Update:

The car went to the Quebec automobile insurance association for an inspection (they check emissions, electrical components, safety features, they test drive it themselves, they look at suspension, brakes etc... They also look at the engine an tranny, but I suspect it's not an in depth engine and tranny exam, just to check if it's running properly - they don't even do a compression test) And it came back with only a couple of very minor defects found:
1) a light bulb from the daytime lights was burned out
2) a bolt was missing on one of the wheels

Now before I buy the car, I want to be 100% sure the engine and transmission are in excellent condition.

The dealer explained to me an option that sounds interesting but I don't know (remember, he's a filthy car dealer..):

He calimed I could leave him a deposit (eg: 1000$). Then, he would send the car to the independant company (the same company that offers the 12-month warranty who does apparently an excellent A to Z inspection of the engine and transmission (if they're going to warrant these parts for 12 to 24 months then they've got to make sure they're in great shape, right?) and then there would be 2 possibilities:

1) the company finds defects in the engine and tranny and refuses to offer me a 12 month warranty, in which case the dealer claims I could return the car for a full refund of my 1000$.

2) the company says the car is in good shape, offers me a 12 or even 24 month warranty on the engine/tranny, and I then pay the balance of the 10,900$ +taxes that I owe the dealer, and I've got myself a car.

What do you guys think?
I need advice on this ASAP.
Thank you in advance.

 

I think you should make a decision and not look back! There are ALOT of these cars to choose from, if not this one there will quickly be another. Remember, there are more cars on lots than buyers, thats why they usually sit on lots for weeks before they sell. Once you realize you have more options than the seller, you will be in control of the purchase. If I want to buy a car today, I can choose from dozens of Z/28's currently on the market, where as they cannot control how many buyers come to see the car they are selling.
As for the waranty, it is NOT free! Do you truely think any business will give you anything for "free" without a bigger return for themselves? They make money on waranty because 95% of the cars they sell with that year (or whatever term) waranty will not need any significant repairs. Financing is another area they can make money on you, while giving you the car for "market value", trade-ins are another. Educate yourself to the reality of how they make money (and they will) and you won't get raped, but by the same token they are offering a service thats worth giving them some profit. How do I know? I'm a Salesman. Good luck-

Scott

 

Hey Black bow tie
I just bought a '96 black vert with factory chrome wheels. From 10 feet away they look mint - but the chrome is showing signs of peeling in quite a few places once you get in for a close look.
Just out of curiosity - what kind of condition are your wheels in?

 

Thanks for the reply scott.

The warranty is not free btw, sorry I forgot to mention that.
If the company approves the car for warranty:
- a 1-year engine/tranny will be an additional 250$
- a 2-year engine/tranny will be an additional 400$
However the standard 3 month 4000 km is included in the price (it's the warranty the dealer is giving me himself)

As far as financing goes, I have almost 100% of the value of the car cash. He said he would cut down the taxes (a whopping 15% here in Quebec) if I paid him cash, is this a good idea or is there a smarter alternative?

Right now if I were to buy the car I would be looking at:
10900$ (before negotiation) + 15% sales tax (on 10,900)=
12535$ + warranty cost if desired (see above)

He said if I paid cash, he could cheat on the taxes:
10900$ (before negotiation) + 15% sales tax (on 7,500)=
12025$ + warranty cost if desired (see above)

 

I'd pay cash and not buy the waranty, that is if you can do your own car repairs. Which, since you've found this site, you have access to all of the answers. Enjoy your new drag racer!

Scottso, My Chrome salad shooters are like new, but the car only has 29K on it. I just put 255/50-ZR16 Firestone Firehawk SZ50 ep's. They seem to handle and ride real nice.

 

I guess this means I can forget about this one, right?

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Total Loss Check:


ALERT! This 1996 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z28 (2G1FP22P3T2114503) has had a severe accident reported to CARFAX from a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This vehicle was reported totaled and does not qualify for the CARFAX Certified History, a guarantee worth up to $5,000.

No Salvage Title Reported
No Loss Due To Fire Title Reported
No Junk Title Reported
No Flood Damage Title Reported
No Rebuilt/Reconstructed Title Reported
No Hail Damage Title Reported
No Dismantled Title Reported
Canadian Total Loss Record Reported

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Other Accident Indicators:


This 1996 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z28 (2G1FP22P3T2114503) has had no accident indicators reported to CARFAX. CARFAX receives accident indicator information from many sources, continues to expand its coverage, and recommends a vehicle inspection by your dealer or professional mechanic.

No Salvage Auction Record Reported
No Crash Test Vehicle Record Reported
No Fire Damage Record Reported
No Airbag Deployment Record Reported
No Police Accident Record Reported
No Damage Disclosure Record Reported


CARFAX depends on public and private sources for its accident data. Each one of these sources has different processing times. CARFAX can only report what is in our database on 28.Feb.2003 18:34:06. New data will result in a change to this report.

Accident Check FAQs:
How CARFAX Customers use this section | Insurance claims on CARFAX? | About accident reports | Accident statistics

CARFAX Help Center | Glossary



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Truth-In-Mileage Check:


This 1996 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z28 (2G1FP22P3T2114503) had no odometer problems reported to CARFAX from a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) under the Truth-In-Mileage Act.

