How much for this Mk3?

[Dantrol]

Hey folks! I posted a while back a thread about what I should look out for when heading over to check an Mk3. And I recently did so, a silver 7MGTE Turbo '91 with blue interior.

Now my question here is how much should one pay for this car? I'm no good at mechanics so I couldn't really check much. The car idles fine, no black or white or blue smoke, it drives well, turbo seems to be working. It has 143000km on the odo. The brake pads need to be changed, probably all fluids too. The interior has a few broken bits here and there, but that I don't mind too much. The exterior: the front right wing above the tire is dented and scratched, so is the rim of that wheel. The front bumper's lip, the black plastic part, is broken on both wings. The T-Top has dents due to hail, but it isn't visible unless you REALLY get close with a magnifying glass.

The right rear fender is slightly rusted on the inside at the very edge, and a filler cheap thing has been used to partly mask this. Not a lot of rust though.

The guy wants to sell it to me for 4000$ and I'm thinking that it's a bit of a rip-off, that I should rather be paying 3000-ish for it. But I want it !! It was so much fun to drive! However since this is going to be my daily drive for now, I don't want it to die on me after a month of driving... I told him that we would do a check-up at a garage, and that any additional repairs would have to be deducted from that price, but I won't buy it if the "walk-away" symptoms come up, and I'll have lost the labor cost of the check-up.

Is it still possible to find MkIII spare parts for the interior easily? And bumper? Please advise me here hehehe, I need help from you people!
Don't tell me to "ask him about this or that", because I really do not trust him and I'll get a probable lie in order to make his car look good to me.

Thanks

[SupraTuned]

Well, you put it perfectly. Schedule a time and take it to your favorite garage. Just be frank with the guy and tell him if he wants it gone, then you will have to have it checked out professionally. It sucks to say this, but only have them check mechanical stuff. If you tell them that you plan on buying it, they will know what to look for. Let them know its rear wheel drive so they check the rear end and drive shaft and what not. But if you do not plan to do work to the car other than needed repairs, make sure that they test for the Blown head gasket issue as well. If for some reason the head gasket has not gone yet, let the garage know that they can tourque the head bolts to 72 ft/lbs and call it a day. If the head gasket is not blown and you do buy the car, I strongly advise you to do this if anything.



Head gasket jobs run fairly pricey, and most garages no matter how good do not understand what it takes to get the MK3 done correctly.



Also, the transmissions are fairly beefy in these machines, I suppose all I would do is have the shop drive it and feel for any potential issues in the transmission.







All in all, it does sound like the price is a little steep. I paid 5,000 for mine and it only it was winter stored and the like. I think that with repairs deducted and a modest deduction in general for the rust and condition of the body and the miles on the car, that 3,000 maybe even a little lower is a better offer.

[Dantrol]

Alright I shall do that then. Thanks for the advice It's such a risky buy that I wanted some opinions before I go through with it. Any additional advice is welcome the more I get the safer I'll be able to feel about buying or not buying it. Cheers all!