Purchasing an '88 MX6 GT

Impen · 8-5-08, 19:14

Hey,

I recently came across a 1988 MX6 GT with 120,000 miles on it. It looks to be extremely clean and is priced in a range I can afford. I was curious if anyone could give me an idea of what to look for when I go to have a look at it?

When test driving, are there any noises or quirks to look for that associate with common failures on these vehicles?

What is the typical longevity on these vehicles? (Will I be buying it to find out they typically die at 150,000?)

Anything else? Common modifications that may be ill-advised to look for?

Thanks very much for your time.

**zlyricist** · 8-5-08, 19:20

the car can last to 200K easily granted it has been taken care of this far. i'd say if it boosts fine, tranny and clutch feel good, brakes suspension blah blah and you like it, then buy it. either way you will have to do maintenance at some point, its a 20 year old car.

ive looked at a few where people tried installing chips or 'modules' into the VAF wires (air meter) stay away from that. if it has a stock air box, stock exhaust and stock shifter you might be safe in thinking the owner is not a ricer lol

compnut21 · 8-5-08, 19:35

i hit 235,000 miles on mine recently, the insides of the motor were still flawless when i took it apart. (unrelated motor swap)

these things go forever if you don't rice them and take care of them. (and mine was never taken care of

)

**SinCity** · 8-5-08, 20:47

Is the transmission auto or manual?

Is there any rust?

How does the turbo spool?

How is the compression? I'd do a compression test if the seller will let you.

Any smoke?

Does it run hot?

Oil leaks?

BTW, mine has 161,000 miles and the engine has never been apart. Compression is still good. How the car treats you depends a lot on how the previous owners cared for it.

Impen · 8-6-08, 10:50

The transmission is manual. I see no rust from the pictures posted on the ad (the car appears immaculate).

I am used to having old cars (I currently drive a 1989 CRX HF, but it may be time to part with it - possible wiring issues preventing spark), so maintenance isn't something I am unfamiliar with. Are these cars pretty easy to work on, in terms of available room in the engine bay, ease of routine maintenance, etc?

It sounds like I should basically just bring my typical used car check-list and watch for aftermarket parts (or evidence of such tamperings).

Thanks for all the help thus far.

**magik8** · 8-6-08, 10:57

I might suggest a search. This same question has been asked probably 10+ times within the last few years.

Impen · 8-6-08, 17:43

Thanks.

I actually tried searching a few times, but was unable to come up with the kind of answers I was hoping for...

...also I was just leaving work and feeling a little bit lazier than I should have...

Thanks for all the help, everyone. I'll let you know if I decide to buy it or not.

**magik8** · 8-6-08, 19:23

Here are just a few threads to reference with same topic. I don't mean to be a jackass; just that I've seen so many of these throughout the years.

http://www.mx6.com/forums/1g-mx6-gen...zda-owner.html (I'm a new Mazda owner!)
http://www.mx6.com/forums/1g-mx6-gen...-n-mx-6-a.html (Common problems with N/A mx-6)
http://www.mx6.com/forums/1g-mx6-gen...good-deal.html (1991 626 GT: Good deal?)
http://www.mx6.com/forums/1g-mx6-gen...-question.html (buyer question)
http://www.mx6.com/forums/1g-mx6-gen...lp-needed.html (new here,help needed)

Impen · 8-7-08, 0:06

Thanks very much, Magik8.

I went and took a look at the car tonight. It is in amazing condition. The current owners are the original (the dad bought it in 1989, passed it on to his son about a year ago) and, if what they say is true, it has seen extremely regular maintenance. Clean interior and exterior, everything seems to be in working order... I'm blown away.

The only things I could find wrong with it were that the dome light no longer functioned (possibly just burnt out? the owners hadn't known about it until I pointed it out) and that the center console storage is on a loose hinge, so it kind of wobbles.

Needless to say, I put down a deposit on it and will be joining the 1G MX6 family very soon.

**Wibla** · 8-7-08, 6:43

Good!

Oh, and we're gonna need to see pictures.

Are you in the rust belt?

Impen · 8-7-08, 10:31

Yeah, I am in the rust belt, unfortunately. Gotta love ol' Salt Lake City.

