2002 buying 10k Mile Car, safe to drive 2 hrs?

[PeepPeep!]

Hi guys,

I am in the final steps of possibly driving out to buy a 2002 Thunderbird from a retiree near me, he explained he has taken very good care of her as part of his car collection as he would take her to Car shows, retro diners and cruises around town. My concern, with her being a 2002 with such INCREDIBLY LOW milage is that she's not used to exercise on a highway or that she may blow a gasket seal, spark plugs malfunction, oil gaskets leak, tires blow, or other fluids may have corroded parts within her that are not completely obvious when visually inspecting under the pristine clean hood. Infrequent driving since 2002 (nearly 25 years ago), I feel confident that there may be some things that have deteriorated -- but, I also don't doubt considering the owner seems to love his cars, she has likley been serviced many times since 2002 for things like oil changes, tire rotations and whatnot so perhaps I am overreacting?

I plan on immediately getting her to a mechanicical inspection when I am back home just for peace of mind, but I worry about if the 2002 reliability will be good enough to cruise her on home for a 2-3 hour highway drive depending on traffic.

If you own or bought a 2002 Thunderbird with low milage, what would you urge me to keep in mind here?

Is it rude to ask the seller to get her checked up before I drive out?

 

[74 Harley]

Rent a trailer and tow it home. It will be much cheaper than the tow truck bill. So many things that are working fine probably need replacement. For example, coolant hoses, all of them. Rubber brake lines, all of them. Fan belt. Maybe tires? And of these parts over 10 years old are trash. Would I drive it locally around my house,say to cars and coffee? Absolutely. Hit the the highway for 2 hours without a real plan? No.

 

[biddle]

Nobody on the internet can tell you if it's safe to drive. Have the car inspected by a mechanic before driving it. You can ask the seller if they will let you pay for an inspection at your expense before buying it.

Closing this thread for liability reasons.