I was really close to buying a 1st gen today, until I removed the storage bins.

This was a one owner '83 GS. Black (faded) on maroon vinyl. Absolutely no dents or rust on the outside of the car. 98k miles. Ran really good, shifted real good, owner says it has a new clutch. Needed rotors turned and shocks/struts to drive correctly though. It did have tight steering. Interior was decent but with sun damage (cracked dash, faded carpet, a few rotten plastic pieces.) Lady wanted $975. I thought it was decent price for an unmolested one-owner car which wasn't rusty or wrecked and which ran nicely.

Well I removed the storage bins and found some rust:



I've modified another member's pic to show the approximate rustiness of this car. Do you guys think this is horrible?

I explained the problem to her and showed it to her. She said "well isn't that normal for a 20 yr old car?" I told her why it was bad and what was involved in fixing it. She asked if I'd still be interested if the price came down a bit. I said "it would probably have to be $600 instead of $975." She said "NOOoooooo...I can't bear to part with it for that little."

What do you guys think? Nice straight body with good driveline and decent interior with ^THIS^ in the storage bins...what's it worth?

 

that doesn't look too bad ... not easy to tell until you cut it all out though. I'd say its above average condition for an FB

Mike

 

thats not bad you should see one of the rx-7 i have, its rusted right though!!

 

If it runs and drives well 750 to 800 might be ok. What are 1st gens going for in your area? If the body and interior are ok, Its probally a good deal. I went through 3 cars before I got one good engine. When I was building a spec RX7. Good Luck

 

I say go for it, even for 975 if its running good.... Atleast in my area is Impossible to find an rx7 with that little rust. Chances are there isn't much more than that. Another place you should check out is near the idler arm, i noticed that on most rx7s it rusts out alot there.

 

have you guys ever heard of POR-15, i think thats the name, anyone who ever used it will find know what i mean, you can paint over anything, even rust, great stuff. very expensive though, worth all the trouble of sanding cutting welding.

joe

 

$975 is a good price for the car if it runs and drives well. That amount of rust should be fairly easy to fix.

 

Well I walked away from the car becuase of that rust....maybe it was a bad descision. I've been thinking about it all day and decided I'd call her back and offer $800 tomorrow morning. But when I went by her house tonight after work the car was gone. I guess she sold it. Probably to some kid who will blow it up in a couple months, judging by her description of all the other people who were looking at it.

Ah well, a learning experience...