so prices are coming way way down on all kinds of cars obviously and its starting to look like the going price for a clean FD with low miles is running somewhere between 10-13k.. at least thats what ive been seeing. so heres my question..

what is a more valuable car to buy/own? a stock FD with low miles (like 30-50k) on an original engine, or a stock FD with a rebuilt engine (say 5-10k miles)?

i know obviously there are tons of factors like condition and who did the rebuild and any modifications, im just trying to decide in general which way to go is better.

 

Year, miles and condition are the three primary factors contributing to value for pretty much any car. With an FD a newer motor is always preferable. Modifications add next to no value.

 

There are links to buyer's guides in the FAQ section. Check them out and search as we get this question often.

 

Unless you intend to buy car as collectible and keep everything original, I would go with one that has a rebuilt engine and maybe with low milage on body, <85K. If you're like most FD owner and are buying because you love how much fun they are to drive and intend to actually drive the car. I would get one with all the typical mods already done. (ie exhaust, intake and downpipe). Let's be honest, the chance that you'll make money on these car's as a collectible is going to be very slim. So, don't buy base on how valuable you think the car might be later, but buy one that drives and looks nice to you. This is a great time to pickup a clean FD if you have the cash. Good luck with your search.

 

i am wondering more specifically to our current economy and the increasing age our the vehicles. in the last year prices have dropped dramatically and this thread is more intended to discuss the pros/cons of having rebuilt low miles vs original fairly low miles. thanks

 

I would say that depends on the miles though original engine is preferred if miles are low.

-Around 60k a rebuilt engine would be worth more since by then, its compression probably isnt to hot.
-At 30k, it can go either way depending on compression.
-At under 20k, I think original is by far the best and a car like this, if well taken care of, can be considered a time warp car.

I dont think desirability (pricing rank) is changed during an economic meltdown hahaha. Actual worth ($) and supply/demand is changed though.

For instance, I remember seeing alot more cherry cars a while back. Now the market is flooded with drivers cars.

 

yeah the really appealing part of buying an rx7 with low original miles to me is how little miles are actually on the body. considering that when the inevitable eventually happens and the engine blows, a rebuild can be had for a few thousand.. where as if you have one with a rebuilt engine, the miles have already taken a toll on the appearance, condition of the car as a whole..

 

an all original, 15 year old, low mileage FD that has never been apart will likely require more than a simple rebuild. Think dried up, old coolant hoses, fuel hoses, vacuum hoses, weak clamps, FPD, injector seals, OMP lines etc.

i agree on your other comments about condition of appearance items on the exterior and interior.

 

there is a car i am interested in with around 35k miles, and the price is comparable to that of most of cars with high miles and rebuilt engines.. i suppose it comes down to each individual situation. we were lucky with our first FD that we bought last winter for 16k with about 67k miles. put probably about 5-6 thousand miles then sold it right before the economy crashed and got 15k out of it. when buying the car, not really knowing much about FD's, that mileage seemed low for such an old car. now in retrospect i think we were lucky to not have much trouble with it (aside from a failing secondary turbo). i guess i like the idea of driving a car in its "prime condition" and being able to monitor changes to its condition as opposed to buying it and over time realizing what you really have to work with.

course who knows if rx7s ever had a prime lol. maybe they were blowing engines off the line. it'd be interesting to talk to those who bought them in showroom condition considering i was still in a car seat when they came out.

 

As well as the engine, don't forget about the other items that wear with age, suspension bushings, seals (A/C), etc.

 

Do what i did, buy a car with a recent rebuild (i.e. under 3k if you can manage) with proper work done along with it, such as the coolant hoses, plugs and wires, fluids, clutch, metal AST or elimination, downpipe installed to reduce heat in the engine bay, etc.

I ROBBED the previous owner of my car. I suggest you search and and long and don't SETTLE for anything, search until you find what you want and love it.

 

I wouldn't assume anything about that 35k car until it's seen a compression test and checked out for the coolant seals.

Dave

 

jeez its late man. unless your east coast i guess. thanks for the input.

 

above all else condition, and this may sound funny but interview the owner. look at his other car, see how he treats it. i rather buy something with more miles if the owner is a car person, if they know what they are talking about and if i feel that he is like me ( **** about maintance and keep his car in top condition). a low mileage car can mean two things, a well kept semi collector car, or a nelected car.

 

hehe the guy we bought our first fd looked exactly like elijah wood. you know the parts of lord of the rings where he made frodo look like a total pansy.. yea that was him