After much debate, I've decided to sell my '95 3000GT VR-4. I've thoroughly enjoyed owning/driving this car for the last 8 years, and my original plan was to keep it for many years to come. Changes in my personal priorities and a lack of more garage space are the reason I'm selling the car, and my original intent to keep the car for a very long time should be evident by the condition and extra preventative maintenance (details below). The car runs very well and I would have no qualms about using it as a daily driver (though I don't) or about taking it on long trips (which I have done). I've been over the car with a fine-tooth comb in the last few weeks trying to make sure I take care of any little issues (e.g. burnt-out interior light that didn't bother me) and note anything else of concern. The car has over $8500 of upgrades (included), but it still looks mostly stock when the hood is closed. Most of the upgrades fit into the reliability and handling areas, establishing a solid base from which to get more power. For those who don't know me, I'm really meticulous about doing things "right". Many people from the 3000GT/Stealth community have met me in person and have seen my car over the years, as I've been a member of that community since 1998 (back in the Starnet/Dragnet days) - during that time I've owned 3 different 3000GTs, and I pretty much know the current one like the back of my hand. My engine removal page is a good example of how I generally take care of things, and the engine reinstallation pictures page is a good example of the condition of the hidden parts of the engine bay. The engine is proven capable of well over 500bhp with a few additional upgrades, and it's probably in the neighborhood of 400-450bhp as currently configured. While a few areas would need some paint work if it were to be a show car, the majority of the paint is in beautiful condition. I frequently get looks of disbelief when I answer "1995" to the question of "What year car is that?" - most people who don't know that 1999 was the last model year for this car assume the car is a mid-2000 car. For folks not familiar with the 3000GT or the AWD version, this car is absolutely a blast to drive. The power delivery is smooth and the DR-500 turbos ensure it pulls all the way to redline. The AWD and the 275mm tires give you tremendous grip, regardless of whether it's wet or dry. The upgraded anti-sway bars significantly reduce body roll and improve handling, all without much compromise to ride quality. The car has never been lowered while in my possession (and I don't think the previous owners did so, either). As an added bonus, most of the last 8.5 years of history of the car have been documented on my website, complete with pictures. The direct URL to the site index is: http://www.supercar-engineering.com/rubberducky/MasterList.html. Almost every picture of a white VR-4 on those pages is this car. Also, please note that the pictures shown on my website may or may not be representative of the current condition (especially upgraded parts), so please refer to the lists and pictures on this page to understand the current condition of the car and what parts are included with the sale.

Factory Features

Pearl White Exterior (officially Glacier White Pearl on the window sticker)

Gray Leather Interior (officially gray, but a really dark one, almost black)

3.0L Twin-turbocharged, Twin-intercooled V6 Engine

6-speed Getrag Manual Transaxle

All-Wheel Drive with Limited-Slip Center and Rear Differentials

Four Wheel Steering (4WS)

Electronically Controlled Suspension (ECS)

Four-wheel Disc Anti-lock Brakes (ABS)

Active Aerodynamics (fully operational) Front and Rear

Dual Front Airbags

Infinity 8-Speaker Sound System with External Amplifier and Auxiliary Input (e.g. for iPod)

External Amplifier Under Passenger's Seat

AM/FM Radio/Cassette

Graphic Equalizer

Auxiliary Input (e.g. for iPod)

CD Changer Controls

Anti-Theft Security Code Feature (code included in purchase, of course)

Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel with Audio Controls

Keyless Entry System and Alarm, Including Two Key Fobs and Valet Key

7-way Adjustable Power Driver's Seat, Including Power Lumbar and Side Bolsters

Automatic Digital Climate Control with Graphic Display

Power-assisted Brakes

Power-assisted Clutch

Power Door Locks

Power Windows with Driver's Auto-Down Feature

Multi-speed Windshield Wipers with Variable Intermittent Feature

Rear Wiper, Washer, and Defroster

Cruise Control

Power and Heated Side-View Mirrors

50/50 Split Folding Rear Seats

OEM Retractable Cargo Cover

OEM Owner's Manual and Leather Pouch for Glovebox

Factory Options

Manual Tilt, Removable Glass Sunroof with Interior Shade Panel

OEM "3000GT" Carpet Floor Mats

OEM Mud Guards (Front and Rear)

Current Condition

102,120 miles (September 25th, 2010)

Until it's sold I'll continue to drive it periodically to keep the fluids circulating. Thus, there will be a few extra miles on the car at the time of sale.

Exterior and interior maintained with products from Griot's Garage

The interior is in immaculate condition. Everything is clean and the Defi BF Series gauges in the OEM dash gauge locations could almost pass for OEM. To give you an idea of my maintenance of the car, I actually removed the carpet from the car and cleaned it with a regular household vacuum cleaner as part of my preparation for the car's sale.

