Dude - that is a blessing in disguise and the Big Guy upstairs looking out for you. For the seller to play off the gap at the headlight and the Tach needle problems like they were no big deal, saved you some bucks - he (the seller) was an idiot (a V8-REALLY??). Like everyone else has said, take your time - there are plenty out there that are in good shape that are still within your budget. If you are itching to get a sports car that you will have to fix regularly, get a mid 2000 Camaro. At least the repair costs will be somewhat less expensive.

The first Xfire I looked at to buy was 3 hours away. Found it on Craigslist. I chatted with the guy several times on email to make sure it was in good condition and had no problems. I hadn't found this forum yet to get educated, but when I got there, I saw some glaring problems with the car ... that he had described as a cream puff. Once I pointed out the problems, he called me an a$$-hole and accused me of wasting his time - yeah HIS time. I spent 6 hours on the road (round trip) and had nothing to show for it. Two days later, the SRT I now own showed up on on Cars.com for not much more than the N/A I had looked at.

Things will work out - don't get discouraged.

RL

Here's one in Monroe that has been up for sale since early Feb. Might be willing to deal ... ?
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/3644295723.html