Hello,

I'm currently looking into buying a 1992 Diablo. First, does ~$100,000 seem fair for a 92 with just under 4,000 miles(I would assume it's pristine considering the mileage, but I have not seen it in person)? The values I found on nadaguides.com valued it far below $100,000, but all of the diablos I found for sale were priced far above the nadaguides values.

My main concern with this car is the maintenance. By reading these forums, it seems that I should ask if the car has had the cam chain tensioner updated, and should also have the clutch inspected. Are there any other major issues I should be aware of? Also, what major services are there, and what would their approximate costs be? Are they like Ferraris where every 5 years or 15,000 miles there is a $10,000 service? (I currently own a 2002 Maserati Spyder Cambiocorsa which I bought instead of a 355 because of the maintenance issues) What would the approximate annual running costs be other than the major services?

Thanks for your time,
Anthony

First off they never made a VT (Viscous Traction) in 92 so if the seller is telling you that, you are starting on the wrong foot with this car. VT's started I could be wrong, in 94. Others will chime in to correct me if I am wrong. I would run a Carfax. Post the Vin and color maybe someone here knows the car. I would definitely get a PPI done on the car by a knowledgable service agent. I have a 92 myself and did all the above. The only thing that may come up on the alert (Odometer Alert) on Carfax is the Mileage since we (US) read Mileage not Kilometers.

Good Luck

Yeah, I was looking at two cars and accidentally put the title as VT. The car that was listed as a VT had 18,000 miles was was for sale for $89,000 but had no service history and was being sold by a wholesaler who had never even seen the car, so that's out.

The car I'm now looking at is the one I described in my last post. Does ~$100,000 seem fair for a 1992 white Diablo with under 4,000 miles? The car was described as absolutely pristine, and it should be for the mileage. Any advice on the price is appreciated.

When I think 92 diablo, i think 20k miles and a sales price of the mid 80s. If you can get it for the mid 90s, you did OK as you paid probably about $10k extra since it is a "premium" car.

If you really want a 92 diablo and this is THE car, then I guess $100k is not unreasonable. high end, but within reason.

Do you plan to drive it regularly? I wouldnt pay $10-15k extra if I was going to put another 4k miles the first year.

I haven't seen the car, but with 300 miles/year during its life, you better take it in for a good PPI and major service after purchase ... otherwise my cell phone better be charged up before I go riding in it so I can call the tow truck.

It would definitely be inspected...Supposedly it's been in a climate controlled garage so would it still need a major service? 100k seemed reasonable because I can't find anything in the 80s that doesn't have issues.

If you've seen any nice cars in the 80s or 90s with full service documentation I'd be interested. (Also preferably in California, Texas, Florida, or Georgia). I'd also be interested in VTs or SVs under 120 but it seems for a nice VT or SV it will be 130 on the low end,

Edit for pic - It really is a gorgeous car. (old pic but the newer pics are indoors and badly positioned)

Just make sure you go see it, touch it, feel it, whatever it takes. don't just buy it from the pictures, or what someone tells you. $200-$300 in airfare and a PPI is part of the cost in buying a car like this, don't cut any corners.

Yeah I definitely plan to get a PPI and see it in person, I just want to make sure I get a car at a fair price.

Welcome -

You and I have a similar background, I was 911TT, 355 Spider, now Diablo.

I specifically wanted a 92 for reasons I'll tell you in a minute. I bought mine last Christmas, put 3K miles on it and very solid and reliable. Nothing really has broken, but I've done some upgrades/modifications. I had a small issue with a false cat light (but no cats) and with help from this board fixed it in 5 minutes, but to your questions first:

1. Yes you do minor/major like an FCar...but no belts! Miles only and not on time due to no belts. Thank God for chains. The minor is basic fluid flush, major same thing but adjust the valves. I'm not a mechanic at all, but was able to do a major myself, except had to farm out the valve adjustment because did not have tools. As for everything else very well thought out and easy to reach and replace all fluids in trans, filters, etc. Also many parts of tune up cross reference with a Jag V12 and you can get parts at NAPA for dirt cheap. BTW - I did not need a 30K service, mine had 8K on the clock, but the car was 13 years old and had original plugs, etc. I wanted to see if I could do the service myself.

2. Of course do the PPI - No brainer there. I'm not sure, but I think the chain tensior issue was resolved in MY 92 and upgrade required pre-92. Check with who is doing the PPI.

Unlike a FCar, there is no inspection plate for the clutch and the only way you can visually inspect it is to take it out, and that's an engine out service. So here I would look for (and demand) for service records to see if and when replaced. It's self adjusting so you can't tell unless it's really worn, then go in a tall gear, punch it and see if the rpm's jump with it slipping. But with 4K on the clock the clutch should be OK.

3. The other thing to look for is head gasket. The early cars (some) had a problem with a faulty gasket. This is a one time repair. The PPI will let you know...they can use a sniffer in the coolant or other things.

Price - The Diablo's are holding and even starting to climb slightly... I mean for a good clean car, yes you can find pre-100 cars but they usually are a piece of crap. A concorse car, all books and records, full service verified and up to date is well worth 100-105. Remember, these are rare cars and getting more scarce..over the 11 year production run they only built a total of a little more the 3,000 cars, that's less than 300 cars a year worldwide.

The early cars are 2WD and considered to be the "fast ones". The later cars with VT have 35 more HP, but are a lot heavier. Take away the front drive system, no power steering, no ABS, no front lift system and it's a weight savings of close to 480 pounds. I know 3 people who have both cars (not have owned both but currently have both) and they all will tell you the same thing..the 2WD is a screamer, but the lack of traction control can put you in a precarious position if you get reckless with your driving..

Hope this helps...feel free to PM if you have any questions during your search..
Best
FL

Thanks for the very informative reply. From what I've been hearing, it sounds like maintenance will not be a problem for me. The Diablo seems like a very serious prospect for my next car, but I think I may wait to see more Diablos before I buy one. The 92 Diablo doesn't seem like a great deal now, and I really don't know if I want to buy a car with 4,000 miles. I'm not buying this car to have it sit in my garage, and I will probably be putting on 2,500 to 4,000 miles a year. I consider that fairly light use, but at the same time I would quickly drive the mileage up and consequently don't know if it makes sense to pay a premium for the low mileage and then put on a lot of miles.

If you happen to see any nice Diablos for sale, I'd appreciate it if you could PM me a link. I wouldn't mind a newer Diablo for reliability's sake but at the same time my price limit is around $125k. So if you see any Diablos with under 20k miles that are fairly priced and under $125k, please inform me.

Thanks again for the great post.

Thank fl_355,

very informative, what I have been looking for in a long time...

Chris