apsolus

iTrader: (2)

dude in town is selling a 91 convertable n/a.

engine has 120k miles, small oil leak, starts right up and runs good after sitting 4 days, goes down the road smooth, brakes smooth, engine sounds very healthy, the top has two tears but they have not gone through yet, ac compressor kicks on but does not blow cold air, interior is very nice given the year, the lights in the center dash are all on, tires are good, shifter is sloppy, paint is pretty good.

he is asking 4500 and i got him down to 4000. is this a fair price?

vrracing

iTrader: (1)

Seems very reasonable to me. In 2006 when my oldest turned 16 we bought him a black 90 vert (sadly with a torque absorber) with 130k on it for $4200.

If you're not going to turbo it anytime soon I would do a compression test on it. Or you might see if you can drive it hard for a bit, eat a quick lunch and make sure there arent any hot start problems.

I'd also go underneath it to look for rust. I carfaxed ours and found it had been in AZ, CA then OR so that reduced our risk.

Good luck. And always wear sunscreen.

clokker

iTrader: (2)

"Fair" does not equate.
If you're willing to spend and he's willing to accept, what you have is a "done" deal.

Is the S5 convertible the car you've been looking for and if so, how does this one compare to the others you've considered?

invinciblejets

Look like a Good deal to me for 4000....I wish my s5 vert was that clean if that's what you want and you have the money I'd do it..

Evil Aviator

^ Good guidance.

I think the price is a little high unless you have been looking for this type of a car for a very long time and you have reason to believe that you will not find another one any time soon. I would price it more around $3,000-3,500. The top needs to be replaced immediately before rain ruins the quarter panels. A Robbins replacement top is about $1,100 parts & labor. The engine is within the typical rebuild range, which is usually between 100k and 150k miles, so you should get a compression check to get a better idea of where it is. An engine rebuild is between $2,000 and $8,000, so start stashing money away if you plan on buying this car. The sloppy shifter is an easy and inexpensive fix, and the Mazdatrix website has a shifter replacement FAQ with pictures and part numbers. The AC work probably isn't going to be all that expensive to fix, either, but you may want to get an estimate first. The interior and paint look pretty good in the pictures.

apsolus

iTrader: (2)

yeah the price is a bit high, or at least exactly what its worth.

as far as the engine needing a rebuild goes i did check that it started hot and cold without issue. and after sitting in the garage for what the owner told me 4 days it started just like any piston engine car in good shape. not to afraid of rebuilding the engine cause i just rebuilt the one in my 87 and it runs fine, what i am worried about are the coolant seals taking a ****. i did ride it hard and it didnt smoke or worry me one bit. but i did tell the owner that its probably gonna need a rebuild soon reguardless, that is the rotary for ya.

so you cant repair the small tears in the top?

and on top of the 4000 dollar price tag i gotta worry about registering it too and in texas we charge an arm and a leg for taxes. probably about 350 in taxes alone.

i think the ac just needs to be charged and the leak needs to be found and fixed. not an issue and neither is the oil leak too me.

i will get under it and check for rust, dude told me he won it at auction years ago in cali so we shall see. maybe ill try for 3800.

ill let the pot boil for a week or so and try again. any other tips from the pros?

apsolus

iTrader: (2)

any idea on the center high mount lights all being on? not the brake light but the low coolant, alternator, exhaust overtemp, oil level and more are on.

DennisH

Based on the mechanical condition, and the extremely great condition of the interior and exterior (at least based on the pictures), I'd say you honestly have a good deal. Obviously the top will need to be replaced, which will cost anywhere from $300 to $500 for a new one, or you could attempt to repair the tears. The top could be a good bargaining point though.

Evil Aviator

If it is vinyl then you can forget about patching it. I tried several patches and none of them worked for long. Once you replace it, be sure to take care of it with convertible top cleaner and protectant like Raggtopp or 303 products. Yes, it's more money, welcome to a convertible, lol. By the way, your insurance may go up with a convertible, so you may want to check that too.

It's high. However, convenience is a factor, otherwise 7-11 and Circle-K wouldn't exist.

I'm not sure, but in my book that would knock the price down to about $2,000. This is something that a responsible owner would fix prior to putting it up for sale.

apsolus

iTrader: (2)

just checked out hagertys price tool for older cars. well it states that the car is worth 4600 in "fair" condition. this one does have some exterior issues but i would conceder this car to be better than fair. guess the real world figures and what you guys think its worth should probably be trusted more. ok ill use the top as a bargaining tool. ill let you know how it goes.

Tui

iTrader: (2)

Bad Alternator

celbii

iTrader: (2)

I just bought an 88 Base model FC a week ago.
it has 126k on it and it was overall pretty decent. White paint in good shape, a few random dents and dings here and there that the white paint hides for the most part, interior is in good shape, car is mostly all stock except for some ugly wheels that will need to bechanged out. The bad, 126k on the original motor, has rust under it, almost every bolt on the car has rust on it also. I paid $3,300 for it when all was said done, and I still feel that due to the high mileage and rust(although not rotting through anything, rust is never pretty) I over paid. It also has little random things wrong, Ie windshield needs to be resealed since it leaks, other little random things. However here in OK I haven't seen on in as nice of shape body and interior wise. So to me it was worth it to buy it, even though it will eventually need a rebuild, suspension needs to be replaced, windshield resealed etc.

Personally though I would NOT pay that much for a vert with that much mileage and appears to have some issues, especially top needed to be replaced, thats the cost of an engine rebuild almost right there. So I would either go lower, unless its kind of like my situation, it was the best I felt I would find local since a long road trip to pick up an rx7 isn't really cost effective or possible at the moment.

RotaryResurrection

iTrader: (8)

So 4 grand for a vert with a ripped top that needs replaced (once you start using an old original top more often it will rip more and more), an alternator (why the idiot cluster lights are on), and has the original engine still, is a "good" deal?

Where are you guys who spend this kind of money on cars when I have clean rebuilt FC's for sale? I had a fully restored 87 turbo II, freshly painted to look like a 10AE, with an S5 black interior swap, a rebuilt engine, all engine parts powdercoated, the engine bay was repainted as well, etc. I had it for sale for 4500 and couldn't get a single buyer for it. After 5 months on the market I took 2500 and a piece of **** beat up FC in trade just to get rid of it.

The car looks like it's worth 2500-3000 IMO, based on what you've said, assuming it has a few issues. But, maybe the market is different in other parts of the country.

87FCna

iTrader: (3)

I bought an 91 vert from original owner with 10k motor ( paperwork) 160k on body for $500. Sat for a year with passenger side halfway down interior fucked but everything works beside the passenger window, exterior at 7 out 10. Drives with no problems... 4k is very high in my book, if the car was under 90k with zero leaks. I would say yes! 2500$ MAX