hi all,

i'm after a '94 Touring in SSM over Red and I think that I may have found one. and although i was really after a super low mileage stock example - i think that if i really want a SSM/Red that i may have to open my search up to include higher miles and mods.

the car is described as:

'94 Touring
SSM over Red Leather
5-speed
83,000 miles - original drivetrain - no rebuild


2nd owner purchased a year or so ago and set it up to auto-x... the car was recently completed and never was run in an event, however.

-TKT clutch kit
-light weight fly wheel and counter weight
-3" SS straight exhaust, wrapped DP, and hi-perf cat back muffler (?)
-NGK performance ignition and wires
-TKT cold air intake
-Petit Custom Program ECU
-under drive pulley kit
-new engine grounds
-H&R custom springs
-Custom Valved Koni Adjustable shocks
-Hawk performance brake pads
-performance sway bars (?)
-sway bar reinforcement brace
-Volk Racing GT-P 18" wheels and Yoko tires (new)
-modified turbo (??) - I need to look into this further.


The interior is cherry and the exterior looks like a 9/10. I've communicated with the owner several times. He's a great guy and knows his cars for sure.

What do you think of these mods? Honestly, I'm still learning a lot and welcome any advice from the forum. He's asking less than $20,000.

I would need to add a Bonez Hi-Performance Cat so that I will not have to worry about passing emission testing.

I look forward to your input. Thank you!

 

Sounds nice, and it looks like it might be legal for ASP class.

At 83k the motor does not have a long time before rebuild time. You should absolutely get a 3rd party to check out the coolant seals and perform a compression test. But good interiors and exteriors are getting harder to find.

The price sounds steep to me, but not an unreasonable asking price. SSM is somewhat popular, although not many out there in red. So although the mods are nice, you have two factors to help work down the final price: mileage on the engine and the general prices of FDs on the market.

Dave

 

thanks for your advice. the engine bay looks pretty nice... and it sits right!

 

A little over priced but that car is just an r1 lip away from being one of the best looking cars on the road.

 

what do you think about the modifications? did he source quality parts? he says it's at ~335HP.

what questions would you ask the seller in addition to a coolant seal inspection and compression test report?

an R1 lip would be a must! maybe even an R1 rear deck spoiler... I really appreciate your collective knowledge and advice.

 

Look for suspension clunk/bushings, transmission issues, compression test, make sure all the windows and electronics work correctly. Engine and Paint are about the two most expensive things to do to the fd.

Mod list looks decent, I didnt see any coilovers/struts listed, I would think that would be on the car if they planned to autox it.

 

He listed Koni shocks and H&R springs.

 

It's a real treat to see an FD in that great looking shape. Inside out......

 

haha, it was 2 in the morning

 

It's a nice car no doubt, but at $20K it is overpriced. Those are figures I would expect to see on a 40K mile car.

Make him an offer in the 15-16 range and let him stew for a while. He won't get $20K in this market any time soon and he'll realize he will have to hold on to the car for another few years at least before he gets near that amount.

 

thank you for all of the solid advice.

it sounds like my offer should be based on a very clean 83,000 mile car and that the mods really don't add value to the car. the mods may attract a certain buyer and drive another away, but those who invest money in mods really don't expect to anything back when they decide to sell - is this right? so spending money on mods is like spending money on a very nice pool in your back yard... enjoy it while you have it.

i love the wheels (i think he has the original wheels, too). i wonder what they weigh?

i'll inquire about the compression, etc. soonest. thanks again.

 

I wouldn't necessarily inquire about compression so much as pay to have it tested for yourself along with a full inspection by a mechanic of your choosing. That way there is no confusion whatsoever.

Yes, mods are a loss or at least much of a loss. Only in certain cases do they add value and still the mods are a big loss to the seller.

Dave

 

the owner is a life long car enthusiast (~60 years old)... i believe that he manages some sort of auto-x team and owns a bunch of sports cars (bloomington gold corvette, Z06 corvette, stillen twin-turbo 300 zx, '93 RX-7 race car, etc.). i'm not sure how long he's had this RX-7. he set it for auto-x for his post college age son to have a go at the auto sport. his son moved away and never had the opportunity to drive it at an event. i think it was built and never put to use.

the rebuilt turbo consisted of cleaning up parts and installing a heavy duty bearing. whatever that means!?

is this a racing beat exhaust?

 

damascus, there really is nothing else to say other than what these long-time experts have already brought up. I just wanted to agree with what has already been said and it is nice to see another ssm on red out there!! This car looks very well taken care of, and is definately in the $16-18k range. If you are serious in the car, I would personally take in to have the compression test done and pending those results be prepared to make an offer. I know what it is like to travel a long ways to purchase a car or possibly walk away. I traveled 1100+miles and ended up with my RX7. Good luck with the purchase.

 

??? not sure what happened to the photos above... here are a few:







sister auto-x car:



I should have it home in the spring! Gordon's suggested value was right on. Thank you.