A couple things -
The A/C, of course, should be blowing you in the face. There's an arm (rod?) under the dash that gets stuck. This issue has been addressed here somewhere before.
Has the car recently passed the VA annual inspection?
At least you'd know if there are any nickle-dime issues, such as brake pads & windshield chips to deal with.
I'd take 35 one hundred dollar bills & wave them in the face of the seller. Kindly moan that without any tranny records, you're taking a BIG chance on instant repairs needed. Be sure to sniff the tranny dipstick & be sure the fluid's red, not brownish.
If there's ANY doubt that the tranny's headed south, offer less money. I assume the car's body & interior are "near" new.
My thoughts are if you like the car, & the owner looks like he/she did spend money on upkeep, & even if the tranny needs replacing; if your total outlay (with a "new" tranny) is less than 7K, You've got a good deal. If you're only adding 4K miles per year, you'll have a good 10 more years to show off on weekends.
Ron.
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Good s**t happened.  69 was worth the wait.
'92 stock semi-pristine ebony - 160K
'96 Grand Caravan - 240K
'01 Miata SE - 79K
'07 Chrysler Pacifica - 60k - future money pit.
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