Hello guys,

After reading an article in classic cars this month and the feature on piston-heads, I'm thinking of buying a Coupe 20v turbo.

I currently drive a mk2 non-turbo MR2 which I would part exchange for. I would like to pay no more than 500pounds towards the Coupe so I'm looking for a bargain to be honest. I expect a grand or more for my MR2 so it could be possible.

These are the 2 cars I have seen on the net so far.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...ius/60/postcode/bn107ua/page/1?logcode=p

I have been told the cam-belt was changed back in 2005 at around 40,000 miles. I have also looked at the pictures the dealer emailed me and it seems pretty sound but I haven't looked at it in the flesh.

And this one:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...ius/60/postcode/bn107ua/page/1?logcode=p

Any advice would be greatly appreciated as Im currently reading loads on the internet but I am obviously not an expert.

Many thanks,

Dino

How long is a piece of string - You can pay anything from £500 to £5000+ for a 20VT depends on model/condition/mileage & most important maintenance & ownership history.

There is an excellent buyers guide on here - you need to have a good read through that.

I'd recommend you stay away from eBay & pistonheads coupes & buy one off a forum member on here, who has most likely had it maintained at one of the coupe specialists around the UK - and you can look back at the users posts to find the ownership history.

If you do buy one off eBay or p/h - take a well informed forum member nearby to the viewing with you, or even better have it inspected at one of the above mentioned uk specialists prior to buying

If you buy a cheap coupe without knowing its history - you may well find yourself having to spend a 3 figure sum straight away!


There are members on here willing to view coupes - try & find out if there is any one near to you (and/or the car you are viewing)

If the belts havent been changed since 2005 - they need doing like now! regardless of mileage covered. (circa £400 all in from a specialist)

Get one

Buy from a long term member. I would take the view that any car that does not have a long history of specialist maintenance is a total nail.
Unless its totally amazing - many will claim their car is but its likely to be rubbish - pay no more than 1.5k for a vt and 3k for a plus or le. Smart money goes on a six that has a bodykit done on it - 2k but most of the advantages of the prestige models. The cars are getting old now there are a lot of total turds out there. Mine was nice but it was a couple of years since I happened to see one in the street that looked decent. There are nicer examples at the big meets but there dont often come us for sale. I would linger on the forum and be prepared to wait six months for the right one to come up. Otherwise you will probably end up with a turd.

Also it's a unfortunate, but expected fact due to the age of the cars that Rot has started to become an issue early ones - any car you view (especially if it has skirts fitted) inspect the outer sills thoroughly, as over the years wet crap builds up behind the skirts & rots the outer sills and some cases water ingress through the pinifarina badges at the bottom of the rear quarter panels rots the inner sills & eventually starts spreading to the body (both the afore mentioned claimed the life of my 1997 model.

(and the cars can look mint at initial view- rot on coupes can be hidden from the eye - & heart!)

But there are some excellent ones esp on here & it's a buyers market at the moment

Thank you for the advice you have both given me. Im not looking on buying from ebay or PH just using auto-trader for dealership cars. I never go private and I always check that I get a warranty with the car if possible. I may have a look and test drive of the blue fiat coupe at the weekend, just to get an idea of the car.

The blue car had its cam-belt changed at 61,000 miles and the clutch at 75,000 miles. I'll read the buyers guide and if anyone can offer me more advice I'd be grateful. I must admit you don't see many of these on the road anymore so its hard to have a good look at one upclose.

I don't think I'd even buy a coupe from a dealer - warranty or not. Here is the only place I look

IMO Dealers know just as little about coupes as alot of private sellers - a good bet on this is if you see statements like 'designed by pinifarina' & email replies stating 'cambelt doesn't need doing till 72k' - despite the car in question at the time being 8 years old! - I have had such statements when Ive enquired at dealer coupes in the past

If you insist on buying one off a dealer - still take a well renowned forum
member with you to the viewing - at the top of this part of the forum there is a 'members willing to view cars' section.

Did you look at the buyers guide on here? - print it out & take it with you.

Rest assured, wherever you buy your coupe from you are now in the best place in the world for ownership of one - here!

This one for sale on here may be worth considering. It needs some paint doing but has had a lot of money spent on it in the past.

Thnk you JLow75. I may look at the blue one tomorrow after work. My gf will be coming with me,Im from the Brighton area if there is anyone nearby who doesn't mind coming. I can't really buy a Coupe from this website as I need to part-exchange my MR2 in for the Coupe as I don't have much $$ to spend and will only be able to put several hundred pounds towards it.

Dini

Are the garages/owners of the above Coupe's willing to accept the MR2 in PX though?

As you would have to sell it rather than PX if not, I assume selling it privately would be best,

Chrissy

Yes both garages are, it has done 100,000 miles on the clock but they are willing to p/x for the Coupe. I should be aiming for around £1,300 for my model to be honest although they probably won't give me that.

As others have said, buy from a long standing forum member, or find out if CountryCruising (look in the traders section) or one of the other specialists have anything available that fits the bill. PX is convenient, but I'd bet real cash money that one from a 100+ posts and 1yr+ forum member will be a better maintained, better condition car that you can see at least some history of. If you really need a warranty, look at the third party ones from AA.

Also mileage is far less important than condition.

Your £2k-ish will buy you a good one, but expect to see several snotters first. Every car I've ever seen at a non-specialist dealer has been a heap.

Buy mine!lol
Seriously keep going till you find a goodun. There's plenty coming up for sale.

I might be making a for sale post swell.

Also before swapping have you checked your insurance as its a group 19

Yes I have checked my insurance company today and it is slightly more than I am paying atm but of course that can change anyday. Im 30 years old with full no claims as I have never had to make a claim in 11 years of driving...touch wood.

I may go and look at one tomorrow if I finish work early enough but not sure yet as its from a garage posted above and not off here .

The only reason I would be up for p/x my car with a garage towards a car is that I won't get much privately judging by eBay prices and listings tbh. At least with a dealer I can p/x and leave with a new car without worrying about trying to sell my car for the money to go towards a new car.

If a garage is willing to give you a grand+ for your MR2, then surely you'll get more selling private

I had a near MINT MR2 mk2 - K plate 93 it was the imported G-limited aswel with aircon/folding mirrors etc as standard, no faults at all 75K from new - I Just managed to scrape £1400 private sale - and that was 2 years ago!

If a dealer offers you 1K I'd take it tbh if I were you. The used car private market is in absolute decimation- well no ones got any money!

But like I said non-specialist dealers are just as clueless on the coupe as alot of private sellers -if you do buy one off a dealer take a well-renowned forum member with you to view

Thank you when I go to look at one I shall ask someone on here if they could come with me. I live in Peacehaven which is just 10 minutes outside of Brighton. I never see any of these on the road,so its not like you cam just have a quick gander at them close up either.

I bought mine in 2007 from a chap in Brighton. Whilst the rules of buying from an estabilshed member are good, it doesn't always hold. The chap I bought mine from had only 2 posts on here, but he'd had it serviced regularly at Torque Italia (Barbz, a popular trader on here).

Buy on condition and history. It's good to see you're not scared of mileage, like most are. Mines now done 125k and not missed a beat. They require maintenance to keep them running, and they will keep running. There's Coupes on here with over 200k on the clock.

As said rust is becoming an issue, I myself discovered some today above the rear trailing arms.

The forum can provide you with an answer to every question you have, there is loads of information buried on here

Good luck with your search!