1992 3000gt vr4 $6500

[Hans@GZP]

1992 $ 6500

We have a 1992 3000GT VR-4 for sale. It's moroccan red (Maroon metallic), and in very nice condition inside and out. The paint shines up beautifully, but does have some small imperfections that are not noticeable at first glance. The engine runs strong, the turbos boost well, no mechanical issues. Transmission shifts smoothly. It has a brand new aftermarket dual exhaust, Tanabe Medallion style, it sounds amazing. It also has a 1999 3000GT reverse light center panel and tinted tail lights (I can put non-tinted tail lights back into the car if you would like). The car is otherwise stock. A/C blows ICE cold, The ECU is rebuilt with a lifetime warranty. It has 113k on the engine, the stronger 25 spline transmission and transfercase and a new OEM clutch.
The interior is charcoal leather.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d111/3Scar/IMG_8239.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d111/3Scar/IMG_8238.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d111/3Scar/IMG_8235.jpg

[Destroyer]

You should post some pictures of the interior and more of the exterior.

[Emilie@GZP]

Hans posted this before I uploaded interior pics online. And it started to downpour as I was taking the exterior pics. LOL. I will post interior pics shortly, and if we have clear weather today I will get more exterior pics.

[Emilie@GZP]

The interior is in overall really nice condition, really clean, no bubbling panels, etc. However the seats are really showing some wear. We got some IGEE seat covers for one of our previous yellow stealth's, $200 for the pair, and they were REALLY nice. Or I hear Mitoska makes some sweet replacement covers :p

Example of IGEE covers in our last stealth.
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/382796_10150696767898266_491068390_n.jpg



http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d111/3Scar/IMG_8243-1.jpg

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http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d111/3Scar/IMG_8247.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d111/3Scar/IMG_8251.jpg

[Emilie@GZP]

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d111/3Scar/IMG_8254.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d111/3Scar/IMG_8255.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d111/3Scar/IMG_8258.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d111/3Scar/IMG_8267.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d111/3Scar/IMG_8259.jpg

[Destroyer]

Beautiful Car guys. GLWS.

[Emilie@GZP]

Price dropped to $5900! :)

[92pearltt]

How many miles on the body?

[Emilie@GZP]

150k. Runs, drives, shifts beautifully. a/c is ICE COLD. :)

[Emilie@GZP]

Sold, pending deposit this weekend :)

[Emilie@GZP]

Price dropped again!!! And now on ebay.

Mitsubishi : 3000GT VR4 in Mitsubishi | eBay Motors (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140831698762#ht_1109wt_950)

[Emilie@GZP]

Sold.

[Meridian]

Less than 1500 miles after purchase the engine threw a rod, wrecked third gear synchro and has had problem after problem after problem. I was told that the car was in really good shape and it wasn't. It has been sitting in my garage now for a year and a half with the engine and trans pulled wondering what I should do with this wreck. As I dismantled the car I found that the car was very poorly put together with screws stripped or snapped, missing bolts, brackets etc. I soon realized that this car was just thrown together from other wrecks for a quick sale! I bought it on good faith and was lied to. I was bitterly disappointed. I thought at first I was unlucky but then I heard from other people in the area (including some very reputable companies) that this story is all to common with this particular seller! Now I have to pay out more than the car is worth on engine and transmission rebuilds and all the missing and broken parts on this car.

[R/T93]

Incredible.
Sorry you have to deal with it.

From the phone.

[mb3000]

Less than 1500 miles after purchase the engine threw a rod, wrecked third gear synchro and has had problem after problem after problem. I was told that the car was in really good shape and it wasn't. It has been sitting in my garage now for a year and a half with the engine and trans pulled wondering what I should do with this wreck. As I dismantled the car I found that the car was very poorly put together with screws stripped or snapped, missing bolts, brackets etc. I soon realized that this car was just thrown together from other wrecks for a quick sale! I bought it on good faith and was lied to. I was bitterly disappointed. I thought at first I was unlucky but then I heard from other people in the area (including some very reputable companies) that this story is all to common with this particular seller! Now I have to pay out more than the car is worth on engine and transmission rebuilds and all the missing and broken parts on this car.

