Please Help Me On Buying a 1998 Maruti 800

[jasonmax]

Hi all TAI members,

I'm searching for a used maruti 800 since last 1 month within my budget of 70k. As I'm still a beginner, I do not want to invest too much on any car whether used or new.

Finally, yesterday I got an offer for a 1998 december model 800 dx with A/C, audio system, center locking, remote locking, autocop, good interior with few dents and a scratch on the exterior. It has clocked 56000 kms. Single owner. Well maintained. LPG kit installed and endorsed in RC. Good and clean documents and service history. No accident. 3rd Party insurance valid for another 9 months. Vehicle is in good running condition. No mechanical or electrical work is there. No rusting, checked every nooks and corners.

The owner is ready to sell it no less than 70k. I'm impressed with the vehicle condition but the exterior dents bothers me. One visible dent is there on the left front passenger door and one at the left A pillar and one at the right front fender and another at the right back fender. I'm worried about the cost of body work and tried to reduce the price but he is not willing to bring it any further down.

So, please suggest me should I go with this offer for 70k or look for some other option? I'm in Bangalore and I tried lot of sources for a used maruti 800. The people here quote an exorbitant price even for a 1995 model. This offer seemed somewhat fair to me considering other offers and my budget.

Please help me decide.

 

[350Z]

Re: Please help me on buying used maruti 800

Welcome to The Automotive India, Jasonmax. Even the best condition Maruti 800 of this age is not worth more than Rs.60,000. Since Bangalore pays relatively higher road tax, a marginal difference is acceptable but in this case, I would recommend negotiating as much as possible. However, from the previous experience if you believe that it might be hard to find an exceptionally maintained model with a clean service record in your city such as this, then you should certainly give a thought to this deal. Please make sure to perform a thorough check-up before finalizing with help of a qualified mechanic if possible (http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...pecting-second-hand-car-exhaustive-guide.html) and upload some photos so that we can have a look at the condition as well as the dents present on the car.

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[Varun560061]

I guess the offer is a good one, as it is very hard to find a good used (single owned) car in B'lore.. Those dents can be removed, check for under chassis rusting, did you test drive it ? Is the A/C working fine..

Recently our SS80 bought an 800, here is the thread for your reference..
http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...s/6379-bought-my-first-car-maruti-800-ac.html

 

[Mr.Boss]

Hardly you get room for negotiation in B'lore. My friend in B'lore was looking for a M800 to learn driving. 1995~2000 models are quoted not less than 65k (even for the 2nd owner & 80k+ on odo)

One visible dent is there on the left front passenger door and one at the left A pillar and one at the right front fender and another at the right back fender.

Dent in A-Pillar? That tiny and skinny A-pillar?
Do check whether the previous owner changer the windshield. A-Pillar dents are but difficult to repair and if the impact is quite hard, it will spoil the rigidity of the body. Have a thorough inspection before you buy.

All the best

 

[ss80]

Hi Jasonmax I have sent a PM with some info on Type 1 800. Just check it & also watch out for alternator issues (in case you want to upgrade headlamps).

 

[jasonmax]

Welcome to The Automotive India, Jasonmax. Even the best condition Maruti 800 of this age is not worth more than Rs.60,000. Since Bangalore pays relatively higher road tax, a marginal difference is acceptable but in this case, I would recommend negotiating as much as possible. However, from the previous experience if you believe that it might be hard to find an exceptionally maintained model with a clean service record in your city such as this, then you should certainly give a thought to this deal. Please make sure to perform a thorough check-up before finalizing with help of a qualified mechanic if possible (http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...pecting-second-hand-car-exhaustive-guide.html) and upload some photos so that we can have a look at the condition as well as the dents present on the car.

Drive Safe,
350Z

Thanks 350Z for the link. Yes, I checked with carwale valuation for M800s between 1995-2005. It hardly goes till 80k. But these guys I don't know why the hell are they quoting such prices?

I do not own a car so don't know any car mechanic. I used to give my bike to authorized Bajaj service center only. I tried to get the help of some mechanics near my area. They are asking 2k just for inspecting the vehicle and if the deal is struck, I have to shell out another 5k as commission!

Regarding photos, I did not bother to take any pictures of the car. However, inquired Smart Cars, M.A.S.S in C.V. Raman nagar for refurbishing the entire body and the price quoted by them is 30k+

After a lot of confusion, asked my friends and some mechanics I know in my hometown Salem. They said a 1998 model 800 car is not worth more than 50k and If I have to exchange or sell the same it will not fetch me even 20k!!

I guess the offer is a good one, as it is very hard to find a good used (single owned) car in B'lore.. Those dents can be removed, check for under chassis rusting, did you test drive it ? Is the A/C working fine..

Recently our SS80 bought an 800, here is the thread for your reference..
http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...s/6379-bought-my-first-car-maruti-800-ac.html

No. I did not test driven it, as I'm just a learner you know. I tried to drive it on a plain no traffic area but ended up stalling the engine multiple times and asked the owner to drive for about 15 minutes to see and feel how the car was behaving. The A/C was working fine and there was no visible rust as far as I could see.

