Worth $6,000? Or did i get ripped off? =\

[87GNattyKid]

Hey guys, i just wanted to know if i got ripped off. Heres the story-Im 16 yrs old, will be 17 in a few days, have my junior license ready to be turned over to a full one and i got an 87 GN as my fist car (courtsey my dad, to be shared between us). Now a few months back when we were looking for a decent car for me, my dad surprised me by getting my favorite car. He bought it from a friend of a relative who is a mechanic (the friend and our relative). The guy who sold us the car said it was mechanically solid needing a few things here and there. The body is solid NO rust. Also thought id add that it doesnt have a GN tranny, he put a diff tranny in it but it works. My dad bought the car based on trusting the guy and figuring since hes friends with my dad's cousin he wouldnt rip us off. We payed $6,000 and he gave us an extra set of rims (not great shape, they need to be redone, and also new centercaps for the wheels) but he left out the body emblems and rear bumper fillers that he said were included. My dad's cousin took the car to his shop and replaced the vacuum block, fixed the shifter cable, and did a few other things. To our knowledge, this left the car mechanically sound with only the interior to worry about, and eventually, the body (paint wise). Now, the interior isnt horrible, the seats are decent condition, no tears but slightly worn, the carpet is worn but this is a daily driver, i dont expect everything to be mint. The headliner is corroded and the visors are also torn, along with the side panel liners and the driver's side escutheon is cracked off at the pull strap (someone mustve yanked it too hard). So we insure and register the car, take it out for an inspection...and it fails. The check engine light is coming on and it keeps stalling, so we take it to the Dynotech shop and they fix what needs to be done to pass inspection, but give us a list of problems with the car. To make a long story short (too late for that huh?) the car needs about $3000 worth of mechanical work (that includes the labor). So on top of the 6k we payed for the car thats another 3k not to mention the $1200 it will cost to get the interior redone (headliner, side liners, sun visors, and cost of the aluminum escutheons from gbody parts) Oh and i almost forgot, the radio doesnt work so that needs to be fixed as well...Now this is a daily driver, not for car shows and all that, but i do want it to look halfway decent and run dependably to get me around. We're not getting all the work it needs done right away, but over time i hope to make this car something other then an eysore for those who dont know what it is and a cause of disaproval for those that do. I want it to be a respectable GN that i can be proud of...but now back to my question. Did we pay too much for this car for what we got? I love these cars, and im willing to put money into this car to get it looking and running good. I know many of you may be thinking, its your first car, you should have gotten something you can destroy and not worry about and wait for this car for when youre older, and thats probably what would have happened if this car didnt appear in such a convenient way. But i have a passion for cars and i just love this one. Im just curious if we got ripped of, because as of right now, it seems that way. Ask any questions you need answered to help me out with this dilema, ill even post some pics up for you guys to see the car, interior and exterior...along with the engine compartment and anything else by request. Thanks -Joe

 

[fastlikeanascar]

post some pics up ..

 

[KevinB]

Post up what the car needs as far as the $3K. That's a lot of $$$$ unless you are getting a new trans or engine. It's getting harder to find rust free GN's and T's depending on what part of the country you are in. If the car is truly rust free, $6K might not be that bad regardless of what mechanical stuff the car need imo.

 

[87granny]

As stated post the pics. and 3k is steep what does it need for that much unless the turbo is bad or the trans is fkd

 

[87GNattyKid]

Post up what the car needs as far as the $3K. That's a lot of $$$$ unless you are getty a new trans or engine.

well, the parts came out to about $1,500 i basically doubled that for what it would cost w/ labor, i dont know how much the labor will be but heres a list of what needs to be done:

Replace Ignition Coil pack
Coil pack bracket missing bolt
Stock replacement turbo - rebuilt
Replace ECM prom chip
Replace IAC & gasket
Throttle body service
Replace upper radiator hose
Replace lower radiator hose
Replace water pump
Replace pass side oil breather and grommet
Replace both valve cover gaskets
Replace spark plugs and re route wires
Replace fuel filter
Relocate ground wire from water pump to cylinder head
Replace missing fuel line bracket bolt on timing cover
Air filter – K&N reusable includes mounting IAT sensor
Replace rear main seal
Rear main seal kit
Oil pan gasket
Oil
Oil filter
ZDDplus Zinc additive
Replace inner / outer tie rod ends with center sleeves
Inner tie rod end x 2 (moog)
Outer tie rod end x 2 (moog)
Center sleeve x 2 (moog)
Replace upper ball joints & upper control arm bushings
Upper ball joints (moog) x2
Upper control arm bushings x 2
Install 4 missing body bushings

And thats all together...i don't plan on doing everything at once

 

[Pronto]

Well, your Dad and you learned an important lesson. If you don't know what your buying, take someone that does. Clearly the car is not worth what you paid. Depending on what they told you what needs fixing, it may be stuff you can fix yourself. You'll learn about your car, how it works and have the satifaction that you fixed it yourself. You can find alot of the interior parts you need in the for sale section. Just shop there for a while collecting what you need. If you can keep it running while fixing it that will help, at least there's seat time then.
Read all the technical articles, especially the "spring cleaning" section here:
Turbo Regal Web Site That will give you more info on what's going on with your car.

