torn...

100mhz

Registered User
here my deal...

im a young driver, and i currently own a Toyota MR2. this is my first car. Its got a mid engine rear drive setup for those that dont know. So far i've owned it about a year. Have put about 3,000 miles on it. I love this car but it need some work, which is to be expected from something with 170k miles. I am definatly a car person and im training to be a mechanic. My problem comes into play where when i was first looking at buying cars, i saw a red SC and loved it. but the guy wanted alot for it, and the interior was worn with a few rips and stuff. so i got the mr2, drove it arround for a while and then the tranny went. I knew when i bought it the maintanence was not up to date seeing the 12,000mi past due oil reminder. So now were to the point of i've been driving the car, it needs some things like brakes, shocks, etc. Well i stumbled upon a 1990 SC. its black on black, with the leather and everything. I like the car and noticed it was sitting for a while. I finally get a hold of the owner and he says that he was going to trade it for a race motor, but money now and he'll sell it to me. The problem is hes asking what im selling my car for but his needs body work. they hit somthing just above the passenger head lamp, and it buckled the hood, busted the light, and the passenger 1/4 panel is a little messed up. i know body work is real expencive. so what im asking for is peoples opinions on what they would do given the situation. The MR2 is just as rare if not more rare than the sc. if i sell it my odds of buying annother one are slim to none. I went for a short ride in the sc, and from the 10 minutes i was in it i liked it. But, what kind of MPG do they get on premium? i'm getting 25 on regular. and stuff like how expencive are they to keep up? everything on the toyota is fairly cheap, and a tune up is beyond easy. i've heard its a nightmare to do plugs on an sc and that the whole supercharger assembly has to come off.This is a difficult decision for me, i need somthing reliable to drive 50 miles a day, and its got to get decent mileage. So any opinions would be appreciated.

p.s pics of the damage are attached
 

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Some would not agree with me but if I wanted a reliable car that got good milage it would not be an S.C.
 
What in particular whould be a problem point on an sc? i dont know alot about these cars. the little bit i know is stuff like the electric shocks are very expencive. What kind of REALISTIC MPG do they get? i never trust the epa numbers. Im a mechanic in training, but i cant do major repair work yet....
 
For one head gaskets. Also these cars have a lot of sensors that serve a lot of functions. Do as you like I thike they can be very expensive to own.
 
thanks for the insight. two last questions i have are: 1) what mpg are your getting? 2) do you have any idea the reason why the head gaskets can be a problem? i know of sombody that has an sc and they blew a head gasket(s) dont know why... Thanks alot for all your info, this really is importaint
 
Realistically, i get about 15-16mpg on my 94. I think everything is stock, i see boost up to 15psi (many say stock the max is 12, i dont know) The SC is really fun to drive. Im not quite sure why the headgaskets blow.

Anything that goes wrong with my car, i consider as an expense of my driving style.

How much does this guy want for the SC? You should consider it, its a nice car.

-Nick
 
wow 15 is a little lower than i was hoping. i was looking for about 20. hmmm is that mostly city driving with alot of full throttle starts? anyway they guy is asking i believe $3,500 with the whammy, its got about 93,000miles. im hoping to get it for abotu $2,500 if i decide this is a car i can afford, and i give up my current baby. I also have to find out if insurnace will be more, with a more powerful motor, and no air bag. my current car has one... Thansk for all the info guys, i really appreciate it
 
IME, SC's are no more or less reliable than other cars from the period. The problem is finding someone who understands them when it comes time to get work done. I think the frustration of incompetent repairs is what drives most owners up the wall. One thing to understand about SC's is that while they are related to the regular Thunderbird almost everything is different.

As for fuel economy there's a thread in the poll forum asking what people were getting. You might want to look at that.

For $3500 wrecked the rest of the car should look like new, and that paint oxidation I'm seeing in the pics suggests the car isn't pristine. Without seeing the rest of the car I'm thinking $1000-1500 at this point. The damage doesn't look too bad though. You should be able to come up with used parts relatively cheaply, but it's the painting that'll cost ya.

Oh, and none of his damn business what you're selling your car for. That's a separate deal.
 
thanks for the info, im not worried about reliability too much, its operating costs, and what the body work in going to cost. the owner does body work on the side, i've seen a chevelle he painted, and it was really good, so maybe i could strike a deal with him. I love these cars, but i also love what i have now. this decision unfortunatly is difficult for me, because currently i have no money. Im starting to wonder if i should keep what i have for a little while and buy an sc later.... dont know.
 
well i dont know if anyone was following this, but im to the point where today i may have somebody from queens to look at my car, heres the problem. i called the owner of the t-bird last night, he wants $3,500 as it sits, with the whammy. Talking i tried to negoatiate him. I made and offer of 2500 and he will fix the body work (he does body work) he said he cant let it go that low. i think that was a great deal. in excelent condition its worth $2,000 according to kbb, and in its current shape $1,400. So i guess the whole deal is off, i looked at other stuff including a Lincoln Mark VIII which is a similar car, but its just not an SC. This is the second sc i fell in love with, needed minor work, and the owner wanted about 2x book value.:mad: So unless anybody has an SC for sale on Long Island, ny (Suffolk, Nassau, and possible Queens counties) i think im keeping my mr2. i know what i have, and i like the car enough, its nto an sc, but its economical and looks good. Stll not an SC, but maybe when they become a little older, and i get a little more money :D
 
oh, almost forgot, thanks everyone for all your help!!!!!! this website was one of the things i liked about the sc's too. a place where knowlegable owners can get together to share info. this was helpful to me, thanks!!!!!!!
 
Not knowing anything else about the car, I'd say with that damage, I surely don't think the car is worth $3500. If everything else on the car is nice and you really want the car, then maybe.
 
nickleman60 said:
if he won't go lower than $3500 then he'll own it forever.i'd say $1200 to $1500 tops.

I agree with nickleman60,

1. It only takes 45 minutes to do plugs. The first few times it takes longer but until you figure out the process it gets easier.

2. He is on crack if he thinks his car is worth $3500. I had mine for sale and all it needed was a slave cylinder. The car is near perfect and had a lot of sensors and mechanical things replaced and I only wanted $1200. After getting beat down by people for 800-$1000. I decided to keep it.

3. There is enough things that will need to be addressed on that car now or in the near future without you having to start with body work. There are cars on here for sale all of the time and most of the guys selling them have done maintenance to them and make them worth whats asked. (most of the time)
 
Yo can find a really nice car for $3500 maybe one with some mods and the head gaskets done. Tim
 
i bought my 94sc 3 years ago for $3500.it was bone stock and had 120,000 miles and was in very good shape.
 
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