[missinglinkseo]

I've got the itch for 90's JDM power & looks, is this a good buy?

I love the Mitsubishi 3000gt, it looks and sounds great and I want one. I'm scouring the EU marketplaces to buy one but they don't come cheap and there are virtually none in my area, except 1 that is currently for sale.

And I'm here to get an outside perspective.

Somewhat of a reality check

I've been eyeing the 3000gt like crazy and the initial dream was to get a VR-4 but the reality is that they are hard to come by in good condition, and I'm situated in Slovenia and there is barely any around, which prompts the issues with finding parts, service and etc etc.
So I'm prepared to go for the safer more "reliable" SL variant.

Price

10,000euros or 9000USD for an SL
20k+ euros or 19ishK+ USD for VR4

What I'm working with

I am used to the reliability of a Honda as a daily driver. But the Civics and Accords don't get me excited.

What I've found

I've got someone selling a 3000gt SL in my area. It looks amazing from the photos (I'm still yet to view the car)
It Has 107,000 kms on the clock and was originally imported from America and lived in a museum until the current owner purchased it and has been a weekend car ever since.







It's Priced at 9000 euros or $9500 USD and its been on the market for a while now which is expected for Slovenia, so no shock there.
I could probably get it for 7k or 8k.

My Expectations
I want to drive on weekends and have fun doing day trips as well as get some pull power excitement and maybe invest in getting a single turbo kit installed.

Wrapping this all up

This would be my first ever "sports car" and I don't know how to service it but I'm keen on learning as I've recently had experience helping a friend change transmissions and getting my head under the car to get some hands-on experience on working on cars. But I'm still a newbie which Jack-all experience.
I plan to do work on it myself with the help of the internet and if its something out of my reach, then take it to a mechanic, but I want to learn as much as I can.

Thoughts and advice are graciously accepted, thank you for your time

 

[VR Thor]

Being situated in the U.S., I cannot speak for your countries economics and say if that is a good purchase or not.

• Assuming that the interior, and engine bay look similar (maybe an 7 or 8/10 condition), I'd imagine that would be even a similar or fair price in U.S. standards ($7,000 to $9,000).
  
  
• Relatively low miles, but could be due for it's big 60K (100K Km) service interval.. So if you're thinking about parts, think about the maintenance and how to even get serviceable parts/importing parts in.
  
  
• Every car is reliable, if, you take care of them. The 3000GT is no exception, treat it well, and it will return the favour. That is to say, it is not as easy to take care of or lax like a Civic/Accord that can be abused and mistreated, and still run like a champ.
  
  
• The older 1st gen models 90-93 (pop ups) have ECU issues with the capacitors bursting.. Just be aware of that if one day your car cannot start or starts acting funny, this is usually a good culprit after exhausting all other troubleshooting options.

As far as your expectations: My opinion is you wanna stop right about here "I want to drive on weekends and have fun doing day trips"

The SL and all for what it's worth, just enjoy it as is. It will look good, feel sporty, have a "little" speedy feeling.

If you're going to go turbo, just get the turbo model and have less of a headache. Personally I don't think it worth the time, and money to do all the turbo conversion stuff on a vehicle that already has the best model come with turbo.

Good luck.

 

[lawdogg]

+1 to what VR Thor said ... my take beyond that is that if FWD Hondas don't get you excited, neither will an SL....

 

[Dandaves]

my take beyond that is that if FWD Hondas don't get you excited, neither will an SL....

I disagree. Most Hondas, excluding the Civic Type R or even the K20 powered Civic SI, will be pretty boring to drive in stock form. I would much rather drive a 3000GT SL than a 100hp Civic DX.