She's been offered, by her casual acquaintance, who apparently has a business (name unknown) of importing cars from Japan, a Toyota Previa year 2001, 7-seater I know nothing else about this car) for 4K.
Any comments? Suitable? Shady? Proceed with caution, or RLF?
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14 years old!! How can it be, when it's described as 2001!! Not questioning the veracity of information from the Oracle, just asking how! I thought there might be something dodgy, 4K for a 4 y.o. car, but that seems really dodgy! This is fascinating.
(Sorry oldbanger: read that as 1991. HJ)
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dont know the details of this particular vehicle but most of these imports are at least 10 years old and they seem to fetch this sort of money, they are also prone to head gasket failure and never seem to be quite right afterwards...cheers...keo
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Thought his Jap import game had died a death, long ago!!??
Even the dockside auctions seem to be struggling, IIRC.
Where's Mr Lucus, he'll know whats, what!
VB
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Probably 14ish years old though first reg in UK 2001.
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I think the registration has to go with age. Supra was registered a bit over three years ago but was given an M number. Low mileage, though, which chaps at Superchips commented on as being genuine by the condition of the car; this is apparently not always their experience.
You can get good ones, but you have to be careful.
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Yes the reg letter would go with age though claming 1st reg in UK as 2001 is possibility.
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Bith Tomo and Cheddar seem to think there's a possibility it may be worth the bread (why am I suddenly hungry). How can I tell how old it really is? Look at the back of ashtrays (?) as advised by HJ in his column in The Daily Telegraph? Shall I just supply her with pictures of an up-to-date Previa, and old Estimas or whatever and let her see? I feel another nasty bout of ear-ache coming up.
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Imported cars like this should show the date of import on the V5 and also an approximate date of manufacture. Their registration letter should reflect thet age of manufacture of the car. My estima was imported in 2002 but being a 1995 built car gets an 'N' reg.
Failing that check the labels on the seat belts for a true date of manufacture or the ashtrays or something like that.
Depending on the year £4k is about right for the car. I have a diesel auto 4wd estima and its a great spacious family car. There is an endemic problem with overheating and cylinder head failure. Have the radiator flushed regularly to prevent this.
There is a lot of support availble on the web for these cars and parts are not a problem. Toyota dealers are helpful if expensive.
You need to change the oil every 3,000 miles and you will only get 25-30 mpg.
We love ours, it drives nicely, seats 8 people and still has a good sized boot.
Having said that it is for sale, to buy a newer spec model, and £4,200 will secure it.
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Sorry, no I don't think it is worth the money, I was just trying to say that the reference to 2001 could be when it was first reged in the UK.
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Seatbelt tag is the one to go for - its a reliable way of dating the car.
These are not bad vehicles - although personally I would steer clear of a Diesel in favour of petrol. You would be better to get a new import from Japan - they can be in great shape and completely rust free. Go to a recommended importer. Get it undersealed.
I know someone who bought a newly imported '95 model from a local import dealer last November. He's paid £5k and very happy with it - its in great shape bodily and mechanically. There are duds about (clocked, damage-repaired) so check carefully before buying.
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I've been to the dockside auctions in Southampton where you get a chance to see hundreds of vehicles going for sale. The most noteworthy thing about them is the complete lack of rust. Some have some body damage, most likely caused during shipping.
What influenced our decision to buy an Estima was seeing the state of Galaxies, 806's etc available at the same price. They were pretty much all sheds with galactic mileages.
My advice would be to buy from a dealer who will give you a 6 month warranty in case the cylinder head goes or buy a car privately with a history that shows the necessary work has been done.
My head was replaced just after I bought the car (never felt a thing), along with the turbo and the car drives sweetly. We took it to the south of France last year and I'd hop in it tomorrow and do it again.
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