Have been searching in earnest this week for TF/TH Advance/AlteraLS or a KF (ie an early 3rd gen with 2 airbags/cruise/ABS), and have been seeing a remarkably wide range of conditions and asking prices.

There doesn't seem to be much of pattern... Am dealing with a $4000 budget at most, maybe even less.

Leaving aside the basket cases (of which I've seen a few!!), what realistically should I be parting with for one of the above in good/excellent nick in the 150-200Kkm mileage range?

(hope this is not a topic repeat too much, but I haven't found much current info in a search ;) )

At $4000 you are probably best looking at TH's to be honest - at that price, here in victoria, its quite hard to find a TJ let alone one in good condition. I know people keep banging on here about TJ's being worth that much etc etc but I'm yet to find a non-damaged, good condition TJ in Victoria for that price. 4k is the absolute bottom dollar for these cars so I'd be fairly sus if someone was asking such a small amount for them..... -

The TH is still a nice car and you should be able to get a 3.5L version which is the engine to have - 4K is average for these cars so finding one in good condition is probably not going to be too much of a challenge. As always they are popular with the aged crowd and they are known for babying their cars. If you get something like a TH sports then you'll get better suspension, tiptronic shifter, power windows & cruise etc.

In the verada's you may be able to even get a KH - although these seem to be the rarest of verada's so sellers seem to price them quite strangely - I've seen them being sold for more than a KJ!
I'd aim to get a KH but because they are a luxury vehicle they're probably going to sell for more, so you could maybe get something like a KF Xi but it could be fairly worn out. Remember that these cars are full of electronics so they need to be checked out thorougkly as it wouldn't that cheap having to replace everything. Also leather seats do get worn out if they're not treated well, so if its got a rip/wear/tear then the seat is a gone because you stop leather ripping.

I know that Pickles here on AMC is selling a Champagne TH for around 3-3.5k from memory, as well as headache selling his blue manual TH with TW gearbox & clutch. I'm not sure if its still for sale but I remember Skotlar was selling a modded manual TH a few months ago.

Good luck with the search - be sure to be patient. Sometimes these cars go for ridiculously cheap, but you have to be vigilant and quick! Victoria is more expensive for cars so you will have to spend a bit more, or opt for importing from interstate but that rarely makes you better off anyway because of the transport, re-registration, roadworthy etc costs. Ebay is a notorious for selling cars way under their value so try there as well. Cars on Carsales are considerably more expensive than on ebay but you generally don't have sellers trying to get rid of there cars within a week either. I've had better experiences with Carsales than eBay - never liked the sellers on there. The current car market is fairly stale - I've not seen alot of cars being sold/removed off sale so maybe look for cars that have been selling for a while and offer them under their price and maybe they'll take it out of desperation :P

edit: Forgot to mention, you probably do know this anyway, but just be mindful of cars around the 200km mark. Its common for sellers to try and shell off these cars around that time because of the 1.2k price tag for the 200km service. Many buy these cars with around that much km's and then get a shock when it comes to servicing the car. Be sure to check for records of it being done or using it as a great bargaining tool ;) You can do the bulk of the service yourself or all of it if you're really handy and keen. At 200km there's likely to be other areas of wear specifically on the drive train with CV joints, struts, shockers etc, so be listening for any noises, feeling for any shudders etc To establish a general understanding of how the car is feeling - be sure to drive a few cars around that age but different km's on the clock - this way you'll be able to feel and see the difference between cars. Remember Good engine maintenance will mean these cars will go a long time, but they do not tolerate being mistreated.

