Buying a FD3S!
 

I need help decided on this one. I been a fan of this car for a long time and now that I am stationed in Okinawa, Japan I am finally able to get one for a descent price. I have been looking around and I have seem some mostly stock from $7,000 USD for a 1993 to 1995 and $10,000 for a modified one. While looking around I saw this one, 1996 twin turbo for $7,500 USD and the description of the car on the ad is as follows:

I had to do some spell check on it but that's pretty much what he posted.

Some Pictures:

http://kadenaservices.com/Classified...es/4871976.jpg
http://kadenaservices.com/Classified...es/1500217.jpg
http://kadenaservices.com/Classified...es/4635186.jpg


So here is the BIG question, so I go for this one or get a stock older model for a bit less? Any options and though appreciated and welcomed!

Thank you very much and have a great day!

i personally would say go stock, then theres a better chance it hasnt been abused IMO
and its also way cooler to do/see the transformation for yourself over time.

best of luck on the purchase!

Yea, I have been looking around for a month now and I seem to only find the same six. I was looking at the stock and they all have a few mods like rims, turbo times, and some electronics. And then there is this one that I saw and caught my eye, interior and exterior is stock minus the hood but he is saying something like "only needed to paint and personalize" and that "Shop tuned and shop serviced. I'm the first American to own this car. I paid top dollar, because the car is tuned perfect for the Okinawa streets and track." but I have talked to him a bit and he sent picture but he says he won't divulge anymore information via E-mail and has given me his cell and told me I am more then welcome to test drive it and what not now ever I am a little skeptical about it. I am going to check it out next week but is there anything I should be looking for in particular? From the picture the car looks perfect but that is just the exterior. Thank you very much!

Dont buy if your intentions are to bring it back to the USA. The cost to import it and register it legally would cost lots of $$$$$$. There are some threads that pop up occasionally on this topic.

Actually, money alone would not make that possible. The imports that make it to the states are done illegally in some measure and cars that don't get through get crushed. Cars that do get through are still sometimes taken and crushed.

Anyway, seems like it might be a nice car. Personally I'd be concerned with running 1 bar (15psi) of boost with only a fuel pump upgrade. Of course a wideband will show whether that's safe or not but without an ECU upgrade it's generally not.

I would buy it if it 1) passes a compression test 2) shows no signs of a coolant seal problem and 3) the maintenance records show good consistent maintenance history.

Dave

Well I would like to bring it back but I know and understand that is highly unlikely to do. I am going to be in Japan for the next, at the very least, four years. But I do think because I am in the service it *MIGHT*, and I put a lot of emphasis on might, be a bit easier if it were a 1993 to a 1995 completely stock FD. Till then I just want one to drive around in Okinawa. I have read a few post about other doing it but it still seems illegal. I wish I could throw it in the back of a C-17 and send it to Washington and just register it but I can't so I would sell it when I leave. How ever if anyone has done it and was in the service and has advice I am open to suggestions.

dgeesaman thanks for the reply, I will look into it and check it out. Also I read a lot of thread on the XTD clutch and that alone has made me rethink this car. But we will see.

looks like the fender has been repainted..it could be the picture but i think the rest car is lighter black colour
check for any serious damages on the body

Yeah XTD is an ebay special...Some swear by them though. I had one behind my S4 TII and it works well but got pretty noisey/beat up within 6k miles when I upgraded to a Centerforce Clutch.

yea i also noticed that the driver front fender looks darker
the door+rear quarter look lighter

IDK might be the picture, lighting or it could have been damaged and repainted but I believe you mean the passengers front fender as you can not see the drivers side of the car. I will make sure to check this out.

So I have been looking around a lot for a rotary engine compression tester and I have found a few from Mazda OEM for about $2,000.00 to a few 3rd party digital for about $500.00 and then TR-01 Rotary Engine Compression Tester for $250.00 but I was wondering if there was a non-digital one. I found some for a rotary engine but when I looked closer it was for a lawn mower, lol. They were priced around $50.00 which is closer to what I am looking for. However if there isn't one is the TR-01 a highly recommended one? Thank you very much.

A regular compression tester costs about $30 and works similarly if you rip out the schrader valve. The numbers will be a little off but you'll be able to diagnose a bad engine equally well.

Dave

Thank you very much, I went and ordered Actron CP7828 Professional Compression Tester with Storage Pouch from Amazon so we will see what happens. Hope it works!

yea i forgot its in japan for a sec there hahahaaa