buying a vr-4

[Superman99]

Hey everyone I got a couple of questions about buying a vr-4. I recently came upon a nice looking vr-4 that is for sale at $2k. It belongs to a older guy who is into sports cars. He stopped driving the vr-4 for a viper. It has had all the services ontime and has about 140k miles on it. It was repainted about a yr or two ago becuase the paint faded and he did not like the look. I know the owner through a friend and he is a trustworthy guy so I know the car has been pretty well taken care of. It also has a custom stereo and exhaust. oh, also it is a 93 iirc. What should I be looking for with the car and is 2k a good deal? I am very good at fixing cars so I am not worried about that but I want to be sure I am not jumping to something that is hiding a ton of work and money.
Thanks for the help.

[andyvr4]

For 2k either the seller has no idea what these cars are worth or there is something that is seriously wrong with the car because that's about 4-5k less than what that car should be worth.

I'd be very careful when testing the car out in making sure that it goes in and out of all gears smoothly and that there's no weird noises or feelings when running the car hard. I'd also suggest running a compression test on the engine to make sure as to the condition of the engine internals. If you're not real mechanically confident I'd suggest taking the car to a mechanic to look over it closely for any potential problems.

[Superman99]

Wow I didnt think the car was worth that much. I knew 2k was low but the pricing is based on what was offered by a dealer on a trade in deal.
I am mechancially inclined so I will look over everything good.
Thanks for the compression idea. I will be making a trip to due an inspection in the next week or so. Any other telltale signs to look for when testing?
Thanks for the help so far, it looks like I will be getting a sweet deal on a cool ride.

[veerfour05]

Make sure that the 120k has been done on it. Also check the transfer case for leaking and that the trans is smooth shifting.

[tachyon_ftl]

$2000 is a fair price if there are no major issues, even without the 120k. The 120k will cost you well over $1000 if you hire it out, will be $600-$700 in parts if you can do it yourself. Like has been said, drive it and if the engine, tranny and brakes are ok take it to a mechanic, put it on a lift and check everything. If the price is based on trade in value, you're getting a deal grab it before the owner finds out private party is at least twice trade in. And with cars like these, it's whatever the owner can get altho right now with gas prices VR4's are not on the best seller list, so that may also have something to do with the low price.

[greenpanther]

Originally Posted by tachyon_ftl

$2000 is a fair price if there are no major issues, even without the 120k.

Are you kidding me? 2k for a running VR4 is a STEAL of a price. I've been looking at TTs for the past few months and sold one as well and that is ridiculously low.

Like others have said, make sure you check it out very well considering what the owner is asking. Check the car for:

- 120k service (timing belt, water pump, sparks, oil pump, etc.)
- any smoke coming out of the exhaust
- any stuttering or hesitation during acceleration
- ECS, active exhaust, stereo, cruise
- smooth shifts through all gears (any grinds could be an indication of going synchros)
- any pulsation during braking
- strong pull during acceleration (stock boost gauge isn't very accurate but it'll give you an idea if its boosting well)
- take off one of the intercooler pipes and check if there is any oil residue

[Superman99]

Ok cool. Thanks for all the tips. Green panther your list of checkpoints is good info. I am also planning on doing a compression check to make sure the pistons are in good shape. I am assuming the intercooler pipe check is to make sure the turbos are in good shape. If it is smoking at all how much is too much and what should I be aware of with that?
I know the car has not been driven much in the past year so I am anticipating it running a little rough till it get warmed up and I can open her up a bit.
Anyway I going to do the inspection and everything on the weekend so I will let everyone know if I am joining the VR-4 owners ranks then.
Thanks for the help.

[etecnifibre]

2K is a great deal.

[Twin_Turbo_FTW]

i wouldnt let a vr4 slide by for 2k at all. seems like a great deal as long as you can be certain that it was well cared for. Dont let that one pass you by if its in good shape, you dont see deals like that very often at all.