Please help

[vespa9449]

Hi All.

Firstly, I am sorry at my basic knowledge on cars and FORDS.
I am about to buy a Ford. Dont know if the seller is asking too much.

2000 AU Forte series 2. 17" Tickford wheels, Tickford susp, 40000 km, showroom cond, not a stone chip on it, servised every 5000km, 12mth reg.

The owner is asking about $15000.

I see others advertised with about 130000km are going for about $12000.

Thanks

[LilMissDrift]

Well only having 40,000 km and being in showroom condition thats a reasonably good price hey.

[JC]

Firstly, welcome to AFF. You will go mad here like the rest of us.
Secondly, good decision to buy an AU - there's a lot of car for not much money.
Thirdly, what you are prepared to pay is up to you. As a guide, redbook values this car at:

2000 FORD FALCON

AU II Forte Sedan 4dr Auto 4sp 4.0i
Prices based on km 90,000 - 150,000
Trade in price guide* $4,600 - $5,800
National average price - private sale* $6,400 - $8,500
Price when new (RRP) $30,830

You need to add about $3k to the above for dealer prices, plus another $1500 or so for the rims and suspension, so around $13k would be absolute top dollar from a dealer, or around $10k private sale. It's up to you whether having only 40,000km is worth an extra $2k. Considering it will be out of new car warranty, the low kms are probably worthless in all honesty.

I would go with an offer around $10k - you can get 2 year old, 40,000km BA XTs for around $13k.

[vespa9449]

Thank you both for your prompt replies..... very quick.
O yeah, I forgot.... it also has a fin thingo on the back, always garaged and washed with nappies.
I understand that I am paying top dollar... But the car is in A1 condition. The current owner wants to upgrade to a 2006 car... and do the same thing to it.... look at it and admire it.

[TwistedEL]

$15k for a forte privately?

Rip off. Wheels, spoiler & suspension don't add that much value to the car, $500 maybe.

40,000 for a 6 year old car indicates that it has not been driven much (or lots of short trips) and therefore components start to dry out and sieze up from lack of use...

My recommendation:
Buy a series 2 Forte with higher k's (80-100) & log books for around $7,000 and if you give it a respray, wheels and suspension - you'll still end up spending well under $15,000.

[Fairlane]

Sounds like a nice car, but 15k for a 6 year old forte is just too much.

Now 13k would be a better price, especially considering that reasonable condition '03 BA XT's with 60k are going through the auctions and dealers for 15-16k, sometimes less.

[poolkeeper]

The very low kms on this car, would put me off buying it

[au^dude]

Too much, 12500 tops i think

[jonbays]

look a 2000 model 6 year old base model forte isn't worth anywhere near this sort of money.

2000 model with 40,000km is real low you need to find out why. Could be good could be bad!

Like spent two years in a wreckers yard as a write off just been repaired so beautiful duco with no stone chips!

As JC said above its a $6,000 trade in car thats all its really worth at wholesale.

[JC]

ctually, the more I think about this, a quote from the castle comes to mind:

Tell him he's kidding!

Offer him $7k and go from there, but I wouldn't pay more than $8500 (yes, I've revised my estimate of it's worth). 40,000km in 6 years spells trouble to me. I reckon you would be up fpr new exhaust (rusty), new valves (rusty), new fuel filter and pump, and a heap of other accessories and perishible parts.

[TwistedEL]

JC have you seen the castle?