With my personal experience in mind, I can't say that I'm surprised.

Sorry about the car man. Probably would cost more to fix it the right way than to just get another one.

[Uniuno]

Did you try getting a hold of Hans first? I'm sure he wouldn't leave you hanging.

[Meridian]

Did you try getting a hold of Hans first? I'm sure he wouldn't leave you hanging.

Yes I did but he was no help. I asked if he had another engine I could have for cheap and he said no he didn't have any. Funny that, when I bought the car he told me he had loads of spares, engines, transmissions etc. but when I needed them of course he didn't have any and couldn't help me. It's a shame 'lemon laws' don't exist in PA.

[CoopKill]

With my personal experience in mind, I can't say that I'm surprised.

Sorry about the car man. Probably would cost more to fix it the right way than to just get another one.

CAre to share?

[Uniuno]

Yes I did but he was no help. I asked if he had another engine I could have for cheap and he said no he didn't have any. Funny that, when I bought the car he told me he had loads of spares, engines, transmissions etc. but when I needed them of course he didn't have any and couldn't help me. It's a shame 'lemon laws' don't exist in PA.

Sorry to hear, I wish I could help. I have a blown up engine of my own though.

[mb3000]

Some of it was deliberate, most was coincidence. The story can be seen in my build thread (for the most part). If you want the full story you can PM me.

[Meridian]

Some of it was deliberate, most was coincidence. The story can be seen in my build thread (for the most part). If you want the full story you can PM me.

Hi, please PM me as I would interested to know of your experience.

[Meridian]

Ok so here is my experience. I will post the original advert first;

1992 3000gt vr4 $6500
1992 $ 6500

We have a 1992 3000GT VR-4 for sale. It's moroccan red (Maroon metallic), and in very nice condition inside and out. The paint shines up beautifully, but does have some small imperfections that are not noticeable at first glance. The engine runs strong, the turbos boost well, no mechanical issues. Transmission shifts smoothly. It has a brand new aftermarket dual exhaust, Tanabe Medallion style, it sounds amazing. It also has a 1999 3000GT reverse light center panel and tinted tail lights (I can put non-tinted tail lights back into the car if you would like). The car is otherwise stock. A/C blows ICE cold, The ECU is rebuilt with a lifetime warranty. It has 113k on the engine, the stronger 25 spline transmission and transfercase and a new OEM clutch.
The interior is charcoal leather.


'THE PAINT SHINES UP BEAUTIFULLY' When I arrived the car was quite dirty. I was told that I had come early and the car wasn't 100% ready as It was assumed that I was buying the white VR4 that was also being sold (That's a whole other story!!). I wasn't that bothered as I was going to detail it when I got home anyway. That was mistake number one! When I cleaned the car I realized that the whole car including all the glass was covered in overspray!! The whole car felt like sandpaper! It took me 100 hours (I know as I logged the time!) of hand polishing to make that paintwork smooth!!!

'THE ENGINE RUNS STRONG' Cant argue with that. Well for at least 1500 miles until I heard a loud rattling sound! At first I thought it was the cam belt and yes when I took the covers off the cam belt was loose as the tensioner had given up! I asked Hans about this when I bought the car and he assured me that it would be ok until the next service. Well guess what? It wasn't! I thought that I had bent the valves but after a leak down test I was relieved that I hadn't! So off I went to buy the infamous $500 cam belt kit from the dealer! Well I fitted the belt but to my horror when I started the car up the noise was still there, worse then ever! In the end I pulled the plugs turned the engine over while holding a rod on the pistons, yep! number four piston was rocking!!! Spun number four rod!!! :-( After removing the engine I found the infamous dented sump! I never realized that such a small dent in a VR4 sump could be so catastrophic and Hans SHOULD have seen and known about this! You can see on the inside of the sump where the pick-up had been rubbing!

'NO MECHANICAL ISSUES' HA HA HA! See above! Oh and below as I shall carry on!

'TRANSMISSION SHIFTS SMOOTHLY' Yes it does! Well 4 out of five gears can't be bad! Third gear was toast! I wasn't allowed to test the car fully and was only allowed to drive it around the industrial unit. Yes of course because under thirty miles an hour the trans is good in first an second!!!

