Leadfoot

I found a used car that I like. The only drawback is that it CONSTANTLY creaks while driving. My husband says the rear shocks need to be replaced. The quote to replace all four from Advance Auto Parts is $200 -- parts only.

The car is a '98, has 97,000 miles on it. It is being sold by the 2nd owner and it has been driven by a teenager for the past 4 years. The owner lives on a cotton farm and probably has dirt roads which explains why the shocks are shot.

I told the owner on Sunday I wasn't going to purchase the car, but now I am wondering if I made a mistake. He was asking $100 more than high blue book. The paint and interior was really good. The convertible top will eventually have to be replaced though because a 1" seam was starting to separate.

Opinions please!!!!

Acer2428

A car that's been drivern by a teen on DIRT roads should go for MUCH less than the high value on KBB... In fact, most dealers use NADA now.

You can get the Mach 1 shocks/struts for $178 (better than autozone crap). And the install is really cheap.

P.S. All mustangs squeek, it's the bushings, it may not be the shocks...

roundman

Being driven by a teenager the past 4 years imitating Bo and Luke Duke from the Dukes of Hazzard would make me think more than twice about buying it unless I had a trusted mechanic go over it with a fine toothed comb! some of those creaking sounds could be cracked welds in the torque boxes for the rear control arms and any number of other things.

Leadfoot

Well, I don't have to think about that car anymore. It has been sold. It sure was purty!!!

I have never heard a car sound like that before and it just bothered the heck out of me. When we were talking with the owner, he did mention something about bushings may have to be fixed. What are those and are they expensive to repair?

Acer2428

They're little rubber things to prevent metal from rubbing on other metals... They're uber cheap, it's just a PIA to install them.

roundman

bushings are like hard rubber donuts that are used in both the front and rear suspension on the control arms, shocks, and other parts of the suspension that have to move up and down as the suspension moves. usually they fit tightly into a hole on the end of something and a bolt passes through the center of them to mount the piece to the chassis of the car. when they get dry and hard, they tend to creak and as they wear out, they put a lot of excess play into the suspension componets leading to noises and slopping handling on the road.