Hardly you get room for negotiation in B'lore. My friend in B'lore was looking for a M800 to learn driving. 1995~2000 models are quoted not less than 65k (even for the 2nd owner & 80k+ on odo)



Dent in A-Pillar? That tiny and skinny A-pillar?
Do check whether the previous owner changer the windshield. A-Pillar dents are but difficult to repair and if the impact is quite hard, it will spoil the rigidity of the body. Have a thorough inspection before you buy.

All the best

Yes, in A pillar. I asked about the same and the owner told me that it was because of a tree branch fell down on the car when parked under a tree. The windshield seems OEM (I may be wrong) but the rear hatch door has a 10% variation in color and do not match with the whole body and has a label which reads 800 AC instead of 800 DX which is supposed to be there on a DX model car (I hope so). Is it something fishy?

Hi Jasonmax I have sent a PM with some info on Type 1 800. Just check it & also watch out for alternator issues (in case you want to upgrade headlamps).

Thanks ss80. But I couldn't see any PM in my inbox. May be I checked it in wrong place. I have to spend some time to understand our forum.

 

[Varun560061]

By the way where is the owner located. I can ask my mechanic to check it.

Don't worry about the sticker as DX sticker is not available now, so he might have stuck a AC sticker.

 

[jasonmax]

By the way where is the owner located.. I can ask my mechanic to check it..

Don't worry about the sticker as DX sticker is not available now, so he might have stuck a AC sticker..

Thanks Varun, for extending your help. I dropped that deal.... and the idea of getting a used car as well .

 

[jasonmax]

Finally... learnt a lot about used cars in these one and a half month period (even without knowing how to drive properly). This car is the last one in my experiences. Everyone (my circle) gives their own opinions and suggestions. Canceled 2-3 deals before making advance payment because of the confusions gifted by them .

It seems that a used car makes sense to car pros and experienced car owners with sufficient mechanical knowledge (yes, for heavy purses too).

I'm out of the picture. No knowledge means... be ready to be fleeced by everyone . True Value truly makes everyone their bakra. Tata Assured assures that we get fleeced properly. Advantage Hyundai has the advantage to ask whatever they think because of their reputation. First Choice is the last choice for many but they ensure that they too give their share of fleecing perfectly. If these certified fleecers (oops. read dealers) can't value a customer, then what about those mushrooming used car dealers? God save us or kill us.

Just polishing the car and replacing visible worn-out parts are called 120, 130 point quality checks! We need to learn from them how to reverse the odometer so that we can also become professional second hand dealer and earn our fortune.

Individuals are a good source for buying a used car but nowadays it's hard to find a good individual who knows his car value and offers it at a genuine price or at least gives out genuine details of the car.

Money makes one perfect as well as imperfect. What one can expect for a machine which was being abused for 15 years by its owner?. Still the same price when it was bought new? Nobody is asking it for free but for a reasonable price... that's what every one of those guys who can't afford to buy a new car expects, including me.

I got a lot to write but I don't want to make my fellow members bored. So, here is my final decision.

I have decided to buy a new Tata nano 2012 Lx papaya orange. I request to TAI members to provide me links to threads which have details related to pre and post delivery inspection checklists and some advises on how to protect the car from this monsoon because the car will be parked outside only (poor little nano!)

Thanks all of you for providing some useful thoughts. I'm gonna be busy in TAI once I enter the car owners club!

 

[350Z]

I have decided to buy a new Tata nano 2012 Lx papaya orange. I request to TAI members to provide me links to threads which have details related to pre and post delivery inspection checklists and some advises on how to protect the car from this monsoon because the car will be parked outside only (poor little nano!)

Nice Post. It is true that buying a used car is not that easy affair. A sufficient amount of knowledge and awareness is a prerequisite to prevent being robbed from the cash hungry dealers sitting out there in various forms. I was amazed to find unique gimmicks played by them when I went for the hunt. Anyways congrats for the Nano. It’s a wise decision. I look forward to see a new thread in the ownership reviews section soon. Meanwhile, Here are some useful links to keep you busy:

- http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/ownership-reviews/7363-got-my-pearl-white-tata-nano.html

- http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/ownership-reviews/5853-2012-tata-nano-cx-neon-rush.html

- http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...my-tata-nano-our-snowbell.html?highlight=Nano

- http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...pre-delivery-inspection-exhaustive-guide.html

- http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...hite-ownership-experience.html?highlight=Nano

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[Mr.Boss]

Used car purchase requires lot of patience and a bit of luck too. Sometimes we may end up with a lemon.

I have decided to buy a new Tata nano 2012 Lx papaya orange.

Congrats on the decision buddy.

 

[jasonmax]

Nice Post. It is true that buying a used car is not that easy affair. A sufficient amount of knowledge and awareness is a prerequisite to prevent being robbed from the cash hungry dealers sitting out there in various forms. I was amazed to find unique gimmicks played by them when I went for the hunt. Anyways congrats for the Nano. It’s a wise decision. I look forward to see a new thread in the ownership reviews section soon. Meanwhile, Here are some useful links to keep you busy....

Thanks 350Z for your comments and the links.

Yeah, I learnt it the hard way. Now I feel relieved from all the stresses and headaches.

Yesterday (20/05/20012) I visited KHT Motors at Whitefield, Bangalore and took a test drive in Mojito Green Nano LX 2012. That was awesome. I immediately fell in love with nano for its sheer practicality and ease of driving.

Now my query: Is it ok to buy from KHT Motors? Which Tata dealer is best in Bangalore. Please suggest.