Guys, I need your input.

my dealer here has a 2005 (!) Viper that I sort of fell in love with. I love the looks, the sound of the 8.3l V10, the pull..
didn't like so much how it handled in a curve after an hour of rain.. but that's another story.

Here's what I worry about:

the car has been sitting on his lot for 2.5 years!
When I got there, the battery was dead and they had to get one of those battery jumpers just to OPEN the DOOR!

How do you feel about a car that has been out in the weather for 2.5 years?

It had only 40 miles on it (58 now )
Looks like not a lot of test drives in all that time.

Isn't it bad for a car to just sit around like that?

To me that's a used car.

Not to mention, this summer the 2008 Viper will come out with 600hp (vs 500 in the 2005 model and 510 in the 2006 model)

By the way, i've posted here quite a bit before, under the ID ptiemann.. somehow I cannot retrieve my password. I still have my 2004 RX-8.
After my second Viper test drive, I immediately drove my RX-8 the exact same route.. it was more fun, well, because i know it.


Would it be foolish to buy a car that has been sitting there for 2.5 years?

How much can I low-ball him?

I'll be going over there tonight..

-Peter

 

How much is he asking? He better not be asking anywhere close to MSRP.

 

Unless it has been registered . . . it is a new car. But why does a dealer have a 2.5 year old car still sitting there? Maybe cuz they are asking too much? So go ahead and low ball them. My guess is you will not be the first who has tried it. And if it is still there . . . they proboably have already turned down other low ball offers like yours.

But let us know how it goes.

 

all depends on the price

 

The MSRP is around 86k

He advertised 10k off = 76k

I already told him I had expected to pay something in the sixties. He said, that could be possible.

He's thinking $69,999 - I'm thinking $60,000 and I include the $3000 gas guzzler tax.

He has 3 of those 2005 models! And a few 2006. In summer he will get the 2008 model.
I looked on ebay and I saw a "brand new 2006" was sold for 65k or 69k.

The ZO6 Corvette wins all comparison tests.. doesn't look good for Dodge.


You guys should've seen them when I pulled up in my RX-8 (32k miles, looks like new). They were all over me "you want to trade it in". Then they saw me walking to their Vipers.
They offered me 13k on the trade-in, but I think I rather keep it.


You would not worry about buying a car that has been sitting around without driving for 2.5 years????

 

about turning down low-ball offers. Here's my logic on this:

"From what I understand, it costs the dealership money to have the car sit there.
They don't buy it cash from Dodge but finance it at a low rate. Maybe they pay 4% interest.

The longer it sits there, the more interest they pay. Invoice price is 76k but clearly they are going to lose on this one.

Also, once they vacate the space of that 2005 Viper, they could put a Magnum or something else there, that will make them profit."


Are these the right arguments or am I wrong?

 

This is correct. My brother in law works for Chrysler and he sets up financing for the dealerships (line of credit, rates, etc. that dealerships will pay). In essence, they are paying for the vehicle (interest) until the vehicle is sold. The dealership will reach a point where they do not expect to make much "profit" off of the vehicle (since it is a 2005) and only want to minimize their losses (interest they pay on the vehicle monthly). This is also part of the reason it is better to buy closer to the end of the month.

Hope this helps.

 

You're right. Interest costs and opportunity costs. Walk in and tell the salesman these things to his face. You know that they need to get rid of it.

Also, it isn't good for a car to be sitting outside without ever running. Think about it like if you were to live in bed for 2.5 years, then you were expected to run 5 miles! You'd probably be a wreck. The battery, hoses, certain rubber parts, etc can break down over time if the car isn't run every now and then. Let's not forget the oil that's been sitting in there. I'm not saying don't buy the car, but make sure you tell the dealer these things.

The more knowledge you show, the more he'll realize he has to give you a fair price. Be firm at 60k, and I think you've got this. Also, if he doesn't give you the car for that much, be prepared to walk. I know it's hard when you fall in love with a car, but you'll just be wasting money. There are lots of vipers out there. Good luck!

 

its defiently not a new car and they are desperate to sell, the pressure is not on you, but on them. Id try to low ball to like 50-60k

 

Exactly that's what I am worried about!!

I don't have the full knowledge of what really happens and hopefully it would be covered by warranty.


I don't think they turned down a lot of low-ball offers in the past because the car had only 40 miles on it when I drove it.

I must be test driver number 2 or 3 at most. Right?


To the last poster, with the 50-60k range. Not sure if I have the ***** to spell out 50k.. maybe I try 55k.

 

dude, the pressure is on them, you got nothing to loose, at worst you don't get the car. you should be brave when you have the upper hand.

