Hi All,

Currently looking for a Crossfire Coupe as you know. I've seen this one advertised that looks reasonable and is in a good colour so i;m going to call them about it, what puts me off though is the rebuilt auto gearbox. Basically i've not heard it being a common issue on these cars, so part of me wonders if it has had a hard life and hence will be a bucket of money. Whats your experience?

Chrysler Crossfire 3.2 V6 2dr Auto Coupe 2004

Cheers

 

I am not aware of any issues with the auto box, manual yes!!!! maybe ask the question of the seller, Why?

I have a 53 plate N/A Crossfire with 117k miles and a 55 plate SRT6 with 84k miles, both auto never had any problems with gearboxes.

good luck

 

difficult one this - if the box has been well re-built you could be fine. A bit of a giveaway may well be how many previous owners? Normally with big (for the UK!) engined cars I'd not worry too much about this (people like the look, buy it and then swoon at the cost of fuel/servicing) but in this case it may well point to an under lying issue... go with an open mind

 

Thanks guys, am going to call about it tomorrow

 

How did you get on with this one - any good...?

 

I emailed but haven't heard anything back (didn't get time to call) but have seen another one a bit nearer (although not a great colour) so will probably give this one a miss.

 

Probably for the best.
It always amuses (and annoys) me how some sellers expect top dollar yet can't be bothered to show the car properly - no interior pics etc. - and dealers who list the full spec. (if you're serious about a specialist car like the XF, chances are you'll pretty much know what to expect), yet don't mention mileage, wheel & tyre condition or even MOT & tax!
Good luck with your search.

 

Exactly, the first thing I am now asking with any car I look at is what brand and condition are the tyres in. To me you can tell a lot about what tyres are on one. Cheapskates put cheap tyres on a performance car, and that gearbox issue always puzzled me.

I ideal want a dark silver one, but most are light silver at the moment so I may have to bend my rules a bit. I'd agree though, that black one is top whack, as I was gutted to miss out on a 35,000 miles 04 plate example local to me because it sold before I got the funds needed, and he let it go for £3990!!!

 

Tyres are tricky - folks put on what they can afford and if you're not into pushing the car to its limits, cheaper tyres are kind of OK, as long as they're not total rubbish but this could open a real off-topic hornet's nest so best steer clear!
Under £4k was a good deal for a 35k '04 - but there will be others!
Given that the used car market seems to be driven primarily by vehicle age, in the fist instance (up to a point), my rule of thumb on XF values - FWIW - is that currently, given good all-round condition, non-curbed wheels, decent tyres, clean interior, preferably some tax & MOT and a low-ish mileage (sub-50k is my preference), an '04-plate is worth approx £4k, a '54 £4.5, an '05 £5k and so on... (For SRT6 add approx. 30-40% - but that's a different animal).
Obviously, a lower mileage and stonking good condition gives further 'Brownie points' in up to £500 increments, so a really cracking early '04 with, say 25k could be up to about £5 - 5.5k - but, for me, it would have to be REALLY good.
Fewer previous owners and service history help, too but you know that - it's basic used car stuff.

I've never worked out if auto or manual makes much difference - personal preference I guess but a cedar (red) interior could also add some rarity value - if that's what you want - not everyone's cup of tea.
Best colour is black (except for cleaning) followed by graphite ('machine' grey?), red, aero blue then SSB - but now I'm getting really personal and inviting trouble!

 

Thats a great guide, thank you!! Yeah I've been aiming at around £4k so it sounds about right, I dont fancy paying more for one with lots more miles though so I guess its playing the waiting game