I found this on craigslist. I don't know enough about what these cars are supposed to look like to know how extensive this damage is. I don't care about the cosmetic stuff, but I would need the chassis to be straight: linky.
I found this on craigslist. I don't know enough about what these cars are supposed to look like to know how extensive this damage is. I don't care about the cosmetic stuff, but I would need the chassis to be straight: linky.
I'm not an FRS guy, but I see damage to both of the sills under the doors. It may be minor, but that's typically not a good sign for the unibody. There might also be something weird going on with the gap between the trunk lid/quarter panel and the trunk lid itself might be a different color.
The hatch just looks like the latch is popped, but I agree that it is a different color. The doors seem to fit OK. The windshield might be OK. Both are good signs. But the windshield also might be cracked in the lower driver's side corner, not a good sign.
Passenger's airbag is popped, and I assume the driver's, too.
Are we talking "Cheap enough to buy it and make the Challenge" or are we talking "Fix it and make a usable daily"?
In reply to Duke :
Rally car, so a lot closer to the challenge end of the spectrum.
Just 4 days ago, there was a thread about how used front end parts seem hard to find for these cars.
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/new-projectany-leads-on-parts-for-a-brz/153742/page1/
Seems many are totaled for front damage. Go onto www.car-part.com and there are few front hoods available. Not cheap either.
How long has the engine been exposed to the elements?
Well, the left side core support is torn all to hell - I like the rakish curve of the radiator - but for what it's worth, the bumper mount doesn't seem all out of whack. Just a little compressed on the left.
Unfortunately, the only real way to tell is to get it on a rack and see how far the suspension pickup points are out of true. But I would be guardedly optomistic. Is the drivetrain still solidly mounted?
My guess is this listing is some buyers remorse. That is an IAA sticker on the front window (or most of the sticker.) The current owner sourced a trunk lid and one odd-man-out Subaru wheel. He has done some tear down. What you need to know now is what has he found that makes him not want to continue further?
I see the passenger airbag is off. This means the wheel bag is off also. Will you be planning to get this road certified? How is bag availability? Are they Tikata?
In reply to John Welsh :
For rally, it needs to be registered but not necessarily inspected. That means the "clean title" really needs to be clean, because there's no way I'd want to try to get it through an enhanced inspection. I would be removing airbags, abs, ac, etc. so I'm not concerned about that stuff, although lack of replacement body panels could be an issue.
I'd have a good look at the front of the engine. Looks to me like there are some bits scavenged, but maybe I'm crazy. Alternator and AC compressor both seem to be absent, possibly a cam oil solenoid on bottom driver side.
Talked to the guy, claims it ran but the engine parts that are missing were damaged- it was a high hit which is why the bumper is fine but the headlights and hood are gone. Claims all suspension pickups are where they should be, it's at a shop and being sold because "the customer bought it at auction, removed the parts, and realized he bit off more than he could chew."
In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :
How good are your molars?
In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :
Part of that "chew" becomes the realization from #1 in this sample...
Lets say the $3k-ish is what #1 has into the car already. He now may be faced with the issues that the car still needs $7k to be road worthy. This means he'll have $10k into the completed car and then it is still a car with an R-title. He may start to realize that for $13k he could just buy a complete car.
Furthermore, and here is a clincher, for the $13k car he can finance the purchase on an auto loan. For the $10k car he's gonna have to drop credit card and pay credit card interest rates to get the car completed. After the car is completed, he may be able to pull a real auto loan and pay off the credit cards, but...getting the auto loan while carrying $7k in credit card debt may be a problem (maybe not.)
So, what makes your situation better than #1's?
Seems not impossible, but possibly more effort than it's worth.
This side is not all light damage either:
What is happening with that lower rocker? Is this a water tight seal?
The door has a crease and a scratch. Those might not matter. The rear panel wrinkles and pretty significant. Sure, for rally you could leave them but your "finished" car is still going to then preety much look like a rolling wreck.
Im not scared of it, few hours on the frame rack and I could have it well within spec.
Well, #1 is I don't care about cosmetics, squeaks, rattles, etc. My cars are never pretty, and yes, I would just leave the quarter panel alone. Doesn't bother me and if I'm rallying it it's going to take a bark sample at some point anyway.
The lower rocker would be an issue, I'd probably plan to replace it and possibly double skin since I believe it's structural. Admittedly, my situation would only be better because of low standards for appearance and because I don't need a lot of the street stuff.
The alternatives to this, for the next rally car, are almost exclusively much older. Maybe that's a good thing (simplicity) but this is the first time I've seen a Frisbee cheap enough to make it seem like a viable alternative.
I just went out to IAA and searched FRS. There are 181 FRS currently waiting to be auctioned off as totaled car. Most all have front end damage. Thought there are 2 for hail damage.
When I search BRZ there are 101 cars awating auction.
It sure seems to me that for a niece car that doesn't sell in huge quantities that there are a lot of these coming off the road. Is that because the cars are in the hands of idiot drivers? Is it because the car attracts an owner who "takes chances"? Or, is it because parts availability is making repair costs significant?
Frame looks good/straight from here, and I wouldn't worry too much about the rocker either for your purposes. Make a tubular rad support, find some body panels and the missing engine components and I can't see how you would be too deep into this. Now to make a passable street car it would be much more, but I think with your resources and skills you could get this on the road (stage) for not too much.
Let me be the devil on your shoulder: "Do itttt!"
Also keep in mind that the airbag going off often causes structural damage to the dash support or firewall.
In reply to John Welsh :
It does appear that hoods are expensive. Fenders, headlights, and bumpers less so, especially if I'm willing to accept beat up ones or aftermarket ricer stuff- I see your point though, certainly much more expensive than when I had my FC and could get fenders for $20ea used.
John Welsh said:...Is that because the cars are in the hands of idiot drivers?
Yes.
It's the same with the Focus RS. This thread is painful to read, and it's up to 124 pages long now.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:Talked to the guy, claims it ran but the engine parts that are missing were damaged- it was a high hit which is why the bumper is fine but the headlights and hood are gone. Claims all suspension pickups are where they should be, it's at a shop and being sold because "the customer bought it at auction, removed the parts, and realized he bit off more than he could chew."
Did you speak to the shop or did you speak to the owner?
Is the shop the owner? Is it the shop that is bailing out on the plans to go forward?
What would the shop charge you to complete the car? Not because you necessarily want the shop to complete it but because this amount will be good for your price negotiation. Clearly the shop has written a full repair estimate. Can you see the estimate?
In reply to John Welsh :
Getting the estimate is a fantastic idea. I believe the shop owns the car now, and the shop owner is who I spoke to. I think I might also try to get a hold of someone at Dirtfish since they have a whole fleet of the things be used for exactly what I would use this for- between whatever they do for prep and a list of repairs it should give me a pretty clear picture of the total work I'd be planning to do on the car.
My skeptic side says the shop bought this at auction with the hopes of repair and flip and is now finding the math doesn't work. You have implied that there was an independent owner who brought the car to the shop. I'm no longer sure that is the case.
What did the shop find that scared them? Was it just that the math didn't work out or is it that hidden damage made the math not work?
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