Highlights

• Manual transmission
• Performance modifications
• Iconic 3-litre turbo drivetrain
• Late model from last year of production
• Desirable “non-sunroof” model
• Magazine feature car

The Appeal

The History and Paperwork

• First registered March 1993
• From the final year of production (1992)
• 135,170 miles indicated, verified by the MOT record since 2007
• Current MOT to March 2023
• Featured cover car in the Autumn 2016 edition of ‘Japanese Retro’
• Complete with two keys and the owner’s handbooks

The Interior

• Black leather upholstery to the seats, in good overall condition, with some wear to the driver’s seat, particularly the outer bolster where there is some light cracking and a small tear
• The door cards and other upholstery elements show well, with a little wear present on the front central armrest
• Grey carpet runs through the cabin and boot area, and appears to be in good condition, with coordinated floor mats
• Light grey headlining shows well, with no sagging or damage we could see
• All of the internal trim and switchgear looks nice and tidy, showing expected levels of wear commensurate with the car’s age and use
• Electric windows and door mirrors
• Cruise control
• Period Sony MiniDisc/CD/cassette/radio system
• Air conditioning was removed and is no longer in the car 
• Fire extinguisher mounted in the passenger footwell
• Aftermarket Mishimoto gloss black gear knob
• Sunpro boost gauge mounted to the top of the steering column
• Full size spare wheel in the boot
• We are assured by the vendor that everything works as it should

The Exterior

• 3E5 ‘Super Red’ paintwork is in reasonably good overall condition, with some stone-chipping and minor blemishes
• It appears as if there is some UV fading to the paint on the bonnet, although it looks as if it will polish out easily
• The body panels look straight and even, with no evidence of notable corrosion, just a little bubbling in a couple of areas on the doors
• All of the badging and trim appears to be complete, with some fading and wear apparent
• 18-inch, 10-spoke, split-rim Wolfrace wheels, with black centres and polished barrels all show nicely, with no major marks or blemishes we could see
• The wheels are shod in a matched set of Nexen tyres that look to have decent tread depth
• Those iconic pop-up headlamps are working just as they should
• Underneath the car looks to be straight and solid, with some surface corrosion showing to some drivetrain components and the tank straps

The Mechanics

• Twin-cam, 24-valve, 2,954cc turbo-intercooled inline-six engine (7MGTE) drives the rear wheels
• Five-speed manual transmission
• The engine bay looks nice and tidy, with no evidence of leaks or notable corrosion we could observe
• ARP headstuds
• NGK platinum tipped spark plugs and new HT leads
• Felpro headgasket and water pump
• New ECU and gauge temperature sensors
• Full GPlus silicone hose kit
• Blitz induction kit
• HKS EVC4 electronic boost controller
• HKS adjustable dump valve
• Uprated engine mounts
• Japspeed aluminium radiator, twin 12-inch electric fans and a custom aluminium shroud
• We’re told the car has been recently serviced and fitted with a new rocker cover gasket and air flow meter
• The owner tells us that the car produces in the region of 270hp and drives very well

Summary