Hey, I'm looking into purchasing a '91-'93 Stealth TT and have found one on eBay, but the seller said the transmission lost 4th and 5th gear a couple weeks ago. Assuming the transmission rebuild would cost around $2,000-$2,500 to repair, would it be an alright deal to get the car for around $2,500 -$3,000? The car looks presentable, but the guy had the car painted a custom color at a Macco shop, so obviously the paint job would need to be redone by a more reputable shop. The car supposedly has 200K on the body/chassis, but he had the engine professionally rebuilt ~40,000 miles ago and I'd assume the turbos were checked at that time and fixed accordingly. As for the interior, it has the typical seat bolster damage on the driver's seat, but that wouldn't be a problem as I'd probably stick racing seats in it or have the originals reupholstered. Any advice is appreciated as I'm still relatively new to what I should expect a Stealth TT needing work is worth. Thanks!

The thing that worries me is how well the chassis has held up after so many miles. He said he's put around $20,000 into restoring this car already, so I'm sure the suspension has been rebuilt within that budget.

 

well, stealth rt tt in real good shape with a 100k miles usually goes for about 5-7k. If you can get it for 2500 and engine is rebuild with suspension redone then it'sprobably a good deal. I would see what "thestealth" says tho

 

ive seen people rebuilt complete muscle cars with 20grand, so to restore a stealth with 20grand idk how the hell he did all of that. If you choose to buy it you should get IPT to rebuild the tranny. You shouldnt have a problem with Maaco paint, people thin Maaco is trash, but no matter the company it depends on where you get it done. The Maaco that he used could of been complete trash or could of been really good, I would wait and see how the paint holds up.

 

The owner was dissatisfied with the way they prepped the car prior to painting it. They didn't bother removing the hood, doors, or deck lid, so the original red is showing through in those areas. As for the money he says he has spent, I know what you mean about putting together a complete muscle car for that price (avatar photo).

Thanks for the input guys! As with the newbies at the Cuda-Challenger site I'm at, it really helps when someone doesn't know exactly what they're getting into unless the more educated forum members offer their help. I've been monitoring the Internet for these cars the past few months, but there's still plenty I need to learn about these cars.

 

You can get a rebuilt tranny from Kormex Transmissions for around $2k. They are a reputable company within the community.
I own 2 high mileage Stealths, I am wowed as to how tight the chassis has remained. They have very few odd squeaks and rattles. Obviously the rubber bushing go bad and may need replaced as time goes on, but the cars are very solid.

 

Thanks for that information, TheStealth. I'll have to watch the auction and see how high the car gets to make a final decision.