Hey guys,

I was hoping to get some advice on this car. Here's the situation...

I just found a 89 vert with a new engine(about 20,000) for sale for 2600. just went and looked at the car today, and here's what i found wrong with it:

-front tires need replaced(align wear)
-drivers side door handle inoperative from outside
-top has 2 small tears in it
-trans seems to shift a little rough (may be normal, but i have never driven an auto so i'm not sure.)
-right rear taillight cracked(still works)
-hood and trunk no clear coat
-drivers seat all torn up

Once again, like new engine, everything under the hood seems perfect. also has new starter, alt, battery, belts, p/s pump.

I know this is a rare car, but i'm not going to have much extra money to put into it, and im trying to decide if i should go after it.

Thanks,
Lee

 

I’ve got a 90 Vert

They are sweet but talk him down. Replacing the top by a pro will set you back about $600. If the paint is trashed talk him down another 500 to get that fixed. I wouldn’t buy the car but if it’s all you could find talk him down as far as you possibly can. Verts hold their value if they are in good condition, so pick it up as cheap as possible and fix it. That’s my two cents

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the info

I agree, i should talk him down for all the cosmetic work. How strong are these auto trans in the cars. are they reliable, or is it likely it'll need to be replaced?

 

I also have a '90 vert, however it is not an auto. If you are looking for peppy, with an auto look elsewhere. Would not call it rare, is not common may be a better expression. The two small tears on the top fabric you spoke of are very common. If you ain't particularly concerned with the consmetic inconvenience, have the tears repaired or replace the top if you have the $. I bet they are on the sides above the drain pockets.. yes?

I picked up mine three years ago for $4,200 with 43,000 on the chassie and only 12K on an Atkins rebuilt the previous owner prolly did not have to put in. Mine was and is essentially mint new condition. $2,600 sounds like a more than a fair price, some might say a steal based on your description. The flaws you list are primarily cosmetic and easily fixed. Flush the tranny fluid and it may have a new life depending on the service it has had from prior owners. Again, if you want a classy ride not often seen go for it. If you want to street race, get a coup or turbo.

 

20K miles is not a like new engine. It is a used engine.

Figuring the car has about 150K miles on it (no reason for the motor to be replaced lower than 120K miles except for a bad owner) the car is worth at best $1000

Edmunds says for a average or rough condition car:
Dealer trade in: $722
Private party: $1,287
Dealer retail: $2,237

Figuring even if you did all the repairs youself, just parts you would spend $900+ ( and that is ignoring things like the poor condition paint, and questionable automatic transmission).

and as mentioned above, verts are not that rare... in fact there probably are more RX-7 verts for sale on auto trader than any other model RX-7.

 

Thanks guys,
After doing some more research, and sleeping on the idea, i decided it wasn't worth it for me. if i got the car i wouldnt have the money for a while to fix the cosmetics. i think ill probably just keep my gxl as long as i can.
Thanks again for the help,
Lee

 

i had an auto rx7 and the tranny has been replaced 6 times in the past 4 years