Robin said:
I have a '93 Loyale. My wife has driven this car around town since
'94, we are the second owners. I am lucky in that mine only has 60k
on it. I have had to replace the right front CV joint due to a split
boot and replace the V belts. Check the CV boots for cracks and wear
as this is a common problem. This engine leaks and burns oil and be
aware that the Timing belt is only rated for 55k miles. I would
expect that if yours has 144k it should have had the CV joints done
at least once and coming up on its third timing belt change.
The Loyale is a very utilitarian vehicle, it is not designed for
comfort. It has a rough and noisy ride, but is economical and
reliable if properly maintained. It is great for grocery getting,
but I have also driven it on a few extended trips. The economy is
nice but long trips could be uncomfortable. I would be interested in
how much they are asking for this vehicle.
Robin in Bremerton
Thanks for the tips.
KBB shows about $2400 for the car. The seller posted a message at work
asking $1750 for it. There's a sign in the window that says "$2200 OBO"
FWIW. I drove the car yesterday, and I don't think I'm willing to pay what
he's going to want for the car. But I'll probably make him an offer that he
can reject anyway.
I only plan to drive the car for the remainder of this winter. Its purpose
is to get me around when the roads are choked with snow. In such
conditions, "utilitarian" is exactly what I'm looking for in a car. When
spring-time rolls around I'm hoping to have more buyers interested in my
Caddy. After that's sold, the Oldsmobile and Audi go up for sale. After
that, it's a new Subaru for me. I *had* been looking at the Forester XT,
but after reading some complaints about the car's climate control, I'm now
leaning toward a WRX wagon. *This* car -- if I end up buying it -- will
then mostly just sit around until spring '05, when my son turns 16 and will
inherit it. It would be a good car for a new teen-aged driver: Sturdy,
dependable, and not very fast.
I got some more story about the car yesterday when I took it for a drive:
It was originally owned by the local Subaru dearler's service manager, so I
expect it was well maintained for that portion of its life. The second
owners bought it for their son and sold it when it became clear that he
would never learn to drive a stick. The current owner is number three, and
he's had the car since May without any problems. I noticed that the clutch
doesn't engage until it's almost completely released. It doesn't seem to
slip at all (that I noticed) once it's engaged, but this observation
combined with the second owners' story (a teenager trying -- and failing --
to learn how to drive it) makes me wonder whether the clutch is close to
death. Is high clutch engagement normal for this car?
Thanks again,
- Greg
1976 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 9-Passenger Sedan
(FS:
http://www.dataspire.com/caddy)
1989 Audi 200 Turbo Quattro 5-Speed Sedan
(FS: send e-mail for info -- addr. at caddy site above)
2000 Oldsmobile Intrigue
2001 Chevy Astro AWD (wife's)