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Widebody Configuration, W/rare Hardtop, Many Toyota Options And Extra Parts on 2040-cars

US $19,475.00
Year:2001 Mileage:62212
Location:

United States

United States

I have been a Spyder owner since I bought the very first one in my county when it was introduced for North American sale in 2000.  That car, sadly, was totaled by a friend in North Carolina.  So, while I had a choice of just about any other car under $30k, I chose another Spyder.  I've always admired the Porsche 911, but I couldn't afford one that was new enough to be reliable. I found my "Porsche 911" in the Spyder: mid-engined, lightweight, 2-seater, great styling, great on gas mileage - all this with great Toyota quality and reliability.

My second vehicle was just as my first - color and everything - and I drove that to about 147,000.  For my third, I wanted a car that I could use for a Widebody configuration, something I lusted for ever since I saw my first one at Tail of the Dragon during one of our Spyderchat.com annual meets in April.  A couple years ago, one became available and it became the platform for the car I am selling here.  A student in Detroit had been the second owner, and he only drove it during the summer months.  Otherwise, it was stored in a garage during the winter months.  Before the purchase, I ran a CARFAX and Service History from Toyota, and found that everything he told me about the structure and maintenance of the car was as he said.  I flew to Detroit and drove it back to Florida.

This car is adult-owned, and has never been smoked in.  It's garaged during the day so it's not exposed to the harsh Florida sun.  The CARFAX shows one minor collision with the first owner, and second owner stated she said RF fender was slightly dented from a parking lot accident.

The Build.  
     In preparation for the professional installation of the Widebody kit, I took off all the fenders, and the front and rear bumpers. This allowed me unfettered access to the structure of the car and drivetrain.  For each wheel well, I used POR-15 (a silver-colored paint/chemical that protects against rust) to provide extra protection for the long term, and then followed it up with Chassis Black for aesthetic and additional protection.  I also had ready access to the suspension pieces, and coated them, too.  In no matter what environment you operate your car, you can be assured the body will maintain its integrity for many, many years.   I also protected the steering rack and other metallic areas under the front hood (affectionately called the "Frunk").  In addition, I replaced the standard brakes with cross-drilled rotors and ceramic pads in the front and semi-metallic pads in the rear.

     I chose the installer based on a recommendation from another widebody owner in nearby Orlando.  He had about 24 years experience in the body shop business, and had several custom bodywork projects behind him.  After talking with him about my expectations, I knew he was the right choice. I saved a little money by having my widebody friend help me hang the panels on the chassis, and the installer took it from there when he got the car.  There were a couple areas the manufacturer of the kit did not perfect, and he massaged the install to make sure gaps became even, etc.  During painting, he blended the kit with the doors and both front and rear hatches to make sure there was no difference in paint or clearcoat finishes.

The Body and Chassis.
  • 66,212 actual miles
  • APR Performance S-GT Widebody, professionally installed and painted to blend with existing panels and doors
  • Rare Toyota Removable Hardtop, two different driving experiences with hard and softtop.
  • Foldaway soft top is in great condition with no holes or leaks, glass rear window with defroster
  • GTC-300 Carbon fiber Adjustable Wing
  • Rare Toyota TRD Sportivo Racing Suspension (matched set of struts, springs, and sway bars), lowers car about 3/4".
  • Front and rear TRD strut bars help stiffen the chassis for razor-sharp response
  • Chemically protected against rust in wheel wells and suspension pieces
  • No squeaks, no rattles, everything works
The Powertrain.
  • 138 HP, 4 cyl engine, power-to-weight ratio is 16.0:1. The original engine was replaced by a Toyota dealer due to a design defect in 2000-02 engine.  This is a 2003 motor with approximately 18,000 miles, and regular oil is changed every 5,000 miles
  • 2 year old Interstate battery
  • Lightweight flywheel
  • Performance clutch (changed when the engine was replace approximately 18,000 miles ago)
  • 5-speed manual, with TRD shift lever
  • Injen Cold Air Intake (occasionally, this will throw a check engine light).  Stock intake is included if you want to revert back to stock
  • Rare TTE European Dual Exhaust (excellent sound, quiet at idle, medium at highway speeds, and really lovely at acceleration)
  • upgraded brakes (drilled rotors, ceramic and semi-metallic pads), anti-lock
  • SSR Professor MS3-R 3-piece lightweight alloy wheels, 18x10, rear (+15 offset),  24 lbs ea, and 18x8, front (+3 offset), 24 lbs ea
  • Yokohama S-Drive tires, 225/35R-18 (about 75% tread left)
  • Recent alignment
The Interior.
  • Original tan leather seats in excellent condition, no wear spots or tears
  • Ice-cold air conditioning - gotta have that in Florida...
  • Toyota Keyless Entry with audible alarm, Immobilizer key system
  • Toyota Brushed Aluminum dash kit
  • Alpine CDE-HD138BT stereo (Bluetooth, USB, aux output, CD)
  • Polk Audio speakers in doors, and Polk Audio 6x9's in rear luggage doors
  • Rockford Fosgate PBR300x4 4-channel 300 watt amp
  • Hidden antenna
  • carpet and mats are in excellent condition
  • Inside plastics have no scratches
Extra Parts.

