S13 200sx Valuation

[seba5tian]

Hi guys, first post here

Thinking about becoming an S-body owner for the first time. A friend of a friend has a '91 200sx for sale I was considering going to have a look at.

Knowing little about these cars apart from the online research I've been trying to do.. and before I go and take a proper look at it, I was wondering if you guys could help give me some more information on it and gauge a potential price.
I've done a car check on the reg and it returns it as having 124hp, does this mean it has the CA18DE engine and not the CA18DET? Or is this just the standard car checker giving false information?

The only other information is that it has 1 owner from new which is the sellers wife, 150k miles, potentially has a new turbo which i presume is the standard t25 and it has been dry stored (i think) for a few years.

Here are the pictures:





I realise I need a bit more information such as how the rust is on the rails/other problem areas, but a vague valuation and advice would be great!

Thanks

[pointz]

Too hard to judge on little info imo

Rust
Mot
Service history

Could be worth anything from £500 - £5-6k

Also pretty sure uk didnt get the de s13

[pointz]

No mot since 09

I purchased an s13 that was off the road since 07 for £800

Dependant on rust amd general condition i wouldnt spend more than £1200

Edit- bodywork does look pretty mint so if its not rotten and the engine turns by hand or even is running (been regularly started) id go a bit more

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[seba5tian]

No mot since 09
I purchased an s13 that was off the road since 07 for £800

Dependant on rust amd general condition i wouldnt spend more than £1200

Edit- bodywork does look pretty mint so if its not rotten and the engine turns by hand or even is running (been regularly started) id go a bit more

Thanks for the reply mate! I realise rust is probably the big price turning point which can't be gauged without having a proper look at her! There's just so little around on the market I really had no idea what it was worth.
I'm lead to believe the car was garaged almost immediately after it passed its last MOT in '08. So should still be in fairly good condition I'm guessing.

Is this definitely the car with the 170hp CA18DET motor then?

[Actual_Ben_Taylor]

MOT advisory for general corrosion back in 2008, might be a bit crusty underneath by now.

[seba5tian]

MOT advisory for general corrosion back in 2008, might be a bit crusty underneath by now.

Didn't spot that! Thanks.

[Dastardly]

Is it a UK car? All UK cars came with the CA18DET. Looks lovely by the way. If it turns out to be in good condition I'd probably pay at least 4K for it. But maybe that's just me.

[pointz]

4k for a car with no mot thats been off the road for 8 yrs your mad lol

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[Jonny Wilkinson]

4K is a little high even if its in good nick.

The good points are that is looks clean, its one owner, its unmolested, its manual and its a good colour.

The bad points (for me) are that its a cross-over model from the pre to post facelift so probably doesn't have aircon, its got a warning for corrosion so you might end up chasing rust all round the car, its done 150K miles so its not exactly a low miler which is usually one of the advantages of buying a car that's been laid up.

What you should pay should really be driven by what you want to do with it.

If you are looking for a standard(ish) RWD GT car to bomb around in that won't depreciate then check the bodywork and walk away if its crusty, figure on doing a full service including gear and diff oil, cambelt, fuel pump, suspension bushes and brake pads and pay up to 3K if its a good one. Expect not to lose money on it.

If you want a drift car and want something as a solid base, pay around £1K to 1.5K, expect to dump at least 5K into it and lose money when you sell it.

If you want a neo-classic to cherish, look for a higher speced car with lower mileage that's been well cared for (chucking it into a garage for 8 years isn't cherishing it) and expect to pay £5K+ for a nice car. You could buy this to learn about the car then move to a better car later. If that's the case, aim to pay £2-3K if its not rusty, go through the car fixing it up and sell it on.

[Jonny Wilkinson]

For rust areas check the whole car but pay particular attention to small bubbles around the strengtheners that join the front strut towers to the inner wing, the front cross-member just in front of the bottom of the radiator, the sills, the chassis rails, under the wing mirrors, the bottom of the rear quarters and by the drain holes for the spoiler.

If any of those areas are showing even small signs of rust, what you will find when you start digging in that area will be a whole hell of a lot worse than you ever imagined.