Is this legit?

[Hummerboy]

https://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/5144169275.html

I texted the guy and he claims to have a clean title in hand. I would seriously consider selling my H3 for this but my concern is the price is just too low to be legitimate. Im not an H2 expert so I was hoping you guys could advise me if this price is in fact too good to be true. I just know 18k seems way too low for an h2 with 70k miles.

 

[Reaper550]

H2s are going for $15k-29k depending on condition, options & upgrades (mechanical/cosmetic). He's realistically priced for a 2003 that's stockish from a private seller. I grabbed mine (2006) that was in GREAT shape on all levels for $22,500 out the door in Texas. If its something you're excited about pay for a Pre Purchase Inspection (PPI) where they go over everything & check for upcoming major events. It will make all the difference in the world for your ownership experience. Things to look for:

• Seat heaters - most times they go bad (and are a part of the seat, like wired into the cushion) when they go bad you have to replace the elements in the seats
• Belt tensioners, sometimes only belts get replaced, AC belt tensioner can go south and its about $350-400 for a shop to do if you don't want to do it yourself
• Air Conditioning Compressor & system pressure check
• Water pumps - PPI will check for leaks, not prohibitive cost wise but something that goes bad around this mileage.
• Exhaust studs/manifold - alot of times the nuts back off and cause a leak, not major but annoying. If they haven't been replaced, its in your future eventually
• 4wd lockers - these should be engaged to keep operational once every few months, so you're going to want to make sure they're still in good operational condition
• Fluid swap out schedule - how old are the fluids and what were they filled with? If they're skimping on maint. you'll know it and have to pay to fix it
• How much did they tow? High mileage trucks that are used to tow frequently usually have the tranny issues, not always but the PPI will show signs elsewhere
• Suspension - stock shocks? I replaced mine at 110,000 miles, THEY WERE ORIGINAL lol. Not a major expense ($1k for Fox Racing 2.0 remote resivoir) installed in about 2 hours, but still, use as a haggle tool.
• Brakes & hubs - stock hubs go quick, see if they've been replaced & what brand, timken are $300 per corner and will last forever. Brakes can add up on these even with autozone parts, and are labor intensive (kind of) the PPI will tell you how far you can go before $$.
• Marker light leakage, passenger side A pillar and floor will tell you if its been holding water.
• Daytime Running Lights - are they on? Jumper wire? Look at the fuse box to see. If DRLs don't work, cruise control won't either. Sometimes guys pull the relay, its a cheap part avalible at Autozone/Corner parts store.
• Sunroof - check for operational state, not cheap to replace, and maint. wise, thats what they do, replace the whole unit as MFG recommends.

I might be missing some stuff but looking at it, until you get deeper into it, $18k is fair, and you can knock him down a bit based on the above that needs maint. Due to image & past media haters, the market is soft for H2s right now.

 

[Hummerboy]

Wow thanks a lot! I will be sure to check it over! And thanks again that was an absolutely awesome reply!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Reaper550]

You're more than welcome, the H2 is a beast true; but one you WANT to live with. Working on it is easy, its just knowing the state everything is in maint. wise. BTW I forgot to mention a few other things to ask about:

• Upper & lower control arms & ball joints: uppers don't have removable joints, they get replaced as a whole unit at around $290 each, condition of lowers is vital, it affects ride/steering etc.
• Tie-rods: they go quick if stock off road, if its been on tarmac its whole life, you'll want to replace them around 100,000 miles regardless
• Sway bar mounts: front & rears, check condition. Alot of times they start deteriorating due to age.
• Steering stabilizer: there's another shock that lays down between the front tires under the skid plate, see if it was replaced. If not even a nice Bilstein replacement is only about $90 and easy to do, makes a huge difference in steering feel & reducing vibrations.
• Fuel filters & pump: if the car was ever up north the pump which is sort of exposed to the wheel well in the rear can be corroded & damaged. Filters are obvious but sometimes overlooked.

At the end of the day, unless you're looking at a modded H2 by a serious off road guy, a stocker is great to get to use as a basis to tweak. These rigs are already wonderful, and if stock(ish) you don't have to worry too much about inexperienced hacks done by careless previous owners.

 

[Zach]

Not a bad price. 03-04 a lot harder to find interior parts for. That one has old style mirrors, more than likely don't fold and may not adjust. Also, those years had a weaker front diff. Plus it depends on how we'll it's maintained. Suspension parts are an issue and the air ride. If original, it has the single stage compressor which was crap

 

[Renagade132]

I have an 03, and my mirrors automatically fold with no problem, front differential is strong, but I agree it depends on how its maintained. My air compressor is dual stage, and no issues, even though I only use it to add air, because I switched to a spring suspension for my lift. I might actually be going higher, so it might be time for air suspension! Hope you get the H2 brother.

 

[mmesa005]

Is there an FAQ or similar which lists the differences such as the front differential / air compressor for the 03/04 model year?