Black 93 R1 w/ ~45k original engine no mods
asking $18k
looks excellent inside and out

vs.

Blue 94 Touring w/ ~60k original engine no mods
rough idle...up and down like it's hunting for the right throttle position.
coolant leak.
asking $12k since the coolant leak is unknown.
Also very good inside and out. Not quite as pristene as the 93 though.


Other thing I'm wondering is I'm thinking about getting an extended warranty for whichever car I get. It seems like some of them stop at 10 year old cars. Which would mean the 94 is eligible, the 93 is not. Any suggestions or knowledge of a warranty company that will cover a 93?

Opinions and thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

Have you been reading the information in the newbie sticky? You absolutely must if you haven't yet. You should also search this forum because this question is asked constantly. Keep learning - you can't just buy this car and hope to learn later - you'll probably already be screwed. The buying process is critical.

Regarding the specifics of your case, here are my slightly-experienced thoughts:

- both cars should not be purchased without a compression test to evaluate the condition of the internal seals. The touring will probably show bad results since the lumpy idle, leak, etc indicate a blown engine. Ideal compression numbers are 8-9 kg/cm^2 on all chambers, fail is below 6.0. A rebuild will run $3-5k, with many variables.

- The warranty is a good idea if - IF - you can get them to warranty it with the bad engine. Then you can claim a blown motor and have it replaced under warranty.

Dave

 

Reading. Yes. Lots. Two months worth of reading, talking to owners, mechanics, etc.

I should have been more clear about what I wanted feedback about.

I'm assuming that on the 94 I will have to replace or rebuild the engine. But at that point I'm starting with a known, where as with the 93 I'm hoping that the compression check, etc. catch anything major wrong with the engine.

I was just trying to get an idea as to whether people think I'm better off with the 93 with the original motor or the 94 with a rebuilt/new motor. Reliability mods are planned on either one.

It also seems like the $6k difference in price should cover the engine rebuild/replacement from what I understand.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

I'd much rather have a fd with an engine that I put in there than a 45k mile old stock engine. The 94s are more rare as well and have a few important updates. MB is not my color but ohh well. If you do find out it is the engine the price should be lowered from 12k a little more and also beware of who you go to for an engine rebuild not many at all can do it the right way.

-Snook

 

I like the idea of rebuilding the 94. It gives you a very convenient time to replace all kinds of reliability parts / upgrades - radiator, coolant hoses, vacuum hoses, downpipe, without any fuss. The 6k difference is enough to make it all worth it. I also dug until I found a 94 - it was worth it for me.

Dave

 

Go with the 94, but try and get him down in price. The first one seems expensive considering many motors seem to give it up around the 50k mark.

New motor is at least $3k. I got my 93 with a blown motor and most of the mods you see in my sig (plus a few that I sold: intake, midpipe, other stuff) for quite a bit less than that price. I do have 120k miles though.

Its coming down to the close of the season to buy a sports car. Most people buy/sell them in the spring.

Good luck!

 

Don't assume that the engine is bad on the 94. Have it checked out. One loose vacuum line could cause that.

I think a 94 is a better car. They had a chance to correct some of the mistakes made in the 93 models. Also consider that a 94 is worth a little more because there are fewer of them.

Regarding the warranty: A warranty is no good if the people that will repair your car don't know how to work on it. There are not many repair shops that are qualified to work on these cars.

 

Going to get the 94 checked out this weekend. Thanks for the insight. I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

 

I think both are quite high. You can get a blown FD alot cheaper then that, even a 94. The 93 R1 is WAY high, I paid under 14k for mine a year ago with 70k, rebuilt at 60kish.

 

Hmm i gotta agree, both seem pretty high.
Good luck with buying the 94!!

 

Yeah. I'll be waiting to see what the outcome on the 94 is before I make this dude an offer. If the engine is the problem then he'll have to come donw before I consider it.

The owner has taken the car to two mechanics and they cannot find out where the coolant leak is coming from. At that point he dropped his asking price from 17k to 12k. I'm guessing one of the mechanics told him the engine is the problem. I'll probably ask to talk to those mechanics at some point to see what their assessment was.

Jason/LamE - Thanks for the thoughts on price.