1994 Mazda MX3 GS - To buy or not to buy

[Alohaman]

Yo,

I've been out to get a car to replace my current one, of which I want to turn into a project car (the current car I mean, already came up with the design, it's going to be awesome), my 1984 Chevrolet Chevette CS. Bet you didn't see that coming lol. It's getting old, beaten up, and rusty in some places, and good parts to fix the main issues with it are either impossible to find, or really rare. Getting and swapping a 5-speed in it was difficult enough, and I don't want to see the car struggle anymore in our harsh Saskatchewan winters.

So I've searched and searched, and came up with the Mazda MX-3, which fills both my wants and needs in a car. I've been looking, and I found 3 in my hometown for sale. Two are manual, one is an automatic, two are 4 cylinders, and one is I believe a V6. The automatic 4 cylinder has very low kms, at 80,000 kms, but they want too much at $6300, and like the Chevette, the automatics seem to have more trouble then they are worth. The 4 cylinder RS, has 180,000 kms, at $4300, but the seller is too lax to call me back to schedule a time to inspect the vehicle which makes me question it (and once again, that's way too expensive).

The final MX-3 is a '94 GS 5-speed, which means it's a V6, with 202,000 kms. The photo of it looks very good, but I'm skeptical. The owner wants $3800 for the car, but I'd probably pay maybe a max of $3200 depending on the condition and the results of the inspection by a mechanic. The car comes with a lot of options where it counts, and I've sent an e-mail to the owner filled with questions.

Now, what I was wondering, what would be a fair first offer to the seller and to myself? Would this car be worth the high mileage, if it is indeed in good condition?

[solo_ryder]

Hi there,

First off welcome to the forums, and a good place to ask a question like this.

Good questions you ask and thanks for providing some detail on the cars. First off, stay away from the automatic cars. The auto trannies in the mx3 are unfortunately not very good, they all eventually fail.

Price wise, those prices seem steep.. are you located in Canada? If so, where abouts?

Anyways, the v6 is always a good option, but still the price is high for something of that many km's. How is the body on the cars? Usually mx3's do not rust, but a high mileage car can pose problems. Look for a straight body with good paint, that is usually a indication that the car has been taken care of.

If you want fuel economy, then the 4 cyl is the way to go. If you want abit more power and a sportier driving experience, then go with the 6. However, be warned that high mileage v6's tend to burn oil (from mine and many other's experience).

Anyways, post up the links of the cars you found (if you found them on the net) and we can check them out for you and give you the word!

- solo

[Alohaman]

If the fuel economy for the V6 is around 25/30 city/highway or comparable to an Acura Integra or '02 Mazda Protege, I'll be happy. It won't be any worse than my dad's '04 Avalanche, which gets an average of 9 MPG if it's lucky lol.

I agree that the price is expensive. It seems all Saskatchewan cars are like that. I looked through the paper using a Kelley's Blue Book, and everything is about $2000 more than it's actually worth. I think people are trying to make up some extra money due to high fuel prices to tell the truth.

I'm currently in Regina, Saskatchewan.

I'll post the link of the one I'm looking at:

http://www.usedregina.com/classified-ad/6860266" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm going to try calling the seller as well, and see what I can come up with.

[solo_ryder]

It looks like a decent car, at least from the one pic. Its a Emerald Green Metallic color

However, I would not pay more then 2500 for it. Especially if it does not have power options, a unroof, A/C or a block heater. Keep that in mind

[Alohaman]

It looks like a decent car, at least from the one pic. Its a Emerald Green Metallic color

However, I would not pay more then 2500 for it. Especially if it does not have power options, a unroof, A/C or a block heater. Keep that in mind

It has a sunroof, and A/C. I didn't even think of a block heater, that was stupid of me lol.

I don't know about the power options, they aren't a considering factor in the buy since I've been driving an insulated hunk of steel with four wheels and an engine for the past 2 years with great enjoyment lol. But their factor in the final price is helpful to know. I think they only add $300 to the final price though, according to the Blue Book. Edmunds.com is less, but I can't tell anyway because it's US only. Either way, it's some leverage I suppose.

$2500 sounds about the right price, and depending on the mechanical condition of the car, it may be less. I'll see if I can get a hold of the guy later today.

Thanks for the help

[solo_ryder]

Good luck and dont stress out if the deal dont go through, there are alot of mx3's popping up for sale!

Check this out, the silver one is nice, but you probably saw that already:

http://regina.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles ... dZ75820452

[Alohaman]

Good luck and dont stress out if the deal dont go through, there are alot of mx3's popping up for sale!

Check this out, the silver one is nice, but you probably saw that already:

http://regina.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles ... dZ75820452

That's the other one I was talking about, yes. I haven't been able to get a hold of the seller though to schedule a time to look at the car.

It's probably only worth 2200, that seller is nuts...

