Need some advice and help?

FoxCruiser · 05-05-2012, 04:48 PM

Alright, my first post on this forum and hopefully not my last. I don't currently own a MK3, but I've wanted to since I was a kid. Been looking for one for a little while now.

Ended up going far out of my way to try out a potential trade for my current car; the other party was offering an '89 NA, 5-speed Targa. I was led to believe that the car was in serviceable condition when in fact it wasn't.

Firstly, by the sticker on the timing cover, the T-belt and water pump were last done in 1996, at 114K. The car had 165K on it, and the speedometer was broken. That leads me to believe that the car had far more on it than just that. Upon startup, there was a very strange loping idle; it would idle around 1500 or so, go up to 2000, then go back down every two seconds or so; that pattern wouldn't change at all. Also, coolant was forcing its way out of the radiator cap, and you could actually hear the water pump bearings grinding. When driving it, the car would hesitate if driven straight away; I had to push in the clutch and give it plenty of gas to 'overcome' the hesitation; the only way I could describe it as if hitting fuel cut in a turbo car.

All that said, I'm assuming the car has or is at least working on a BHG. Am I right about that? Also, considering the body and interior are in decent shape what would be a decent cash offer for this car? Call me crazy, but I'm thinking about offering $500-1000, towing it back here, selling my current car and using that money to just do an engine swap. The seller was asking $2600, but with the problems I don't think it's worth anywhere near that. Any thoughts and opinions on this?

Ranma · 05-07-2012, 01:10 AM

What condition is the body? Most people here want the turbo, then it matters not what the engine does. If the 7MGE is acceptable with you and it is structurally sound, then offer him a thousand. You can get the engine rebuilt or changed. Quality my friend does not come cheap.

cre · 05-07-2012, 01:35 AM

$2600 and already riddled with problems? It'll be a couple years before that seller realizes he either needs to fix it before selling or is willing to drop as low as you're talking. Walk away... perhaps run.

If your current car is your only car and you ever NEED to have a vehicle at your disposal I very strongly recommend you buy the cleanest car possible and with an overlap so to speak (ie: buy the next car while you still have your original for a backup for a few weeks).

05-05-2012, 04:48 PM	#1
FoxCruiser Stock Join Date: May 2012 Location: Colo. Springs, CO Posts: 2	Need some advice and help? Alright, my first post on this forum and hopefully not my last. I don't currently own a MK3, but I've wanted to since I was a kid. Been looking for one for a little while now. Ended up going far out of my way to try out a potential trade for my current car; the other party was offering an '89 NA, 5-speed Targa. I was led to believe that the car was in serviceable condition when in fact it wasn't. Firstly, by the sticker on the timing cover, the T-belt and water pump were last done in 1996, at 114K. The car had 165K on it, and the speedometer was broken. That leads me to believe that the car had far more on it than just that. Upon startup, there was a very strange loping idle; it would idle around 1500 or so, go up to 2000, then go back down every two seconds or so; that pattern wouldn't change at all. Also, coolant was forcing its way out of the radiator cap, and you could actually hear the water pump bearings grinding. When driving it, the car would hesitate if driven straight away; I had to push in the clutch and give it plenty of gas to 'overcome' the hesitation; the only way I could describe it as if hitting fuel cut in a turbo car. All that said, I'm assuming the car has or is at least working on a BHG. Am I right about that? Also, considering the body and interior are in decent shape what would be a decent cash offer for this car? Call me crazy, but I'm thinking about offering $500-1000, towing it back here, selling my current car and using that money to just do an engine swap. The seller was asking $2600, but with the problems I don't think it's worth anywhere near that. Any thoughts and opinions on this?

05-07-2012, 01:10 AM	#2
Ranma 12psi boost Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Claremore, OK Posts: 326 Blog Entries: 10	What condition is the body? Most people here want the turbo, then it matters not what the engine does. If the 7MGE is acceptable with you and it is structurally sound, then offer him a thousand. You can get the engine rebuilt or changed. Quality my friend does not come cheap. __________________ 1986 Mk III MA70 7MGE Targa Top 5 Speed Stock Exhaust

05-07-2012, 01:35 AM	#3
cre Toyota Racing Development Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 5,038	$2600 and already riddled with problems? It'll be a couple years before that seller realizes he either needs to fix it before selling or is willing to drop as low as you're talking. Walk away... perhaps run. If your current car is your only car and you ever NEED to have a vehicle at your disposal I very strongly recommend you buy the cleanest car possible and with an overlap so to speak (ie: buy the next car while you still have your original for a backup for a few weeks). __________________ If something breaks or you need to contact a member of the administration please post HERE. Unless it's a private or administration matter please post it on the forum. It benefits no one else if car related questions aren't posted for future users and takes away from the time I'm able to spend helping on the rest of the forum. If you're so inclined I'm always more than happy to accept tips via PayPal. Tip Jar --->