No Not Actual Mileage Title Reported
No Exceeds Mechanical Limits Title Reported
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Odometer Rollback Check:


CARFAX did not uncover any odometer rollbacks for this 1996 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z28 (2G1FP22P3T2114503).

No Reported Odometer Readings

Mileage Accuracy Check FAQs:
How CARFAX Customers use this section | Truth-In-Mileage Act | Rollbacks vs. rollovers | When do you flag a rollback?

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This 1996 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z28 (2G1FP22P3T2114503) has had no Manufacturer Buyback (LEMON) reported to CARFAX from a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Lemon Check FAQs:
How CARFAX Customers use this section | What is a Manufacturer Buyback? | How can I get an inspection?

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Ownership History:


This 1996 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z28 (2G1FP22P3T2114503) has 1 known owner(s). In compliance with the U.S. privacy laws, CARFAX does not collect or report owner names or addresses.

Known Owners: Date: Location:
1st owner Not Reported Ontario

Types of Owners:


This 1996 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z28 (2G1FP22P3T2114503) was checked for 9 types of registrations.

No Private Use Registration Reported
No Fleet Registration Reported
No Lease Registration Reported
No Commercial Registration Reported
No Rental Registration Reported
No Non-Profit Registration Reported
No Government Registration Reported
No Built to Non U.S. Standards Record Reported
No Taxi Registration Reported

Ownership Check FAQs:
How CARFAX Customers use this section | No owner names or addresses, why? | Differences between registrations, titles, and # of owners? | Identifying new owners

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CHEVROLET does not report recall information for specific vehicles to CARFAX.
Go to the CARFAX Safety & Reliability Report for recalls issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association for the 1996 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z28. You can also contact an authorized dealership or CHEVROLET at 1-800-222-1020 to find out if this 1996 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z28 (2G1FP22P3T2114503) still has recalls that require repair.

Recall Check FAQs:
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CARFAX searched over 2 billion records from nearly 800 sources and found 5 record(s) for this 1996 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z28 (2G1FP22P3T2114503).

Date:
Odometer Reading:
Source:
General Comments:


05/07/1997 Insurance Bureau of Canada
VEHICLE DECLARED TOTAL LOSS
Please contact IBC Investigative Services for further information by calling 1-866-457-5719 or by completing the IBC web form.


02/13/1998 Quebec
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Montreal, QC
Registration issued


02/25/1999 Quebec
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Montreal, QC
Registration issued


03/01/2000 Quebec
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Saint-Laurent, QC
Registration issued


Not Reported Ontario
Ministry of Transportation
Greater Toronto Area
New owner reported


02/28/2003 Consumer resource provided by:
Edmunds.com Manufacturer-Recommended Maintenance Schedules

Check this vehicle's service schedules, estimated costs and recall notices at Edmunds.com.

 

It was declared a total loss in 1997 after an accident in ontario, nad then was brought to quebec and has seen THREE owners after that.

 

Ok, I didn't bother reading everything just posted but if this car was previously in a really bad wreck just stay away from it(plain and simple).

Like the others are saying, there are sooooo many of these used 4th gen F-bodies on dealer lots right now or for sale by private party(there are TONS here in the northern half of IL). Just keep on looking around and your bound to find a "good" one.

And BTW, I'd try to buy privately if you can.

Mike

2002 M6 Z28

 

So here when it says:

"VEHICLE DECLARED TOTAL LOSS
Please contact IBC Investigative Services for further information by calling 1-866-457-5719 or by completing the IBC web form"


I shouldn't even bother researching this further? WHat if the car was repaired properly and everything was taken care of after the accident. I remember someone was even telling me sometimes people cheat with their insurance and write their car off as a "total loss" even though the damage really wasn't that severe.

Do you still think I should avoid this car like the plague?

 

I would. You wouldn't want to buy the car, then find something is going wrong due to the accident and regret buying your car. Right now, with cash in hand, you have all the power. Use it to get the EXACT car you want. And don't cut any corners. That's my humble opinion

 

Think of it this way: A car that was previously wrecked(totaled) or in a very bad accident will have quite a bit LESS resale value to it even if repaired to perfection.

Now...Would you as the buyer want to pay good $$$ for a car like this knowing full-well that you are "NOT" really getting what you are paying for?

And if for whatever reason you did buy this Camaro, you'll have a real HARD time trying to pass it off on someone else for what it's "supposed" to be worth when you decide to get rid of it.

As already said, look elsewhere(you'll eventually find your hidden gem).

 

Yeah you guys are right, it probably wouldn't be worthwhile to buy a car in this condition given the potential problems it could bring. I guess I'm just anxious to buy a car.

The way you guys speak it seems that 4th gen camaros are pretty common down there in the US. They are very rare here in Quebec, which is almost ironic, since they were built here. For some reason they're just not very common (compared to 4th gen mustangs, for example) and you don't see any camaros on the road. I guess the fact that they are rare, plus the fact that I've got enough cash now, and the fact that summer is coming right up has got me rushing to find a car.

 

If it has been totalled that means the frame has probably been bent and you dont want it. You will probably run into a lot of other problems related to the accident and regret buyin it later. There are more fish in the sea. Be patient.


Chris