Looking at a 2002 G4
#1
Looking at a 2002 G4
So i went to look at a G4 Disco, its advertised as for sale for 5500 so i call and the owner says the price should be 6500. OK its white with a black out hood and front grill guard and rear light protectors and ladder, outside looks pretty clean all of the add on parts have corrosion on them.
Special wheels in gray 16in with just about worn out tires
Open the hood and and it looks like it has never been cleaned rusty manifolds and header pipes, dirt everywhere, owner had just replaced the serp belt.
I notice the coolant is low in the tank, owner starts the truck and there is a a whining noise coming from one of the idler rollers, not sure what one.
A quick peruse of the interior shows the 3 amigos lit and a hardball sized circle in the heated front windscreen, it had black vinyl seats with black cloth inserts and peeling vinyl on the DS seat
So i take my block tester and fit it into the coolant tank ( the owner asks what i am doing so i said i am checking for a bad head gasket, the fluid will change color from blue to yellow, they father and son were surprised there was such a thing)
as the truck is warming up I can see bubbles coming through the tester as its just sitting in the coolant bottle inlet, the fluid is now starting to turn green/yellow. after a few mins of this I pull the tester off the tank and hold it up to the sky and it clearly isnt blue like when i started.
I said it looks like you may have a head gasket leak, owner now is agitated and says your not going to tell me the head gaskets are leaking
The owner now gets really pissed and says, "you dont want to buy his truck" and closes the hood .
I pack up my stuff and leave. definitely a weird experience
Special wheels in gray 16in with just about worn out tires
Open the hood and and it looks like it has never been cleaned rusty manifolds and header pipes, dirt everywhere, owner had just replaced the serp belt.
I notice the coolant is low in the tank, owner starts the truck and there is a a whining noise coming from one of the idler rollers, not sure what one.
A quick peruse of the interior shows the 3 amigos lit and a hardball sized circle in the heated front windscreen, it had black vinyl seats with black cloth inserts and peeling vinyl on the DS seat
So i take my block tester and fit it into the coolant tank ( the owner asks what i am doing so i said i am checking for a bad head gasket, the fluid will change color from blue to yellow, they father and son were surprised there was such a thing)
as the truck is warming up I can see bubbles coming through the tester as its just sitting in the coolant bottle inlet, the fluid is now starting to turn green/yellow. after a few mins of this I pull the tester off the tank and hold it up to the sky and it clearly isnt blue like when i started.
I said it looks like you may have a head gasket leak, owner now is agitated and says your not going to tell me the head gaskets are leaking
The owner now gets really pissed and says, "you dont want to buy his truck" and closes the hood .
I pack up my stuff and leave. definitely a weird experience
Last edited by Mrmerlin; 01-09-2010 at 10:05 PM.
#2
#3
Yea, people who do not know much about vehicles get aggravated when you try to make sure of what your are buying. I have told a few sellers that I just want to know what I am buying, any issue is not a deal killer, but will help me establish a fair price I am wiling to pay, and what I may need to replace to bring it up to the level of vehicle I like to drive. And honestly will help them know a fair price they can expect. This is common place when buying a house; you find issues, whether minor or major and list them for the seller and ask for some reduction in the price for a professional to make the repair, parts & labor, to get the price down. Then in many cases you can fix it yourself for cheap, and you get a better deal, or honestly if it is cosmetic, just leave it until you get around to it, or never.
But when you end up telling people the car needs what they see as a major repair or even a minor you, they often will argue with you or just get mad like in this case. In this case, the other neglected items without the head gasket issue you revealed would of made me run away.
But when you end up telling people the car needs what they see as a major repair or even a minor you, they often will argue with you or just get mad like in this case. In this case, the other neglected items without the head gasket issue you revealed would of made me run away.
Last edited by Rover_Hokie; 01-09-2010 at 10:37 PM.
#4
I think this truck may been a real G4 as it also had G4 stickers on the front fenders, plus the interior was not one i have ever seen in a regular Disco.
The black cloth insert seats with vinyl sides didnt seem to be a normal option, they were also heated.
I never got around to discussing the 3 amigos or the big chip/crack in the windshield. Anyway I think by doing homework and researching all the know weak points of a vehicle, and using this forum is a great place to learn
The black cloth insert seats with vinyl sides didnt seem to be a normal option, they were also heated.
I never got around to discussing the 3 amigos or the big chip/crack in the windshield. Anyway I think by doing homework and researching all the know weak points of a vehicle, and using this forum is a great place to learn
#5
I think this truck may been a real G4 as it also had G4 stickers on the front fenders, plus the interior was not one i have ever seen in a regular Disco.
The black cloth insert seats with vinyl sides didnt seem to be a normal option, they were also heated.
I never got around to discussing the 3 amigos or the big chip/crack in the windshield. Anyway I think by doing homework and researching all the know weak points of a vehicle, and using this forum is a great place to learn
The black cloth insert seats with vinyl sides didnt seem to be a normal option, they were also heated.
I never got around to discussing the 3 amigos or the big chip/crack in the windshield. Anyway I think by doing homework and researching all the know weak points of a vehicle, and using this forum is a great place to learn
You can buy the stickers anywhere, but the interior im not too sure about.
I guess anyone could slap a few G4 stickers on their disco and sell it as a G4?? hahaha
At least you ran away fast!
#7
This site has a bunch or pics and a little background:
http://www.autoweb.com/content/resea...on/showarticle
#10