Advice/Opinion on this '92 Turbo

[prahjekt]

I posted this on mr2board.com on Tuesday and received zero responses so far. Thought I'd try here in hopes of different results.



I wanted to get some seasoned MR2 owner's opinions on this find. I typically wouldn't consider buying a modified car, but this one I'd make an exception for, because in all honestly, I like how it's been modified. I've been down the road of modifying my own vehicle already and wouldn't mind moving on to one that's already been taken care of. I read the write up on what to look for when buying a modified MR2 on mr2board.com, but still have a few questions. I am completely new to MR2's and turbos in general, but have been researching them as much as I can.







It has 135,XXX miles and he's asking $11,500. Here are the specs:


Engine:

- Performance Techniques T04E 50-trim CT26
- Authentic Spearco intercooler
- ARC Induction Box
- Phoenix's Power / Garage Fukui Departure II Pro 85mm exhaust
- GForce ECU (no boost-cut, 8500rpm redline, re-mapped fuel/ignition)
- HKS SSBOV
- Trueleo 3" downpipe
- HUX Racing EGR block-off plates
- Blitz Dual Solenoid Boost Controller
- Microcoating heat treatment to various parts
- GReddy turbo timer
- ACT street/strip clutch
- Blitz radiator cap

Suspension / Brakes / Wheels:

- Advan RG's (17x7.5 and 17x8.5)
- TEIN HA coilovers
- Powerslot slotted rotors
- Axxis Metal Master pads

Exterior:

- Dupont Jet Black Pearl paint
- Bomex front bumper
- GReddy sideskirts
- Bomex rear wing
- Bomex rear valences
- Bomex scoops
- 94 + tailights
- JDM front clear lenses

Interior:

- JDM stainless steel door sill
- Genuine leather boot w/red stitching
- NR Auto white gauge faces
- Autometer Phantom Boost/Oil press. gauges
- Alpine MP3 CD deck
- Rockford Fosgate speakers


This list of mods seems fairly routine when comparing it to other modified MR2's I've been researching. The GForce ECU is what I haven't seen before. Any feedback on this would be greatly appreciated. I do know that GForce no longer exists.


Would this car be okay as a daily driver?


Is the price a little high? He mentioned the Advans are now on his other MR2, so I'm thinking the price should drop if the Advans aren't included.


I plan to take it somewhere to have it looked over if I do in fact decide to buy it.


Any feedback regarding anything about the car is welcome. Thanks.

[prahjekt]

Anyone? Anyone at all?

I recently took notice to a crack in the lip and a possible crack in the passenger side skirt. Will probably check it in person this week once the owner is back in town.

[MR2Jedi]

oI think 11.5K is too high-regardless of the mods. people mad their cars so they can run them hard. Why is it being sold?
The turbo-even though supposedly modified- is still a CT26. Unless it's been tuned to a
CT27 by ATS, it will not flow much better than stock.
I am not familiar with the ECU.. so no comment on that.
Thats a good intercooler.
Great exhaust setup.
I see it has a Trueleo Down Pipe..Does that mean it doesn't have a cat? If you plan on running it on the street, emissions will be an issue.
The Blitz Dual Solenoid Boost controller is an excellent controller.
Decent clutch, if it's still in good shape.
Body looks OK from the pics. That Bomex kit is alright.
The Coilovers are a plus.
Personally-I don't like the sleepy eyes-but to each his own.
I'm sure it's worth alot to the guy who owns it. He's got alot invested. The question is-what is it worth to you?
Like you stated in the beginning of this thread-I typically wouldn't consider buying a modified car
Most of us feel the same way for the same reasons.
Thats alot of money for an MR2.. I can just about gaurantee you will have to do some work to it down the line.
I would be interested to know why they're selling it.? what was it used for? Drag racing? autox ? hill climb? It's use may give clues to it's condition.

[prahjekt]

Thank you. I really appreciate the insight.

Based on your input and what I've been seeing elsewhere, it seems like the car is priced a couple thousand too high. Whether I could talk him down that much, I don't know, I'm doubting it though.

The current owner says the car is from CA(I'm on the east coast) and he bought it a couple months ago. I'm guessing he bought it with all the extras. He said he recently bought another yellow turbo which is why he's selling this one. That's all I know about it's history at the moment.

