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[Sixstring]

When I bought my miggy 3.0 elite estate, I looked about for a fair bit to find a "good one". After trawling E-gay, and the local rags I found one in SLady bitshorpe with what appeared to be an immaculate interior, good bodywork, ok mileage, and an owner that had owned the car for the last 6 years, and only needed to part with it because of a company car, or he would have kept it for another 6 (according to him, it ticked all the boxes for a car).
After a 200 mile journey, I found it was as good as he said, and drove brilliantly, with no apparent faults. Service history was regular, with the local garage servicing every 8k or so, and stamped up in the book.
Since then, After draining out the oil I have found its a bit rattly on new oil, and tried to phone the garage named and stamped in the book for the last time the cambelt was done, only to be told " yeah, he comes in here once a year to have the oil changed cos he doesn't want to get under the car."and it appears, the belt has not been changed since 60k, and its done 148k now..............(being done this weekend if i can get hold of somebody today !!!) AND, the water pump is squeaking, AND the camcovers have been sealed up around the back with silicon, AND I better do the aux belt and tensioner too, oh, and an oil and filter change, and while I'm at it, the HBV and thermostat, clean out the vent system, and ought to do the wishbones too, as they are on the way out............... and I'll do all the pads too, cos they are close to the sensor limit
Estimates are about £500 cost of parts if I do most of it myself to do the lot, so my cheap £700 estate will owe me £1200 at the end of this month.  Is £1200 for a 99 elite 3.0 est a good price now it will be "up together"??

or did I buy a lemon?

Comments please......

[Mr Skrunts]

Well in your favour you have JamesV6CDX locally, a top man that comes highly recommended by every one on here.

The problem with buying a car is you have to take the sellers word for it till you actually see the car, and it's awkward to ring a garage in front of the seller to ask about serv=vice history.  Saying that, if he has nothing to hide he wont have any problems there

Di has just had a similar problem with a car that ended up needing a good once over, James gave it the once over plus afew other nits and now she is chuffed to nits with the car.

So as for a lemon, maybe not the case, and once it has had a good checkover hopefully what you have bought is a very nice and reliable motor. 

[Lazydocker]

Are you happy with the car?

If so, once you've done the bits and pieces then it's a fair price

I did a straight swap with my old LPG Range Rover (G reg) for my 99 saloon. It then cost me about £600 within the first 8 weeks doing all the things you mentioned and more. Add on another £700 for the LPG conversion and you're looking at £1300 within the first 6 months

But... Everything works on it and I'm happy so I'll keep spending on the maintenance as and when it needs doing. Oil changes are cheap enough with the TC prices so I can't really complain