520

<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/37962/picture_030.jpg"></center><p>I found this 200 20vT a week or so ago on Audifans, blown 3rd gear but $1K sounded too good to pass up. So I jumped on it. Talked to a guy, all sounded good except few misc. issues, nothing motor related though - it has ~103K on the clock....TB replaced about ~57K mark. Anyways...I sent him half a money, bought my ticket to PA where the car's at but he calls me yesterday with a story.

He tells me he was reading a paper yesterday and in car-tech section there was an article about blown HG's and smoke on startup as a result?? He says he wanted to let me know so i don't find out on my own later on. He did tell me originally there was some smoke, like a puff of black smoke on startup but nothing excesive. So he then proceeds to tell me that he lend a car to a friend last summer who told him that car overheated and coolant came out boiling. Afterwards, he took it to a shop and they replaced the radiator. No word of bad HG or anything....he drove the car afterwards for months without issue, even drove to North carolina and back. Now, after reading this yesterday he went out and checke dthe car, he didn't drive it for a week before this and while checking the oil dipstick everything looked fine - black oil only(not that too black is good but ok) He then opened the oil cap and he said he saw "coolant". I was a bit stunned with all this that i didn't even ask him how does he define coolant, but could this be just a condensation due to not driving it for a week?

he said he'll have no problems refunding my money and covering my ticket if I choose not to buy it now, but I'm just not sure. Is this too much risk to take on? I'm not worried about HG alone as that motor would most likely end up in my Coupe(so new gaskets and seals would be don e prior), but I do worry about warped or even worse, cracked head. Though he said he drove it afterwards without problems. I mean, at $1K, even as a parts car its worth it, but i don't want to fly to PA from Chicago and attempt to drive it back to have it boil over on me half way and then end up paying for tow or something.

What are your thoughts? I said I'll talk to him on Monday and let him know what I wanna do. Any other questions I should ask? he does seem like an honest guy but you never know. he could be telling me he drove it and all was fine but he also let me know there is possibility of blown HG, so my conclusion is that if **** goes down I'd be on my own.
Thanks for your help...

tpierce

i'd say you are okay. If he drove it that far with a bad headgasket and/ or cracked head, then the coolant would most likley be brownish and probably low. If you want to make sure everything is okay, take a compression tester with you. That being said, the car did seem to be for a good price. Also, be aware, to destroy third gear, that car has probably been through some serious abuse.

VR_Life

So the deal is he's paying you $1000 to take these problems off his hands ... right ?

Blake@NWAutoSalon

and still be making out like a bandit. I damn you for getting such a good deal on this car.

spiralsmurf

there is a new expansion tank too.

520

funny guy.

alpinab7

Head gasket is not that hard. Worst case part it: Front seats and ecu will bring you close to $1k