El Duderino

Thinking of buying this vert. Drove it today. Impressions:

Handful of good sized dings. Dings in the roof where it folds for opening. Interior is pretty good. Not pristine by any means. Little bit of musty smell when I first got in with the top up. Dash has a couple spots where it chipped off.

Drives well, no obvious issues. Car has one odd tire, passenger front is a newer TOYO and the rest are something else... Crazy acceleration.

Engine compartment LOOKS good.

Anyway, just not sure about this one. Looks like the miles (90 something k) may have been hard ones.

A full inspection from the Infinity dealer up the street is close to $300. I wouldn't buy the car without it, but also don't want to flush 300 bucks.

Any thoughts from you experienced people?

TIA for any help.


https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/d...4347/overview/

kiseliok

iTrader: (11)

Check vin against TSBs. Pre-2012 have a potential for an engine issue - check if that was addressed. Otherwise, if the regular maintenance has been done, it should be good to go.

Musty smell is weird though.. Probably got rained into a few times, which might mean that the previous driver did not care much for the car. I pulled over on the highway when it started raining before to put the roof up.. you gotta do what you gotta do if you like the car and want to keep it in a good condition.

Wayfun

When I was shopping for my car I looked at one with only 7000 miles on it. It had that musty odor too. I passed on it because to me that was a sign of a roof leak. I didn't want that can of worms.

El Duderino

Yes, it looks like the roof has had some trauma. I talked to the service rep at Infinity and he said the dents in the top are common and a result of closing (or opening?) the top with something in the trunk.

Seems like a nice car but my spidy-sense is telling me to be wary. The little dings and dents do bother me and that would be something to have to deal with right away. I know a great body shop.

The car fax shows it was well cared for, for at least most of it's life.

No indication of any major repair...

https://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistor...CV6FE7AM354857

Victory

I'd pass on any convertible that smells musty

kiseliok

iTrader: (11)

Want to test the roof for leaks? Take a hose and start spraying.
Don't go through a touchless car wash - the pressure will force the water into the roof molding. I take mine through touchless occasionally and get a few drops on the rear side panels.
There are plenty of threads here on roof leaks. Some people had luck with seal repair, some had luck with a TSB and realignment.
I absolutely love the car so dealing with the related BS is worth it to me. Others might not think so.
Also, as I mentioned before, it's a convertible. If it smells musty, someone might've just left the roof down while it was raining.. It's not necessarily an indication of a leaking roof. Check the carpets. Check the cabin air filter (might be the cause of a bad smell). Open the roof half way and look at the roof liner as it's slightly folded. If you see different color water sports, there might be an issue. And again, get a hose and spray the roof from different angles. You'll know if it's leaking.

El Duderino

That would be a simple enough test. And checking the liner. Just don't want to deal with leaks here in the Northwest....

Thank you for your responses!

kiseliok

iTrader: (11)

Report back on your findings so we know better what to look for next time.

El Duderino

Went back and looked at it again. Checked all parts of the headliner and found no stains or watermarks. Checked the carpet and it looks great throughout. There are 4 G37 mats in the back, and while they are worn, they do not look like they have any water damage. This car lived in Florida/Texas prior to arriving in Lynnwood, WA.

They didn't have a hose handy so I didn't try the water test, but If I take the next step, the Infinity service adviser assured me they will give the car a "severe rating" test. He mentioned there is over 30 sensors in the roof mechanism alone, and every one would be tested as well as real world stress tests on every part of the vehicle...

The little dent's and dings don't look so bad when you are not actually looking for them. I am thinking hard on this one. If it's still there on Monday (it's been at the dealership for a few months so I'm not too worried, and if it sells this weekend, oh well.... wasn't meant to be.)

Thanks for your help guys. Unfortunately I'll have to sell my Camaro but I think the 37 would be a better commuter.