'IT HAS TINTED TAIL LIGHTS' Painted by a twelve year old with automotive spray paint! I had all the clear ones put back on.

'THE STRONGER 25 SPLINE TRANSMISSION' Unfortunately the the shaft was 75% worn and just about to sheer the splines! I had to buy a new one which means I'll have to replace the spool in the transfer case as well! :-(

Other things on the list are: CD player didn't work. the side lights and fog lights don't work. The engine was from a Stealth (but I knew that) Every wheel on this car is bent! I asked him for another wheel to replace one that was severely buckled on the inside and the one he sold me was cracked so I had to weld it! The Suspension computer was missing and the one he sold me was inop! (I had to replace all the capacitors in it) All the inner fender protecters were missing, the active front spoiler and motor were missing (he did replace these for a price and I had to manufacture some of the parts as they were missing and no longer available from Mitsubishi) The active rear spoiler didn't work properly ( I later found out that parts were missing inside of it which I had to manufacture as they were no longer available) There were loads of fasteners and small trim items broken, missing, stripped, bodged, etc all over the car. As for fasteners it looks like Home Depot is Hans best friend! The rear bumper beam and license plate bracket were held on by Corrosion and Prayer! I had to replace both as they were not salvageable.

Well the only positive thing I can say is at least I'll have a brand new VR4 by the time I finish spending the debt of a small African country on this car!

P.S. If anyone wants to argue with me or does not believe my story I have a huge stack of receipts from my local dealer and all the pictures of the strip down and broken parts!

[CoopKill]

Sorry to hear man. I believe they are getting out of the 3s business from what I have heard.

[TurboSinceBirth]

There's another member here owed a huge sum of money for a contractual consignment agreement for selling his Spyders. I'm not sure GZP wants to turn over a new leaf from years ago or they're too far over their heads with the business, new baby, and other things in life. If they want to stick around they'll make it right. Otherwise, it'll be here on the forums.

[Meridian]

There are no excuses for ripping people off. Sometime I'm way over my head with life but I don't pass it on to others. In the meantime I have another four years of payments on a car that's crippled in my garage. These incidences don't do the VR4 reputation any favours.

[Hans@GZP]

Ok so here is my experience. I will post the original advert first;

1992 3000gt vr4 $6500
1992 $ 6500

We have a 1992 3000GT VR-4 for sale. It's moroccan red (Maroon metallic), and in very nice condition inside and out. The paint shines up beautifully, but does have some small imperfections that are not noticeable at first glance. The engine runs strong, the turbos boost well, no mechanical issues. Transmission shifts smoothly. It has a brand new aftermarket dual exhaust, Tanabe Medallion style, it sounds amazing. It also has a 1999 3000GT reverse light center panel and tinted tail lights (I can put non-tinted tail lights back into the car if you would like). The car is otherwise stock. A/C blows ICE cold, The ECU is rebuilt with a lifetime warranty. It has 113k on the engine, the stronger 25 spline transmission and transfercase and a new OEM clutch.
The interior is charcoal leather.


'THE PAINT SHINES UP BEAUTIFULLY' When I arrived the car was quite dirty. I was told that I had come early and the car wasn't 100% ready as It was assumed that I was buying the white VR4 that was also being sold (That's a whole other story!!). I wasn't that bothered as I was going to detail it when I got home anyway. That was mistake number one! When I cleaned the car I realized that the whole car including all the glass was covered in overspray!! The whole car felt like sandpaper! It took me 100 hours (I know as I logged the time!) of hand polishing to make that paintwork smooth!!!

