Looking at buying a MSP and want advice? Post here!

trying to find it now. im really hoping to find the previous owner haha. im a little tentative on these cars now after reading on the forum. but i really love the way the car looks

honestly, I have relied heavily on my car to get me where I needed to go. It only let me down once, and other than the diff I've gotten through a year and 20K with the car without further incident. For about the first 6 months I had the car I was criss-crossing thing state for work up to 4 days a week. most of the problems associated with these cars are due to the fact that the people that drive them tend to drive them hard (I'll admit it, I spool it up to and from work just cuz its fun)... If you do your regular maintenance, upgrade the motor mounts, and don't drive the piss out of it, you'll be fine.
 
Rest assured, when I start a post in the "For Sale" section, I'll make sure I have tons of little signs to ease everyones paranoid minds.
 
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mine broke 4K after I bought it (72K miles) bone stock, getting onto a freeway. I was definitely on it, but didn't powershift or anything. I've heard of em breaking just cruising (rarely)... but... there are definitely no rules for when they will and will not break, except that a brand new, welded dif has not been known to break yet.

Mine broke at 30k just leaving my driveway!
 
Hi Guys,

I'm looking seriously at an MSP - talked the dealer into letting me take it home for the night before buying. I'm taking it by my mechanic tomorrow to see if I've missed anything, but so far, the car looks typical for its Black Mica 75K miles. It's missing the air intake, the plastic under the front bumper is kinda trashed and there are a few random clunks in the trunk area as mentioned on the problems thread.

The drivetrain seems pretty solid, hardly any exhaust noise, and no suspension noise, and pulls pretty smoothly. Stereo sounds good, head unit seems to function fine.

I'm looking for something I can drive around most days of the week and not die of boredom. MSP's definitely faster than my current DD, a '91 318is. For real thrills I drive my racecar with the USTCC... So I don't plan a lot of mods, probably just replace / minorly update things as they break. And perhaps the odd autocross or two. :) Coming mostly from BMWs and Miatas, it seems like a snappy little car - lots of fun.

A few questions I haven't managed to find anywhere else:

- Are the Racing Beat swaybars stock?
- The engine at idle and low revvs makes a low whirring sound, (not a screeching) like a high-performance belt or pulley - is this normal? Something upgraded? Sounds neat.

Anyhow, local (Volkwagen) dealer's had the car for ages and have slowly reduced the price from 12.5k down to 8900. Any thoughts would be great.

Thanks!
 
hmm you said blk mica?...i think i saw that for sale i think at capitol honda...but to answer one of the questions about the racing beat sway bars yes they are stock...hey just curious are you paying straight cash for that?...i was selling mine...and i do have some parts to sell as well pm me if your interested...link is in sig below
 
Hi Guys,

I'm looking seriously at an MSP - talked the dealer into letting me take it home for the night before buying. I'm taking it by my mechanic tomorrow to see if I've missed anything, but so far, the car looks typical for its Black Mica 75K miles. It's missing the air intake, the plastic under the front bumper is kinda trashed and there are a few random clunks in the trunk area as mentioned on the problems thread.

The drivetrain seems pretty solid, hardly any exhaust noise, and no suspension noise, and pulls pretty smoothly. Stereo sounds good, head unit seems to function fine.

I'm looking for something I can drive around most days of the week and not die of boredom. MSP's definitely faster than my current DD, a '91 318is. For real thrills I drive my racecar with the USTCC... So I don't plan a lot of mods, probably just replace / minorly update things as they break. And perhaps the odd autocross or two. :) Coming mostly from BMWs and Miatas, it seems like a snappy little car - lots of fun.

A few questions I haven't managed to find anywhere else:

- Are the Racing Beat swaybars stock?
- The engine at idle and low revvs makes a low whirring sound, (not a screeching) like a high-performance belt or pulley - is this normal? Something upgraded? Sounds neat.

Anyhow, local (Volkwagen) dealer's had the car for ages and have slowly reduced the price from 12.5k down to 8900. Any thoughts would be great.

Thanks!

seems pricey to me.. when you can get one on here with less miles for less money and in great shape!!
 
seems pricey to me.. when you can get one on here with less miles for less money and in great shape!!

Heh - if it was a shorter drive over there I'd be all over it. Under the car now on the lift. Are the stock shocks made by tokico?

Control arm bushings are shot...top right motor mount broken.

There are darn few good examples of this car in CA - they seem to have all been beat on...(smash)

Ahwell - I'm going to take this list back to the dealer and see if they will knock enough off for this to make sense.
 
Heh - if it was a shorter drive over there I'd be all over it. Under the car now on the lift. Are the stock shocks made by tokico?
yes, they're blue

Control arm bushings are shot...top right motor mount broken.

other motor mounts prb are too check the front and rear especially... sway bushings (rear at least) as well

There are darn few good examples of this car in CA - they seem to have all been beat on...(smash)

most have, everywhere

Ahwell - I'm going to take this list back to the dealer and see if they will knock enough off for this to make sense.

sounds like a plan.
 
Heh - if it was a shorter drive over there I'd be all over it. Under the car now on the lift. Are the stock shocks made by tokico?

Control arm bushings are shot...top right motor mount broken.

There are darn few good examples of this car in CA - they seem to have all been beat on...(smash)

Ahwell - I'm going to take this list back to the dealer and see if they will knock enough off for this to make sense.

ill deliver half way for and extra fee :)
 
ill deliver half way for and extra fee :)

Hah - that'd be pretty fun. So...somewhere in the middle of Nebraska? :) I wish NASA Nationals were at Mid-Ohio again this year, I could probably arrange shipping back home.

I wonder if I'm getting paranoid, but it looks like the head gasket is wet after driving it around today. Erg. Minor cosmetic damage isn't a big deal, even bushings or shock replacement is doable in a quiet evening at the shop but head gaskets and dirty oil-sweaty turbos make me nervous.

I think I'll see if they'll go for something in the 6-7K range...I've driven a lot of decently handling cars, and the MSP is right up there, but the last thing I need right now is another project.
 
I wonder if I'm getting paranoid, but it looks like the head gasket is wet after driving it around today. Erg. Minor cosmetic damage isn't a big deal, even bushings or shock replacement is doable in a quiet evening at the shop but head gaskets and dirty oil-sweaty turbos make me nervous.

That sounds like one to avoid because of the head and turbo issues. Just keep looking as every now and then good ones pop up.
 
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