So here's what I'm thinking, I'm wondering if it's worth the money to try and find a trashed FD, (not completely mind you, just like a salvageable title) and fix it up to get it on the road. I don't have the cash for one that's as nice as I would like, so I'm wondering what they go for with either blown motors or just being in poor condition in one way or another.

What do you guys think? Anyone ever do this before?

 

I wish I could have gotten a blown motor one. Yet if its blown dont overpay for it.

 

What would you consider a decent price, let's say for one thats got a good body/interior, but blown motor?

 

8k

 

1993 Silver Touring
96,000 miles
$10,000 w/ Blown Engine.

Above average condition outside and in. Reliability Mods+more completed

 

So for something at that price, i would just have to do a rebuild?

 

I wouldn't pay any more than 7-8k.

 

That sounds reasonable, plus I've got hookups for the rebuild. I'm thinking of trading up from the SA to an FD. Little bit of a step up huh?

 

My co-worker just picked up a '93 MB Base for $6K about 2 months ago, however it has a salvage title from being stolen and stripped. Runs OK (so far) and it looks to be in average condition. The advantage to buying a car like this is the price is cheap. On the downside, there is always a stigma associated with buying a car with a salvage title. It will also never have full "book" value and you will have a hard time selling the car or trading it in if you ever decide to do so. Depends too on what the salvage title is for. If it was wrecked, or was in a flood, you may have underlying damage that was never repaired properly and you will not see it and it may manifest itself at a later time. In the long run, you're better off paying more for a nice, solid, well maintained, clean title cherry car that needs no attention as opposed to a beater that has a lot of issues. My $.07.

 

It depends. You get what you pay for. Depends also on what is important to you, what you are willing to spend money on, and what you can do yourself.

In my case, suspension, wheels, tires, gaskets, motor mounts, all fluids, injectors cleaned, full exhaust, AST, radiator, brakes, turbo's rebuilt...everything had been replaced.

I could have spent 6-7K on another car with a blown engine, and another 10K to have the mods I have.

Just remember you get what you pay for. There are deals out there though, I looked 8 months. From my experience it is seldom a nice condition FD, with basic reliability mods recently completed, and a blown engine goes for less than $8,000.

 

Not necessarily. You don't want to just "drop in" a rebuild/reman into a blown car. Why? There is a reason the engine is/was blown. You want to find and fix that problem or else you'll kill the next one you stick in...

It can get quite a bit expensive to do it the "right way", but you'll be in better shape as you'll know exactly what has been replaced and what hasn't on your car.

If I had to do it over again (and I just might here shortly), I would get one with nice paint but a blown/bad engine. The interior I wouldn't worry so much about as the interior panels can be repainted and most people want to go with aftermarket seats anyways.

 

I'm a little confused, are you suggesting buying a new motor all together, or rebuilding the one I get with the car(assuming it's blown)?

 

That depends on the condition of the bad/blown engine. If the engine is gone from a coolant seal failure, rebuild it. Blown an apex seal, a rebuild could be very expensive depending on what else is damaged. In that case, I would get a reman.

Also, if it was an apex seal, its possible the turbos could be damaged as well.