I bought my 1997 KF XI with 160k kms in March last year for $5.3k. In fairly good condition (bit of wear and tear but nothing too bad - see my ride thread). It was one of the cheaper ones on the market at the time. Should be able to pick up something fairly decent for 4k, especially in Vic, it always seems to be cheaper there than it is in SA! :P

I bought my 1997 KF XI with 160k kms in March last year for $5.3k. In fairly good condition (bit of wear and tear but nothing too bad - see my ride thread). It was one of the cheaper ones on the market at the time. Should be able to pick up something fairly decent for 4k, especially in Vic, it always seems to be cheaper there than it is in SA! :P

Interesting. I've always found Victoria to be far more expensive than anywhere else. I've considered importing cars from SA many times because they were cheaper there. The 5.3k you paid for yours isn't expensive, people forget that cars in good condition increases its value. You'll always find a few cars at the absolute bottom end of the market but these don't define the price range for cars. I'd expect at least 5k for a good condition KF Xi so hence why I recommended Renoman to look for TH's - being a base car they are cheaper and likely to have less problems due less electronics and complications....

Interesting. I've always found Victoria to be far more expensive than anywhere else. I've considered importing cars from SA many times because they were cheaper there. The 5.3k you paid for yours isn't expensive, people forget that cars in good condition increases its value. You'll always find a few cars at the absolute bottom end of the market but these don't define the price range for cars. I'd expect at least 5k for a good condition KF Xi so hence why I recommended Renoman to look for TH's - being a base car they are cheaper and likely to have less problems due less electronics and complications....

Yeah true that haha. But when I was looking for cars, I always found the cheaper ones in Vic and so many times had considered buying one from your side of the border lol!! Well I spose the saying "The grass is greener on the other side" applies quite well to both of us here :P

Yeah true that haha. But when I was looking for cars, I always found the cheaper ones in Vic and so many times had considered buying one from your side of the border lol!! Well I spose the saying "The grass is greener on the other side" applies quite well to both of us here :P

hahaha that's classic! We both say the same thing haha lol! I do think it does depend on the market as well. I know after the hail storms hit Melbourne in March, around April-July, the prices for good condition cars went up a fair bit due to the massive demand for cars. Prior the hailstorms though they were fairly cheap due to the time of the year. Most people have spent big on holidays,christmas etc and don't have much to spare for cars. As we get closer to the midpoint around Taxtime etc then the market will pick up again. Although the one thing to note is to not value these cars according to QLD's pricing - somehow the cars up there are dirt cheap compared here in the South.

Conducting a bit of a browse I found this 2002 TJS2 with 200km on the clock (http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/private/details.aspx?R=10229200&YearFromShort=1641&__Qpb=true&keywords=&Cr=0&__Ns=pCar_RankSort_Int32|1||pCar_PriceSort_Decimal |1||pCar_Make_String|0||pCar_Model_String|0&SearchAction=N&__N=1216%201246%201247%201252%201282%204294964597% 20903%201641%20442%204294964374%204294950550&silo=1011&PriceTo=442&seot=1&__Nne=15&trecs=3&__sid=12EC15DEC99B) Obviously the expensive 200km service is due so you have to factor that in along with the registration that is expiring in July. I'd be very thoroughly checking this car over as it is quite cheap for a TJS2. I don't mean to stereotype but the area the seller is located is not known for the classiest collection of Victorians...

i bought my KE for $6990 with 120,000kms

i bought my KE for $6990 with 120,000kms

You bought from a dealer yes? From memory it was CarCity? They are a bit more expensive than alot of dealers - I know this from experience!

I bought my TH wagon for $2950 with 135,00Km, excellent nick

Edit: and I bought it in Victoria and brung it back to SA

You bought from a dealer yes? From memory it was CarCity? They are a bit more expensive than alot of dealers - I know this from experience!

wow u have good memory :)

low km is what to look for, if you buy an old or high Km one and need to pay a mechanic the bill will mount quickly. Here is SA the price range is very variable, with some of the better/younger Magnas extending into the 380 market. But if you are after a doer-upperer as a DIY exercise, there's plenty out there. As above, the need for the 100K or 200K service can be used to get a discount on the advertised price.

