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Hi all,
I'm looking very seriously at a 1995 850 Turbo with 135,000 miles. It's one owner, always dealer-serviced, full maintenance with all records by someone who kept very good care of and garaged it. All electronics work, the A/C works (though the evaporator was never replaced), and it even comes with an entire matching spare wheel and tire in addition to the donut spare! Good options. The leather is obviously worn but not cracked or broken. Interior looks great even without a detailing (e.g. the labels on CC aren't worn at all, cupholders intact). Looks fairly clean under the hood for a car its age. Owner even has all the original keys (2 regular, 1 valet, 1 wallet, 2 remote keyless)
Now...here's what my mechanic found on inspection:
-Minor corrosion on positive battery contact (said they weren't concerned; battery new in 2008)
-Oil residue around turbo unit and a "bit of an oil smell" after road test, but turbo appears to be working fine (they didn't indicate any further concern)
-Rear brake pads thin, need replacing very soon
-Inner axle boots "flinging grease" (I was not entirely clear why this is an issue--they say probably not a big deal, but "makes a bit of a mess")
-Trans case has some sort of residue on the side--dry, no droplets. (They didn't seem too concerned; no issues found with trans itself and fluid looked fine.)
-Right front ball joint has vertical movement (needs replacement, $350)
-Upper radiator hose has "dry crusty residue running down to radiator tank" (they didn't indicate that this was worrisome or say what it might be)
-Slight noise from front struts (they say not too big a deal)
-Small crack on rear light casing (insignificant, easy to patch)
-On top of this, the next scheduled maintenance will include timing belt and water pump. (just based on mileage on the current parts. $700.)
The good from the mechanic: "brakes, accelerates, and steers well, and has good power overall. Turbo seems to work." Various other components not mentioned here were found to be in good condition (including the tires), and all fluids looked good (they were *not* recently changed, as I've been told to look out for).
My question is twofold:
1) Are any of the above problems more serious than my mechanic is making them out to be? Are there some that likely do not require further attention? I'm guessing from what I read on the boards that I can get everything significant taken care of for less than $2000 , but thought I'd ask and see if I'm reading anything wrong.
2) Does the overall condition of this car seem good? It does to me, again from what I read on the boards. Then again, if I were buying anything else, my standards would be very different!
Thanks in advance for any thoughts...
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