How bad is this rust on this 930?

[dg567]

looks like its rusting from the inside out - id run away from buying to restore.

[Gus Berges]

The idea was to restore it as a project to entertain myself, enjoy it, sell it whenever I could no longer drive it, and hopefully not lose my shirt on it, but all roads point to the fact that this car is best left alone to someone who is more adventurous than me.

[ryans65]

that right rear quarter has rust in a sort of pattern almost like it was an old metal repair lapped over existing metal, maybe it's just my eyes and the grainy pics

that being said if there's nothing serious, you can get it for a good deal and you want a fun beater I'd say go for it but I bet the mechanicals are just as neglected

[Ian Comerford]

It would be nice to see a few more pictures of the usual key areas to inform your decision. I wouldn’t run away from this at all but more detail would help inform the price I was happy to pay.

[GeorgeK]

Thing is, once one starts to restore this, it will end up with a naked shell, and *everything* will be revised. Could end up costing more than the value of a decent non modified 930.
Add to that the possible cost of original parts...
Even free, it could be too expensive. Been there...

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

I live a stones throw (at high tide) from the sea, so unfortunately I know about this subject

The salt air drifts in and covers the car 100%, including the underneath, and rusts in places you didn't even know existed. Also can cause electrical gremlins.

This is a big part of it. Expect to have to replace the entire wiring harness. Every connection can and likely has corrosion and that can cause endless issues.

That car will need to be stripped to the tub, and all new rubber and wiring. Likely the engine will need to be stripped down for a good cleaning and replating and repainting and new fuel hoses. It goes on and on.

[Gus Berges]

It's beyond clear what a monumental effort restoring this car will be for whomever gets it, it's just not going to be me. Down here (Panama, Republic of Panama) parts are not as readily available as in the States and though shipping things down here has become a lot easier to do over the years, it still presents its own challenges.

Also, I have yet to find a body shop whose work is beyond reproach and if I would actually spend $100K+ on a vehicle, I can guarantee you it would look like new, not something like a high school student did at the auto shop class.

This car offers no sentimental value to me, so it's not like I would spend the money regardless of the fact that it would make no financial sense. Right now making "foolish" financial decisions is completely the opposite of what I need to be doing. I just wasn't sure if this is a $30K (or whatever price he asks) car that needs $30K in repairs (I think we can all agree it will be a lot more than that) and I would have ended up with a $90K car.

[eastbay]

So much negativity..... drive it as is, that patina would be a big hit up here in the states at the local cars and coffee events

[911 Rod]

Is it possible the car was repainted and the prep was so bad that it was rusting before it was even primmed? That is really bad and I thought Porsche paint was more robust than this.

[Noah930]

I don't think this car is a good candidate for a checkbook mechanic.

[Gus Berges]

This car definitely doesn't have factory paint. It's a 930 with a 964 body kit on it, so at some point in. its life, it was locally painted, hence the not-so-great shape.

I'm definitely a checkbook mechanic, so yeah, based on all the replies, I will leave it alone and who knows what will be the final outcome of this car.

[pmax]

Are these commonplace in Panama ?

[Gus Berges]

No way. To the best of my knowledge there are only about 10 930s, of which one is a Ruf (beautiful condition), two have been converted to full on track cars (and have not been seen in over a decade), and another is a slant that is the remains of a fire, two are cabriolets, and this one. Of the remaining 3, there is a gorgeous blue one with tan interior and the other two I have not seen in a while, but I did know their owners a long time ago and I could only assume they still have them in decent shape.

I almost purchased the gorgeous blue one back in 2001/2002, but I let logic rule and got a Euro spec BMW M Z3 Coupé instead. I do keep in touch once in a while with the current owner, but he knows what he has, and as I’ve alluded to before, right now is not the best time for me to spend money on a toy fully knowing it will be a very expensive thing to own. Perhaps my luck will change for the better and I’ll eventually get that blue Turbo.

[Alan L]

You know what - I live at the bottom of the world. And if that car fell in my lap I would seriously look at it. Expecting to spend $s. But hoping I knew what I was getting in to.
They aren't making any more 930s.
I bought mine as suppsoedly a good road going car from Japan. Was a crap heap. After many months of hard work I thought of binning it for parts.
20 yrs on, would not part with it. We will get buried together.
Depends on your budget and stomach for setbacks etc. But put this car in the right market and it will sell real quick. Prob matching numbers etc.
Alan

[Ooffenhausen]

Looks to me like it was just given a very poor repaint at one point and the climate is finally getting to it. It would certainly be worth getting running and driving as is. 930's don't appear to be going down in price, so if you can get it for a song, go for it.

[SLNT930]

Yikes. For the right price, OK. But that price likely won't satisfy the current owner. This car will require a big checkbook to fix.

[KNS]

Maybe don't run away just yet. If you can get a look at the engine (and underside), suspension and brake bits and other hidden areas and then reevaluate.

You said you're in Panama, how many 930s come up for offer down there? If everything else is just as crappy, then walk.

[yelcab1]

I would not touch that car. Rebuilding an engine is easier.

[techweenie]

To start: don't fix the lids; replace them: engine lid, gas lid and hood.

second: full strip to determine if door shells can be saved.

Like the front & rear lids, the doors have overlapped edges and when rust gets started inside the overlap, the practical route is panel replacement.

If I had to guess, i'd say in the prior repaint prep, the shop sanded off the galvanizing before painting.

Agree with the prior comment about chassis fasteners being ugly, and for sure, electrical connectors are suspect.

If the market value of a repainted, 964-cosmetics-modified 930 in very good condition is, say, $80K, you'd need to get this car in the $20s to make it a decent driver.

IOW, "it's parts."

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Addendum: can't see for sure, but if there is rust inside the drip rail, that's a showstopper.

[group911@aol.co]

It all comes down to price. It probably was crappy preparation on the last paint job that is leading ot a lot of the problem. The parts needed to put it back to sock body wise are cheap and easy to obtain.
What's the worst case? Dig into it and part the thing if it gets too bad.