wiggle_puppy

Hey all,

I've been a lurker for about 6 years now, never posted much.

I recently stumbled upon an interesting TII that is quite local to me.
Here is the link to the ad:
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hn...522711573.html

2 owner car, no accidents.

I feel his asking price is a mite high considering the lack of tuning and the front bumper. The tuning is the biggest issue for me, then the fact that the tires will need replacement next summer.

I saw the car on Sunday and took a ride in it. The car is as clean (if not cleaner) as you would expect from a 50K original mile car and it runs well.
The vacuum at idle is steady and nice and high and it currently boosts about 8-10 PSI on the basemap. The AFR was sitting at about 10-11 under boost and low 14ish for decel, a little leaner for cruising.

All in all, it pulls nice and hard and seems to be well built with a knowledgeable owner. No leaks, no funny noises, no grinds, but also no pictures of the streetport as the motor was being built. I am definitely getting a compression check.

Plans with the car would be to get an immediate tune (if everything checked out) and then drive it for a few months while I pieced together a good alcohol injection kit. I'd plan for a conservative tune even with alcohol to keep the thing together.

He still has the AC and PS parts.

Does anyone have any input? Things I should look out for that I haven't already considered? Like I said, compression check is a MUST. The car runs pre-mix which doesn't bother me. I would likely reinstall an OMP and modify it with a kit that metered oil from a remote reservoir filled with 2-cycle oil (I found a link earlier this week to a kit that allows this).

Thanks everyone, I apologize for writing you a book.

ifryrice

It's not bad, but $6k is way too much. It doesn't really have anything in the form of mods to justify that kind of price. The turbo setup/ECU isn't spectacular so it's not adding much to value. $4k to $4.5k is going to be the high selling range for it most likely.

wiggle_puppy

Hmmm, that's good to know. I figured it was worth less than asking price due to the fact that it isn't perfect right now and that he doesn't have all the records for the work done.

That being said, I didn't think people would think it to be that low. Any other opinions?

Thanks for your input!

clokker

iTrader: (2)

Asking this forum what a car is worth is hopeless.
The default response is invariably "I found a better car for only "X" dollars (usually significantly less than what your prospective car is listed for), you'd be crazy to spend that much".

Apparently, everywhere else in the world- except for where you (or I) live- is just teeming with cherry RXs selling for a song.

Contrast this with the For Sale forum, where cars that have major mods/work done get parted out because no one will pay the asking price.
Everyone seems to want a low mileage, "unmolested" example, which they then proceed to "molest" to their particular taste and are stunned to discover that the car is now unsellable.

It's just weird.

Really, the only pertinent question is, "What is this car worth to me?" and then assume that any upgrades or changes you make are purely for your own benefit and will add nothing to the car's value.
It helps if you take a long view and plan on keeping the car for more than a few years as the inevitable cash outlay(s) can be amortized over time and enjoyed.

Without even commenting on the particular car you're looking at, it is worth noting that the $5-6K price range is basically used Honda Accord territory, so it's fair to ask if you'd rather be driving a tarted up econobox or a RX7.
If you decide on the 7, just figure that from the moment you take possession it has zero resale value and enjoy it for what it is and the pleasure you might get from it.

Then, a few years down the road you can list it for sale and let everyone tell you how overpriced/poorly modified it is, take your hit and move on.

wiggle_puppy

You know, that's really the kind of response I was thinking I would get.
Your inputs are definitely valuable and I understand about asking a forum what something is worth.

I also fail to understand why everyones' wet dream is an unmolested 7 when their plans for it are to modify it heavily. I'm a little worried about resale so your point there is helpful. The most likely thing is that I would drive it for a couple years at least (I hang on to my cars for a long time). If this is the case, I feel that talking him down significantly would be a good thing just because I would NEED AI to feel comfortable with the motor. I'm likely going to graduate school soon and wouldn't have an incredible safety net if the motor goes.

I would really only feel comfortable buying it if I was guaranteed to have that extra $2500 sitting around for a decent rebuild in case I did something stupid.

wiggle_puppy

I mean, to be truly honest the S5 is worth the little bit of extra over an S4 (to me). I really prefer the S5 cars. The motor has just about everything done to it that I would want to do if I were starting with a blank slate.

That leaves the bushings, suspension, and brake hydraulics suspect though as I don't know anything about their condition.

I'm trying to get into the Japanese car scene after becoming disenchanted with the European car scene. I own a heavily modified 1992 VW Corrado SLC (just about every suspension mod you can do, sticky tires, clean interior, almost entirely euro-spec), but I've come to the realization that it will never be a truly *fast* car and that it will never handle significantly better than it does now (though it handles damn well).

The RX-7 has been a pipe dream since I was about 16... I suppose that makes this dangerous because the immediate emotional response is "I MUST HAVE IT."

Looking at the other RX-7s in the classifieds, I'm finding it difficult to find one anywhere near this clean. Body isn't the biggest deal, but it really irks me if an interior isn't close to mint. The aforementioned car does have a mint interior, which is a huge selling point.

clokker

iTrader: (2)

Your response points up another schizophrenic aspect of this forum...the rotary engine itself and how people feel about it.
On the one hand, it's the greatest thing since internal combustion was invented and on the other, it's going to explode big time at any moment.

How many Accord owners do you think have $2500 stashed away to replace their engines?
My guess would be maybe 1 in a thousand- they just assume the damn thing is going to work...which, for the most part, they do.

If your (potential) car has good compression and looks reasonably well cared for/put together, why would you buy it assuming it would grenade unexpectedly?

Not that I'm denigrating the idea of having a safety net- anyone buying a used car should assume there will be unexpected expenses- but I've always been struck by the duality of loving the rotary while simultaneously figuring it's going to **** you at the slightest provocation.

wiggle_puppy

You know, that's one thing that has always irked me and if was a naturally aspirated car, I wouldn't worry at all. Most of the N/A ones are super reliable. It really comes down to temps and fueling, both of which I could manage.

I just hear horror stories of catastrophic parts failure/overboosting/boost creep which scare me a little.

On the other hand, most of the problems that occur are the fault of the owner, "I was racing so-and-so and cranked my boost up."

eage8

iTrader: (9)

I think that's a really nice car and worth the $6k. nice S5 TIIs are getting very hard to find and that one seems to have been modded decently well (that's a $550 radiator...)

If it has decent compression it most likely will be fine, I've done some pretty dumb things with mine before I knew any better and the engine is still running great.

Evil Aviator

Wow, you nailed it.

wiggle_puppy

Well, this has been helpful and so far pretty inline with what I was thinking.

I've been able to talk him down and he said he would try to get the exhaust leak fixed and get the cold start maps fixed. That would be huge.

Now I just have to decide whether or not I can bear to get rid of my Jeep Wrangler for this (leaving me with two "summer" cars)