I wanted to start by saying thanks to the guys that responded to my last post and helping me steer away from a bucket at the dealership . Ive ended up searching outside of my state limits and found a 2001 low owner count bb w red interior for $17,000 (Completely stock by the way)
. Clean carfax, 80k on the dash and an older gentleman owner that bought it for his wife. Does this price seem fair ? and are there any important things that I should look for when buying other than the obvious ? Heres some pics for reference. Appreciate it

 

$17,000 for an 80k miles seems kind of expensive. BUT, there are a few things going for it
+ Rare color combo
+ Something tells me that's an OEM AP1 lip
+ Buying cars from elderly is simply the best. Especially elderly who buys enthusiast cars, they really take great care of them (Big PLUS if the car is truly unmolested and un-abused)

 

Big step up from the last one for sure. You should be able to negotiate the price some if you are dealing with a motivated seller. Black with red is sharp and rare. Looks like top has been replaced, so make sure that is has been done properly. Don't rely too much on Carfax. Check well for paintwork. Owners sometimes will pay for damage instead of putting in a claim, and try to do it on the cheap. Ask for documentation of proper maintenance.

 

A one owner car like this, nicely garaged, can be a real find. You know it has not been modded and has not been trashed on the street or track. You might be able to work out something but the fact remains it is increasingly difficult to find nice cars like this. If you can swing it and the car is something you really like, go for it. I paid full value for my car and it was similar. One owner, stock, low miles, and exactly the color I wanted. Never looked back.

 

$17k for an AP1 is a little bit on the high end, but just a little. I typically see them around $15k-$16k. I'm guessing the owner is leaving a bit of room for negotiation.

I don't know if you discussed your goals with the car in your other thread but one thing to consider is if you are planning on tracking the car heavily, many recommend either installing the MY02+ oil squirter banjo bolts for better piston cooling/oiling or just getting a late MY02+ vehicle.

But if that's not a concern, as @cosmomiller suggests, if you like it and get a good vibe from the seller then go for it.

 

Maybe it's just me... but I see some unusual indents in the top right where they start to tear. This might mean that the top is on it's way out... and that's an $800 repair minimum and that's if you do it yourself.

Otherwise 17K seems like a lot of money for an AP1 with decent driven miles. That's the kind of money I might expect for a 04-05 AP2 with similar miles.

 

Thats a replacement top with a glass window, which is a nice upgrade. That looks like a very nice example. I paid 12k for an 01 with 80k back in 2013. Market has risen and that car looks better than mine was and has the red interior. I'd pay 16k for that car without hesitating if the panels are all original.

 

Thanks for the, i’ll be sure to mention that. On a side note i’ve been looking for an ap1 in particular but i can see that pricing is maybe more for an ap2.

 

All matching , pretty happy about it

 

Thanks for the advice! I sadly won’t be tracking one for a while until i get a second car ( selling my current vehicle ) but definitely will keep that in mind.