Fair price for this 1996 M - 7,800 miles
04-24-2009, 11:46 AM
#21
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Hingham, MA
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I've seen them sell anywhere between $500-1000.
It sounds like for what you want, this car is right. You'd get the best of it all:
M rarity and looks
Tuned however you see fit
Peace of mind
That's hard to beat, especially on the latter. Trust me, for every one project I WANT to do on my car, I also end up fixing something else I WASN'T planning on...it's got 220K miles on it.
You CAN find nice low mileage NBs, but if you want something, and feel a draw to it, just do it and don't look back. You can try and rationalize either way all the way until fall. We buy these cars not because it's a good decision though (this is a 3rd car for us, completely unnecessary), but because we enjoy them. You'll enjoy the car more if you felt compelled to buy it, even if it didn't scream: "best value" "best upgrade path" or "best condition". In the end it's only money now, and you will probably keep the car for several years.
Drive it, if it speaks to you, keep the conversation going.
It sounds like for what you want, this car is right. You'd get the best of it all:
M rarity and looks
Tuned however you see fit
Peace of mind
That's hard to beat, especially on the latter. Trust me, for every one project I WANT to do on my car, I also end up fixing something else I WASN'T planning on...it's got 220K miles on it.
You CAN find nice low mileage NBs, but if you want something, and feel a draw to it, just do it and don't look back. You can try and rationalize either way all the way until fall. We buy these cars not because it's a good decision though (this is a 3rd car for us, completely unnecessary), but because we enjoy them. You'll enjoy the car more if you felt compelled to buy it, even if it didn't scream: "best value" "best upgrade path" or "best condition". In the end it's only money now, and you will probably keep the car for several years.
Drive it, if it speaks to you, keep the conversation going.
You can't always rationalize a purchase, it just feels right.
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04-24-2009, 11:50 AM
#22
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Hingham, MA
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I don't plan to cut much of anything up. Maybe a mild turbo and sway bars and springs. Nothing that isn't reversible if I were to ever care to sell it to a purist. And not to be a d*ck, but Miatas aren't quite concourse cars... this 96 is never going to be worth more than it cost new. I want a fun weekend car to auto-cross.
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04-24-2009, 12:52 PM
#23
I agree with if you can get it for $7k.. or even maybe a couple hundred more. It's a car with very good body work, good interior,good drivetrain..and sell the poopercharger for $1k and you'll be golden. If you're into asthetics and don't plain on junk like pulling venders and riveting stuff to the car, then paying a bit extra for a clean body/good paint/no previous body work is not a bad invetment... esp. if you will make sure to keep it clean/waxed. Bodywork is always a PITA if you buy a car with some dings or needing paint.
I keep my 02 overly clean..possibly OCD (even the GF gets a bit ticked when I was the car two times a week if it's been raining). Hell, some members here can attest to this. But I also daily drive the car, track the car, mountain drive the car, auto-x the car...it's seen it's fair share of abuse and will be making a trip from Ga to Colorado and back this summer. I will say that keeping the car clean pays off because people thinks it's a new car all the time.. and are a little surprised to find out it's a 2002 model.
IIRC the 97 STO was Twilight Blue, the 97 M was Marina Green and the 96 M was Starlight Blue.
I keep my 02 overly clean..possibly OCD (even the GF gets a bit ticked when I was the car two times a week if it's been raining). Hell, some members here can attest to this. But I also daily drive the car, track the car, mountain drive the car, auto-x the car...it's seen it's fair share of abuse and will be making a trip from Ga to Colorado and back this summer. I will say that keeping the car clean pays off because people thinks it's a new car all the time.. and are a little surprised to find out it's a 2002 model.
IIRC the 97 STO was Twilight Blue, the 97 M was Marina Green and the 96 M was Starlight Blue.
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04-24-2009, 02:09 PM
#24
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Hingham, MA
Posts: 14
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I agree with if you can get it for $7k.. or even maybe a couple hundred more. It's a car with very good body work, good interior,good drivetrain..and sell the poopercharger for $1k and you'll be golden. If you're into asthetics and don't plain on junk like pulling venders and riveting stuff to the car, then paying a bit extra for a clean body/good paint/no previous body work is not a bad invetment... esp. if you will make sure to keep it clean/waxed. Bodywork is always a PITA if you buy a car with some dings or needing paint.
I keep my 02 overly clean..possibly OCD (even the GF gets a bit ticked when I was the car two times a week if it's been raining). Hell, some members here can attest to this. But I also daily drive the car, track the car, mountain drive the car, auto-x the car...it's seen it's fair share of abuse and will be making a trip from Ga to Colorado and back this summer. I will say that keeping the car clean pays off because people thinks it's a new car all the time.. and are a little surprised to find out it's a 2002 model.
IIRC the 97 STO was Twilight Blue, the 97 M was Marina Green and the 96 M was Starlight Blue.
I keep my 02 overly clean..possibly OCD (even the GF gets a bit ticked when I was the car two times a week if it's been raining). Hell, some members here can attest to this. But I also daily drive the car, track the car, mountain drive the car, auto-x the car...it's seen it's fair share of abuse and will be making a trip from Ga to Colorado and back this summer. I will say that keeping the car clean pays off because people thinks it's a new car all the time.. and are a little surprised to find out it's a 2002 model.
IIRC the 97 STO was Twilight Blue, the 97 M was Marina Green and the 96 M was Starlight Blue.
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04-24-2009, 11:06 PM
#26
you should pm saml01 on this board.
He has a M with prob 20k miles, and a few more mods than u are planning, and is NY. His car is very clean IMO, then again I have a 95 w/ 140k that looks like an old beat up boxer, lol
Point is he may be able to give you some insight on driving a practically new 10+ yr old car
He has a M with prob 20k miles, and a few more mods than u are planning, and is NY. His car is very clean IMO, then again I have a 95 w/ 140k that looks like an old beat up boxer, lol
Point is he may be able to give you some insight on driving a practically new 10+ yr old car
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