Tell us what they said needed fixing.

 

[87GNattyKid]

yea, ive been looking around the site a lot latley...and ill try to get pics up but its too dark right now, ill take some tomarrow and post them up

 

[Pronto]

More than half that stuff you can do yourself with basic handtools for few hundred dollars! Get wrenching.:wink:

 

[mach311]

repairs

most of that stuff is pretty easy to do so it will be good mechanical experience for you anyway. I'd say you paid a little too much based on what you've said but if you and your dad do all the labor you will have the GN lined out for $7500 or so which aint bad for a really cool daily driver in my opinion.

 

[87GNattyKid]

i gotta read up i guess...im just affraid of f*ing someing up =\

 

[KevinB]

well, the parts came out to about $1,500 i basically doubled that for what it would cost w/ labor, i dont know how much the labor will be but heres a list of what needs to be done:

Replace Ignition Coil pack
Coil pack bracket missing bolt

Do that on your own for less than $100

Stock replacement turbo - rebuilt

You can get used stock turbos or upgraded turbos for around $500 on here all day long. Not hard to replace at all.

Replace ECM prom chip

I doubt this needs to be replaced unless it's an emissions thing. You can get a decent chip for less than $100 anyways and it takes 5 minutes to replace.

Replace IAC & gasket
Throttle body service
Replace upper radiator hose
Replace lower radiator hose
Replace water pump
Replace pass side oil breather and grommet
Replace both valve cover gaskets
Replace spark plugs and re route wires
Replace fuel filter
Relocate ground wire from water pump to cylinder head
Replace missing fuel line bracket bolt on timing cover

Most of that can be had from Autozone for cheap. 1/2 day labor for all that depending on your mechanical skills.

Air filter – K&N reusable includes mounting IAT sensor

Not hard to do, maybe $120 tops in parts.

Replace rear main seal
Rear main seal kit
Oil pan gasket

again, depending on your skills, this maybe hard to do. Not a lot of money in parts (<$100) though.

Oil
Oil filter
ZDDplus Zinc additive

I would hope you can at least do an oil change owning a 20 year old car

Replace inner / outer tie rod ends with center sleeves
Inner tie rod end x 2 (moog)
Outer tie rod end x 2 (moog)
Center sleeve x 2 (moog)
Replace upper ball joints & upper control arm bushings
Upper ball joints (moog) x2
Upper control arm bushings x 2
Install 4 missing body bushings

That's basically a whole front end job there. Did that all go bad or is someone nit-picking here?


Check out gnttype.org. There are great tech articles over there that will help you fix everything mentioned above. If you do not know much about working on cars....now is the time to learn. Your new car is 20 years old and will take a decent amount of maintenance to keep it going. If you don't learn, you will hate your GN.

 

[slowcar]

damn my car is a steal then.....

all you had to do with mine was jump in and drive... the carpet should be replaced... that is it... other then that just mod it...

 

[87GNattyKid]

the only thing listed above 100 in parts was the turbo for 450 and everything else is under 100 with the exception of the ignition coil pack and EM chip, both at 100

 

[Pronto]

Make sure you get yourself a Scan Master too. You'll need it to help tune the engine when you replace some of those parts. You can see alot of things with it. Maybe there is some board member thats close to you that would offer some guidance. Like Kevin said it's a 20 year old car, something is going to need fixing anyway.

 

[87GNattyKid]

yea, and thats another thing, it would help so much if there was someone around here that could help me out like that, it is a lot easier to learn through being showed in person then by reading it...especially since i have never owned a car or worked on one in my life. but i don't know anyone that owns a TR...im young, and my friends who are into cars arent into classic american ones...My dad knows basic things but hes no expert, especially on a TR

 

[87GNattyKid]

im gunna have to read up and learn my stuff

 

[turbo2nr]

You sure don't type like any 16yr old I know. You seem over thirty.

I have a kid almost seventeen. I bought him a Civic to be safe. Didn't want him with a powerful RWD car without traction-control.
I'd let him drive my vette though. You really have to want to wreck to get in trouble, other-wise it keeps you safe and going straight.

 

[87GNattyKid]

You sure don't type like any 16yr old I know. You seem over thirty.

lol...english is my best subject...i try to keep it mature for forums like this =)

 

[87granny]

You never said where your from their may be many in your area that could help you out

 

[87GNattyKid]

long island...in the patchogue area