Re: Considering an 04 what should I look for?
Hi Frank. I have the same car you are looking for: 04’ , 6spd , red interior, with 33k miles on it. I’m very happy with it. Things to consider:
Maintenance:
-Oil: Chrysler charges 160+ for an oil change, avoid dealers. You can cut in half at any other place (80 $ aprox). Just don’t accept cheap oil filters (made of paper) that can disintegrate easily…
-Tires: They’re expensive. Is the way it is. Rear ones worn out faster than fronts. Run at +900 $, anything less is dubious.
Car:
-Transmission: Check shifts to 2nd gear. Too noisy or clunky and better run for the hills. Put the car on a ramp stopped and in 1st gear play with the clutch…too much travel or jumpy start bad indicator on wear.
-Rust. Worth a look under the peripheral seal at the bottom of both doors….that means remove a portion of the seal and looking underneath….most XFires are rusty there.
-Door glass. Doors don’t have b=pillar, so glass runs free…some units present problems of glass pinching the upper seal when closing door and leaving gap…if car has tinted windows check for that, somebody disassemble it before.
-Cup holder: Broken, no worries, you can replace it by storage bin replacement.
Notes: Buying a non-too-perfect X=-Fire can leave you with budget to add some features…more power can be an option. TVT, Needwings and LET are very good options.
Welcome to the club and smart decision to ask before buying.
Sorry, didn't notice you are talking about a roadster, mine is a coupe....
Last edited by DeepSurge; Jul 15, 2009 at 05:35 PM.