So for about the last 2 years of so I've been looking for a decently price, well taken care of FC for a reasonable price.. or at least what I thought was a reasonable price.

Thus far, a running Turbo FC that doesn't look beat to crap, actually runs, hasn't had it's AC removed by some kid etc etc just simply doesn't exist for what I would consider a REASONABLE price (<$4000 for S4, <$5000 for S5) It's completley insane considering I bought my first Turbo in unmolested shape for $2500. Now granted that was back in 2002 or so.

So this leads me to now, where I'm at the point where the cost of buying a JDM market car and paying the $3000 for shipping, customs etc will probably get me a super clean and unmolested car for less money than people are wanting stateside. It's become a serious option and if I don't come across a car I like before next summer I'll probably be making a deal with Goo-net to bring me one.

So that's all just a rant, back to the topic at hand. Let's have a serious discussion here for a moment, why the hell does everyone think a Turbo II car is worth it's weight in gold nowdays? Why do I CONSTANTLY see TII's with blown engines with $5000 asking prices? How is it that I can offer a kid $2500 for a TII that doesn't run and he actually turns down cash in front of his face? Is it just sheer stupidity or have original TII's become that rare that the price is justified?

I could be really of base on all this , I don't know. Have FC prices really risen that much and I'm just being a scrooge?

All opinions welcome on the subject.

 

I think it just might have something to do with rarity since a lot are replaced or rebuilt engines...an original would be somewhat rare. Or maybe just rise in popularity caused by tv shows or the general drift car scene stuff. Plus the desire for turbo cars rising

 

they all have been wrecked by idiots drifting them

 

Because FCs and RX7s all together are entering a new age of classic car era. FCs used to be cheap (just as old Mustangs, Deloreans, Ferraris, Porsches, etc.) When a certain model gets old enough (just as many FC owners are now instead of one, generally own multiple) the value increases as there are less cars. It's hard to think, but you've gotta remember that 2002 is ten years ago; therefore, 2002 is pretty much the standard for low value. 1987 is 25 years old now; a lot as happened to many RX7s since then as well as the community.

I say we've got a little bit longer to experience cheap RX7s, but they're getting rarer...

 

I bought my first perfect unmollested s4 in 2009 for 1100, a year later i bought a perfect s5 for 1000! Even though they were na they still had rebuilt engines. Just in three years you cant find prices like that.

 

You are a lucky guy, over here you won't even get an NA for that price

I paid about 4600 freaking $ for an 87 NA FC with 70k mls (115k kms) half a year ago
Then I had to add another 2200 $ for bodywork (shell was badly rusted) and now the engine is blown ...

Thats my second FC, the first one is getting a race engine with haltech and co ...
These FCs used to be cheaper, the first 86 NA I got was like 2500 $.

 

Just like FD's, the price is going up. The USDM N/A price is still cheap, but a nice TII is going to cost some money. I sold my '91 Turbo with 86K over the summer for $6000.

The cheap TurboII is being replaced by the N/A chassis with a JDM TII engine swap.

If you want one, keep searching or come up with the money.

 

Just look at the build threads to find your answer.
Practically every other car in there gets shown on a trailer (Day 1!) and next thing you know, the interior is gutted and the car becomes a drift missile.
Another shell headed to the dumpster.

Couple that with the fact that 90% of NA owners (a statistic I just made up but will gain credibility with dissemination) are hovering like vultures over a T2 drivetrain and you have drift destroyed bodies being picked clean mechanically by horsepower starved NA owners.

That makes a complete, stock T2 a rather rare bird.

I disagree with w0ppe about the collectible status of the FC though.
IMO, a car isn't collectible till demand is coming from outside the core fan group (which would be us) and the same baller who might consider a Porsche or S2000 is also looking at a FC.

 

They've all been destroyed and are getting rare. You can still find them cheap if you are persistant and have good luck.... but getting very rare.

I find the best prices are in the dead of winter. Take advantage of some poor schmuck who just got laid off or divorced, trying to sell a 20+yr old Japanese sports car in winter.

 

^Good buying tips!

Initial D happened and *quadrupled* the popularity of cheap, old japanese sports cars.
Junkyards will pay $500 for anything that rolls and turbo's are worth about 1k in drivetrain parts alone, so there's a much higher minimum price for a car nowadays.

I think they used to be severely underpriced considering how much the individual parts are worth. It used to be difficult to part out a car since it would go by word of mouth. Now with craigslist and the parts section of the forum, It's a lot more profitable to part a car out.

Re: Your example of $2500 for non-runner, that guy is a moron. Generally, I'd guess people would be willing to take about half of their asking price, after months of price drops.

*The result of a double blind study by a guy with a white lab coat and thick glasses. We're talking Milton from Office Space style spec's.*

 

I bought my 87na for $550 back in 2003 . Mazda remain with around 30k . Guy spent $4500 on it at the dealer just to drive it twice a year to El Paso . The only problems it had was dead battery and flooded . He couldn't get it to start . Lil ATF and I was driving off . . Good days when parts were every where . Stupid cash for clonkers

 

The last TII I got I paid $900 for. Parted it out for over $2300 and got to keep the trans, rear end, and tein coil overs.

 

I've noticed that here in LA people are trying to sell their blown N/A verts in a 5/10 body shape for about 2,500$. That is ridiculous price. That is how much i paid for my FC which was running and a rip in the top. Sure it's a salvage title, but I love the car. Anyways, Prices are going up on these cars and even more so with the tII. I would buy a car that is in the middle of no where and have it towed home. Usually people who live far away (and I mean like a small city or town) are usually willing to sell their RX that has been sitting on their lawn for X years for a decent price.

 

asking prices have been high in 2012, but the cars sit on CL for 6 months or more.

like this one 1989 RX7 FC3S T2 S5 Turbo

 

I picked up a one owner, unmolested 1987 TII with 79K original miles, new tires, brakes, RB Cat Back and every receipt from everything done to the car for $4500. Car is spotless inside and out and it took me a while to find one like this with and asking price of under 6K

 

lol thats messed up but great advice.

 

Drift tax

 

I've never found the season/weather to have much effect on either side of a transaction.

 

Bingo.

After that... they gain some sanity and lower the price prior to scrapping, or along will come a 16 year old at some point that doesn't know any better, and whose parents actually don't give a crap about what they spend their money on.

It happens... often.

 

There are less of these cars and the fans of these cars have more money to spend on them...simple

 

Work tends to be slower in winter especially in my profession as a mover. There has been times when I've been close to selling my 1st rx7. Thankfully I didn't have too but you get the point, I almost let her go for next to nothing.

 

In short, supply and demand; there are a ton of kids out there who want something rather unique as opposed to the typical Honda.

Then again, a lot of it has to do with where you live as well -- some areas have entirely different preferences in makes/models.

 

I've bought 3 rx7s I the last 3 years.
83 no title been sitting under a tree for 5 years so it didn't run$ 350
85 title blown motor idiot tried to drift so pretty decent body damage $450
88 na supposed blown motor that sat for two years damaged front driver fender passenger fender is differant color rusty and paints horrible. $450

Around here there rare to start with but not bad if there motors are blown lol
But all of them I've seen running first gen and second is 4-5k and they all look like crap falling apart

 

around here demand is nearly zero, supply is fine, there are usually 1-2 T2's on CL, one of them has been there for at least 6 months, i think the other guy gave up

 

One factor could be that people who initially fell in love with these cars when they were new now have more disposable income. So they can get the car of their youthful dreams and are willing to pay a premium for them.