as much as I would like to turbo my RS, I am thinkingi t wont help the resale value at all :(

anyone know if the cost of putting a Stage 1 turbo into a RS is worth it when selling comes around?

cause once my car is paid off I am going to be wanting to trade or sell it for something new, and I know my car is worth like $3k tops...

It depends on how it's put in. If you have documented proof that it was done professionally then it could possibly help the value depending on the buyer. If you do it yourself then you are killing the value of your car. People don't know if you know what you are doing so it could have problems and so forth. Professional turbo install=$3500. Value increase=$500. Making the RIGHT decision=Priceless.

aftermarket rarely, and i mean freak'n rarely ups the value of a car.

you take a 5000 dollar car. put 5000 dollars into it and its worth about 6000. most people just go by stock value.

all in all, if the thought of selling the car even crossed you mind, then don't waist you money on the turbo. save it for a down payment on a different car. trust me man.

The only way you are going to get a substantial value gain from doing mods to your car is if you find a private buyer that wants to buy the car in the modded condition.

I had a friend who bought a modded Mini-Blazer paid 10 grand for it I think it was about 15-20 grand worth of stuff into it including chopping the top off looked real real nice.
One day I'll tell ya funny story about it. :)
I think the bright side is you ride in a modded car for a while (look good and or go fast) then later sell it (if it's done very very well) and get enough for a good size down payment in the end toward a new car (if) you can find a buyer who appreciates the work time and money you put into it. ;)
For you to get any really big money out ya car and at the same time not be antsy about going fast (If you are in a hurry to go fast) best way would be to have a turbo installed (About 6 grand by a real Pro) slap plenty of good paint on high dollar rims and sell her to the highest bidder.
In other words you can have fun as you go along with ya project (Something to bragg about too) and still have wheels you know will start in the mornings.
Ya get more flies with honey rather than vinegar but honey will cost ya money! ;)
Also take into account the economy is very very bad so 3 grand is a pipe-dream especialy for an RS, the only thing an RS has going for it is it's a gas saver and so is a Geo Metro.
Don't feel bad I'm in about the same boat as you but worse I live in Kalifornia (Trust me my end of the boat got rats in it!).

IMO, don't waste the cash. Keep it stock, perform regular maintinence, and then when you sell it, you might get 2k out of it.
I only say this, cause you can find GS's all over for that much.
I'm in the same boat, I was gonna turbo my 95 GS manual, but there really is no point, when can get a GS-T or GSX for the same amount of money it would cost to turbo a 420a right.

yea I would without a doubt have it done professionally, but yea if thats $3500 ON TOP of the Cost of the actual parts itself then screw it, I would rather trade what I have now for a Turbo II S5 RX7 then when I get bored of that and some mild mods (nothing horrible like body kits) trade it or trade it with cash for a GSX Maroon/purple with a moonroof and power everything

or just hopefully by then pick up an FD RX7 and be truely happy