What would you pay

[kennysmith]

1/2 of the bolts holding the IMA cover on are Torx. I forget the size, but common. Some of those are buggers to get out. I recommend bringing vise grips and valve grinding compound. If you can't get a bite on the torx, put some valve grinding compound in the head and you'll be surprised at the bite your socket will get. Vice grips are last resort. The rest are 10mm or is the one by the switch 8mm? I don't remember hearing of bad DC-DC but dead 12V is classic symptom of IMA giving up. I'd bet removing harness described will get you going, but 12V might be junk already so a spare would be good idea.

[d_linehan]

This is great information, thank you all! It is a 2001. As for the price maybe I should offer him $1500 instead of the $2300 that is asking. And ask for him to throw in the replacement hood and factory rims both of which he already has but was asking $150 for.

Also, being able to drive it home would greatly help in making the numbers work out. The tool advise is also excellent I would not have thought to bring a torx set.

If all that works then my new sunk cost after the new battery, grid charger and painting would be $4700 not counting my labor. Of course it would still be a salvage title, but it only has 83K on it.

Of course any time that you are buy a car with known mechanical issues others can arise that and greatly add to that cost.

[kennysmith]

Oh and I think after you turn the switch off you are supposed to wait 5 minutes for capacitors to discharge before removing the cover. you can watch one of Mike's videos at www.99mpg.com where he explains about opening the IMA up. I watched one to install MIMA, but I imagine the grid charger one will give the same info.