 

whatever, you need to hussel this. Walk in and say 52K take it or leave it. If they say "get the F out" then walk out. If no one chases after you come back in a few days and lay down 58K. If they don't take that do the same- the walk out.
This is how I got my girlfriends 2006 Suzuki Forenza. They were asking 12.5K. I went in and talked money. They wanted over 320 a month for 60 months with 1000 down. I hasseled but they didn't want to budge. I got up and walked out, pulled them down to 148 a month for 48 months with nothin down! That's what I call a deal.
Pull a walk-out. They will chase you everytime if they want to make a deal.


Dave


Oh yeah- make sure they replace the battery, all fluids (coolant, oil, tranny, rear end, power steering, etc) and inspect all visiable hoses and stuff before signing.

 

I agree, ensure they do a full inspection before you sign as well as fluid swap. Good luck, btw I'm jealous

 

Well guys, I cannot post any photo today. Went on another test drive, this time dry roads and only little traffic, that was the good part.

I offered $57k (+ $3k gas guzzler tax) and had to wait while 'my offer was submitted'. Meanwhile one of the sales guys wanted to buy my RX-8 for himself. I had parked the red viper next to my black RX-8 and they looked great together :-) the headlights are actually kind of similar.

Anyway, they came back with $66k (+ $3k gas guzzler tax), I thought briefly and left.

I saw 2006 models offered on ebay for $66k and had printed a few of those out for the dealer; he just matched that price.

As I left, I told them I'll offer $55k in 2 months.

 

If its a 05, screw that 66K , the Max I will do would be 55K like u said.

The sooner u buy, the sooner they stop their lossess.

 

way to take advantage of their need to get rid of the car ASAP. everyday its sitting there they are loosing money. good sh*t. i bet they will call you back

 

Way to walk! It's not easy, but it's for the best.

 

they just called me.. I didn't think it would be so soon. I thought they'd wait 24 hours.

Asked if I had made up my mind. I said, 'same as last night, $57k + $3k fees = $60k'
He said he would go and see what he could do for me.

-Peter

 

good sh*t, what number they give you next (im guessing 65k-67k), theres probably still room to bargain down. youre doing great so far.

 

Way to work it Peter. If I can give you one bit of advice having had lots of experience in this area and having a brother who's a finance manager for GM, just dissapear for a few weeks. By the 15th they'll have figured you are out of the market. It will be painfull and you'll miss the rush of being chased by the saleman BUT there's a huge cost savings to be had if you can hold off. Give them a call on the 26th of February. It's the last week of the month. Tell them you've been away on business for a few weeks. Ask if they've considered your offer. They'll have thought they lost you and, odds are, will do anything they can to re-engage you and close the deal. Just my 2 cents. Good luck.

 

I would discuss (as mentioned before) about getting the fluids changed and the hoses and belts.
I don't know where you live but here in Arizona we have what we call dry rot. Rubber items just dry up and crack, including tires! I would also consider asking for a new set of tires.
Tell them that if you purchase the car and your driving down the freeway and have a blow out and wreck and hurt someone due to tire failure, you will not be a happy camper,nor will your lawyer.
Something about buying a car that's been sitting around for that long bothers me ,but that's just me.

 

nothing happened. The guy who called me yesterday, didn't realize that I had been in the evening before (left hand doesn't know what the right one does, or maybe intended, I don't know)

No reply yesterday.

i'll be actually travelling 2/20 - 3/11 that will make it a lot easier for me.

The funny thing is, maybe you will call me an idiot, after each test drive, I think the viper sucks, and my rx-8 drives such so much better.

Then I look at it parked there, and I think it looks really sharp. Although the 8 looks great too, especially when parked next to the Viper, but I like the fact it's a convertible and I've always liked the black on red colors.

Maybe I just should get a replica :-)

I wouldn't have much opportunity to use those 500 horses anyway.

 

I think that's a pricey one, rear tires are 345s

 

That's incredibly odd for a dealer to hold on to a car that long. Usually it's six months and then it's sent to auction if it hasn't sold. With it being a Viper, I'm guessing it was a showroom vehicle for a while and the owner (of the dealership) didn't want to sell it?

Really boggles my mind they'd hold onto a vehicle for that long. That sure is a long, long time for a vehicle to sit.

Again though, it might have been a showroom fixture and with the 2008 around the corner he wants to get rid of the old bodystyle now. Odd, nonetheless.

 

Yes, they said I was the first person to test drive it. The 40 miles that it had on in were only from driving on the lot and to car shows.

At some point they also said that they kept it indoors at night, but that must be a lie, because

1) every time I drive by there, I see it outside (with 3 other Vipers)
2) the battery was dead
3) I could not see storage room on their space but I may be wrong on this point

So it has probably been in sun and rain for 2.5 years (they volunteered this number!)