The CT26 doesn't bother me too much. I made the assumption that keeping the CT26 would help with reliability since it's still factory spec. Maybe I'm wrong though?

Ah, the possibility of no cat. I'm glad you brought that up. I'd definitely want it to pass emissions.

"I typically wouldn't consider buying a modified car" - Yeah, back to that. I like that fact that it looks to be well maintained and was modified in good taste, for the most part. Granted, it means nothing when it comes to how the owner drove it. Therein lies the problem.

"I can just about guarantee you will have to do some work to it down the line."

Would you say a second car would be required? That's what I'd like to avoid.

Thanks again for the input. Good to know that a lot of the upgrades were quality ones. Despite that, I'm starting to shy away from it a bit now. The high price is a big factor. The owner is supposed to call me back this week. Maybe I'll leave it up to fate and only pursue it further if I hear from him.

In the meantime, I'll keep researching the MR2. The vehicle intrigues me. I believe I've narrowed my next car down to an MR2 or S2000. The S2000 is just so common and I'm not into convertibles. The hardtop "upgrade" would be a must.

By the way, nice job on your MR2. The engine looks immaculate.

[MRQtwinturbo]

most mr2 owners have a second car as a daily driver/beater...where on the east coast are you??...what would you drive in the winter...

[PhatRoyale]

That MR2 has an impressive list of mods.... if the price were lower, then it'd be a good buy.
I suggest that you go for a test drive with someone who is familiar with MR2s like a mechanic that can check out the condition of the car before you make your decision.

[prahjekt]

I see. I'm located in North Carolina. It rarely snows here, and if it does, everything shuts down. If I was to move back north, then I know I'd need a beater for the winter months.

I definitely wouldn't expect it to not require work at some point. Considering the engine hasn't been rebuilt, I know that would be in it's future. Plus, since it's an older car, what hasn't been replaced yet will probably need to be soon. I'm more concerned about constant maintenance that would go above and beyond the norm. Think 3rd gen RX-7.

If I seriously consider buying it I'll definitely have someone that knows MR2's check it out. Based on two responses now, the price has been determined as high. Would you say $9000 - $9500 is a little more reasonable?

[keck03]

Originally Posted by prahjekt

I see. I'm located in North Carolina. It rarely snows here, and if it does, everything shuts down. If I was to move back north, then I know I'd need a beater for the winter months.

I definitely wouldn't expect it to not require work at some point. Considering the engine hasn't been rebuilt, I know that would be in it's future. Plus, since it's an older car, what hasn't been replaced yet will probably need to be soon. I'm more concerned about constant maintenance that would go above and beyond the norm. Think 3rd gen RX-7.

he was prob mentioning a 2nd car as just something to daily drive. my mr2 does fine in the snow. i am more leary taking it to the track b/c of the abuse there. put it this way, i have owned mine 2.5 years and btwn na-turbo swap/maintenance/upgrades, its spent at least 6 months in someone else's garage. remember its a 15 yr old car. time/mileage will take its toll. also parts are not usually stocked and may even be on backorder.

If I seriously consider buying it I'll definitely have someone that knows MR2's check it out. Based on two responses now, the price has been determined as high. Would you say $9000 - $9500 is a little more reasonable?

+1x10000

awesome idea. looking back i could have saved myself quite a bit of cash if i brought someone. certain things to look for that indicate other issues unique to the car.

[MRtuned]

way too much for that car. Think $7000ish. It does have many modifications, but those don't raise the value of the car. They just mean that since the previous owner modified the car to go faster, he liked to drive fast. you dont change the DP, IC, exhaust, etc, and add a boost controller to drive the speed limit. It may or may not be in good shape. When buying a car plan for the worst. Do you have the $$ for the car right now? can you afford to fix it when it breaks? do you have somewhere to fix it? Just think about it a lot before you make your decision.

[prahjekt]

Thanks for everyone's feeback/advice. It's what I was looking for and helped me with my decision not to rush into buying this one. I may look into it again if it stays on the market and the price drops. If not, I'll look into buying a nice, unmodified MR2 at some point and just make the mods myself. Thanks again.