Hi all,

I just bought a 90 Z TT last week. Absolutely love the car (I've wanted one since I was 16), but she's got some problems. I took her to the Z clinic (specialty shop in Austin, TX that only works on Zs.) and had them take a look at her. I was told that she had a leaking transmission, bad internal wiring, and that there was much more wrong with it. The way I see it, I've got three options.

1) I can talk to the guy who sold it to me, (I paid 11,400) and see if he'll give me back enough money to get it fixed up right

2) Give back the car and get my money back

3) Trade it in to the Z clinic and buy one from them.

The option I'm kind of leaning toward now is #1. If I can get back enough money to get it fixed up, or even some of it, I figure I'll get an engine overhaul, and ask them to put a standard transmission in her for me. (Regrettably, she's currently an automatic.) The price the Z clinic quoted me for that work was about 10k. If I can get back enough to where I only end up having to pay a few more grand, do y'all think it'll be worth it? Or should I go with one of my other options?

Thanks.
Foxfire

 

My condolences. Not to rub salt in the wound, but this is why you are always advised to have a car checked out by a good mechanic BEFORE the money changes hands. For a 12-year-old car, unless he gave you a written statement or guarantee that the car was free of defects, you bought it "as-is" and don't have a legal leg to stand on. He doesn't have to give you a dime, much less scuttle the deal. But go ahead and talk to him. It's a long shot but who knows, he might be sympathetic if he genuinely didn't know about all the problems. But odds are he knew and sold it as an alternative to fixing it.

Personally I'd guess options #1 and #2 are off the table. As for option #3, the Z Clinic is going to buy it off you for the fair price of a good Z minus the cost to do the repairs... so you won't be ahead versus just getting the repairs done yourself but you can cost it out and see... they may be able to do the repairs for less than other places but keep in mind if they buy your car and sell you another one, they are expecting to make money on the transaction and it comes out of your pocket.

Anyway if you get the repairs done and hang onto the car, then you really will have the car you thought you had bought. Presumably there was a reason you picked this car over other available Z32's right? Good luck.

 

My condolences. Not to rub salt in the wound, but this is why you are always advised to have a car checked out by a good mechanic BEFORE the money changes hands. For a 12-year-old car, unless he gave you a written statement or guarantee that the car was free of defects, you bought it "as-is" and don't have a legal leg to stand on. He doesn't have to give you a dime, much less scuttle the deal. But go ahead and talk to him. It's a long shot but who knows, he might be sympathetic if he genuinely didn't know about all the problems. But odds are he knew and sold it as an alternative to fixing it.

Personally I'd guess options #1 and #2 are off the table. As for option #3, the Z Clinic is going to buy it off you for the fair price of a good Z minus the cost to do the repairs... so you won't be ahead versus just getting the repairs done yourself but you can cost it out and see... they may be able to do the repairs for less than other places but keep in mind if they buy your car and sell you another one, they are expecting to make money on the transaction and it comes out of your pocket.

Anyway if you get the repairs done and hang onto the car, then you really will have the car you thought you had bought. Presumably there was a reason you picked this car over other available Z32's right? Good luck.