know?

No stutter, but bad limp for the past month. Compressed disc. The guy's a mess.

Just making a dumb comment,like I usually do trying to fiqure who you guys are talking about!
Sorry about the compressed disc though,that can hurt.

jayoldschool wrote:

I've heard the moderator for that section is a jerk.

Can't be worse than the mobile phone site "xda developers"; they have some of the most arrogant and ignorant staff there I have ever seen on any forum. Ever. It's a shame too because they have a great community with lots of talented developers and knowledgeable users.

turbojimmy wrote:

It's moot now, but I'll throw in my .02....

The
Fleetwood bumpers rust out even on relatively rust-free cars. My '94
looks pretty good underneath, but the back bumper is starting to rot.
I've seen them with front bumpers rotted through but are otherwise okay.

Ditto
with the brake lines. Rotted brake lines on the 'Woods don't
necessarily mean a trashed underbody. The lines rot along the frame rail
as they travel to the rear. When I got my '96, it had no rear brakes
because someone had replaced the lines without bleeding them. My '94 is
good so far.

There are a lot of knowledgeable people here, but if
you're looking for Fleetwood-specific info check out the Cadillac
forums. There's a RWD section where you can find out a lot about the
nuances of the Fleetwood vs. their B-body cousins. The biggest
difference is another 4" in length giving you more legroom and more
accommodating rear doors.

Thanks. I have seen a few
threads from over there, and they have some pretty interesting
conversations on that site too (not unlike the stories I read here ☺).

::

Finally got around to looking at one of these, this time, it's a new one that just came up recently for sale: A 1994 Fleetwood Brougham with a medium 150k, supposedly purchased in Michigan and then spending most of its life in Texas until it was purchased by this place (sort of a garage/car lot combo) last year. It has sat outside the whole year. Before I looked at it, the shop had to install a new battery and do some work with the starter. The mechanic who showed me the vehicle (not a typical "used car salesperson") said it was mechanically sound (not sure if that counts as having had someone look it over).

What they described as a "gray" car looked "blue" to my eye and is technically speaking "purple pearl" according to the option codes. All around, it doesn't look too bad, with a few spots of rust "here n there" with the worst offender being the hood (sorry about the blurry pictures, it was too cold to even feel the shutter, let alone hold the camera steady).

Here's some picture of the underside (taken from the back):

https://o3tlqw.bay.livefilestore.com/y1prWhjiC7OWwoogjUto-OpV37NGikA1qKciT8H9ppOGBlhBrEuwXqbvMgQKdQ_19hbWE5zHu4vcFZ1HaLGjo8WOuZLvdx_qq8L/DSCN7246.JPG?psid=1

https://o3tlqw.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pp482ImOJM5wwsXfuLH1nnbHwsMauEzCp8wSO4t_oX5P-tGgGNwPAhPM0nxgAs70WCE3EGRYRiex6ybD-7nxYYGmUYKSFprLe/DSCN7247.JPG?psid=1

More pictures underneath (taken from the side):

https://o3tlqw.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pXH3fft-J2uKe-cXAx3_MjexK852M_rT5h7OTYbC4KccOXPKPlVVGcd2EgO2ycA1ESmH8U40yFeBmIdIGxoAtge-EJXckZc4o/DSCN7249.JPG?psid=1

(This last one was taken upside down from the passenger side to put it in perspective better): https://o3tlqw.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pXH3fft-J2uLSuM0caEEdJTmxb6OeyrezP_qTooEsDpIzJEQwRltzXY_TY1EwBvk9Bv37cGPTw3VAtb0dL1d_KRHBZN-iUC_c/DSCN7251.JPG?psid=1

Engine picture: https://o3tlqw.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pcfMEoUKeKoWkHQQgeBtTYbEbFPTVepaNBzhyDIinmYd5vhA8PLc0IWCE2bHWwu0oySG4im16UhSdq--Feh7T4_PT5OcWChFI/DSCN7254.JPG?psid=1


As for "problems", the windows all barely went up and down with the back passenger side window being clearly off track somehow and the drivers side back window not working at all (apparently somebody tried a B&E). The sides look good, but the back bumper does have some small dents and rust spots, as does the bottom of the trunk hatch ("power pulldown" is not functional). There's other small stuff, like the "a" in "Cadillac" missing on the trunk, small bits of rust on the doors (and larger bits by the doorwells), major cracked dashboard, little bits of rubber peeling up, material peeling, etc.

During the test drive (which had to be greatly reduced because we got there too late and too close to closing time), I got my first feel for the 260hp RWD LT1 car, and it was quite nice. I felt basically what I expected from what I've read about it, and everything was pretty good about the ride except for some vibration (which the mechanic attributed to rust on the brakes) and some pull to the left (which I attributed to possibly being the slightly flat left front tire) and a bit of "shimmying" happening in the wheel the whole time (which I didn't say anything about). Mom thought she smelled hot brakes when she opened the door after the drive too.

They're asking around 2200 for it, but I'm only seeing 1500 worth of car here (unless I'm being too critical for its age). What do you guys think?

::

I'd keep looking.
That frame and fuel tank straps are not "Texas" metal!

Where in Michigan are you located?

A flight to Arizona, Texas or another southern state is probably worthwhile.

