I am interested in this car:

Chrysler : Crossfire: eBay Motors (item 220671028552 end time Sep-27-10 20:22:22 PDT)

It is a 2005 Base with 10,000 miles on it located in San Antonio.

I thought I might get lucky and someone here might be familiar with it.

I noticed it had leather seats. I contacted the seller and he said it was a factory option. The seats are not heated not power.

I also noticed that he didn't pay the license (registration) fee one year.

I have been lurking on this site for some months and recently decided to get a Crossfire. There is a tremendous amount of information available here.

Thanks,

Mike

 

Looks alright, but those headlights look pretty bad for the mileage and the lack of time it claims to have been driven.

Looks good otherwise.

 

I have read here about the headlights turning off color. Is that a function of UV/sunlight exposure or impacts?

Thanks,

Mike

 

It is the result of UV. I wish manufacturers would still use glass instead of plastic. 3M Lens restoration kit works extremely well.

 

Thanks for the info on the lens. The car apparently spent some time in the dealers lot before it was sold.

When I go to pick it up what should I look for as far as tell-tale signs of a no-carfax-record-wreck-rebuild? If I am the high bidder I am going to go pick the care up the day after the auction is over. Crossfires are scarce in Amarillo and I don't know if the body panel alignment and gaps are excellent or just so-so from the factory.

That someone could own such a great car and drive it so little is really remarkable to me.

Thanks again for the replies.

Mike

 

I am flying to San Antonio early tomorrow morning and if everything is as it appears I will be the newest Crossfire owner in the world for a little while tomorrow.

Going to go Whitewing hunting with a friend tomorrow afternoon and then Thursday I have to drive it back all 512 miles to Amarillo. Life is so hard sometimes.


Mike

 

Mike, it looks like the car has SLK seats, or very nicely recovered base seats. Leather was never an option.
I know exactly what you mean about some people on this forum not driving their cars very much. It kills me every November when I choose to park my car for the winter months instead of driving it through the snow, sleet, and salt. I have to confess I really admire their self control. They must truly be "Masters of their own domain".
So I guess with over 50k miles in 6 summers, that means, "I'm out".

 

Actually don't worry about those seats , i have an 05 black roadster base with the same leather seats, they were an option, my seats are identical .no power or heat and they have separate headrest;apparently slk seats. nice looking car ,Congratulation,

 

I have been watching that auction mostly because of the San Antonio location. I have been shocked at the price. Base coupes don't usually get that high of a price.

I live in San Antonio and have a 2005 base coupe. Bought it brand new in 2005. Garage kept and daily driver for the first 4 years. The past year it has been a garage queen and I only drive it every 4 weeks a few miles just to keep everything going. Headlight lense perfect and the car is like a mirror... not a single dent. Interior 100% perfect. I have 56k miles but I can guarantee my car is a better car than that! I personally worked out all the kinks and common problems that you may face down the road.... like the headliner and AC problems. Makes me want to offer my car for sale at 9K

I would rather buy a car with low miles than one with very few miles. You want a car that has been driven and exercised but not abused with too many miles.

By the way, I don't see anything wrong with the headlight lense. I think it is just a crappy photo. As for the seat, it was not an option I was given when I bought mine brand new in 2005. Dealerships do have guys that can reupholster seats with leather. That is probably what was done in this case.... which is why it still looks like a crossfire seat.

 

It is an SLK seat, there was never leather as an option on the base, as Mike stated, or it could simply have been recovered.

You are correct, no option on leather. It looks like an XF seat because the XF in an SLK and those are SLK seats, unless someone stitched them perfectly to look like SLK seats.

 

Trust me... I have a base coupe (for 5+ years) and those are the cloth seats that have been recovered with leather. Clearly done by a professional. No doubt about it! I can tell just by looking at the ***** and the shape of the seat (which is almost identical to SLK seats).

If that guy is the original owner and thinks it came from the factory like that then I am willing to bet the dealership did it and never told him. They probably prepared it for a potential buyer and the deal fell through. Then he came along and bought it.

 

Congrats on your new ride, the car is beautiful and with under 10000 miles that is a great price, you purchased a new used car that in my opinion will never be out of style. The only concern i would have are these the original tires, and i'm guessing they are.take it easy on your ride home.According to numerous sites i have checked , tires that are 6 years old or older should be replaced, regardless of the wear on them. its real easy to check the code on the tire for the manufacture date, or to verify this claim.

