Pre-purchase intelligence · 90s-2000s enthusiast cars

Know what it’ll really cost.
Before you bid.

Paste a listing. See the deferred maintenance hiding inside it: what breaks, when, and what it costs, with provenance on every number. Free, no account.

Run a free report →See the 996 deep-dive

35

documented failure modes

5

chassis deep-dives

NHTSA

grounded, every car

$0

per report

Porsche 911 Carrera · IMS bearing retrofit · $2,700-$4,800●Porsche 911 Carrera · Rear main seal (RMS) leak · $905-$1,775●Porsche 911 Carrera · Coolant expansion tank failure · $375-$825●Porsche 911 Carrera · Water pump replacement · $650-$1,225●BMW M3 · Rod bearing replacement (preventative) · $2,500-$4,500●BMW M3 · Rear subframe mounting point cracks · $1,500-$3,550●BMW M3 · VANOS: exhaust hub tabs, bolts, and solenoid rattle · $600-$1,800●BMW M3 · Cooling system refresh (expansion tank, water pump, thermostat) · $800-$1,500●Ford Mustang GT/LX 5.0 · Torn rear torque boxes · $1,000-$2,500●Ford Mustang GT/LX 5.0 · Rust: strut towers, floors, frame rails, hatch · $900-$3,000●Ford Mustang GT/LX 5.0 · Fuel system age-out (pump, hanger, lines, injectors) · $450-$950●Ford Mustang GT/LX 5.0 · Cooling system refresh (radiator, pump, hoses, fan clutch) · $500-$1,050●Mazda MX-5 Miata · Rust in rocker panels and frame rails · $800-$3,500●Mazda MX-5 Miata · Timing belt + water pump service · $450-$850●Mazda MX-5 Miata · Short-nose crank keyway wear (1990-91 1.6L) · $550-$2,550●Mazda MX-5 Miata · Clutch slave / master cylinder · $135-$420●BMW 5 Series · Complete cooling system overhaul · $800-$1,600●BMW 5 Series · Timing chain guides & valley pan (540i V8 only) · $1,750-$3,525●BMW 5 Series · Front thrust arm bushings · $345-$700●BMW 5 Series · VANOS seals (M52TU/M54 six-cylinder) · $285-$825●

Step one

Paste the listing. Any listing.

BaT, Cars & Bids, Craigslist, a text from a buddy. A year and a model is enough; a VIN makes it sharper.

The launch deep-dive

One chassis, torn all the way down.

Every car gets NHTSA complaints and recalls. One gets the full cost teardown first, with owner-reported and shop-verified figures layered in as they land.

Porsche 911 Carrera (996)

1999-2004 · 3.4L / 3.6L M96 flat-6

The cheapest 911 for a reason. The M96 engine's IMS bearing dominates every conversation about these cars. Sorted examples with documentation are genuinely great value; unsorted ones are a bet.

7 known failure modes · parts + labor ranges · PPI checklist · run the free report →

In the garage (cost data being verified)

BMW M3 (E46)

2001-2006

The end-of-analog-era M car. The S54 is a masterpiece with two expensive, well-documented Achilles' heels (rod bearings and the rear subframe), and pricing on these cars assumes you know about both.

Ford Mustang GT/LX 5.0 (Fox-body)

1979-1993

The people's American performance car, with parts support that borders on infinite. The engine is nearly unkillable. The risks are structure (rust, torque boxes), decades of amateur modification, and everything rubber being 35 years old.

Mazda MX-5 Miata (NA/NB)

1990-2005

The most affordable way into a 90s roadster, with a famously robust drivetrain. The money pit is almost never the engine. It's rust, deferred rubber, and a tired top.

BMW 5 Series (E39)

1997-2003

Peak BMW build quality by reputation, with a well-mapped set of aging plastic and rubber failures. Six-cylinder cars are the sensible buy; the 540i's V8 adds real cost and the M5 is its own universe.

How it works

Three moves before you wire the money.

01

Paste the listing

Year, make, model, and mileage are enough. The full listing text (or the VIN) makes the report sharper.

02

See the real cost

A prioritized deferred-maintenance list with parts + labor ranges, provenance on every figure, a headline budget number, and a chassis-specific PPI checklist.

03

Negotiate like you know

Take the $29 packet to the seller, or book a $99 call and talk the car through with our team before you bid.

The listing tells you the price.
We tell you the cost.

Run a free report →