Hey guys, let me know what you local fellas think about this one...I appreciate it!

Ok, I have been conversing with a guy about a '93 touring FD, Blue exterior, tan leather interior, very clean physically and 100% stock except Exhaust and front strut bar of unknown origin. He sent extremely detailed pics of the inside and outside, everything is VERY clean and in good shape. About 79,000 miles on the car. He will take around $12,000. The owner seems very nice, I've talked to him extensively both on the phone and via email. If I'm missing any IMPORTANT questions let me know!
Below I have my questions and his answers.
I would really appreciate everyones feedback, this car is 500+ miles away so if I decide to go look at it, then I'll basically buy it if you guys with 1st hand knowledge with these cars think it's a good deal.(I will check the boost with my own boost guage, and I will make sure it has a clean carfax before agreeing to a purchase)
Thanks!
Mark

-Any paint fading?(I know lots of these RX-7's had some paint issues)
[jc] Not that I can tell. The car looks like it's spent a very large portion of it's life in the garage.


-Have any of the "dependability" mods been done?(new silicone hoses etc)
[jc] Not that I know of. All I do know for certain is that the water pump, a turbo, all the associated plumbing and the belts were replaced at ~62K miles.


-What exact size and brand is the exhaust? Stock Catalytic convertor?
[jc] No idea. All I do know is that the exhaust is a cat back outfit with a 5" tip. The stock cats should still be in place.


-what brand is the front strut bar?
[jc] There's no name on the bar, so I'm figuring it must be an eBay special (or the like). Looks nice, though.


-Does the CD player work?
[jc] Perfectly. So does the power antenna.


-What mainenance is/has been done recently?
[jc] I believe that the car is due for an oil/filter change in the next 1K miles (or so I was told by the previous owner).


-Do you have a carfax or have you ever ran one on the car?
[jc] That I haven't done.


-Does it have window tint, if so is it faded or peeling etc?
[jc] The windows are tinted (sides, back), but the tint is in excellent shape and doesn't bear the marks of a poor installation job. Everything is cut very precisely and isn't scratched/torn.


-Have you ever done a compression test on it?
[jc] Sure haven't.


-Do you know if it's the original motor and turbos?
[jc] From what I gather from the previous owner, the engine and 1 of the turbos is original. The other turbo was repaired with the water pump and belts/hoses by a Mazda dealership (or at least that's what the receipts say).


-Any minor leaks whatsoever?
[jc] Not that I could tell when I bought it, but I think that the power steering rack might have a slow leak. (I've found a few drops on the garage floor after I park it for a week) The interior paneling/hatch/doors/windows are all very much tight and non-leaking. The weather trim is in very good shape (no cracks, still soft and malleable).


-Does it have the famous "studder" or "shudder" at 3000RPM's?(common problem)
[jc] Honestly, I can't really tell. If there is a studder, it's not easy to detect or prevalent.


-Does it shift smoothly into 5th gear?(another common problem)
[jc] That it does. 5th gear is easy to shift into from 3rd or 4th gear. (someone else asked me that and I had to go check it out when I took it for a wash)


-Ever had issues starting up when hot?
[jc] Nope. Starts up like a top - never had an issue there. However, on a cold start, she does smoke for about 45 seconds before warming up. I also notice that the tranny is much smoother shifting once the car warms up. If it's cold (like when I picked it up and it was about 32 degrees outside), the tranny feels a little stiffer when going through the gears.

 

Sounds good to me.

 

I looked at an FD a few years ago that started great, didn't leak and felt like it had great power. It seemed really nice for the price. Louie Rivera did a pre-purchase inspection for me. He said he thought it was in great shape too when he drove it around. But when he did a compression check the engine was running in the 66-69 range on all faces of both rotors. They are supposed to have a really hard time starting with compression that low, but this thing showed no signs of trouble.

My point is, there's no good way to know (even for an expert) if the engine on the car is good without that compression check. Make sure it's done. I'd have it checked before you go out that far to see it. It's a well spent $60-100.

 

Sweet, great information there.
I just had a thought, maybe have the guy go have the compression checked and tell him I'll pay him back in full if I buy the car(assuming it has good compression). And if it does have good compression and I don't end up buying it, I'll pay half. That way he can use that as a sales advantage for other buyers. Some kind of deal like that should hopefully motivate him to get it done, although I bet he'll gladly do it.

 

If he agrees to that, go for it. I've always just viewed it as an insurance policy and gladly paid for the test (which seems to be traditional). If the car had a bad engine, I gladly ate the cost as it saved me $5k in replacing an engine.

 

the compression test would be great!!!

the exterior and stuff, i would say use your own judment. i myself wasnt picky about the exterior so it depends on you.

most important just see how it runs, check the boost patterns. the compression test would be a HUGE help. if that all checks out i say great deal! other stuff thats up to u, imo the most important thing is u have a good running car. the rest isnt so big.

 

So...What happened wirh this?

 

It's still a good possibility, I'm checking out a few more before I finally decide what to get. I will most likely end up with this one, but I want to keep my options open for a tad bit longer.
Mark