Decided to go look at a 2000 Miata today. Had talked to these folks on the phone a couple of times and had received a Carfax on the car. Mileage was a touch high but for a car that looked good on paper figured I'd go look at it.
They claimed it had ABS it did not, not a deal breaker on it's own but a slight disappointment. But the car looked good the interior was like new, in hindsight it probably was new….
Started looking at the car the trunk lid had the VIN sticker and the bumper looked good. The front had the standard rock chips but surprisingly both front fogs were broken. The hood had the VIN sticker and the engine compartment looked good. The drivers side of the car passed my requirements with the VIN sticker on the door. So I'm getting more enthused about the car.
The passenger side killed the deal. The VIN sticker was still on the door but was covered by paint. You could tell someone had replaced the door skin because the sealer was gooped on the seams. The door wouldn't close correctly, and when closed didn't line up with the rest of the car. Signs of filler were evident on the front door post, and the door striker had been bent in to get the door to close tighter. There was a witness mark in the jamb where you could see where the door had hit the jamb as well as the sill plate. Sanding marks were visible on the rear quarter and on the door. The pinch seam was crushed in a few locations, figure that was from the frame machine.
Keep in mind kids, this car had a clean Carfax report, which the lot was touting, but there is no way this thing had not been hit hard. I decided to vacate the lot and continue my search.
Buyer beware!
