As sad as it makes me, I have decided to part with my FD. This post is not in the Classifieds because I don't intend on selling it through here, I have a potential buyer. He's an old friend and I want to be sure I give him a FAIR price. So I turn to you, the experts, what's the market value of my car? I'll try to be as honest and detailed as possible so you can make an accurate appraisal.

Year: 1993
Make: Mazda
Model: RX-7
Original Purchase Price: $18,500
Mileage: 102,000
Exterior Color: Blaze Red
Interior Color: Black
Location (US State/Canada/Int): PA

Exterior Mods:

• '99 JDM Front Bumper
• '99 JDM Fog Lights
• '99 JDM Tail Lights
• '99 JDM Rear Spoiler
• Speedline Corsa 18" Wheels
• Pirelli 275/35/18 Tires (Brand New)
• 30% tint on side windows

Interior Mods:

• Custom Rollcage
• Recaro SPG Seats
• Schroth 4-Point Harnesses
• '94 Door Panels
• Mazda Flying M Steering Wheel
• Mazda Indiglo Gauges
• JDM Center Console
• Pioneer Rear Component Speakers
• Dynamat Throughout

Suspension Mods:

• Tokico 5-Way Adjustable Shocks
• H&R Springs
• R1 Front Strut Tower Bar
• RaceShop Roll Bar
• RaceShop Toe Links
• RaceShop Trailing Arms
• KAAZ 1.5 LSD
• RX-7 Club Diff. Bushings
• RX-7 Club Diff. Brace

Engine Mods:

• Race/Street Ported Engine (10K miles, 120 psi compression)
• '88 High Compression Rotors
• Racing Seals
• Garrett T04E Single Turbo
• M2 Racing Intercooler
• HKS 50mm Wastegate
• A'PEXi Blow Off Valve
• SS Downpipe
• SS Midpipe
• Racing Beat Catback Exhaust
• Cast Iron Exhaust Manifold
• Pettit Racing AST
• K&N Air Filter
• 180 Thermostat
• Silicone Hose Replacement
• 1600cc Secondary Injectors
• KRD Fuel Rail
• Supra Twin Turbo Fuel Pump
• Aeromotive FPR

Engine Mangement:

• Power FC Commander EMS
• GReddy Profec B Spec Boost Controller

Interior (9/10):

• All surfaces and carpets like new.
• One panel of the center console is not flush with the dashboard.
• The driver's side window gets caught on the door panel when raised.

Exterior (8/10):

Excellent condition, paint is brilliant.
One minor dent on passenger side door.
Small mark on front spoiler from speed bump.

Reliability Issues:

• The shift to second is not smooth, never got around to diagnosing the issue.
• The factory temperature gauge does not work, don't know if it's the factory gauge's tendency not to move or if it's actually broken, have not driven it hard enough recently to find out.

Miscellaneous:

• Third owner, previous owner was very responsible and diligent, cannot speak to first owner.
• Car began life as a Touring model before undergoing a 5-speed conversion.
• All maintenance was performed at recommended intervals.
• Most labor and tuning was done by Speed 1 (formerly KDR Performance), I have the service records for all the work.
• Car has almost always been garaged while in my possession.
• Car has never been smoked in.
• Clean Car Fax.
• Never in an accident.

Pictures below, I'll put up a few more this weekend:

 

Without interior shots, but noticing the SPGs..
20k easy. Your friend will be stoked because that's a nice FD. Parted out, probably more like 23-25k

Whats on the menu as far as a new car?

 

Thanks Natey. I know, I'm going to try to get a few interior shots weekend when I can visit the car.

Sadly nothing is on the menu now. I don't even want to let this one go but I'm in Washington D.C. and you simply can't enjoy a car like this here. If I do get something, a 2003-2007 Mitsubishi Evo is on the short list.

 

i'd say 22-23 if it weren't being sold to a buddy. 20k would be a fair price to sell to a friend as a hookup. i was trying to sell my similar (single turbo, haltech, track ready, solid, gone-through, reliable) 93 red FD last fall and i couldn't get 18k for it, but it was slightly rougher than yours. yours looks quite a bit better than mine did, as you have the 99spec and other appearance stuff.
i ended up parting mine down and selling as a roller. i know the red cars sell for a little less, and 93s sell for a little less, so a red 93 isnt the most desirable, especially if it has tan interior. i know a CW/CYM on black will pull a few thousand more easily just because of the color. yours looks great though.

it looks like a very well-done car, and very similar (and in mods) to my white 94, plus your recaros (i have one fixed mount sparco EVO that i swap in for track use). this makes me wonder what mine would be worth.

we need fritz in here for his input

 

Nice car, and nicely done.

Unfortunately it's a red 93 with 100k miles, a single swap, and a sunroof.
I'd say 18-20k. If you were willing to sit, the right guy might go ~21-22k.
You really need a stock-ish, white/silver/black, base/r2 with low miles to get above 20k easily right now.


Go have a look around the FS section and see what's selling for what.
Maybe fritz or allrotor will chine in, since they move a lot of product and buy a lot of FD's. They could draw a good bead on this.

 

$15-16K
I am surprised everyone is giving such a high price number, but I don't think it would sell at those prices, even with a good engine.
We all have different opinions and perception on price and value for sure.
Most upgrades add little value and the more original the higher the value.
Watch Barret Jackson auctions, modified or customs, not very high price.
Good luck.

 

This is pretty much spot on IF:
No oil leaks, exhaust leaks, coolant leaks etc...
Good tune or car runs well
AC works
No rust
No previous paint work
etc...

