Here's the deal, I've got this car:



I got it for free because the automatic transmission was broken, so I recently swapped a manual tranny into it.

I just figured out today the engine is more screwed than I thought. At first I found that the oil seals were shot, it had the classic signs. Then I did a compression test today and found the bounces to be close to nothing and about 68 psi total on the front and rear. The car also accelerates extremely slow and will barely go up a hill.

Now I'm planning on rebuilding the engine and possibly porting a bit, doing some body work, and giving the car a new paint job. The car is basically completely stock and will be nearly perfect condition with a rebuild and new paint. Everything in the engine bay is stock (exhaust, intake, etc), stock AAS, stock stereo, AC, PS etc. Everything seems to work except possibly the AAS, I'm not sure if I could tell a difference between settings.

Skip here if you are lazy:

With everything stock and in working condition, a fully rebuilt engine, new paint job, very good condition interior, how much would you pay?

Should I do a mild port that will still pass emissions while I'm doing the rebuild or just leave it stock to match the fully-stock theme of the car, what would be more desirable if you were buying it?

 

mild port....

i'd pay 3-3500 for it...provided that it was in 100%. 100% meaning that the brakes are all new, the suspension is all brand new, the tires, not a speck of dirt on the car. but...that's just me....

i don't mean to sound like an ***...

 

Well I mean... not 100% mint, but very good condition, I mostly used the word mint for a shorter thread title. Brakes will probably just be machined rotors and new fluid, maybe new pads, suspension will be just the stock stuff, not brand new. Tires will be almost new, he bought new tires shortly before he gave the car to me.

Feel free to ask more questions, I want to get as accurate of an idea as I can.

 

2000.

 

Yeah, even though the car is clean and in good condition, s4 NA's are the most common rx7 in north america and probably always will be, which devalues them quite a bit. Also, in this turbo crazed, modification oriented, race inspired import world we live in today, nobody really wants to fool with a 145hp 20 year old sportscar. Vastly superior cars like FD rx-7s, mr2 turbos, etc. are coming down in price quite a bit now and most people would rather spend 6 grand on a newer, 225hp car, than 4 grand on an older 150hp one.

The best thing you can do is either put the time/money into it and keep it for yourself, or just cut it loose right now to whoever will pay your asking price and let them worry about it...you likely won't get back your investment if you do the work yourself. Don't let this realistic fact get you down, it appears to be quite a nice car and is still more fun to drive than 85% of the cars on the road today. It's just that the value on paper doesn't add up that way.

 

Good answer, I think there is a decent market for a really good condition s4 n/a. I've thought about it more, and based on prices I've seen on autotrader, ebay, craigslist, I feel like I can easily get $3000 for it once I'm done, and more importantly it won't become another beaten FC that people aren't willing to put their time into, instead it will become a good example of a clean FC, and I'm pretty sure I'll still make more money than if I sold it right now.

 

IF you're the kind of person with more time than money, then by all means, do what you've planned and you'll come out ahead to some degree. IF you're a person with more money than time, it's stupid to invest your (valuable) time in exchange for not much money. So it's all in your perspective.

 

not worth it to fix if you're just gonna sell right away.....How much will it cost TOTAL for the car to be in MINT running condition? if it is over 2K to repair (which it seems to be the case) then I'd sugest selling it AS IS for 1K.....

 

It seems that it will most likely be right at or slightly above the 2k mark when everything is done, and I have the time. I just don't think I could sell it for even 1k right now.. but I do plan on driving it a little while before I sell it.

 

I wouldn't buy it...non-turbos are worthless to me...unless it had NO sunroof!


-Ted

 

hehe