contemplating a vr-4 purchase

Alright heres the deal. 93' vr-4 with 120,000mi for $7,000 maybe even $6,000. It's in good condition (as as far as looks). I just want to know what I'm getting myself into.

When I get the car it will be taking up a significant portion of my budget leaving me with about $500 a month. I can also get a turbo (300whp) acura integra for about the same price (although I'm not excited about it) so it's not my last option. I've also thought about purchasing a 300zx tt.

What I am most worried about is the cost of fixing things on this car. I work at a dodge dealer, and everyone is telling me to stay away from them. I've heard of driveline problems, but I'm guessing a lot of those have to deal with abuse.

I was told $4,000 to replace tranny's alone. So from your experience are costs of (moderate) maintenance so high where it's going to kill my budget, or is it about as bad as any other car? What kind of mileage do you guys have on your vr-4's or even sl's and what problems out the ordinary have you experienced over that time? Should I just base my decision off of what maintenance has been done so far?

I've read the faqs, but I'm just trying to get some assurance before I drop all this money on the car. Thanks for the input.

no where NEAR $4k to repair the tranny.
i love my car and wouldn't think twice about doing it again, even though it's currently in the shop and has been for 6 months out of the last 9 lol. As soon as it's fixed it will run real strong.

If the car has been taken care of and not beat on too bad then they hold up really well. I bought my vr-4 3 months ago and no problems yet (knock on wood). It had 108k miles, was owned by an ASE certified mechanic all its life, mobile 1 every 2k miles. I paid $6k for it and the best thing of all is that is is a 94 so I get the charcoal interior, passenger air bag, and the 6 speed tranny:)

But their are some things to look for. Make sure you check it over for leaks, and when you test drive it you should drive it like you stole it to make sure everything holds up ok. I remember reading about someone who took it easy during a test drive and after he bought it he found that the tranny grinded at higher rpm's.

But I would ask the guy what services he has had done to it. Also ask him when the transmission fluid was last changed. Bad synchros are notorious in our cars.

I've also heard that 300zx's are more mainanence and cost more to fix then 3kgts. Although that hasn't stopped my cousin from looking for one. He drove 400 miles to look at one and turned it down.

I've also heard that 300zx's are more mainanence and cost more to fix then 3kgts. Although that hasn't stopped my cousin from looking for one. He drove 400 miles to look at one and turned it down.

Bah! 300zxs arent that bad. They really are quite comparable to 3000gts in most ways. The main difference between them is that the 3000gt is AWD. Personally, I would much rather a 3kgt than a 300zx. But that is just my :2cents:

The difference here isn't which one is better but which one is cheaper to fix...

There are a lot of aftermarket parts for the 300ZX which means parts are going to be inherently cheaper then the 300GT. And I am going to be frank... You are looking at buying cars that are over 13 years old... You are going to HAVE to start replacing parts in the next few years unless you know that the previous owner was really studious with keeping up with maintenance.

I would not go with the 300whp Integra... That is double the stock horsepower and you can be pretty sure something is going to break.

That said, like all cars if owners keep maintenance up the cars are pretty good... It is true that the tranny is the weakest link in the drivetrain but that can be rebuilt and it's more likely that something electrical is going to keep your car in the garage then something mechnical.

Personally, I like the 3000GT... It's more "GT car" then sports car which makes the thing easier to live with on a daily basis and long trips (I might be getting old but the 300ZX just beats me up on anything longer then a 40 minute drive). And just that convinence to me is worth the extra money on parts.

That said... I know you work in a dealership, but I would not get parts of labour at a dealer... Parts seem to be more expensive there are labour is twince the rate of a specialty shop.

all i can add to this post, is to tell you to stay away from the integra turbo. Tha honda reliability seems to go out the window when it comes to firced induction (i could be wrong but thats what i have found through research) and plus the 300hp integra will be a total burnout machine at lower speeds (below 40-45mph?) because its FWD (unless you do a lot of traction modifications which are expensive) so i would only get it if you plan on only being fast on the highway (where the 300zxtt will probably be faster anyways).

so if it was between the vr4 and 300zx i would consider the facts of:
vr4 is better at launching
300zx is built for top speed
both are amazingly fast in the 1/4 mile with only a few mods
300zx in more expensive (around here at least)
both look good
and from what i hear, the 300zx has a bigger aftermarket

Just my opinion.

Some basics to check over:

3000gt's have a 60000mi tune-up interval. the timing belt and water pump should be changed every 60000mi. Ask if the service has been done. Ask for service records.
Look under and check if the AWD transfer case is leaking (recalled, so ita a free fix at a dealer, but still a headache) they may have already fixed it.

like they said, check the syncros, make sure it shifts nice and smooth.
See if it smokes when you start it up.

Check if the valvecover is leaking, should be right up front if it is, like mine :o( relatively quick fix if u have some spare time.

Wouldnt hurt to test the all wheel ABS.

Also, check all the toys, theyre prone to malfunctions.

Active exhaust, you should hear a little deeper note when its in sport mode than when its in tour. May have to tach it up a little to hear.

Active aero, if you have the ignition in the ON position and press the active aero switch left and push down, you should see the rear wing tilt up and the front air dam should lower.

Electronic suspension, the button to change modes is on the right of the colomn and says ECS. You should see the mode light on the left on the instrument cluster change when you push it. Sport or tour mode. No real way to check it without driving it, but if the car's not on you should hear a short buzz when you change the mode.

Price seems alright. I spent 10k on mine with 89kmi, would definately do it again. I was looking at a 300zx tt when i was shopping too, ended up being the looks of the GT that made up my mind. Its true that theyre expensive cars when things go wrong, but as long as you dont beat it, theyre very reliable cars. DONT try to spin the tires unless your on snow, way too much grip and theres a good chance you break somethin. 300hp is alot when it goes to the wrong place.

If your not gonna go VR-4, save your cash up for the EVO-X http://www.channel4.com/4car/gallery/M/mitsubishi/evox-i-d5-ol_page_2.html

pretty much everything that needs to be said has been, but all I want to say is that for the most part I think the vr4 performance parts are a bit cheaper than the 300zx TT's ... also the vr4 engine bay might be a lil' less cramped than the 300zx tt's... both cars'll get you head turns wherever you go. Good luck in w.e. you choose man!

120,000 miles and you will be left with 500 a month?
you can have good luck with these cars and bad luck. but i can tell you right now if you have bad luck your gonna find yourself in the whole with 250 every 2 weeks. it can get very expensive man, and as much as i would like for you to have one so we could roll together, i'm not gonna tell you it will be cool to have a vr4 120k and left with 500 a month. i have 165k and i've been through it, (i think you know that)
so be aware it can get very costly