Which is the better buy?

[XtreeX]

I paid $1700 cash for my 87' Turbo 5-speed (non-turbo) and it still needed a head gasket. I replaced the timing belt and water pump while I was down there. After taxes for the repair I paid around $1400, with labor. So I see it as $3100 for the car. It has a few rust spots, but not through the metal yet and still on the surface. Interior is absolutely MINT condition. Engine bay is relatively clean, only problem now would be the exterior.

I would say $2000 for a turbo is a LITTLE on the low side, especially if the head gasket was just replaced. Deffinetly check into it further...

I also use this car as a daily driver. If driven responsibly I believe any car can handle being driven everyday. If you burnout at every stop and drift around corners (lol, i do sometimes) then obvisouly the reliability factor will go down. But lets be serious, who buys turbo (other than TDIs) and doesn't want to go fast?? LOL!

[2JZEFINI-17]

I just got back from the test drive. The car boosted to 10 psi flawlessly, engine pulled hard. Car is pretty low the ground. Good tread on tires(comes with a set of winter tires). The interior impressed me the most. The interior is close to mint. Drove the car for about 10 min and let it idle for about 20. No smoke out the exhaust even under WOT. Shifter bushings might need replacing soon. A/F gauge needs to be hooked up. And its a targa! The downside of the whole car is the rust. I am hoping to buy the car on tuesday. I am willing to pay around $800 for body repairs. After the body is fixed I think that it will be an awsome ride. I am planning on doing divorced downpipe and a Super sequential blowoff valve. Since its mostly a daily I am not looking for to much speed. I plan on replacing the Head gasket with an aftermarket head gasket later this summer. Hopefully he will sell me his car I really like it and will enjoy it very much.

[rnoswal]

Everything is twice as expensive in California compared to most other places. I have found that many sellers of these MK111's just don't want to mess with a 20 year old car, so they sell cheap. Of course that means that it may not have been properly maintained, but surprisingly a lot of them have been. So if you can buy for cheap and it runs great and, if you can get someone who knows something about cars to look at it and give an honest opinion, I would go for the turbo.

Let us know how it goes.

Russ

[ravenmaster]

Originally Posted by XtreeX

I paid $1700 cash for my 87' Turbo 5-speed (non-turbo)

HUH? Uh could you ex-plain that?

[ravenmaster]

and also glad to hear about your test ride but my suggestion (This is if you live in a state that requires smog testing ES_PECIALLY CALI) get the car smog tested before the money is handed over. It is actually the -previous owners reponsibility but my cars previous owner mysteriously disa-peared after selling me mine. Turns out he removed the EGR system, (as well as alot of other stuff), and the cat was a -piece of junk. So tell the guy
"Hey if it passes smog ill pay for the smog and pay you on the spot for the car, but if it doesn't I will still pay for the test and de-pending on what the Smog tech says what the -problem is and depending on what it would cost to make the car -pass will determine if I will buy the car."
(I.E. If it's just an oxygen sensor issue, thats not ex-pemsive OR difficult, However if it isthat the whole egr system is gone that IS an exp-ensive fix even if you do it yourself and only use -parts from the junkyard, I did mine myself and not only is it a pain it is time consuming and the junkers know how valuable the system is and will still charge you less than new -parts but it wont be chea-p. Ebayers do too (and some -parts are hard to find, when I was looking for my BVSV valve There were only two on there.

[XtreeX]

Sorry must've had a brain fart... didn't mean to type the (non-turbo) because it is turbo