Here's one of the pictures from the listing:

http://www.ksl.com/emedia/its/slc/25...r=ksl/gallery3

**Zach** · 8-7-08, 11:40

I work for Bonneville, so I'm getting a kick out of your link and location

**magik8** · 8-7-08, 13:39

Yeah you can find the actual ad on that site if you look hard enough.

Although it does appear to be in good condition, $2000 seems a bit steep for an '88. How does it look underneath? I'm also not a big fan of the rims, myself, they look ugly.

Impen · 8-7-08, 14:18

Everything on it looks great. The owners say it hasn't had any aftermarket parts, everything has been maintained regularly (new water pump and timing chain at 50,000 and 100,000, oil changes every 3,000 then switched to synthetic at 100,000, transmission serviced regularly, etc.). Dash is still glossy, no major stains on the interior that I could find, original exterior paint (still glossy with some very minor chips)... I was trying pretty hard to find something wrong with it and was unable to. *Shrug*

And I am not a fan of the rims either. They're pretty awful. Haha. My co-worker is threatening to spray paint them if I leave them on the car for more than a week. Maybe I can work out having him leave those off so I can buy some new ones...

**magik8** · 8-7-08, 16:34

I would see if the owner has the factory rims. Also would see if he comes down to $1500; his 20 year old car is just not worth as much as he may think. Blue book value is probably not even $2000 (although I haven't checked).

8-5-08, 19:14	#1 (permalink)
Impen New Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The City of Salt, UT, USA Age: 19 iTrader: (0)	Purchasing an '88 MX6 GT Hey, I recently came across a 1988 MX6 GT with 120,000 miles on it. It looks to be extremely clean and is priced in a range I can afford. I was curious if anyone could give me an idea of what to look for when I go to have a look at it? When test driving, are there any noises or quirks to look for that associate with common failures on these vehicles? What is the typical longevity on these vehicles? (Will I be buying it to find out they typically die at 150,000?) Anything else? Common modifications that may be ill-advised to look for? Thanks very much for your time.

8-5-08, 19:20	#2 (permalink)
zlyricist Join Date: May 2004 Location: arvada, CO, USA Age: 24 iTrader: (5)	the car can last to 200K easily granted it has been taken care of this far. i'd say if it boosts fine, tranny and clutch feel good, brakes suspension blah blah and you like it, then buy it. either way you will have to do maintenance at some point, its a 20 year old car. ive looked at a few where people tried installing chips or 'modules' into the VAF wires (air meter) stay away from that. if it has a stock air box, stock exhaust and stock shifter you might be safe in thinking the owner is not a ricer lol
	I'm Zlyricist, and I approve this message 91 GT - 95 LS 06 maxima - the daily

8-5-08, 19:35	#3 (permalink)
compnut21 Needs more pie. Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Olympia, WA iTrader: (5)	i hit 235,000 miles on mine recently, the insides of the motor were still flawless when i took it apart. (unrelated motor swap) these things go forever if you don't rice them and take care of them. (and mine was never taken care of )
	89 GT 4WS/Megasquirt/FE3/Needs harnesses and fluids. My FE3T Project

8-5-08, 20:47	#4 (permalink)
SinCity Join Date: May 2005 Location: Near Area 51, NV, USA Age: 31 iTrader: (1)	Is the transmission auto or manual? Is there any rust? How does the turbo spool? How is the compression? I'd do a compression test if the seller will let you. Any smoke? Does it run hot? Oil leaks? BTW, mine has 161,000 miles and the engine has never been apart. Compression is still good. How the car treats you depends a lot on how the previous owners cared for it. Last edited by SinCity : 8-5-08 at 20:54.
	Currently have two 1988 MX-6 GT 5 speeds, both white, one stock, one not. Also have a big ass Dodge Ram 3500 4x4 Diesel for fun. http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2565091 http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3117307

8-7-08, 6:43	#10 (permalink)
Wibla 4ws newbie Join Date: May 2007 Location: Telemark, Norway Age: 24 iTrader: (0)	Good! Oh, and we're gonna need to see pictures. Are you in the rust belt?
	'88 Mazda 626 2.0i-16 4ws

8-6-08, 10:50	#5 (permalink)
Impen New Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The City of Salt, UT, USA Age: 19 iTrader: (0)	The transmission is manual. I see no rust from the pictures posted on the ad (the car appears immaculate). I am used to having old cars (I currently drive a 1989 CRX HF, but it may be time to part with it - possible wiring issues preventing spark), so maintenance isn't something I am unfamiliar with. Are these cars pretty easy to work on, in terms of available room in the engine bay, ease of routine maintenance, etc? It sounds like I should basically just bring my typical used car check-list and watch for aftermarket parts (or evidence of such tamperings). Thanks for all the help thus far.

