How much do you think this MR2 is worth?, Changed my mind, picking up Miata Saturday Options

[blu94gt]

Well I just sold my 6gc yesterday, and have been on the hunt for my next car. Last week I e-mailed a guy about an MR2 for sale and never heard back so assumed it was sold. Well he responded finally, and I'm looking at it tonight. Not sure what to offer though.

Details:
1991 NA MR2 150k miles
swapped 94 JDM 3sgte with about 70k
2 sets of wheels
clutch done less than 100 miles ago
t-tops and bags/covers
looks to be stock suspension, will find out tonight
supposedly a couple small rust spots on body around wheel wells, typical
$3500 obo

the catch: it supposedly needs an alternator, but he can't replace it in the apartment complex he lives in. He said he could adjust the price accordingly if I wanted to replace it myself, and the part is about $250. Looks good in the pictures he's texted me, but pics are a hard way of judging. Not sure which tranny is in it, LSD or not, etc, not a huge deal for me either way, I'm just going to DD the car for now.

Think an offer of $2800 cash and I purchase/fix the alternator would be fair? That is if there's no other big issues. I think if I gave the battery a good charge, or swapped batteries, it would make the drive home.

This post has been edited by blu94gt: Mar 23, 2011 - 10:57 PM

[95CelicaST]

On specs alone it seems to be a good price. If it was a full 94 swap with transmission it should have LSD... but you know there are ways of finding out

The alternator is kind of a b*tch on MR2's. It's on the back side of the motor, so everything is done from underneath, which is probably why his complex won't let him work on it.


Pitch $2800, and go up from there. Either way, the clip alone probably cost his asking price.

[Culpable04]

bring a fully charge battery, if the alternator is bad, you can turn the car and drive it around the block on battery power, that way you can make sure is jsut the alternator and not a whole bunch of other stuff hiding behind it.

but it seems to be fairly priced and 2800 is a reasonable offer but if everything checks out I think even his asking price is still a good deal.

[blu94gt]

Just got back from looking at this car, and it was a little more rough than I expected. First off the paint was beyond faded, it was ROUGH; scratched/etched, down to the primer on the roof. Rust under the doors and bubbling over the pass rear wheel well. Seats were perfect, floor mats ok, but all the buttons and stuff inside were all scratched up, ashtray door missing and just had a piece of carpet glued over it, shift boot destroyed. Power windows and locks all worked, t-tops in great shape, seals looked good.

Started it up and it sounded great. He said he hasn't driven it in about a year other than to get the clutch done. No oil leaks, car sounded great except for an exhaust leak where the downpipe meets the flexpipe. AC didn't work, couldn't tell if it was leaking, bad relay, etc. Still on the factory suspension so that needs replaced, tires on the stock wheels were done for but he said the ones on the 17" wheels are in good shape, but are summer tires.

I don't know, it was pretty rough. My total budget for repairs and everything is about $4. So if I offered $2800 and he accepts, then I'd have about $250 in the alternator, struts, winter tires, AC repairs, and who knows what else since I haven't even been able to drive it. Just not sure if I want to pull the trigger on it.

E-mailing this guy now with the v6 swap, I have a feeling he's going to want waaaay too much money though.

http://kansascity.craigslist.org/cto/2269102901.html

[808celica]

OMG!!!!!!!!! Your motor is missing

if the swap looks half assed then prolly no.......but its your call

[blu94gt]

Haha the invisi-turbo is in this car

I'm still tossing this one around. I heard back from the guy with the v6 swap, said he wants $3000 as the car sits. 3vz swap, turbo tranny, but didn't even install the AC stuff. Pretty much same other issues though: needs tires, suspension, etc.

Waiting to hear back on a couple other cars before I decide. An e30 BMW just popped up on CL for $1000 and I may go pick that up tomorrow. Also found a Miata with new racing coils, hard top, etc, built buy I guy I know for pretty cheap. After those I'll see how I feel about the Deuces.

[95CelicaST]

3vz.... Bleh.

[blu94gt]

Well I ditched the MR2 idea and found what should soon be my 2nd Miata. This car is just about exactly what I was looking for if I went with another Miata. It's a 94, great price, 5 speed, 150k miles, comes with a hardtop (and the softtop is good), pretty new suspension and brakes, brand new TRmotorsport wheels and tires, plus the factory wheels with good tires. PLUS 05 Lotus Elise seats, a Hard Dog Street Cage rollbar (uninstalled), the wood Nardi wheel with quick release, NB Miata swaybars, and a brand new battery. Power windows/locks, AC works, everything's great.

Only real negatives are the faded paint, which most of it should buff out to look brand new (glad I just bought over $200 of stuff for my buffer), and the passenger's fender has a crease in it like somebody scraped it in a parking lot or something.

Looked at it tonight. His mom showed me the car since he's out of town for college. Started it up, it sounded great, checked everything over and didn't see any leaks or funny business. She wouldn't let me drive it since he wasn't there with proof of his insurance, but I backed it down the driveway and back into the garage and the clutch and everything felt great. Oh and the Lotus Elise seat is super comfortable compared to the stock Miata seat.

Sending him a PM on the local forum right now, should be picking up on Saturday.

[whatthe]

nice pink mx5

[95CelicaST]

Creepy old woman in the third picture.

[HectortheRican]

Nice MX5!

[SwissFerdi]