Hello ~ I'm new here, and tbh I am trying to sell this little gem of a car, simply because its owner, my father, passed away. I'd keep it and drive it, but I have a car I just can't part with even though this one is newer. I do like the way this car drives, feels, handles....and the way it has plenty of get up and go but still looks so classy. I figured maybe a forum for people who like the car might be just the place to find it a new owner.

It's a 2006, sort of gunmetal gray. It has nice black and gray leather interior. My dad babied his cars and this one is in almost new condition, inside and out. Though he had one minor accident, it has no frame damage or mechanical issues and all repairs were made. He drove mostly for pleasure, hence the low mileage of 26,669.

ETA: I* didn't include much information about the car, which I apologize for. It's a V6 3.2 Liter, It's an automatic 6 speed, very responsive and quick. Inside is almost pristine, and dad didn't smoke. He was neat and tidy, and also had all maintenance done religiously. All manuals included, as well as a couple of "extras" he bought for the car. Mileage is 26,669. The engine is clean, and I just had a new battery installed. Power seats, windows, et al. Everything works, and I have to say the A/C works wonderfully in this hot climate. I hope somebody buys it soon, because the longer I keep it the harder it will be to let it go. I really like it. It's just that I can't afford two cars, and I can't part with my '97 3000gt. My dogs travel with me, and it has a roomy back seat for them.

Can anybody tell me how to make the images in my post smaller than they appear here? They're huge!

 

Please provide the VIN for the car (picture of car's VIN nameplate preferred - has other info I'm interested in) and your asking price. Car's color is Machine Gray. Automatic is a 5-speed AutoStick. I've got one nearly just like it - a 2007 model., just under 25k on my ODO. My interior is the Dark Slate Gray throughout. Might be sort of nice to have another one nearly identical to mine!

 

Sorry I didn't post this before now. I sold the car last weekend. Prior to that, I had it sold to someone else, and we were in the car headed to the emissions test prior to going to the credit union he got the loan from, when the check engine light came on. I nearly had a heart attack. Of course it failed emissions. Turns out the car needed a new transmission. Since I really needed the $8750 I was going to get, the whole thing was really traumatic. The young man said if I had it fixed he still wanted it, because he fell in love with the car.

Two days later he changed his mind, so I couldn't get it fixed and had to try to get whatever I could for it. Ended up selling it to a nice couple who have a roadster that needed work, but the tranny's good. Husband was a mechanic, and said they thought they'd put them together and end up with a real nice car. They gave me $3300 for it. I felt good about the sale, but had to forget about getting so much less and call it good. Every time I looked at it, I thought of dad. We bonded over cars, and as his last one, which he kept longer than any of his others, it's forever going to be associated with him, for me. I needed to move on, because I felt stuck and unable to process my grief.

Beginning with a Sunbeam Tiger when I was six years old, dad always drove cool cars. There was a 280Z, I think, beautiful sand color, a cherry red BMW, a maroon Porsche, a white Eagle Talon, and a black Supra which he let me learn to drive a standard in. My favorite was my first car with any pizazz, a red Chrysler Conquest he was going to sell and somehow knew it suited me much more than the slow, drab blue boxy sedan I was driving. I discovered how much fun driving can actually be when I bought that Conquest. I discovered I'm actually a red sports car kind of person, whatever that means. And since Mitsubishi made the Conquest, it just seemed natural that after my second Conquest needed replacing after 17 years, I ended up with my current red 3000gt. Driving, for me and my dad, is and was a joy. I think when he no longer felt he could drive as safely and confidently, he lost a major source of contentment in life.

Neither I nor my brothers knew dad was having health issues, and I think his Crossfire had a leaking pan and it just slowly leaked out fluid over the course of a year, and he didn't know. Funny thing, I had been driving it now and then, and it still started and ran the day I said goodbye to it. By then, you had to drive it very carefully, but it never stranded me. Neither did my dad. I didn't even cry when the man took off the license plate and solemnly handed it to me with the words "this, you'll want to keep." I gave him a nice pair of black gloves and the file dad kept on the car, along with the accessories dad bought for it and its manuals. Dad would have liked these nice people. And despite the transmission issue, they bought a really special car that somehow was a perfect match for the quiet, neat, tidy, intelligent and honorable man who enjoyed driving it for so many years. He was the best dad a kid could have, and I often picture him smiling, standing beside his Crossfire.

I'm sorry I can't sell you dad's car, but I appreciate your interest, though the tranny issue may have been a problem, lol. I realize I've run on for too long here, but at times the words just want to flow, and I have to remember and pay my respects to dad, though in life he'd probably have been a bit embarrassed. He was a modest and humble guy. It seems fitting to share this with others possibly like me and Dad...hell, I even name my cars.

I hope you enjoy your Crossfire for many years to come... For me they'll always be special cars.

 

Sorry you had to take such a loss on the sale of the Crossfire but the memories you share of your dad are priceless

 

mjh,

Your dad was a true car guy and you can take solace in knowing that has rubbed off on you. I wish you well and, regardless of the monies received on your dad’s Crossfire, I think your dad would be happy to know the car lives on I with a couple who also sound like car nuts.

All the best to you!

Regards,

 

Check engine light meant you needed a new transmission? I think I would have gotten another opinion and at least had the code read. OH WELL !!