Headlight covers, fiberglass, can be painted to match paint

Plastic Frunk Surround and cover

00-02 Side intake grills

New OEM floor mats in the bag (matching interior)

Brake dust plates

00-02 Rear bumper mesh pieces (new)

Stock intake pieces w/K&N filter

A/C evaporator and heater cores

Four MR2 Spyder travel mugs

Two MR2 Spyder t-shirts

160-watt car amp

Custom bike rack (very rare)

Custom fiberglass center console

Toyota Cruise control

Bag of nuts, bolts, and fasteners

Stock rear strut brace

TRD Aluminum Instrument rings (rare)

HVAC Gauge Panel

European car horns (hi/low)

Stock shifter

Clear side-marker lenses (not the disco style, but OEM-look) - rare

"Roadster" rear emblem (from Europe) - rare

Official Toyota Repair Manual (Greenbook)


I have books and records.  No warranty available or implied.  I have a clear title readily accessible.


Due to eBay's "no-link" policy, I will provide the CARFAX and Toyota Vehicle Service Report upon emailed request.

Happy Bidding!!!  This is a fantastic car and I hate to see her go...

If you require professional shipping, I will contribute $200 if you choose the Buy it Now price.

Auto blog

Maserati Ghibli gets smashed on its way to Top Safety Pick rating [w/video]

Sat, 30 Nov 2013

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has crash-tested the 2014 Maserati Ghibli, and the Italian luxury sedan scored has well enough to earn the institute's Top Safety Pick rating. The model netted "Good" marks - the IIHS' highest rating - in moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints and seats tests.
The new Maserati is equipped seven airbags and features strategic use of hot-formed steel to optimize vehicle strength for safety and aluminum to lower weight for better driving performance. While it still pains us to see two new Maseratis smashed to smithereens (watch the videos below), we imagine the company's well-heeled prospective owners will feel better about their $65,600+ purchases knowing that they aced the tests.
Head on below to see crash test videos from both the IIHS and Europe's NCAP, as well as for Maserati's official release, which covers some of the safety engineering that has gone into its new entry-level sedan.

2015 Maserati Ghibli gets the lightest of updates [w/video]

Wed, 19 Nov 2014

Maserati continued its centennial celebration this week with a lightly updated version of the 2015 Ghibli at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
The sedan is enhanced with navigation and Bluetooth features, which are now standard. Reinforcing that this is a light refresh, Maserati gave the brake calipers a new finish, and contrasted stitching is also added on the Ghibli and Ghibli SQ4 models.
Maserati is also throwing in a free three-month "all-access" subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio for the Ghibli, Quattroporte and GranTurismo.

Why Italians are no longer buying supercars

Wed, 08 May 2013

Italy is the wound that continues to drain blood from the body financial of Italian supercar and sports car makers. The wound was opened by the country's various financial police who decided to get serious about superyacht-owning and supercar-driving tax cheats a few years ago, by noting their registrations and checking their incomes. When it was found that a rather high percentage of exotic toy owners had claimed a rather low annual income - certain business owners were found to be declaring less income than their employees - the owners began dumping their cars and prospective buyers declined to buy.
Car and Driver has a piece on how the initiative is hitting the home market the hardest. Lamborghini sold 1,302 cars worldwide in 2010, 1,602 cars in 2011 and 2,083 cars in 2012 - an excellent surge in just two years. In Italy, however, it's all about the ebb: in 2010, the year that Italian police began scouring harbors, Lamborghini sold 96 cars in Italy, the next year it sold 72, last year it sold just 60. The declines for Maserati and Ferrari are even more pronounced.
Head over to CD for the full story and the numbers. What might be most incredible isn't the cause and effect, but where the blame is being placed. A year ago the chairman of Italy's Federauto accused the government of "terrorizing potential clients," this year Luca di Montezemolo says what's happening has created "a hostile environment for ­luxury goods." Life at the top, it ain't easy.