X2 on that not being a Texas car. Has more than a couple salty winters on it. Just ask TX Mike for an under carriage pic to compare.

No, that could be a TX car! Only it looks like they wintered in MI and summered in TX.

That is as close to being as bad as it gets.

Run away.

Tom C.

RUN AWAY!!!!

That car is sooooooooooooooo bad. Pick another one. I would walk, or take the bus before I bought that car. Check FL CA, AZ, NM, and TX. Make sure they are not originally northern cars while you are at it. Carfax is your friend. Sign up for unlimited for a month, and check all the cars you see. A good one is not that hard to find. Paying an extra $1000 for a good rust free car will pay you back in the long run. After finding a nice car, do not drive it in the winter where you live.

Looks like I'll be passing on that one. Dang, these are hard to find. I'll be keeping my eyes on Craiglist a little closer this time to find the good deals before they get in an accident (I'm still kicking myself for not seeing that $1500 1995 Fleetwood sooner).

JoeT wrote:

Where in Michigan are you located?

Western.

JoeT wrote:

A flight to Arizona, Texas or another southern state is probably worthwhile.

That is a great idea that's crossed my mind before, but my parents say this is out of the question, despite advice from you guys, Cadillac Forums, and family members.

::

I flew to Detroit to pick up a former FL car about 2 years ago. It is the red one in my sig. It took me from noon on Friday until about 4:00 on Sat. to complete the trip. I drove about 1100 miles straight though. The total cost of the trip was about $250-300. If you eat light, and drive a lot, you will not get overly tired. You need a temp plate, or take your current plate with you. Drive carefully and at reasonable speed, and you will be just fine. If you have a Garmin, you do not need a map. I used a map for the whole trip...stuck to major roads, and did not have any major issues. If you get the title wihout a date, you can back date it, and save the sales tax. Check the weather to make sure you are not going to run into any storms before you leave.

You may be able to have a forum member check the car before you buy it. That way you are not flyng a long way for nothing.

Search Craigs List nationally, and you should be able to find a nice rust free car. If it were a car local to me, I would consider driving it up to you, and fly back, if you pay for the trip.

LOL, Fred beat me to it. I was going to say also, if you needed someone to drive it up, I could be game if the costs were covered...

I'd add to that buy the insurance of AAA platnium membership with 100 miles of free towing. I think you need it 72 hours before you can use it, so you could buy it a few days before you fly.
I think they have one with 200 miles too for more $$.

When I was 19 I figured I didn't need it, could fix my car and never got stuck. Bought a Jaguar and had a good job so I bought it then. I've been a member now for 15 years and the $120 or so a year has paid dividends EVERY single year I have had it, between keys locked in car, wife's dead battery, and fuel pumps giving up the ghost for no good reason (most recently).

http://miami.craigslist.org/pbc/cto/3509121083.html = heck I should call for myself on this one!

Sprocket wrote:

http://miami.craigslist.org/pbc/cto/3509121083.html = heck I should call for myself on this one!

I do not have room for another car, but that would be a nice one. If he bought it today, he could fly down, and have it back in Michigan by Thursday or Friday at the latest. It is right in his price range too.

That's an interesting prospect. Anybody close to that Palm Beach co Fleetwood that would be interested in looking at it for me? Parents still have a pretty firm "no" on me flying to Florida and driving back, but I might be interested in that offer for someone to bring one here in exchange for reimbursement of travel expenses (plus the car).

How would that work? Has anyone done it before? What happens with the title and insurance or if (hypothetically) it was involved in an accident during the trip? That would sure be generous and require a lot of trust on both ends.

::

This one is about 75 miles from me.

http://tampa.craigslist.org/hdo/cto/3526647900.html

both of those cars look nice
the second one needs a couple pieces of trim (not major) and touchups on the drivers seat but looks pretty clean

On a road trip like this, you need to put YOUR insurance on the car before you even depart to go pick it up. Bring the paperwork with you in case something happens. Research the state where you are buying the car to get "in transit" plates or paperwork and you'll be fine. Just take the time to do the legwork ahead of time and all will be legit.

Don't take this wrong, but at your stage in life, flying across country to buy a first car isn't the best idea. If you were 24, on your own and could wrench, then yes. If I was your folks, I would confine you to a local area for car searches as well. Biggest key is getting a car that was taken care of mechanically and isn't too rusty underneath.

Maybe his dad could go get a car for him. As long as he covered his dad's expenses, that would be a fair compromise. His dad is someone he could trust explicitly as well. He would have to trust the person inspecting the car at the other end. I think the members here are trustworthy, and would look out for his interests, plus they know what to look for, in case there are some discrepencies.

Let me also say that snowbird cars DO pop up locally from time to time. I've seen a number of them here in Syracuse. Not often, but they do show up, and they are DEFINITELY worth waiting for.

I would also say that make sure whoever inspects the car for you sure better know what they are looking at. I've lost count of how many people I said "let me inspect the car BEFORE you buy it" and they just went ahead and bought it anyway. The worst was a '97 mercery Sable with plastic rocker panels. The buyer thought it was solid; when he came over to replace the rusted-out gas tank with me, we almost couldn't find a place to jack it up! I pulled out a 10" section of the unibody rail with my hand as I was poking around for a solid spot.