In other words a red touring with 100k miles won't be easy to sell for over 20k even when it's as nice as your car appears to be.

Single turbo mods or any heavy mods do not increase the value of the car unless it's the latest greatest stuff and then you still have to find the right buyer. Even the diff may be a not so welcome addition to a lot of potential buyers so these kinds of mods will make it harder for you to get top dollar.

Oh and Roll bars (even the 1k m2 bar) can also decrease the value because of the holes drilled into the chassis and the cut carpet.

As mentioned in the above post most people at this time who are willing to spend 20k plus for an FD are looking for really clean original/stock cars not track cars or show cars.

Bottomline: A fast sale to someone like myself or allrotor93 or the hookup price so to speak would be 17 or 18k

 

I wouldn't sell it for less than 18k unless you are in a hurry to sell.

 

Appreciate the honest assessment Fritz, that's the range I was considering. Good to have it confirmed by someone who's seen a lot of FDs.

 

I'm sorry, but did everyone in the high price saw this fact?

Car began life as a Touring model before undergoing a 5-speed conversion.

Not to knock your valued car to you, but as a potential buyer, this would be a no go for me.
Again, good luck for the sale.

 

True, but...
If the swap is clean, I don't care with this car for the aforementioned reasons. It's a clean car with nice parts, not a collector.
You could def strip all the hot parts off(they nice), hock 'em for like $6k, slap the stock jumps back on there, and have an easy $15-16k car if it's all sorted out.

 

What's wrong with having a sunroof? Isn't it an advantage instead?

Thanks.

 

If you have the time it's always best to part out the good stuff and return the car to stock.

If you go this route I'll buy the long block and seats

 

The sunroof takes away a little bit of headroom, making it harder to fit inside with a helmet on, plus adds a little weight to the absolute worst place..the roof. That IS a glass one though, so it's pretty rare/desirable.

 

better than a 40 pound block in either the front or rear bumper

But yeah a sunroof is the last thing an FD needs

with that said there are lots of folks who dig the glass sr and I'm guessing the OPs buddy is loving it

Touring 93 with bose, fogs, rear wiper and sunroof probably weighs 75 pounds more than a base

I love my light weight SSM base. I'm guessing it weighs in around 2650 max

light weight battery (7 pounds max) 18 pounds
rear deck stripped 40 pounds (no carpet, spare, tools, deck cover)
After market exhaust (dp, smb mp, m2 dual) 30 pounds
bride drivers seat 7 pounds
99 steering wheel 1 pound
no airpump bs 15 pounds

Will have fixed rails and two recaro profi seats installed soon and shave another 10 pounds

I wish someone made an oem looking TI exhaust or not a watermelon shooter

 

Sure, some would argue.
But, it reduces headroom and adds weight. I'm 6'3" and both my FDs have had sunroofs. I'm over it.
It usually came on touring and PEP/PEG cars, which are the most common.

IMHO The Rx7 is not loved as a GT car(gmonson aside :p). It's loved as a pure sports car, which don't usually include sunroofs.

 

Like Narfle mentioned, if it is done right I don't think it matter, plus the OP has some nice 99 Spec stuff to offset that. A car like his even with the stock front end is easily a 15k car, plus give it another year or two no one will care if it was an auto or 5-spd cause you can barely even find one for sale.

I love my Ganador Ti, weight like 8lbs, tip is a little large but it's not too bad, and it sounds awesome

 

The megaphone watermelon shooter is even worse

I love my borla TI on my track car but that thing isn't for the street

The Feed ti might be acceptable if the can isn't barrel sized like some of the other jdm catbacks

 

Knightsports?

 

Not bad and like the flatter can. Don't get the burned tip thing though screams aftermarket/arrest me

 

That's very similar to the FEED and Ganador, same can and might even be the same piping, just different tip.

 

I wouldn't sell it. It's a super low blow. Stock cars may hold there value better but in reality there boring stock and if you use the car it will probably break and you will just wind up doing what you did anyway. It's also probably more reliable to once you get all the kinks out. Less to go wrong and they run cooler. Your helping the next owner get the car to where it needs to be for a small price. Yours is pretty clean to and don't look like it needs much as long as everything checks out mechanically Also there getting more and more rare. And if it runs good and works good with the single turbo you get your moneys worth by just enjoying the car. Just don't get greedy with boost and HP. I think a good running clean single turbo car should be worth good money cause of all the stuff you had to go threw to get it there.

 

Yep

With that said I've purchased 50 single turbo cars and maybe 5 where done properly and ALL OF THEM within 5k miles have issues like exhaust leaks, oil leaks, coolant leaks etc.... LOL

 

It's definitely hard to build a single turbo car right. Mine was just put together again and the oil cooler brand new out of the box was leaking. The Link ECU I have was defective. Had to send it back to New Zealand and there sending me a replacement. Also the alternator I had upgraded was a dud. I'm sorting out the issues and plan on doing a conservative tune and getting this one right. I was just saying considering he went threw the car pretty good tuned it and it runs pretty reliable.

But I think when you do get them right there they can work pretty good if you don't go crazy.

 

You (the o.p.) are in a bit of a pickle. Obviously you want to get the most you can, right...yet not feel like you took advantage of a friend. He on the other hand wants to "get a good deal" (don't we all?) and not overpay. First thing I always do in deals like this is see what the competition, i.e. other models for sale, are going for...and price accordingly. A good friend might see a 10% discount off "fair market value".

To me you have a $16,000 car to your friend, $18,000 for others. The pluses basically outweigh the minuses, just. But at the end of the day, a car is only worth what someone is willing to pay.