Wont start and smells like gas

I'm looking into getting a UK spec 2004 RX-8 with 60k miles for pretty cheap, $1500, and the guy is saying it needs Apex Seals. Once I actually started talking to him he said that the car stalled out on him and he could smell gas, so he thinks it might just be flooded. He drives it 5 minutes to work and back and it stalled out on him between there and had to have it towed to his house. He hasn't driven it since it stalled out and he hasn't been able to start it. To me it sounds like its just flooded. If it was the Apex seals then he should at least be able to get it started momentarily but with possibly a rough idle and low compression. I'm sure it depends on how bad the seals actually are.


He said he's tried the de-flooding procedure but with no success. If it is just flooded then the car would be a steal, and even if I have to rebuild the engine then I still would make out pretty good depending on how much damage there is to the internals and how much I actually have to replace.


I'm curious if anyone has any advice on what it could be, if not the Apex seals, or what I should do. Ive read up on how to get it started with the de-flooding procedure then if that doesnt work pulling the plugs and disconnecting the crank sensor. Then comes the issue of him possibly not burning off the built up carbon regularly. How much damage does that do to the engine and would the car even be worth buying then.