 

I was thinking the same thing actually
Was the code that lit the check engine light read?
What was the code ?
I'm not sure the transmission would set off a check engine light.
Plus you said you drove the car before you sold it.
Did you notice anything unusual about the operation of the transmission ?

 

Yeah, I guess that one was naturally coming....

Sorry about that. i'd have wondered the same thing! I actually did research the codes. Place that did the emissions test said it was probably tranny-related. I then took it to Tranny Shop 1. They seemed so confused by the codes, I lost faith right away that they actually employed anybody who had solid background with the Mercedes thing. They said it needed a new one, but they couldn't say why, and I'm a "why?" kinda gal. Left there with a quote for replacement and no real answers. They also told me it had no leaks at all, which I knew was not true.

Fast forward to Tranny Shop 2. This business had real good reviews, but you could just feel from reading them that the place charged high rates. I felt like they were probably good, and since I was still messing with the idea of fixing it, I took it there. What an experience! The guy at the front desk was exactly what you might find at an exquisite hotel, and the building itself was lovely and didn't look remotely like an auto repair place. Upscale everything, nice furniture, even their shuttle was a very nice SUV. The concierge, for lack of a better descriptive term, was on point. Nice, friendly, professional, and handled many aspects. The place even sent me emails with photos and explanations after they tested it to acquire the codes. I already felt like I knew some of the codes were caused by my replacing the battery a few weeks earlier, but I just shut up and let them do their search for the cause, They ended up explaining that it had something to do with solenoids, it did have a leaking transmission pan, and it did need replacement. Their estimate was $4500+...

Holy cow! That was $1500 more than Shop 1.... and I really couldn't afford it, as I needed to get as much for the car as possible. I literally did not have the initial investment required, lol. Even though I felt I could find another private buyer at around 9 to 11 thousand, I just couldn't spend money I didn't have not knowing when I'd sell it, while struggling to pay rent on my home in another city and lot rent for the upscale park my dad parked his mobile home in. It damn near made me collapse physically and emotionally, but I finally accepted I needed to just sell it fast and unload it. My best friend has a thing about Carmax, and had been telling me for a long time that they were the best way to sell it, but I researched it and felt they'd lowball me worse than just about anyplace. I hadn't met up with the likes of Peddle, Copart, et al... lol!

We even made a bet on how much Carmax would offer. They were close by, and as much as I was now curious enough to almost do it (and yes, I wanted to be right) I never went to see them. I just didn't want to leave my dogs sitting at home while I wasted probably at least two hours in an irritating situation where I knew they'd offer very little., I also didn't want to drive it around much. I would rather take my schnauzers for some exercise at the nearby dog park than sit in Carmax for no good reason.

I even priced a wholesale transmission. It has to be ordered, of course. It was $2600 wholesale, and I would need to find a sort of mom and pop shop to put it in. I was at the end of my rope, and needed to just sell the car. It was a specific set of circumstances I needed to make this happen, and I will admit that in my lifetime, I have often let my intuition be my guide. Some think that's stupid, and I'm ok with that. To each his own and all that jazz...

I had several offers. Most were low. Too low. I had to emerge with a little bit of self-respect in order for the entire year to not be a wash, and to protect the very small amount of confidence I had left. By the time the mechanic and his wife contacted me, I was convinced that the circumstances, people, and price were all converging together at that moment so I could try to move on with my life.

I still feel a little badly regarding the welder who lived 5 or 6 hours away and was allegedly coming that weekend to pick it up and pay me $3250. But something told me he would back out, or not make it again, or something... so I took the $3300 and they came to get my dad's Crossfire that Saturday. Cash in hand. With a trailer! Just the nicest people, too! It was my only child's 23rd birthday. We've both had a bad year. I realize it's not pragmatic or sensible, but it mattered to me who I sold that car to. I went outside to the carport, and I had a talk with my dad via his last baby. The car was gleaming in the light when I backed it out, and I saw the blues and blacks or whatever color flecks you can see in the gray color. I found out when they arrived that where they live is a beautiful mountainous area, and that made me smile. I had grown to really love dad's little Crossfire. It was a car that people noticed, and would comment on out in public. I'm not really an attention seeker by nature. Like my dad, I kind of prefer a solitary life (within the boundaries of having two very noticeable and lively dogs as my companions). But I love driving cars that just happen to get noticed. I think that for me and dad, as well as others like us on car forums, get a bit of a confidence boost from driving such cars. If they have a body style that is not commonplace now, that's even better. I prefer older models that aren't made anymore. I can't count on fingers and toes combined the number of offers I have had between my '89 Conquest, my '88 Conquest, and the 3000gt I now drive. I got attention in dad's Crossfire, as well. I'm 60 now, so sometimes I wonder (very briefly) if it appears strange to people to see a 60 year old lady driving a Mitsubishi 3000gt that's red and has a huge spoiler. It has a very satisfying growl, as well. It kind of snarls, lol. I love it! This is off topic, but I also listen to my stereo real loud and like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Alice in Chains, and I swear like a sailor though you might think I wouldn't. It takes all kinds.

I apologize for being so wordy, but I'm feeling a bit talkative lately. I just really wanted to explain that of course I checked out all of my options and did my level best to find out all I could about what the problem was with the car. It's in my nature to do so, and equally in my nature is not wanting you car people to think I'm a complete dummy! So much for independence and not giving a hoot what other people think, lol...