8-6-08, 10:57	#6 (permalink)
magik8 Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Wisconsin, USA Age: 26 iTrader: (0)	I might suggest a search. This same question has been asked probably 10+ times within the last few years.

8-6-08, 17:43	#7 (permalink)
Impen New Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The City of Salt, UT, USA Age: 19 iTrader: (0)	Thanks. I actually tried searching a few times, but was unable to come up with the kind of answers I was hoping for... ...also I was just leaving work and feeling a little bit lazier than I should have... Thanks for all the help, everyone. I'll let you know if I decide to buy it or not.

8-6-08, 19:23	#8 (permalink)
magik8 Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Wisconsin, USA Age: 26 iTrader: (0)	Here are just a few threads to reference with same topic. I don't mean to be a jackass; just that I've seen so many of these throughout the years. http://www.mx6.com/forums/1g-mx6-gen...zda-owner.html (I'm a new Mazda owner!) http://www.mx6.com/forums/1g-mx6-gen...-n-mx-6-a.html (Common problems with N/A mx-6) http://www.mx6.com/forums/1g-mx6-gen...good-deal.html (1991 626 GT: Good deal?) http://www.mx6.com/forums/1g-mx6-gen...-question.html (buyer question) http://www.mx6.com/forums/1g-mx6-gen...lp-needed.html (new here,help needed)

8-7-08, 0:06	#9 (permalink)
Impen New Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The City of Salt, UT, USA Age: 19 iTrader: (0)	Thanks very much, Magik8. I went and took a look at the car tonight. It is in amazing condition. The current owners are the original (the dad bought it in 1989, passed it on to his son about a year ago) and, if what they say is true, it has seen extremely regular maintenance. Clean interior and exterior, everything seems to be in working order... I'm blown away. The only things I could find wrong with it were that the dome light no longer functioned (possibly just burnt out? the owners hadn't known about it until I pointed it out) and that the center console storage is on a loose hinge, so it kind of wobbles. Needless to say, I put down a deposit on it and will be joining the 1G MX6 family very soon.

8-7-08, 10:31	#11 (permalink)
Impen New Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The City of Salt, UT, USA Age: 19 iTrader: (0)	Yeah, I am in the rust belt, unfortunately. Gotta love ol' Salt Lake City. Here's one of the pictures from the listing: http://www.ksl.com/emedia/its/slc/25...r=ksl/gallery3

8-7-08, 11:40	#12 (permalink)
Zach All aboard the B& V& Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Age: 32 iTrader: (6)	I work for Bonneville, so I'm getting a kick out of your link and location

8-7-08, 13:39	#13 (permalink)
magik8 Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Wisconsin, USA Age: 26 iTrader: (0)	Yeah you can find the actual ad on that site if you look hard enough. Although it does appear to be in good condition, $2000 seems a bit steep for an '88. How does it look underneath? I'm also not a big fan of the rims, myself, they look ugly.

8-7-08, 14:18	#14 (permalink)
Impen New Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The City of Salt, UT, USA Age: 19 iTrader: (0)	Everything on it looks great. The owners say it hasn't had any aftermarket parts, everything has been maintained regularly (new water pump and timing chain at 50,000 and 100,000, oil changes every 3,000 then switched to synthetic at 100,000, transmission serviced regularly, etc.). Dash is still glossy, no major stains on the interior that I could find, original exterior paint (still glossy with some very minor chips)... I was trying pretty hard to find something wrong with it and was unable to. Shrug And I am not a fan of the rims either. They're pretty awful. Haha. My co-worker is threatening to spray paint them if I leave them on the car for more than a week. Maybe I can work out having him leave those off so I can buy some new ones... Last edited by Impen : 8-7-08 at 14:22.

8-7-08, 16:34	#15 (permalink)
magik8 Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Wisconsin, USA Age: 26 iTrader: (0)	I would see if the owner has the factory rims. Also would see if he comes down to $1500; his 20 year old car is just not worth as much as he may think. Blue book value is probably not even $2000 (although I haven't checked).