The exterior is generally in great condition, other than the front bumper paint imperfections described below, some rock chips on the hood, typical mild fading of the gray painted area at the base of the rear glass, and a scratch in the center of the rear bumper. See the pictures below and/or see the car in person to get a better idea.

My garage is temperature and humidity controlled, and salt is not used on the roads in western Washington. Thus, there is very little rust anywhere on the car.

Mechanically, the car is in excellent condition. Power delivery is smooth; no bad noises from engine, transaxle, or suspension ... or anywhere else for that matter; no squeaks, rattles, or other annoyances. The car idles properly and smoothly. There are no warning lights on, and there are no diagnostic check codes stored in the ECU.

I know how to properly double-clutch and rev-match on downshifts, so both the transaxle synchronizers and the OEM clutch are in better shape than is typical for a car of this mileage. There is zero grinding when shifting gears, both for upshifts and downshifts.

The clutch engages smoothly and handles all the torque this mildly-modified engine produces.

Air conditioning and automatic climate control work properly

All lights (headlights, tail lights, fog lights, interior lights, etc.) work properly

Tires are relatively new (installed at 96k miles) and have plenty of tread left.

The battery was purchased new in June, 2006, and I use a charger specifically recommended for it whenever the car isn't driven for more than a week.

The passenger's seat and rear seats look and feel almost new. The driver's seat has a little wear on the side bolster, but not nearly what I typically see in these cars. There are no tears in the leather or vinyl.

The paint is the factory original paint, except for the front passenger's fender (and associated blending). That repainting was done before I purchased the car, and I wouldn't have noticed without carefully looking at the engine bay (gloss paint instead of flat on the part of the fender that wraps to the inside of the engine bay). Other than the right front fender, all other body panels that I have observed (front/rear bumpers, doors, hatch, hood) are factory originals and have the VIN stickers intact.

The engine has NONE of the typical lash-adjuster ticking (a.k.a. lifter ticking) that many 3000GTs and Stealths have.

I'm meticulous about making sure that both the coolant and oil have reached full operating temperatures (80C and 90C, respectively) prior to enjoying the car.

The EGR valve and return pipe have been removed for simpler servicing of the engine; however, they are included with the car should you ever want/need them.

Notable replacements include:

Lash Adjusters - all 24 (February, 2000)

Underhood Insulation (July, 2002)

Left Fog Light Lens (March, 2003)

Starter (April, 2004)

OEM Oxygen Sensors, Front and Rear (June, 2004)

Fuel Pump (July, 2004)

Fuel Injectors Cleaned/Balanced by RC Engineering (December, 2004)

Battery (June, 2006)

Windshield (July, 2007)

Dash Defroster Vent Trim (July, 2007)

Idle Air Control (IAC) Motor (April, 2009)

Tires (February, 2009)

ECS "Tour" light bulb in instrument cluster (September, 2010)

Engine Oil: Red Line 0W40 API SL

Transaxle Oil: Red Line MT90 GL-4

Transfer Case Oil: Red Line MT90 GL-4

Rear Differential Oil: Red Line 75W90 GL-5

Vehicle History

I purchased the car with 53,675 miles on it in the spring of 2002.

The previous owners of the car were in southern Arizona, so the car was not subjected to salty roads or air.

It's not my daily driver, and I don't generally drive it in the rain. It stays in the garage when it snows (which isn't that often in the Seattle area).

The car has seen autocross and lapping days, but that also means it has been more frequently and more meticulously maintained than a typical daily-driver.

The last major service was at just over 90k miles (see below). Regular minor maintenance (e.g. oil changes, tire rotations, etc.) have been keep up to date.

Last Major Service

The last major service was at just over 90k miles in the spring of 2007, was done (and documented) entirely by me, and constituted what could be called the "120,000mi Service on Steroids Plus Some Upgrades".

Major parts replaced and services performed:

Clutch (new OEM, including clutch disc and pressure plate, a.k.a. clutch cover)

Clutch Fork, including new rubber boot for bell housing (new OEM)

Clutch Fork Fulcrum (new OEM)

Clutch Throw-out Bearing (new OEM)

Clutch Hydraulic Master Cylinder (new OEM)

Clutch Hydraulic Slave Cylinder (new OEM)

Clutch Hydraulic Flexible Hose (new OEM)

Flywheel (upgraded, Unorthadox)

Radiator Hoses (upgraded, Samco)

Engine Coolant Thermostat (new OEM)

Engine Coolant Heater Hoses an Clamps (new OEM)

Engine Water Pump, including gasket and O-ring (upgraded, Airtex)

Engine Coolant (Prestone long-life, also replaced September, 2010)