'THE ENGINE RUNS STRONG' Cant argue with that. Well for at least 1500 miles until I heard a loud rattling sound! At first I thought it was the cam belt and yes when I took the covers off the cam belt was loose as the tensioner had given up! I asked Hans about this when I bought the car and he assured me that it would be ok until the next service. Well guess what? It wasn't! I thought that I had bent the valves but after a leak down test I was relieved that I hadn't! So off I went to buy the infamous $500 cam belt kit from the dealer! Well I fitted the belt but to my horror when I started the car up the noise was still there, worse then ever! In the end I pulled the plugs turned the engine over while holding a rod on the pistons, yep! number four piston was rocking!!! Spun number four rod!!! :-( After removing the engine I found the infamous dented sump! I never realized that such a small dent in a VR4 sump could be so catastrophic and Hans SHOULD have seen and known about this! You can see on the inside of the sump where the pick-up had been rubbing!

'NO MECHANICAL ISSUES' HA HA HA! See above! Oh and below as I shall carry on!

'TRANSMISSION SHIFTS SMOOTHLY' Yes it does! Well 4 out of five gears can't be bad! Third gear was toast! I wasn't allowed to test the car fully and was only allowed to drive it around the industrial unit. Yes of course because under thirty miles an hour the trans is good in first an second!!!

'IT HAS TINTED TAIL LIGHTS' Painted by a twelve year old with automotive spray paint! I had all the clear ones put back on.

'THE STRONGER 25 SPLINE TRANSMISSION' Unfortunately the the shaft was 75% worn and just about to sheer the splines! I had to buy a new one which means I'll have to replace the spool in the transfer case as well! :-(

'NEW OEM CLUTCH' Yes it was new ONCE but not when I bought this car!!! it's approximately 30% worn if my measurements are correct and the pressure plate springs are hardened from age.

Other things on the list are: CD player didn't work. the side lights and fog lights don't work. The engine was from a Stealth (but I knew that) Every wheel on this car is bent! I asked him for another wheel to replace one that was severely buckled on the inside and the one he sold me was cracked so I had to weld it! The Suspension computer was missing and the one he sold me was inop! (I had to replace all the capacitors in it) All the inner fender protecters were missing, the active front spoiler and motor were missing (he did replace these for a price and I had to manufacture some of the parts as they were missing and no longer available from Mitsubishi) The active rear spoiler didn't work properly ( I later found out that parts were missing inside of it which I had to manufacture as they were no longer available) There were loads of fasteners and small trim items broken, missing, stripped, bodged, etc all over the car. As for fasteners it looks like Home Depot is Hans best friend! The rear bumper beam and license plate bracket were held on by Corrosion and Prayer! I had to replace both as they were not salvageable.

Well the only positive thing I can say is at least I'll have a brand new VR4 by the time I finish spending the debt of a small African country on this car!

P.S. If anyone wants to argue with me or does not believe my story I have a huge stack of receipts from my local dealer and all the pictures of the strip down and broken parts!

This is the first time I saw this post. I would have replied sooner if I had known about it.

Yes, the engine was from a wreck. I disclosed all of the information about the replacement engine (mileage, service work that we had known about, etc). If I remember correctly, the engine had 114k miles on it. The 60k service had been done by one of the previous owners, so it was good for another 6k miles. Unfortunately, we can not predict the future. The oil pressure was good and it ran great when you picked up the car. After you blew it up, you asked if I had any spare engines. I did not have any spare, running engines at the time. We rarely have full running engines here at the shop. Yes, I to have plenty of used parts. I told you what I had and you were even in the shop to see it. I'm uncertain how I could misinform you of my parts inventory when you could see it with your own eyes.

Unfortunately I don't remember every aspect of every car that comes in here. So, I guess we'll have to take your word on what is/was wrong with it. The active aero didn't work. That's not uncommon and we don't go taking everything apart to see what is wrong with it. That's not something that adds value to the car (in general) when it has 150k+ miles on it. Rust on the rear license plate bracket is super common on these. Bent wheels? These things didn't just wobble around. A small bent lip on these 20+ year old wheels is common. This car wasn't a low mileage, pristine garage queen. It was a driver and it was priced exactly what it was worth. We didn't turn every single bolt on this car. I'm not tearing apart a $5500 car and doing a full restoration on it.

Yes, you came down to check out a white vr4. One that we actually sold just as you walked in the door. You act as if I forced you into a car. We allowed a test drive around the industrial lot, and spent lots of time going over the car with you and replacing things you didn't like (like the tinted tail lights). We even ordered you leather skins for the seats which you promised to pay for when they came in, but that never happened.

