Would you trust a 2013 with only less than 7K miles on it?

[LRNAD90]

And an Edelbrock supercharger as well?

On the one hand it's exceedingly low mileage would draw one in as it being ‘nearly new’. But on the other, mechanical things in general don’t do well with excessive ‘non-use’. Top that off with the number of recalls/SBs for 2013’s in general, and then the whole valve spring issue (doesn’t appear the recall has been done, generally I’d think this a good thing, but with only roughly 7K miles, does the “if it was gonna happen it would have happened” argument apply?) Does the supercharger put the valves springs at high risk due to higher cylinder pressures??

The car seems mostly tastefully modified, but..

Thoughts?

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2013-subaru-brz-46/

https://collectibleclassics.com/inve...jh-wbjf5-l63g7

On a side note, the dealer selling It seems to have a bit of a not so good reputation online, I dunno, Anyone familiar with the car (JF1ZCAC18D1613417)?




Long thread about the seller and people’s experience with them..

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/th...awr-pa.663200/

[AnalogMan]

FWIW, I personally wouldn't have a problem with a car with 7k miles over 10 years. That seems like enough use to keep things lubricated, and to have worked out the kinks. I've owned a number of cars over the years I found with low mileage, and had many years of fun and reliable service from them.

BUT... I might have some concerns with this particular car.

First, I'm no engine expert, but you might want to ask those who know about supercharging a BRZ engine without modifying the internal parts with stronger pieces. I've heard people say (including a local very knowledgeable Subaru tuner shop) that the base 2.0 BRZ engine can't handle much boost without bending connecting rods and doing other bad things to internal moving parts. If this car has only a supercharger and no other mechanical modifications, it might be in for a short (or expensive) life.

Second, it always pays to consider who's selling a car. This dealer seems to have a lot of 'low mileage' cars on his website. Maybe it's his 'thing' and he seeks out low mileage cars, but other comments suggest there may be reasons to question and avoid dealing with him.

Go with your gut. If something seems not right and you don't feel comfortable, it's probably for a reason.

As always, caveat emptor.

[LRNAD90]

So many unknowns about the car. It appears from one of the photos it was in storage for some time (judging by the number of spiderwebs attached to it).

Decided to give dealer benefit of the doubt (despite online reputation). Sent them an email explaining I would have to travel to see the car, and asking multiple questions about the car.

Got the response, "Car is immaculate, I invite you to come see it. Hope that helps."

Hmmm, not really..

Shame, haven't seen a first gen 86 with an undercarriage that clean, well, ever..

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by LRNAD90

So many unknowns about the car. It appears from one of the photos it was in storage for some time (judging by the number of spiderwebs attached to it).ever..

The price is more than when it was new. For that reason alone I wouldn't consider it. Only reason to buy a 10 year old car (even one with low miles) is because of the reduced cost.

Even the KBB price on it in Excellent condition tops out at about $20K, still more than I would pay for a 10 year old $27K car regardless of miles.

[cmiovino]

Originally Posted by AnalogMan

First, I'm no engine expert, but you might want to ask those who know about supercharging a BRZ engine without modifying the internal parts with stronger pieces. I've heard people say (including a local very knowledgeable Subaru tuner shop) that the base 2.0 BRZ engine can't handle much boost without bending connecting rods and doing other bad things to internal moving parts. If this car has only a supercharger and no other mechanical modifications, it might be in for a short (or expensive) life.

I've actually heard just the opposite. The FA20 can generally take a supercharger or turbo with no issues. Obviously you might want to run a 30 weight oil, but internally they can hold boost in the longer run. That's why Edelbrock makes a bolt on supercharger kit like this.

Cars can sit without any major issues as long as they're getting driven a few hundred miles a year. My buddy has a well modified 2005 STI he literally puts about 400 miles on per year. He's done this for like a decade and the car's been fine. Yearly oil changes, doesn't even use fuel stabilizer in the gas (which I think is a bit nuts).

Given that, the car is certainly for someone willing to pay over $20k for a 2013. The 'buy it now' price is actually $28k. It didn't sell back other times when it hit ~$20k at auction, likely not hitting the reserve price.

The supercharger kit is $7k alone, plus any labor you'd have to pay for with installation if you're not doing it yourself. It has coilovers (or maybe lowering springs) of some sort, but no mention of the suspension, any swaybars, etc. The problem is I don't think anyone is going to pay over $30k when you factor in taxes/fees on an 11 year old car that has a bunch of very nice modifications, but that were done by someone else. It requires a very specific buyer.

Personally, I seek out stock cars and go from there. Buying someone's supercharged car isn't my taste from a reliability and "was it done right?" standpoint.

Dealer has a 4.9 rating on Google, despite what the one thread you posted says. So who knows.

[LRNAD90]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

The price is more than when it was new. For that reason alone I wouldn't consider it. Only reason to buy a 10 year old car (even one with low miles) is because of the reduced cost.

Even the KBB price on it in Excellent condition tops out at about $20K, still more than I would pay for a 10 year old $27K car regardless of miles.

Yes, I agree it is way overpriced, but the used car market is still abnormally inflated, so there is that. The BAT auction went to $20K and change, and I thought that was a good price for it, clearly the seller has a different idea.

It’s clean and low mileage, if he sits on it long enough he’ll probably find someone with more money than sense to bite. If I had more money than I knew what to do with, I might even be the one.

It’s hard to justify though when you can pick-up a 2022/23 BRZ for similar money with a warranty, etc..

Originally Posted by cmiovino

Dealer has a 4.9 rating on Google, despite what the one thread you posted says. So who knows.

I put very little value on Google ratings myself..

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by LRNAD90

Yes, I agree it is way overpriced, but the used car market is still abnormally inflated, so there is that. .

Don't care about the market personally. If a 12-year low mileage car (remember that 2013s were sold in 2012) is within 10-15% of a new car price, I'm going to buy the new car even if its a different new car.

And aftermarket options don't count in used car pricing as far as I'm concerned.

[LRNAD90]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

Don't care about the market personally. If a 12-year low mileage car (remember that 2013s were sold in 2012) is within 10-15% of a new car price, I'm going to buy the new car even if its a different new car.

And aftermarket options don't count in used car pricing as far as I'm concerned.

They have dropped the price $3k to $24,995. Still too much IMO, but curious to see how much it gets dropped before it sells..

As another point of reference, a 2018 BRZ PP with 65K miles showed up on a Autotrader alert on Friday, listed for $23,995. Called Saturday around 1 pm, and was told it was sold that morning. Guessing there wasn't a lot of negotiation if it sold the day after it was listed, but who knows I guess..

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by LRNAD90

They have dropped the price $3k to $24,995. Still too much IMO, but curious to see how much it gets dropped before it sells..

As another point of reference, a 2018 BRZ PP with 65K miles showed up on a Autotrader alert on Friday, listed for $23,995. Called Saturday around 1 pm, and was told it was sold that morning. Guessing there wasn't a lot of negotiation if it sold the day after it was listed, but who knows I guess..

Not sure what to tell you. These cars do not have "still at original retail" value in them at 12 (or 8) years old. People can set whatever price that they want, and they will likely find someone to pay it.

It's not something I would pay as much as I loved my FRS. Heck, you could almost buy a new GEN2 for that much. Makes no sense, but car lust doesn't always make sense.