I fell in love w/ a black 88 Rx7 vert, and I wanna buy it but: the original owner wants $4,200 for it and it has 116K mi, the radio doesn't work, and the roof has some perforations. Other than that, it ran beautifully, and the body is gleaming. It has all original stock parts and paint. Oh yeah, there were a few spots of oil on the ground under the engine. He said it was because of a recent oil change, but...

I want to make a decision by Monday, when I will have my mechanic give it the once-over. I just wonder:
1. What could be wrong with the radio, and how much could I expect to pay to have it fixed? (the guy said it just stopped working last year)
2. Isn't the price kinda high?
3. What else am I missing?

I'd be very greatful for any advice, cause I can't afford a four thousand dollar mistake on my one and only set of wheels. Thanks!

 

That's about right according to NADA. I don't know your zip code so I used a SC one and they only listed one trmiline for the convertable. but the list they listed was $3250 to $5350 with $4450 being "average".

http://www.nadaguides.com/Values/Zip...Sec=1&wPg=1102

 

It is a little high for a S4 vert, but you usually get what you pay for. Have a rotary mechanic perform a compression test before buying it. About the stereo, I'd just put an aftermarket one in. And have the car checked for oil leaks.

 

I've heard that these cars are prone to electrical problems; could the stereo not working be a symptom?

 

There's no telling what's wrong until you spend a lot of time troubleshooting. It could be just a fuse, or a loose connection, or maybe the whole thing is fried. Replacement stereos are not that expensive, and the car will still run if the stereo doesn't work, so this is a minor issue.

Yes. Looking up the NADA or KBB price is great, but it is important to understand the condition values. That convertible sounds close to the NADA "low retail" condition, which would put it in the $3,000 - $3,500 range. You should be able to get the asking price down to this level.

If the engine needs a rebuild, you are looking at about $2,000. On the good side, a newly-rebuilt engine will last another 100,000 miles, so at least that would be done with.

See more info here:
http://www.aaroncake.net/RX-7/buy1.htm

No, and the electrical problems with these cars are minor.

 

turns out the engine had an oil leak, and the guy wouldn't take less than 4K for it, so I'm gonna have to l that one go, Damn! I really thought that car was sweet