Would you gamble and buy this MP3 or pass it up?

khalilhood

Member
:
2000 protege
Is this crazy or what. I found a blue MP3 for sale for $2500 in Georgia. However, the faulty tranny is out of the car. Do not start cheering just yet. The seller states, his father decided to replace the engine, around 50k, though the engine was running fine. Why? He found a very low mileage engine at a low price. Do many people do that?(huh)

He initially wanted $2500. So I figured maybe a good deal. As I started inquiring about the costs of a tranny, labor, and all the possible missing parts, he assured me the engine is good ( he crunk it and sounds perfect and offered to sell the car for $1,900). (hmm) Then after confirming all the parts, nuts, washers, bolts, etc. were available and the car would start up to verify the engine was good we locked down a deal at $1900. However, today, I got an email stating, sorry to say, the car will not fire up (possibly due to something disconnected when the tranny job took place). So since the car will not start up, he only wants $1100.

These are the red flags:

a. If I could get a low mileage MP3 engine, why would I swap out a perfectly fine one, with less than 50k for one with maybe just 15K.
b. How if the car was not being raced, could have a totally friend 5 speed tranny? To note he stated he had a performance clutch assembly to go with the future new tranny.
c. Aftere stating the repair shop went out of business upon receiving his car for the tranny job, how is it the faulty tranny was not put back in.
d. Though I was willing to take a chance and buy the car for $1900 (though he initially stated the car could be crunk to hear the engine run, though the tranny was out), I feel like I would be foolish to buy a vehicle I cannot hear it run,plus no tranny in the car, for $1100.

By the way, I saw the pics, and it looks nice, but the story and pieces of this story are mysterious, What is your take?
 
To me it sounds like what you heard was the new engine then he swaped the old one in and dropped the price to 1100. With 50k I woulda bought the extra motor and set it to the side. I would def say to pass on it
 
Tweety2300 I think you are right! There are tooooo many discrepancies with the car. Imagine giving someone $1,100 for a car you can nether verify if the engine, AC, or even radio is good because for some strange reason it wont start. As you see a lifeless tranny sitting next to the car.
 
MP3's are rare. Depending on your mechanical ability, if you can swap in a working engine, I would buy it for $1100. You could have a working car for $2000-$2500. Thats still a good deal for a MP3
 
Ya 1100 isn't bad for a shell but still 2500 can forge and turbo a motor. But you have to take into account what else is broke on it 50k miles with a bad trans and new engine what else could be broke (axles struts everything else) I would get it for a project if I had the money though
 

New Threads and Articles

Back