If the suspension computer I sold you was inoperable, why didn't you call me to get another one? I'm not difficult to work with. You know that. You met me and we talked at length multiple times. I'm sorry the car was a bad experience for you. We have always been there for every one of our customers. If you don't reach out to us, I don't know how I can help you. I guess dredging up a thread about a car I sold you 1.5 years ago helps you through this.

[Hans@GZP]

Some of it was deliberate, most was coincidence. The story can be seen in my build thread (for the most part). If you want the full story you can PM me.

I'm sorry the car you purchased from someone else was misrepresented to you. I didn't sell you a car directly, so I'm unsure how I'm responsible. I sold a one owner 97 vr4 to a couple in TN that they knew was in a front end accident. What they sold to you, I don't know. You did do a great job on restoring the car though!

[Meridian]

This is the first time I saw this post. I would have replied sooner if I had known about it.

Yes, the engine was from a wreck. I disclosed all of the information about the replacement engine (mileage, service work that we had known about, etc). If I remember correctly, the engine had 114k miles on it. The 60k service had been done by one of the previous owners, so it was good for another 6k miles. Unfortunately, we can not predict the future. The oil pressure was good and it ran great when you picked up the car. After you blew it up, you asked if I had any spare engines. I did not have any spare, running engines at the time. We rarely have full running engines here at the shop. Yes, I to have plenty of used parts. I told you what I had and you were even in the shop to see it. I'm uncertain how I could misinform you of my parts inventory when you could see it with your own eyes.

Unfortunately I don't remember every aspect of every car that comes in here. So, I guess we'll have to take your word on what is/was wrong with it. The active aero didn't work. That's not uncommon and we don't go taking everything apart to see what is wrong with it. That's not something that adds value to the car (in general) when it has 150k+ miles on it. Rust on the rear license plate bracket is super common on these. Bent wheels? These things didn't just wobble around. A small bent lip on these 20+ year old wheels is common. This car wasn't a low mileage, pristine garage queen. It was a driver and it was priced exactly what it was worth. We didn't turn every single bolt on this car. I'm not tearing apart a $5500 car and doing a full restoration on it.

Yes, you came down to check out a white vr4. One that we actually sold just as you walked in the door. You act as if I forced you into a car. We allowed a test drive around the industrial lot, and spent lots of time going over the car with you and replacing things you didn't like (like the tinted tail lights). We even ordered you leather skins for the seats which you promised to pay for when they came in, but that never happened.

If the suspension computer I sold you was inoperable, why didn't you call me to get another one? I'm not difficult to work with. You know that. You met me and we talked at length multiple times. I'm sorry the car was a bad experience for you. We have always been there for every one of our customers. If you don't reach out to us, I don't know how I can help you. I guess dredging up a thread about a car I sold you 1.5 years ago helps you through this.

You can say whatever you want but all I know is that I was sold a car that was misrepresented by you. It blew the engine within 1500 miles of normal driving, I never raced or thrashed this car! The engine blew because the sump was dented, something that you would have seen and you neglected to inform me or do anything about! As for the white car, again you are not telling the truth! You sold the car after I turned it down because the engine was knocking! You told me it was the air con motor and it was ok (You must have really thought I was born yesterday!) I told you that I would not spend almost $6000 on a car with a knock! The car wouldn't even start when I got there! The 60k service WAS NOT DONE as the tensioner, pulleys, belts etc were old and hadn't been replaced in a long time (the generic water pump was new I'll give you that). All the parts you gave me were junk as you wouldn't let me have any of the good items on your shelves. I didn't return the suspension computer, one, because you told me that was the only one you had and two, by that time I had had enough of being ripped off by you! You must explain to me this, if you are such a genuine business then why do so many people that I have spoken to (especially businesses involved in the 3s world) keep telling me that my case, unfortunately, is all too common with you. This is by no means the first time I have seen complaints about you and your company on 3s pages and forums! As for the seats you mentioned I ordered leather and you quoted me $500 but then you tried to scam me with vinyl seat covers! When I told you again that I wanted leather you upped the price by another $200 so I'm really glad I never paid you a deposit! I called you several times about the seats but you always told me that they hadn't arrived, which is why I never paid you for them! The reason it took so long to post this is that I only just came across this thread by accident. Trust me if I had seen it earlier I would have posted this earlier!

