v6 GTV with no service history - bad buy?

[Clark]

I'm going to view a GTV tomorrow from a dealer, his dad's owned the car for the past year and in the time has lost the service history. It's a '99 and has done 80k miles, I'll get the previous owners details tomorrow and hopefully give them a ring to get more information, but am I being stupid to even consider it?

[Clark]

He's asking for £3.5k for it by the way.

[JR]

If he knows the name of the dealer then you should be able to find some of the service history. Check the usuals: cam belt, oil cooler, radiator, tyres, exh and batt.

[fasterpussycat]

Make sure it hasn't done 180k miles!

[jamieboy]

They're not especially rare cars, and that one isn't desperately cheap...

[pdV6]

fasterpussycat said:

Make sure it hasn't done 180k miles!

Yeah - look for a "1" rather than a "0" at the start of the odometer...

[JR]

jamieboy said:

They're not especially rare cars, and that one isn't desperately cheap...

This looks nice:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/380007.htm

[_Batty_]

Clark said:

He's asking for £3.5k for it by the way.

you could have mine with a fsh for 500 miles more.

massive money pit if the 'usuals' havn't been done.

[_Batty_]

JR said:

jamieboy said:

They're not especially rare cars, and that one isn't desperately cheap...

This looks nice:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/380007.htm

its missing 2 cylinders

[JR]

_Batty_ said:

JR said:

jamieboy said:

They're not especially rare cars, and that one isn't desperately cheap...

This looks nice:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/380007.htm

its missing 2 cylinders

Bugger, lol

[Clark]

Think I'll give it a miss then.

[pano amo]

You would be absolutely mad to buy that car unless it was checked over by an expert. Funny how the history on some cars go missing.
Theres plenty of gtv's out there. Let some other fool buy that car without the history.

And think about when you go to sell it. Buyers will walk away.

[heisthegaffer]

my best mate has just bought a 3.0 on a 51 plate with FSH, 50k miles, blue with black leather for £5k. Needs a cambelt but is (seemingly) sweet, really good nick.

Keep looking mate

[Fiddlemesticks]

I bought a 156 from Auction with partial history missing (i.e either no stamp but receipt, or vice versa) but it was a lease car so rang the dealers i knew of and asked if it was on the system. It was so sent the book off and they stamped it for gratis.

So even if history is missing it should be easy to trace. If they um, err, or ahh, i would walk quick smart as there are plenty more out there. Lets say you dont want to spend 5k but just the 3.5km, that 1500 saving can be lost in one trip to a garage to sort stuff out so its fools logic to think its worth saving the money and giving up the FSH.