Buddy has his 93 Miata for sale, and I'm considering buying it.
Has a Greddy turbo kit, with intercooler and blow off valve. Currently its at 7-8psi with some no name plastic rising rate fuel pressure regulator.
Car is rough, its a southern car so no rust, but has been rearended, has dented and bondo'd rear quarter, interior is rough and stripped.
Has some aftermarket non stainless exhaust, cut coil springs and aftermarket wheels.

I like nice things, and this is not one, would have to buy it to drive it not to look at it.

Been doing some research and the greddy kit was never that good to start with from what I'm reading.

If I got it I would plan to do engine management, a wide band, redo some of the turbo piping and consider an intercooler that doesn't look so silly. Run it at like 10pis till got bored.

He has it listed for $2800, run away or still a good smiles per miles deal? There are nicer rust free non turbo cars for the same money, but boost has me interested in this car.

 

it's not a horrible price -- car still looks in decent shape. That kit is just built cira 2004-2005. It's not a bad start, there's a lot to improve that's easy and will help you learn along the way.

 

Slap an ECU and some injectors in there and the kit will be fine.

 

I dont know where you are located, but here is a clean one
https://jacksonville.craigslist.org/...878356387.html

 

Few more details. Car has 190k, ac and cruise removed. Limited slip. Dynomax non stainless exhaust. TD04 turbo, top in good shape, back window has scuffs from sitting on noncarpeted metal. Seats are torn. ZERO carpet in the whole car. Front drivers fender china replacement with crappy spray bomb paint. Rear quarter has a bunch of bondo that's cracking, no idea what it looks like under there. Trunk floor and frame tubes have some creases in them from the ear end. Trunk lid and back bumper have been replaced with red parts that were repainted Car has rebuilt title from the rear end I'm guessing.

Buddy of mine has a set of RX7 injectors he would give me if I got the car.

 

Wow that one looks real nice compared. I'm about 1000 miles from there though....

 

ew then offer $1000 to help him out...

 

If you do get it, I'd sure want to try and make the charge cooler lines not be the low point in the front end. Price is pretty good, but I'd hold out for a solid car to start with; I think you will always be bugged with the worn out nature of this one, and putting $$ into it won't make much sense.

 

I'm up in the rust belt, so if this truly is a southern car, it may have an advantage over similarly priced rustier ones.

Looks like these turbo kits used sell for like $750-1000 ? Just doing the math to see if I found a nicer car what it would cost to turbo it.

Good buddy has a supercharged NA, would be fun to make mine faster with a turbo.

 

$3k-4k minimum to properly budget turbo a stock car.

 

Ya, that whole 1/2 intercooler in the bumper "mouth" drives me nuts from a looks standpoint so I would go with a conventional drives side in passenger side out setup which would raise the pipes up quite a bit. I can weld aluminum so fab away!

Buddy price is a bit less than $2800

 

Here is my current daily (and would keep it if got a Miata) 02 Golf GLS TDI 5 speed, straight pipe, bigger injectors, Audi TT front suspension/brakes, Eibach cup kit suspension, big rear sway bar and seasonal tires. Drive it year round. Actually handles surprisingly well. Oh and it has 307,000 miles

 

it's too slow not to handle well...

 

If you can get that GReddy car for 1750 I think its worth it. The turbo kit isnt that great but if you replace literally every part that comes with the kit minus the turbo it can make in the 240whp range at 1 bar of boost.

 

but he also needs to replace the a/c, carpet, seats, rear glass, brakes, clutch, and rear...

 

So basically replace everything but the turbo on the entire car, yes this sounds like a great investment.

 

Don't need AC, its drop top in the midwest. Rear window might buff out. Current brakes, clutch etc work as is with current power level.

I think its a $2000 car, but his enjoyment level driving it is keeping the price high.

 

Any other opinions?

 

In my opinion, buy something with at least a semi clean body, unless you are a body shop guy.

For me, when I was looking, this car would have been one I'd have scrolled past. Too much **** to fix to be half decent.

 

Ya I don’t do bodywork. Would have to go into this car knowing it will never be cosmetically perfect