[Emilie@GZP]

You ran it real hard on the test drive as I recall.

The engine was not knocking on the white one, it had minor lifter tick. The maroon one did not. That engine ran very strongly when you left with it.

You wanted different tail lights, we swapped them. You wanted different snake eye lenses, we swapped them. We did a number of swaps before you even left with the car.

I'm sorry to hear the engine blew 1500 miles later, it ran great when it left, with no indication of any issues what so ever. We don't have a magic ball to predict the future.

[Meridian]

You ran it real hard on the test drive as I recall.

The engine was not knocking on the white one, it had minor lifter tick. The maroon one did not. That engine ran very strongly when you left with it.

You wanted different tail lights, we swapped them. You wanted different snake eye lenses, we swapped them. We did a number of swaps before you even left with the car.

I'm sorry to hear the engine blew 1500 miles later, it ran great when it left, with no indication of any issues what so ever. We don't have a magic ball to predict the future.

I think you missed that part about the dented sump. You should try paying attention before submitting a reply. By the way being a mechanic for longer than you have been alive and a fully licensed aircraft mechanic and inspector I think I can tell the difference between a knock and a 'minor lifter tick'!

[Emilie@GZP]

Never had a single complaint about a blown engine from them, or any other problems what so ever for that matter. The car to this day, is still running strong.

Just sayin'.

And if you were such a great certified mechanic, you should have noticed a dented oil pan while you were under there replacing your active aero dam.

But I haven't been alive as long as you've been a fully licensed aircraft mechanic and inspector, so what do I know.

[Meridian]

Never had a single complaint about a blown engine from them, or any other problems what so ever for that matter. The car to this day, is still running strong.

Just sayin'.

And if you were such a great certified mechanic, you should have noticed a dented oil pan while you were under there replacing your active aero dam.

But I haven't been alive as long as you've been a fully licensed aircraft mechanic and inspector, so what do I know.

I did but not knowing these particular engines and how critical the sump clearance was I didn't think enough about it! That is my fault entirely. If I had I would have never bought the car. Sometimes you have to take things on good faith and trust people, unfortunately in this incidence my good faith was misplaced. Yes I did realize that this car needed work which I was willing to do if I wasn't I would have paid $15,000 plus for a good example. What I wasn't expecting was to be lied to and sold a total wreck that I could have bought off Craigslist for half the amount. Next time I will do more research to prevent myself from being ripped off again.

[Emilie@GZP]

We never lied to you about a thing. If the pan was dented when we sold it to you, we would have happily replaced it, or supplied a replacement. That's a very simple thing to do. We installed the engine in the car. It would have been a matter of minutes to swap on a new pan, or pop the dent out while we had the engine on the stand.

As I said, I'm really sorry to hear this happened, but unfortunately, things do happen that just really don't have anything to do with the previous owner ripping you off.

[Meridian]

We never lied to you about a thing. If the pan was dented when we sold it to you, we would have happily replaced it, or supplied a replacement. That's a very simple thing to do. We installed the engine in the car. It would have been a matter of minutes to swap on a new pan, or pop the dent out while we had the engine on the stand.

As I said, I'm really sorry to hear this happened, but unfortunately, things do happen that just really don't have anything to do with the previous owner ripping you off.

Well maybe we both learned something from this experience. Next time I won't buy a GT with a dented sump and you won't instal an engine with one. Anyway I've said my peace. Goodbye.

[Meridian]

The latest news on this car. Straight from the engine builder. The rear head is trash! I though it would be repairable but unfortunately it isn't. Luckily the shop managed to locate a used one, which they will clean and machine for me at a good price. (should have bought a GT from them)

Also the spool as mentioned earlier in the transfer case is definitely toast so that needs a rebuild too. This was due to the worn out output shaft. Something that would have been easily spotted when the engine was installed.

Oh will it ever end…...