Good buy?

[CalsonicGTR]

Hello. I have found a good looking Mark III for sale, but I would like to know if it sounds like a good deal. It is an 87 Turbo with a 5-speed and 106000 miles. HG has been replaced already and everything else is in good shape. Absolutely no mods have been done to the car and he has a lot of documentation. The guy did install a remote start kit however. He is currently asking $6000 for it. After looking around here, it seems like that is the norm, but I'm just not sure if it is a good idea to spend $6k on a 20+ year old car. What do you guys think?

 

[NewWestSupras]

Post engine, body and interior pics. $6k is on the high end, but if it's truly mint, then at least you won't be dumping money into all the usual stuff that needs replacing...a lot less headache to start with one thats good to begin with as well.

 

[CalsonicGTR]

 

[NewWestSupras]

Looks nice and clean, I'm not sure of the market there, but you could always offer $2k less and start the "haggle"...blue book is about $3600, so thats what insurance payout would be in the ballpark for (if it was a total loss).

 

[eman2289]

Turbo, 5 speed, hardtop, MKIV wheels, TEMS, clean paint. I'd grab that in a heartbeat for 6K.

 

[Rennat]

Offer 4,000... i dont see why you would honestly pay anymore... maybe 5,000 for a modded one, but... thats like all stock.

 

[GrimJack]

Check the hoses under the hood. They should be nice and pliable, but I bet they are hard. If they are hard, there's going to be a bunch of cracks.

Crawl underneath, or get it on a lift, see if it's leaking oil.

On the interior, the driver's side outside seat bolster is usually toast, along with the shifter boot and ebrake boot. Often the center console cover is dead as well.

Check the rear wheel wells at the top for rust - both on the outside and on the lip underneath.

Look for signs of moisture in the spare tire well in the trunk.

 

[supraman7mgte]

is the engine bay the same color as the car? cant tell from the pics,it kinda dark.
never mind,i see the shock towers now.

 

[CTsupra]

Oil pressure seems a little low for not being fully warmed up to ops temp according to the water guage...

 

[pimptrizkit]

some temp gauges read different.. altho at 1k the pressure seem's roughly normal but where is it at 6-750?



i wouldn't mind going on a limb and saying the fuel pump should be your first mataince item.

 

[ViR2]

go get it before some one else does

 

[supra8903]

or get mine

 

[suprabad]

Looks nice and clean, I'm not sure of the market there, but you could always offer $2k less and start the "haggle"...blue book is about $3600, so thats what insurance payout would be in the ballpark for (if it was a total loss).

The cars value (nor are other special interest cars) accurately reflected in Kelly Blue Book.

If your interested in some sort of documentation of the cars value, get ahold of a CPI (Cars of Particular Interest) guide.

Candidly, you should scoop that car up, it's a deal!

Some of the people on this site are.....well....can you say cheapskate?



:icon_bigg

 

[pimptrizkit]

haha supra bad very true.


the retail on these cars were 26-32k when they were coming off the showroom floors.


if they held their vaule like a sports car should have, they would be worth 55-60 in todays market and money vaule.

so 6k is well worth it

if the car is minty and is a good runner with good compression.

i would check to see if the lsd still works good.

check the parking brake. i hate pullin em to the moon, or they dont work..

though i have found a few mkiii's that the parkin brake has been maintained and adjusted. :sarcasm:

check engine light should be off, and when you jumper T1 and E1 in the diagnostics box in the engine bay the engine light should blink continously
that shows you there are no codes stored either, and that the efi system should be upto par.

 

[TuRbOdReAmZ87]

I bought my last supra for $3700. It was a 87' turbo 5spd targa with 73k miles. All stock. It was MINT! brand new paint. NO rust or rot..nothing!! Even the spare tire thing wasnt rotted.. at all. I think you should offer him $4k and see what he says. I honestly wouldnt pay 6k for that. He's probably just seeing how much he can get for it. I bet he knows the blue book value. Just shoot him an offer. What do you got to lose?

 

[CalsonicGTR]

Thanks for all of the advice! I talked to the guy and I am going to see the car tomorrow. How do you check to see if the LSD is still in good working order? Are there any other common problems I should look closely for?

 

[supraman7mgte]

proper maintenace records maybe,fresh oil on the dipstick,if you can take the car to a oil change place and have them look at the underneath for scrapes,holes,leaking fluid and the LSD.

 

[Sawbladz]

Holy shit most people on here are cheap. I guess most people subscribe to the theory that it is better to buy a piece of shit for $800 and drop $4000 into it to make it ok. I would rather buy a mint car for a decent price and not go through the hassle or replacing every nut and bolt.

To the OP, I'd offer 5500 and hope he takes it. I would pay that for that car if I was in the market.

 

[ms07s]

I would buy it! Give it a intensive inspection: hoses, wires, fluids, put it on a lift if possible and inspect the frame and wheel wells, driveshaft, diff, trans, oil pan. If all checks out 6000 is more than fair.

 

[CalsonicGTR]

I appriciate all of the advice. I was going to go see the car today but on the way my car got stuck in a ditch and my whole schedule got thrown off. I'm gonna be going back out next weekend (our schedules dont match up well). Hopefully nothing else crazy happens. Thanks for all of the advice!