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-   -   Buying a Toyota Sera (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/luxury-imports-niche/40716-buying-toyota-sera-3.html)

It is a modded Sera. But the doors are called 'Gull wing' doors

I was very keen on buying this car for my wife, was searching for almost 2 years, but came very bad examples and even came across a Chandigarh one that had a zen engine.

Gave up on the chase after sometime/ If I find one, I would still love to lap it up

hey Rahul i have been looking for a good MR2/ FTO as well. There seem to several SERA's for sale in the 4L range. Choksi/ Santacruz had two for sale about a month back..a silver one and a green one.

Let me know if you find a dealer who has any MR2/ FTO/ Celica's for sale..many thx...PM me if you do find details

Hi All,

A friend of mine from Mumbai has been searching high and low for a Sera in good condition but to no avail. Almost every other vehicle he has come across has been worse than the previous one.

At the moment he has found the following 2 dealer vehicles:

1) Other state vehicle, clean bodyline, fair paint, engine fair to good but there were signs of oil leaking(maybe just a seal or worse still gasket gone?), suspension good, upholstery recently done up but not very classy, dashboard not very clean, a/c not working(just gas or could be compressor or coil or both), no corrosion, no music system, new tyres.
Price: 2.85L

2) Mumbai registered, so so bodyline, needs paint, engine fair(black smoke from the exhaust?), upholstery bad, dashboard worse, locks not functional, a/c not working(most likely compressor or/and cooling coil), suspension bad, tyres bad, no music system, very shabby car.
Price: 2.5L

We need help with the following, Thanks:

(A) Should we go in for any of the above vehicles at all or wait till we find a better vehicle?

(B) Can they be restored fully or nearly to its original condition? If yes, at what cost/timelines and are the spares easily available.

(C) The price seems very attractive, but is it really worth it? Or shall we ask for a further price reduction or dump it altogether.

We need to revert back to the seller by tomorrow so appreciate a prompt response, Thanks in advance.

Don't honestly think these cars are worth a buy, the Sera has been around for quite sometime & considering it was an import, it is more than likely that these cars may not have a great service history, plus parts will be expensive to procure.

If you are thinking of restoring this car, then consider to spend atleast 4-5 lakhs on top of the cost as these will defenitely need some engine work plus possibly a compressor replacement, as I am sure the AC would be defunct for a long period. Also, how is the opening/closing action of the doors ? Are they operating smoothly ? Also how old are these cars in question ?

Thanks alot 90BHP. The doors on the Out of state car are smooth however the shock-ups need replacement and it is a 1993 model.

The doors on the MH registered vehicle are not so good, there is corrosion. Infact one shock-up is missing so again both shock-ups will needs to be replaced. This is a 1991 model and the only attraction here is that it is MH registered and offcourse the low price.

Hey yuv,

I have seen a golden colored Toyota Serra ( i think so ) here in Kolkata where I live.

It is with a used car dealer , so I know it is for sale and it is MH registered.

Would you be interested in buying the car and transporting it to Bombay, if yes then I can get the telephone number of the dealer and you can talk to him. As of now I do not know any details about the car, price or condition.

Many thanks mitrajdeep, I am definitely interested. Appreciate if you can pm me the details of the dealer.

As an update to all, the MH registered sera is now available for 2.25-2.30L making it even more attractive price-wise.
Should I go in for it? Can it be restored within a budget of 50-55k? I'm planning on using some new and some used parts from cst/chor bazaar.

Here is the list of identified/estimated expenses:
1) Body work and paint - 8k
2) Suspension - 10k
3) Upholstery - 5k
4) New tyres - 10k
5) Windscreen - 5k
6) Taxes, passing, green tax, insurance - 7k
7) Door shock ups, radiator brackets, etc - 5k
8 ) Aircon - 6k

The above does not take into account any engine work and any other unknowns which may crop up resulting in further expenses.

Thanks alot.

I'm sorry to burst your bubble but your estimations are off by a huge margin. Actual cost of all these will be way higher.

Thanks 14000rpm. Could you please indicate an approximate realistic figure for the work involved.

I would like to be prepared for the worse case scenario, Thanks again.

Actual repair costs would definitely be way higher. it also depends on the quality of work and materials used. But I am sure it wont be that cheap as I paid much more for my SS80 restoration.

Thanks fx45, point taken. I will re-work the estimates accordingly.

We have been offered another MH sera with almost no work as such, other than offcourse the few things which any second hand vehicle will have.

There are 3-4 owners and its a 93-94 car. I havent seen the car, but my friend has taken a test drive and driven it at speeds of 90-100kms/hr. There was no over-heating or wobbling, etc and the braking was also quite good. Suspension is fair and tyres are good. Bodyline is clean and there is no rusting.

The asking price is 4.5L, which I feel is too much.
How much should be the maximum offer price for a sera in such condition?

Hello yuv,

Went and spoke to the dealer about the Sera. He is asking 5.5L and says it is 94 manufactured.
According to him it is perfect working condition except for the battery.
I spotted some dings and dents on the body and one of the tail lights is slightly broken.
You can call him if you want and get more details - Rohit 9903392601.
Here is a picture.

Disclaimer: I have no interest in the sale of this vehicle and am not promoting it in any way.

Hey All... Have some great news to share. I have picked up an MH registered sera with practically no work!!!

Thanks alot mitrajdeep. Appreciate you going out of your way to help out and posting the picture and seller details.

Thanks to everyone else on the thread and forum for taking the time and effort to respond. Thanks particularly to Rahul for helping me in my sera hunt. He is a gem of a guy and a genuine dealer in imported cars. Anyone who has a requirement can get in touch with him. Please PM for his contact details.

Thanks once again & Cheers!!!

congratulations for the car. :thumbs up
do you mind disclosing the price you paid for the vehicle and the approach you followed while evaluating the car? please start an ownership thread and do not forget to post some nice pictures of interior and exterior.

Congratulations yuv, wish you have many happy miles with the car.

What colour is the car, how many kms run ? Manufactured year ?

Please do share some pictures with us.