 

I am back in Amarillo with the car. I really really like the way it drives. Very responsive, abundant power, nice engine sound. I got it up to very very fast today on a straight 5 mile flat stretch of 137 between Big Lake and Lamesa. It tram lined some but other than that was very solid.

Surprises were:

The power point/cigarette lighter is dead

The check engine light was on when he picked me up at the
airport. The seller said it had just come on for the 10,000 mile
check up. It went off at 10,005 miles

Three very slight door dings in the driver's door.


Mildew smell

There was NO curb rash on the wheels.

It had been waxed sometime back and the wax was not cleaned out of
the seams in the body panels

He gave me a very nice cover to go with it. He said it was a factory
Chrysler Crossfire cover.

Some very light scratches that will buff out.

Left front signal not working, probably just a bulb.

The seat is going to have to have some work because I need more thigh support and lumbar support. Had a case of bottled water with me. I drank three down paritally and then squeezed the air out and used them for temporary bolsters. I need the front bottom of the seat to be about two inches higher with the back bottom of the seat at the lowest setting. And just maybe a half inch of lumbar support.

The seat leather was very well surface finished, cut, sewn, and fitted.


Thrilled with the car. Really thrilled.

Thanks for the advice and information.

Mike

 

Mike, congratulations. Take it from an old man, when you buy something wih your money, (sounds like you did) you satisfy yourself. Doesn't matter if Fred' Uncle Bob could have got you a beter deal, or if Jimmy saw one for less money, if you're satisfied, that's all that matters. Looks like you checked it out fairly well. You'll always find bumps and bruises so don't sweat the small S***. If you don't mint I would like to make a suggestion, before you go tearing into the seat to modify it. Go to a furniture store od Medical Supply store and see if you can find a bolster to satisfy your hinder.
Also check your carpets and under the car for water damage or residue. Next, change your cabinair filter behind the Glove box. Read before you bleed. Good luck watch out for
the New Mexico and Lubbock Sand storms, can eat a windshield and paint job in no time.

John P
aka
FTroop Chief

 

I should have had you look at my 2005 black base coupe in San Antonio while you were here. I have none of those problems. Not a single dent or ding. All mechanics work. I even had the headliner done and guaranteed never to fall (a common problem that you may have one day in your car). My car is perfectly detailed and I guarantee you will not find a better one around. I am on the fence about selling it.... but I would have taken 9K for it

As for the interior smell, my car started that problem now that it sits. As you drive it more the smell will go away. I have been using one of those portable dehumidifiers which helps keep the interior dry when not driving it.

 

Calipers were painted. Red is not OEM on my base, but it is a '07. Maybe it was standard on '05's, but I doubt it.

 

Red calipers not an option in 2005....

 

Love looking at Crossfires.

This one had 9,000 miles on it when the dealer sold it so I assume it was a demo and that they did the calipers and seat but I don't know.

I really liked this one as it was technically a one owner and 10,000 mile car but if something happens to it I will contact you.

Thanks again!

Mike

 

I am the original owner on my 2005 coupe. I bought it brand new in 2005. I treated it like a baby the entire time. Always garaged and always clean. I recently used a clay bar and detailed it..... a very shiny black mirror! I fixed all the typical common problems that you will read about on the forum so they will never break again.... A/C switch, sticky ignition switch and had the headliner wrapped by a professional so it will never fall down again. It seems like every coupe eventually has the headliner fall (a defect from the factory). I even had the dealership replace the foggy headlights and they followed the TB so they haven't fogged again in 3 years. I had the window adjusted (a TB to prevent wind noise and water leaks). My max care warranty is still good for another year and if I keep the car I am going to renew. The only issue with my car is the paint rubbed off on a small spot of the steering wheel. I did a little touch up and it looks great but I bought a brand new steering wheel to match sitting in a box just in case. I even have a tons of extra parts (interior and exterior) I picked up and put in storage just in case I can't find something in the future.... air vent covers, speedo, speedo bezel, shift ****, silver interior panels and even some exterior parts. I even have an extra center console. Just in case I scratch something and want to replace it. I AM CRAZY.... I KNOW! I was looking through all the paperwork from the dealership that I forgot I had. Very interesting! I even had their license plate molding stored away. They are no longer in business because Chrysler shut them down along with many other dealerships due to the economy. Too bad because they were a a great dealership. That car was the fastest deal I ever made!

 

Man it sounds like somebody sold you a bill of goods 07! What are the chances you are gonna wear out a snift **** or a speedo bezel?