So, buy something for $3K and keep cash in reserve for repairs, or go the whole $4K and check the usual - trans fluid, coolant, oil, CV joints, tyres, brakes etc.

Cheers guys - that all seems to match my thoughts an experience.

Have found one I'll get I think. Coming up on it's 200 service, but I can do it myself. Not a big deal fOr me to put a belt in it. (have to wonder about "mechanics" though - it had cam seals done, and they put an 80k km old belt back on!)

TH advance for $4K with Rwc, but only a month of rego. But is clean and feels tight and smooth. Have driven at least a dozen cars over the last week, and this stands out. This and a TF Altera Ls, but the dealer is not letting it go at a bargain price! Enough of these things around that I can still find a good one at a good price if I am patient. :)

Did see that tj2, but was making an effort to get one with both airbags. And ive covered way too many kms already to trek all the way to cranbourne!!

Glitches at my end means I didn't get that one... If anyone is in the market for one, the TH Advance on carsales in Parkdale Vic is a very good one, and being sold at a very reasonable price!

You should be able to get a nice TH for about $4k, or a base model TJ. Depends what features you definitely have to have.
What about stretching to this? Looks impressive for the price (xi leather interior and sunroof!):
http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/dealer/details.aspx?Cr=0&PriceTo=442&R=8105394&trecs=14&__sid=12BD9C0B38B2

I bought a KH Verada XI in very good nick last weekend in Newcastle, private seller, I payed $5000 it has rego till december but is due for the dreaded 200,000 k service, I have done this service to a KR Verada so I'm going to have a go at doing it to this car too, everything works on the car and its so much better then some KF's I looked at. Hope all goes well with the TH

You should be able to get a nice TH for about $4k, or a base model TJ. Depends what features you definitely have to have.
What about stretching to this? Looks impressive for the price (xi leather interior and sunroof!):
http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/dealer/details.aspx?Cr=0&PriceTo=442&R=8105394&trecs=14&__sid=12BD9C0B38B2

Its tempting, but for that sort of money for a big luxo sedan I would rather get a Saab 9-5. Preparing to get flamed on a Magna forum of course :)

http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/private/details.aspx?Cr=1&R=10412989&keywords=&trecs=66&__sid=12D89F9696BA&__Ns=pCar_PriceSort_Decimal|0||pCar_RankSort_Int32 |1||pCar_Make_String|0||pCar_Model_String|0&__Qpb=true&__Nne=15&SearchAction=N&seot=1&__N=1216%201246%201247%201252%201282%204294963326% 204294963609%20903&silo=1011

More safety kit, a sweet turbo motor, a Japanese Aisen gearbox (autoboxes are biggest expense on old euro cars, until they started using Jap ones!), better handling etc. And despite the usual anti-euro car sentiment in Australia, are a pretty reliable machine.

To me Magnas are durable and cheap workhorses. To this end, I will take rough around the edges and nothing flash. And we also came to the conclusion that tough and cheap workhorse also means a wagon is needed!

Didn't jump on this quickly enough... Bet he probably took less for it too (even if it really a TF)....

http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/private/details.aspx?R=10210518&ref=Item&__Ns=pCar_PriceSort_Decimal|0||pCar_RankSort_Int32 |1||pCar_Make_String|0||pCar_Model_String|0&__N=1216%201246%201247%201252%201282%204294963326% 204294963609%20903&__Nne=15

you should get them cheap i got one on here for 4 weeks not one call through paper carsales etc and ebay not much demand for them here in qld anyway
mine a 2000tj done 225kms for 2400

you should get them cheap i got one on here for 4 weeks not one call through paper carsales etc and ebay not much demand for them here in qld anyway
mine a 2000tj done 225kms for 2400

I had to stop looking at NSW/QLD prices - just too depressing for a Mexican... I have no idea why cars here are so much dearer.

Look around, 4k will get you a KH XI if you wait it out. My mate Ben (Zahrim here) just picked up a Manual TH Sports for $2200.