Front Exhaust Manifold (new OEM; found pinhole leak in factory one upon removal)

Oil Cooler Thermostat (new OEM)

Front Drive Axle Seals (new OEM; seals the output front driveshaft holes in the transaxle case)

Center Differential Output Shaft Seal (new OEM; seals output shaft for center diff in transaxle case)

Rear Differential Output Shaft Seal (new OEM; seals rear driveshaft holes in rear diff)

Rear Differential Input Shaft Seal (new OEM; seals input shaft hole in rear diff)

Front and Rear Turbo Oil Feed Lines (new OEM)

Turbochargers Replaced (new DR-500)

Timing Belt (new OEM)

Timing Belt Tensioner (new OEM)

Timing Belt Tensioner Pulley/Bearing (new OEM)

Power Steering Belt (new OEM)

Alternator-A/C Belt (new OEM)

Alternator-A/C Belt Tensioner Pulley/Bearing (new OEM)

Engine Oil Pump

Engine Oil Pump Pickup/Strainer

Engine Oil Pressure Sensor (upgraded, Defi)

Engine Oil Pan (Supercar Engineering baffled, extra capacity)

Engine Oil (Red Line 0W40)

Engine Oil Filter (Bosch)

Transaxle Front Differential Output Gear/Pinion/Sleeve/Bearings (upgraded, JDM MR)

Resealed All Three Sections of Transaxle Housing and Pressure Tested to 5psi

Rear Differential (used, 1st Generation USDM - matches above front diff upgrade)

Engine Crankshaft Pulley, a.k.a. Harmonic Balancer (yes, the $200 OEM one to preserve engine longevity)

Fuel Filter

Rear Timing Belt Cover (new OEM; dealer that did water pump replacement before I purchased the car must have warped it slightly; I wanted it to fit correctly)

Installed Remanufactured Front Brake Calipers (OEM-equivalent - Raybestos)

Rebuilt Rear Brake Calipers and installed new brake pads (OEM rebuild kit; Porterfield R4S pads)

Fuel Injector o-rings and insulators (new OEM)

Engine Ignition Coils (new, OEM)

Engine Ignition Wires, a.k.a. Spark Plug Wires (new OEM)

Engine PCV Valve

All relevant gaskets, o-rings, sealants, etc. (e.g. timing belt cover, exhaust, oil lines, fuel lines, etc. - new OEM)

I also replaced a lot of little parts like nuts/bolts that were showing their age, as well as many of the plastic trim clips that tend to get stripped or brittle with age. I won't list all those little things, lest I give away how truly obsessive I sometimes am.

Known Issues

Factory Recall for transfer case seal replacement has not been completed (but original recall notice will be included with sale). This is for two reasons:

the current seals are fully functional and show zero signs of leaking; the recall simply calls for replacing the factory seals with new, unmodified factory seals, so I planned to "save" the recall for when the seals show some sign of leaking and

with the exception of a suspension alignment, tire installations, and the installation of the rear anti-sway bar (all of which I supervised), no shop has touched this car since I bought it. Some say I'm a little OCD about my cars that way... I just like knowing that the job was done right, so I tend to do almost all work on my cars myself.

Front steering rack boots are torn. It's hard to notice unless the wheels are at full lock. Steering fluid is not low or known leaking, so a replacement of the boots should be the remedy.

The front bumper is not in perfect cosmetic condition. Please see pictures, including close-ups, below. There is some general pitting and some rock chips. The driver's side of the fascia (directly in front of the wheel) had a minor run-in with a raccoon a few years ago and there was some paint damage, which I remedied with touch-up paint. It's noticeable if you're looking for it, but not so much if you're not. If it bothers you, the full solution would be to repaint the front fascia, and an alternate solution would be the OEM nose mask (a.k.a. bra), which completely covers the fascia paint damage.

The car consumes 0.5qt to 1.0qt of oil between oil changes. Given that I run synthetic (Red Line 0W40) oil and the engine has the factory original internals, this is within my expectations for the car. Oil analysis from Blackstone Laboratories has shown some increase in wear metals over the last 4 years (12k miles), but oil filtration, viscosity, and flash point have always exceeded specifications. Further, the analysis consistently shows that contamination levels of the oil from coolant, fuel, water, and insolubles are all well below established guidelines. Lastly, oil pressure is well above minimum specifications at warm idle (see picture below) and all other engine RPM.

Installed and Included Upgrades/Extras

Note: you can click on the "Installed" hyperlinks to see installation pictures, and you can click on the product hyperlinks to see a link to either the manufacturer's website or a place that sells that particular part.

