No; and if it is clean but is coated with oil, one hypothesis would be
that somebody cleaned the engine and its surroundings, possibly to make
it sell easier, but didn't  solve the problem that had made them dirty.

Possibly; or power steering fluid if applicable.  Or somebody drove
around with the oil filler cap off (some engines can really launch the
stuff out that hole and then the belts and fan fling it all around).
Anyway, if it is oil rather than some sort of shiny coating, you
certainly need to find out where it came from and what to do about it
-- this is not normal.

A digression on pressurized leaks of power steering fluid:  I've used a
fire extinguisher four times on cars and know two people who have used
it once each.  Of that total of six incidents, five were underhood
fires caused when an aerosol of power steering fluid, usually from a
pinhole in an aging high-pressure-side hose, hit some source of
ignition.*  Power steering fluid burns with a smoky underachieving
yellow flame, but burn it does, and once it has gotten into things like
the hood insulation and the wiring it can make an old beater
uneconomical to repair even if you keep your head and find your
extinguisher and put the fire out.

Whatever the reason, this only reinforces my hunch that the car might
be for sale because it looks a lot better than it really is. (This is
easy to encounter with California cars.  People in the urban areas
there tend to drive a lot, and mild climates in most areas, with
mountains and beaches as possible exceptions, remove some of the more
obvious Northern cues as to the age and weariness of a car.  And after
12-13 years and 180,000 miles it could be quite old and weary indeed).
Also the importance of getting a trusted mechanic who has no vested
interest in the sale to go over it and speculate on what it's been
through and what you're in for.

Cheers,
--Joe

* The sixth case was the dashboard wiring of an E-Jag just celebrating
Guy Fawkes Day for no apparent reason.  The owner demonstrated the
strength of character needed to get your groceries in an antique Jag by
pulling  out some access panel, giving it a couple of bursts of
dry-chemical tough love, and finishing his commute with the rest of the
extinguisher close at hand.

You are going to get screwed my friend.

With your budget you shouldn't be looking at a specific model, you should
be looking at the best car for your money.

And you should also be looking at a private sale, not a used car lot.
Everything you said smacks of a used car lot.

Unless you have all the equipment in your garage to do an engine and
transmission swap, and you intend on keeping your old rust bucket
parked as a source of spare parts, you really have no overriding reason
to buy this particular one.

Your letting your emotions cloud your judgement.  People that do that
end up making decisions they later regret.

Meaningless at this age, as maintainence is the overriding factor at
180K miles.

So are lots of other vehicle's parts.

YOUR car, NOT THIS car.  You don't know what this car gets.

For obvious reasons - the auto trannys are more unreliable than the
manual ones.  But keep in mind for that year that the auto tranny was
an option, the 5 speed was standard.  This isn't a reason to rush out
and buy this one.

Unless you have all the equipment in your garage to do an engine and
transmission swap, and you intend on keeping your old rust bucket
parked as a source of spare parts, you really have no overriding reason
to buy this particular one.

Ted