[onlytrueromeo]

Too bad you're not closer, I'm selling my 95 RS (4 cyl, 5 speed) for 1400. But I'm located in northern NY so that'd be one hell of a drive, not to mention you'd need to bring it across the border. I need to get more active on selling it...i don't want to let it go but i shouldn't really keep to cars at this point.

[Alohaman]

Too bad you're not closer, I'm selling my 95 RS (4 cyl, 5 speed) for 1400. But I'm located in northern NY so that'd be one hell of a drive, not to mention you'd need to bring it across the border. I need to get more active on selling it...i don't want to let it go but i shouldn't really keep to cars at this point.

Yeah, on both parts. The main reason I want to get a new car is to keep my old one and resto-mod it. Otherwise, it'll just get scrapped or crushed, because it's not worth anything financially. Not to mention it's unsafe in the winter. Spinning in the middle of the road on ice is still fresh in my mind. Both my car and I got lucky, but I'm not taking that chance for either again this winter.

[Alohaman]

Apology for the double post, but I was just called by the owner of the inline-4 silver RS.

It has a block heater, A/C, and a sunroof, and a Pioneer deck. It has only one power lock because of the command start. No power windows. It was his daughter's car for university, and she no longer needs it. No liens on the car, and it has been driven in winter. He has no problem letting a mechanic inspect it. The car has 183k kms and it is a 5-speed.

It had been vibrating apparently, apparently a fault with the rear brakes. The brakes were replaced, and the problem disappeared. This has been the only fault they've had with the vehicle.

There are a few dents on the driver's side. The VIN # is JM1EC435XR0306616. I'll see if I can get it checked.

I'm going to go check the vehicle tomorrow after a job interview, preferably with my dad, since he's the master negotiator in the family when it comes to business. Hopefully, the guy is reasonable.

[solo_ryder]

Sounds like it may be a good runner. I like silver But of course I am biased!

[Alohaman]

I checked out the silver inline 4 RS today. Pretty dinged up. It's got dents everywhere, and some minor rust but nothing too serious. The interior plastic has some cuts, and the cloth has some wear on it. Mechanically, the car is in top form, lots of stuff has been replaced, aside from the timing belt, which hasn't. The tires need replacing though.

It doesn't have a sunroof, or power windows and locks (well sort of, one lock is hooked up to a command start remote). It has ABS, which is a big plus.

I offered $2200, but he refused it. Though when we showed him the blue book, he said he'd think on it and get his daughter, the official owner of the car to call us back.

Tomorrow, I'll check out the V6 GS, hopefully it's in better condition.

[Alohaman]

Reporting back on the V6

The body is in better shape, it has a sunroof, power windows and mirrors. Newer tires, and the interior looks to be in good shape. The car is fast, but speed is not the issue.

The shifter is very knotchy, and getting the vehicle to move in 1st gear without it bucking like a bronco is very difficult (maybe the clutch needs adjusting). I had no problem with the RS, in fact, it was easier to drive than my Chevette, which has a mechanical clutch that uses a cable. The V6 engine ticks a lot, even when it's warmed up, and uses oil. The other gears were fine to drive in and the car was much quieter than the 4-cylinder (it is a V6 after all). There were some minor dents, and a big patch of rust on the hatch, but nothing too bad. The back window had some very cheap tint work done, making it difficult to see out the back. It does need a timing belt which would cost some money. It had no airbags, and no ABS.

I offered the guy $2700, which is very generous, but he wants $3500 for it. I think I would probably stick with the silver RS, which despite its somewhat beat-up appearance, is in better mechanical shape and would serve me well. ABS and airbags are much more important than power windows and sunroof. The highest I'll pay for the silver RS is about $2800, minus the cost of new tires which it really needs. When the guy comes back from his holiday, I'll call him again.

[Alohaman]

Okay, decision time, and I need some help.

According to the local Mazda dealer, the ticking sound we heard is normal, knocking or pinging would be much more noticeable, and we would be able to hear it inside the car. The cost of replacing a timing belt is around $430 for the 4-cylinder, and $500 for the V6. While that sounds very high, it's a dealer, and it can be used to our advantage for a reduction in price. Both need this done anyway.

The V6's 1st gear shifting complications, is this common? Or is the timing between releasing the clutch and pressing the gas pedal just really weird? I know it's not my driving ability, because I have no problem driving my current 5-speed smoothly, or the RS I tested. Perhaps the clutch needs adjusting, or even replacing? I really need feedback on this from people experienced with these vehicles. I do like the smoothness and quietness of the V6, and body wise it's in better shape than the 4-cylinder. Can the crappy tint on the back hatch also be removed?

Please reply back, I could really use some advice.

[se7en]

first off, that crappy tint can be removed with a heat gun, and some patience.

secondly, 5 spd mx-3's first gears are geared really high(numerically), and require some finesse to launch properly....but that doesn't mean it is junk....


Get the v6, and be happy. The mileage is really quite good for a v6, and the power is pretty good too.

Besides, I am biased, but a turbo v6 like I have done is the shiz.

Cheers

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