Brakes

(Installed) 3SX Stainless Steel Brake Hoses (Clear Jacket)

(Installed) Porterfield R4S (Performance Street) Front Brake pads

(Installed) Porterfield R4S (Performance Street) Rear Brake pads

(Installed) Speed Bleeders (Front Brake - SB1010)

(Installed) Speed Bleeders (Rear Brakes - SB1010)

Driveline

(Installed) JDM Front/Rear Differential Gearing (shorter final drive, a.k.a. MR Gears)

(Installed) Solid Shifter Cable Bushings (engine bay and center console)

Engine

(Installed) Dynamic Racing DR-500 Front Turbo (~12k miles ago)

(Installed) Dynamic Racing DR-500 Rear Turbo (~12k miles ago)

(Installed) Setrab 920 Front Mount Oil Cooler (about double the area and double the thickness of OEM)

(Installed) Supercar Engineering Baffled Extra-Capacity Oil Pan

(Installed) Unorthodox Lightweight Flywheel with replaceable wear surface

(Installed) 3SX Polyurethane Engine Mounts (incl. polished aluminum upper engine mount)

(Installed) K&N Aircharger Air Filter (the larger one that isn't sold anymore)

(Installed) Samco Silicone Radiator Hoses (red, upper and lower)

(Installed) Satin Ceramic Coated Front Oxygen Sensor Housing by Performance Coatings

(Installed) Satin Ceramic Coated Rear Oxygen Sensor Housing by Performance Coatings

(Installed) Satin Ceramic Coated Front Turbine Housing by Performance Coatings

(Installed) Satin Ceramic Coated Rear Turbine Housing by Performance Coatings

(Installed) Satin Ceramic Coated OEM Front Exhaust Manifold by Performance Coatings (manifold new at 90k miles)

(Installed) Satin Ceramic Coated OEM Rear Exhaust Manifold by Performance Coatings

(Installed) NGK IK27 Iridium Spark Plugs

(Installed) EGR Block-off Plates (silver, no logo) (uninstalled stock parts included)

(Installed) Polished Aluminum Y-pipe

(Installed) Silicone Y-pipe to Throttle Body Reduction Coupler (3" to 2.75")

(Installed) Manual Boost Controller (Ball-and-Spring Type with Upgraded Lightweight Ball)

(Installed) T-Bolt Clamps for Y-pipe/TB Connections

(Installed) Upgraded thick braided steel engine grounding straps

Exterior

(Installed) Mitsubishi OEM Mud Guards (Set of 4, Installed)

(Installed) PIAA Front Windshield Wiper Blades

(Installed) Replaced Rear Spoiler Limit Switches to prevent Active Aero malfunction

Fuel

(Installed) Denso (MKIV Toyota Supra) Fuel Pump

(Installed) AEM 25-303 Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator (FPR)

(Installed) "RobBeck" Fuel Pressure Regulator Adapter

(Installed) Fuel Pump Hotwire Modification with resistor bypass

Interior

(Installed) Defi BF Series 60mm Water Temperature Gauge (gauge pictures below in interior section)

(Installed) Defi BF Series 60mm Oil Pressure Gauge (gauge pictures below in interior section)

(Installed, see pics below) Defi BF Series 60mm Boost Pressure Gauge

(Installed, see pics below) Defi Control Unit II

(Installed) Sound Deadening Material Installed Throughout Interior

(Installed, see pics below) (Installed) Mitsubishi OEM Carpet Floormats with "3000GT Logo"

(Installed, see pics below) 3SX Real Leather Shifter Boot, Gray

Suspension

(Installed) Saner Front Anti-Sway Bar (I don't think you can get this new anymore)

(Installed) Saner Rear Anti-Sway Bar (I don't think you can get this new anymore)

Wheels/Tires

(Installed, see pics below) 5Zigen 17"x9" +35 Lightweight Wheels in Hyper Black

(Installed) Aluminum Centering Rings for 5Zigen Wheels

(Installed, see pics below) Fuzion ZRi Ultra High Performance Summer Z-rated Tires in 275/40/17 size; nearly full tread, great traction wet or dry

Miscellaneous

(Installed) Silver Powder Coated Engine Bay Brackets (including most parts at risk of rusting; links are two examples of many)

(Installed, see pics below) Odyssey PC680MJ (lightweight battery with heat-resistant metal jacket)

(Installed, see pics below) Polished Upper Intake Plenum

(Installed, see pics below) HoseTechniques Custom-Colored, OEM Color-matched Silicone Vacuum Hose (SVH) Throughout Engine Bay

(Installed) Clifford "AutoImobilizer" Ignition Immobilizer

(Installed) Multi-tone Horn (more "luxury car" than "roadrunner meep-meep")

(Installed) Intercooler Intake Vent Grills for front bumper (925)695-5645 (tel:(925)695-5645)

 Pete