Tlaloc75

I can really only talk to what I'd be willing to spend on a car, which may or may not be what the market thinks.

For the white car, given what I know, I think its worth low 50k. If maintenance records show any additional big jobs done it would go up from there.

samurai_k

Thanks.

A few more details...

1. No accidents- other than bad touch up paint job which a body shop will need to remove and do it right.

2. Front lower valence and skid plate need to be replaced. They have curb rash beyond refurbishment.

3. All four wheels have curb rash.

4. I took a video under the car and similar to the fan shroud, the suspension components had light white oxidation. I assume these pieces are magnesium or aluminum which the salty air in Hawaii probably got to the few years the car was on the islands.

5. Other than the valve cover reseal, no major maintenance or repairs have been done. It is due for a 60K maintenance.

6. I couldn't get the AC to work properly. The normal fan did not work well either.

7. Engine lid gas shocks need replacement.

8. The fan in front (I assume for the oil cooler) is not working properly per a PPI they did a year ago.

Here are the pictures...

https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...EE?usp=sharing

ace10

Nice job on the thorough visual and drive inspection.

The car sounds like a money-sucking vortex for the next owner. Unless you ignore all the cosmetic stuff and stick with the mechanicals. And even then. Chasing the HVAC issues sounds like a lot of fun.

At least the lid struts are cheap and DIY. LOL

gmorat

Front fan is most likely the ballast in the fender. The fact that it hasn't been replaced in a year would make me question how well the car has been maintained.

Tlaloc75

I would assume 10-15k in maintenance in the first year just to get it to where it should be mechanically. The cosmetic stuff will be on top of that. Maybe another 5k.

I would focus on mechanicals first and chip away at cosmetic stuff later. With the lack of maintenance I'd downgrade the fair price to compensate, so I wouldn't pay more than mid 40's for that car.

I'm a condition over miles guy so the 55k miles doesn't sway me much other than the fact that once you are done the car will have more value to others if the miles stay low.

On the other hand, maybe prices are still rising and I'm off my rocker

samurai_k

Guys, thanks for being a sounding board for me through this process.

All of your comments have been super helpful to understand what is important and not.

So to summarize the short list

1. 97 Zenith Blue Daily Driver
Pros- Major mechanical updates- clutch, SAI cleaning, top-end rebuild, electrical, brakes, tires, major maintenance. Two previous owners, current owner for 18 years. Original paint and no accidents.
Cons- It was a daily driver so interior needs refurbishment and a good detail/paintless ding repairs

2. 96 GP White Garage Queen
Pros- Clean exterior and interior. Not perfect, but can be addressed over time. Original paint and no accidents. Mature current owner for 10 years.
Cons- Price too high @$62K. Six previous owners. Deferred 60K maintenance. Top-end still original. Low miles, but eventually needs a clutch and SAI job since it is a OBDII = $5-10K...

3. 97 Zenith Blue Garage Babe (Portland Car)
Pros- Beautiful. Exterior and interior immaculate. Has a LSD and BBS 18 mesh wheels. It is pending at $53K. Two previous owners, sold by dealer and previous owner owned for two years.
Cons- No maintenance records. Needs a clutch.

Clear which one I need to focus on now!

Tlaloc75

Which one will you focus on?

I was going to type more on maintenance needs but realized I'd already typed it on another thread, so here's the link: https://rennlist.com/forums/993-foru...l#post14314786

If you haven't already read that thread, give it a look. Could be useful to you.

BTW - SAI can be resolved with an ECU flash rather than a cleaning. Not sure if that will work in California, maybe it trips emissions problems? But in many states that's all you'll need to do - just get the ECU to ignore the fault same as the 95 OBD1 cars do.

samurai_k

Thanks for the link.

Just got confirmation. Seller of #1 accepted my offer based on your pricing feedback! PPI scheduled tomorrow at RMG. They do some sort of "voltage" test of the SAI system, as well as cut open oil filter and inspect. Compression check is extra. This car just had a oil change and the top end done 20K miles ago. What do you think I should do?

Tlaloc75

Congratulations, can't wait to see pics!

Compression test is not necessarily a great indicator of engine health but it probably can't hurt to see what the numbers are. Be sure to read up on it so you know how to interpret the results.

What's current oil usage? That's the best indicator of top end health without tearing it apart.

Keadog

Zenith Blue is a great color, but if I remember correctly, you would want a compression check on all cylinders.
But I'm no mechanic and haven't had a 993 since 2011 (sadly).
I still lurk here though.

L39E

https://rennlist.com/forums/vehicle-...aintained.html

'95 RS CS Tribute
Polar Silver / Grey
98.5k miles / $60,400
Sold by a RLer (Ravi) very recently but back up for sale, apparently there was a lot of interest

Leica 993

Yes, compression check on all cylinders. Leak down test on any cylinders that are outside of average range to determine if it's rings/valves that need to be replaced.

samurai_k

Update- Bob and and his techs @RMG did a great job interrogating the 97 Zenith Blue in Silicon Valley. Spent the afternoon with Bob and his tech through the process and was a great learning experience/class as they showed me how to do some basic DIY maintenance.

Very comprehensive PPI. Strong results from compression, drive test, and SAI check. Found a few issues from the mechanical and visual inspection that the current mechanic who is selling the car did not find. We negotiated and mechanic/seller agrees to cover the repairs/parts to address the issues.

I pick up the car in a few days

Tlaloc75

Nicely done. Sounds like they did an exceptional job with the PPI.

L39E

Congrats, Zenith Blue is a great color. Good deal and PPI. I spoke to RMG once and they sound super thorough. Be sure to post some pictures when you get it!

If your front seats are bad and you want to replace rather than refurb check out the replica hardback sport seats made by Waldemar in Germany. Some Zenith Blue painted hardbacks with grey hides would look sweet and freshen up the interior - see RLer FoxMan's former Zenith Blue and cashmere seats on page 7 here:

https://rennlist.com/forums/993-foru...made-5-5k.html