Hi There,
That is a nice car!
My very first suggestion would be to have a pre-purchase inspection of the vehicle by a trusted mechanic. I did this prior to buying my 2000 Honda Civic VP (170,000 mi). I received a detailed quote for future service so I would know what I was getting into a head of time. I paid 60.00 + tax for this service (priceless).
Now, I have owned a 1997 Pontiac Transport (minivan) which I loved. It had the 3800 engine, which I was told, by a Pontiac enthusiast, was a strong engine. However, he also said that if the trans (4 speed automatic, overdrive) goes it would cost a couple thousand dollars to replace…well guess what? The trans had been slipping (at approx 120,000 mi) a little just prior to the vehicle being stolen from us. Once we recovered it (4 weeks later), the trans was shot (had to drive it in 1st gear 50 miles to get it home). We had the intention to buy a rebuilt-or salvage trans-can’t remember, which I was able to find for approx $600.00 at Giant Auto parts in Cuyahoga Falls, OH. Well, that never happened. Sent it to the bone yard recently.
Let’s see what advise other members have to offer.
Good luck. Keep us informed.
P.S. With the wealth of information on this website, you could fix just about any problem the car might have! 🙂