how much should i spend on s13?

[2FortyessX]

i am in the process of looking for a nice s13 (fastback) for an sr20det swap. i am debating how much to spend on the initial cost on the car. i have found some nice junkyard s13's but i am kind of reluctant to get anything from the junkyard. i have seen running s13's for 1500 and below but i read on this site whenever anyone finds one for 2k they say you should spend more than that if you want quality. so how much should i spend? 3k? i am trying to spend as little as possible and preferably with body damage and possibly engine damage. thanks

[AlligatorBling]

find a junked s13 with a decent body, my friend found one for under 1000 bucks... low miles on motor, you would be suprized how cheep you can find them... his was wrecked but it was nothing the frame machine couldnt fix, it drives great now... call around body shops and junk yards.

ryan
93 SE Fastback w/ HICAS

[AKADriver]

Pay as little as possible while still buying something structurally intact (no major accidents, cracks, etc).

Anything else that fails with age can and should be replaced anyway. You're still not likely to see too many cars with over 200,000 miles even at the $1000 junker level.

I paid $2300 for my car and it was mechanically perfect at 135k, and structurally sound with only a few blemishes on the body (standard hatch rust, dings and scratches). A car with engine trouble should be nowhere near that.

[CoasTek240]

try an find something with minimal body damage.. try and get one not running and maybe even damage to the front end.
u can fix the front end easy with new fenders and maybe new headlight hood, etc. easy to do. but u dont wann mess with body work.
u can use the bad front end and engine as a way to talk him donw in price.
my friend bought one from a guy b4 it was sent to the junkyard for $400,
-put a new front bumper on it and on new fender and head lights for less than $200
-primed up some dings and dents
-put a new timign chain on it and new spark plugs ( it was previously not running) now it runs.

he sold it for $2700.. it's rediculous
good luck finding one.. they are everywhere

[Zemus]

Well i say you should pay about 2000-2400 for a 89-90 with around 100k miles and about 2300-3200 for a 91-93, and 3200 is if you find a MINT one. I say, if you have the money, look for a turbo 240 on ebay their have been lots of them going for around 4-6k not bad

[2FortyessX]

Originally posted by Oni
Well i say you should pay about 2000-2400 for a 89-90 with around 100k miles and about 2300-3200 for a 91-93, and 3200 is if you find a MINT one. I say, if you have the money, look for a turbo 240 on ebay their have been lots of them going for around 4-6k not bad yeah, i am thinking of doing that. the thing is if i find a custom turbo one not only will it take me about 4 to 7 months longer to save up but i wont know how to work on it. i was planning on buying a beater and doing the swap myself with the help of a veteran so i could get some wrenching time in and learn about the car more. anyways thanks for the replys guys.

[misnomer]

One Hundred BILLION Dollars!!!