Will i have a reliable car for at least two years if I buy a used 1999 Mazda 626?

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jaytee

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The car in question: 1999 Mazda 626. 4 cylinder. 5 spd. Stick. New clutch. New alternator. New tires. 1 ownder for 9 years. 2nd guy has owned it only a couple months.
He says his friend needed money so he bought the car to help him out but he has a new car and just planned to resell it. He's asking $2000, says it runs and drives fine, his mechanic buddy believes its in top shape. I'm going to check it out of course and maybe have my mechanic gpa come along to look it over. I want to give a $200 deposit so he will hold it for 3 weeks till i can buy it. Should I take this deal and should i try to talk him down to maybe $1800? I'd appreciate any opinion, hopefull someone will know more about this car.
 
I don't think that Mazda 626's are dogs, they're pretty decent.
You didn't say how much mileage. New alternator and new tires mean it's got some miles on it. Alternators usually last years, so it must be at leat 150K. That's not so bad.
New clutch? God, but what about other parts in the tranny such as throwout bearing, etc. Usually when a clutch is replaced, there's small parts and pieces that should be done at same time.

Yes, definitely have YOUR mechanic check it out. A compression test will tell you lots about engine condition. One thing you can do is to take out spark plug and shine light down into chamber, to see how dark it is from carbon burning. With 100K+ miles, it will probably be all black. Normal.

But biggest worry is the timing chain/belt. Was that ever changed? If not, then it's due. And soon. Most belts/chains are good for 70-100K miles. Then it's a crap shoot when they go bad. Mine was luck to go out quietly and not mess up the inside of engine.

New tires don't mean anything. YOu'll get new tires every other year. But nice to have.

$2000? Wellllllllllllll..........it's not too bad. Average price. Depends upon condition of body. Any rust? Is engine compartment and underneath carriage and tranny area really grimey? How about oil leaks? That's always a bad sign.

If engine is dirty and greasy, that means engine isn't cared for that much. Might have reg oil changes, but outside of engine need cleaning too. People don't realize a dirty engine runs worse, so not as good mpg. Also, looking at suspension and brake parts, if metal is corroded or nasty, then car isn't in good condition. Suspension is also critical. New struts or same old ones? It'd cost you about $500+ or more to have new struts stuck in.

See? It's not as easy as we think to get an older car. So much to worry about. But there are some beauties out there for good prices.
Have you tried Craigslist in your area? You can always go see the cars, test drive them.

But it seems like this one is in fairly good condition, otherwise, you wouldn't spend the time to have your mechanic check it out. If it's kinda rough, then I would pass on it. Then it would be a rattle trap just waiting to start falling apart.
 
http://www.kbb.com/KBB/UsedCars/PricingReport.aspx?YearId=1999&Mileage=120000&VehicleClass=UsedCar&ManufacturerId=30&ModelId=393&PriceType=Private+Party&VehicleId=5735&SelectionHistory=5735%7c29741%7c24210%7c0%7c0%7c219356%7ctrue&Condition=Good&QuizConditions=
 
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