Insight appreciated on buying an R3 for 17k?
 

Hey guys,*

I'm looking at buying an 2009 VR R3 with 44000kms on it(Canada eh!). I've managed to get the price down to 17k. No accidents. Winter driven. The car has a few minor issues such as
-Muffler Rust
-Sounds like water is in the muffler or there is a hole
-Rock chips and dent on front bumper/hood
-Minor scrapes on the leather and parts of the interior

Just wondering if you guys think this is a good deal or not. I would also appreciate any insight regarding things to look out for specifically when buying an R3 that wouldn't apply to Series 1s. I am getting a compression test and mechanical check done soon. Is compression on a Series 2 the same as a series 1?

Thanks,

Lachlan

How much rust on the muffler?
Water inside the muffler and a hole?
How big is the dent? And how much rock chips is it?
How much minor scrapes your talking about?

Anyway, ask the seller or the dealer (whoever your buying to), if you could take some pictures of the car and those issues you said. I don't know how much damage are those, and I'm not sure if the asking price their asking for is legit with the issues you mentioned. Let us know if you could do that.

The muffler rust is fairly minimal. The water and hole are just a guess really. I just noticed that the muffler sounded sort of funny. Do R3s sound any different than a Series 1? I could totally be mistaken and the muffler might be fine.There is only one dent on the hood and it is the size of a dime. The front bumper is moderately dinged up the with rock chips(6/10). The scrapes on the interior are on the roof and the rear leather seats are lightly scuffed. The scrapes look like they are from skis or hockey sticks being but in the back. The rims are in perfect condition.

Most of the things I am mentioning are fairly minor. Not sure about the muffler though as it sounds sort of funny/loud. How much do R3s normally go for? I would say this one is about a 7/10 overall. The listing price from the private seller was 19.5k but since she really needs to get rid of the car I have been able to get her to come down.

I also would be looking at a new battery because she left the car in the garage all winter without unplugging it.

Thanks for the fast reply monchie

Also, would someone mind answering my compression question? Thanks!

Oh and it also has tinted windows :)

Muffler rust is normal, especially considering it's a winter driven Canadian car. No idea what you're talking about with "muffler hole and water sounds". Even if there is a hole in the stock muffler, it's not enough to shy away from the car as those mufflers are worth absolutely nothing (people can't even give them away for free at times). The Series II's exhaust does sound different compared to the S1"s by a small margin.

Whatever you mentioned seems to be minor wear and tear for what seems to be a daily winter driven car. Hence the 17k price. It is priced accordingly. Perhaps you can knock it down to 16k?

So at 17k would you consider that an average deal or a good deal? When I was able to get her down to 17 I was really surprised cause I have never heard of an R3 going for anything below 19.

For the condition, I wouldn't say it's a bad deal. I would say average since I am biased towards paying more for a well kept/maintained car.

Anyone that can answer the compression question?

Thanks!

You are looking for the same numbers in both. They will tell you if it passes or not just make sure you ask them for a piece of paper with all the numbers and rpm's listed.

Alright Thanks. I just wanted to make sure that I could you the same chart as the Series 1s.

So would you guys say that I am mistaken thinking that I am getting a really good deal? I would just like to know if I am misinformed about the value of this R3 because the "idea" that I am getting a good price is a major factor(obviously) in me wanting to buy this car. If someone were to tell me that 17k for an R3 is a normal price then I would totally reconsider.

2009 Mazda RX-8 r3 coupe 4d

I am just really picky, so the issues I listed are pretty much me just trying to find imperfections.

Thanks for the help guys, your input really helps.

Holy shit... Market research, do it.