1979-1993 & 94 Conv [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
1987 and 1988 are my favorite years for the convertible. Mostly what you need to look for is rust. You'll want to look at where the left front lower control arm attaches to the body. That's a common spot. Also look underneath the car to try to judge the condition of the floors.
You'll also want to listen for gear whining when you are underway. A whine in 1-3 gears would be countershaft bearings wearing out. A whine in 4th and 5th gear would most likely be pinion bearings wearing out. Popping out of any gear would also be bad with the exception of reverse, as that may be fixable without going through the entire gearbox. If the car has any gearbox problems, expect to spend over $2000 for an overhaul.
The engine and turbocharger are pretty robust. The head gasket can leak. Steering racks were somewhat troublesome at that vintage too. It probably has a newer one.
The top hydraulics are reliable, and inexpensive to fix. Replacing the fabric is a little more difficult. Expect to pay an upholstery shop $1500 to replace top and rear window if needed.
Good seats are hard to come by, so if you need (and desire) them, you'll spend a lot of time looking at junkyards, or a lot of money at an upholstery shop.
Any way you look at it, its a 25 year old car, and if you plan to drive it every day, it will break somewhat regularly. Most of the wear items are available reasonably online, and anything else can be sourced used.
I think the price range really depends on condition. I'm sure there are junkers in the $500 range. A good roadworthy example that is a little rough around the edges would probably fetch $1500-2000. An extreamly clean example in a desireable color with a 5 speed and good service records I imagine could probably bring over $6000. There aren't many of those left.
posted by 71.225.109...
, Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:41:02
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