Scary SVX

[BlackMKIV]

ok, So, I need a awd vehicle, I look on the net and find an SVX within an hr of me for sale, I think 'sweet', always liked the way they looked. it's a 92 Touring package, 165k miles, guy wants 3,450.... (lil used car dealer). I'm thinking about offering 27 or 28 for it and seeing if he'll deal any... So, I call in to work today, after getting a carfax from some very nice guy on this site.

Cars clean on the fax

off I go. Get to the dealer, and this SVX doesn't look bad at all, lil paint issues on the hood and peeling front bumper, but hey, to be expected. he brings out the key ( no remote), and I open up the door, truck and hood.... begining my inspections, inside is good, better than expected on the leather, all console parts are there, but the steering column only locks in the lowest position. Good so far right... here where it gets fun. the car hasn't been moved/started in so long that it has rust growths growing off of the brake disks, in fact I couldn't even make out the wear marks in the disks anymore, all 4 of them. He'd cleaned the motor up pretty nicely on top, but when I wedged my head up in under the from wheel/ bumper area... whew man, enough oil under there to lube a fleet, everything was soaked, and total grimmed up, control arms, and axles and stuff just soaked in old oil. I could get in to the rear diff, and took a look at it, it had leak marks around the seals, and the rubber bushing on the backside top where 2 bolts go in.. they were completely shot, almost nothing left.
And then I started it, or well, then he put a jump pack on it and I noticed that the FWD light was on. I asked, he didn't know. So I checked the glove box and read the owners manual and we pulled the fuse. finally I started it. it actually ran, and ran reasonably ok. I was kind of proud of the old girl. No strange noises, no rattles, no valves hammering, at least from inside. then I turned on the climate controls... LOL. the car jerked, and the AC pump attemtped to spin up, and when it did it struck up a conversation with anyone will to talk to it. Not only that but the AC pump and the motor didn't get along.. leading to me having to rev it some to keep the motor and the pump working at the same time. whew. eventually it calmed down..... some. and I was able to drive away. yes I drove it, I traveled almost 1hr 45 mins total to get to it.
I had to make a 9 point turn to get out of the parking place. and the car wouldn't back up on it's own (automatic trans) had to goose it to go backwards. Finally pulled out onto the road and got moving, and it didn't do to bad, had a nice wobble in the wheel from the disks, and almost no stopping power, but I knew from the shape of the disks to expect that. When I'd try to go, it'd shift real jerky from 1st to 2nd, then 3 was a lot smoother. I didn't go above 50. We got back to the dealer and pulled in and stopped... as it stopped and big cloud of oil smoke rolled out of the passenger side front wheelwell...and I turned the car off.
the dealer looked at me and I looked at him, and we both knew that he didn't have a sale. He had no intention of lowering his price, and while I was still interested, I was well below 27 or 28 hundred now. in the end we decided that if he couldn't pawn it off on anyone else, then he'd sell to me, CHEAP.

BTW, you guys have a great community thing going here, and a wonderful car. thanks.