Yes, I can understand this hesitation. My car has a brand new top on it that has a 3 year warranty, so Im good for at least that long.

Regarding accidents....

1) I do not believe anything that a PO tells me

2) If its been in a "fender bender"....chances are there was some significant damage that will be glossed over by a PO in order to sell the car.

Car looks great. I would definitely put the proper badge on the back, though. The whale tail is just personal preference, whether you like it or not. Be honest... if it didn't have one, you'd be picturing the car in your mind with one on. Interior (seats at least) look very good. If I had found a car like this for $12.5k when I was shopping, it would have been difficult to pass up. (pending mechanicals, of course.)

BTW, on improper badges... I was poking around at an auto auction a couple months ago, and there were two very clean looking cars - a big Benz sedan and a clean 3 series BMW. The MB had a "500" badge on the back, and the beemer had a "325is" badge on it. The MB was actually a 300 series, and the beemer was a 318 (four cyl, not six). Let the buyer beware!

A good PPI should be able to tell if it was hit hard. Looks like a rather clean car. Didn't the euro cars have the side marker lights, or was that only later cars? At any rate, VIN will tell you for sure.

If there has been nothing but oil changes for 4 years, it definitely is due for a major service, so thats $600 or so to factor in. Popoff valve should be installed NOW, so that's another $100 if you have a shop do it. Tensioners are a "should do it" and that's $800 or so.

Depends on the details with the car. There are quite a few cars that look good until you start digging...

side marker lights; 81-up euro's.
. . so it's likely a non-euro.

Are the sportseats leather, or vinyl? (leather has the perf')

I'll bet the seats are vinyl...leather sport seats seem to have creases even at low miles.

The upside is vinyl seats can look good for a long time and take quite a bit of abuse. But the downside is...they're not leather.

Creases ? . . .do you mean the distressed type of crease, or something else?

Here's leather (in tan '84)
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...ortseats84.jpg

I think you wouldn't see the creases if this photo was smaller, like this one.
( 83 seats Beige)
http://members.roadfly.com/kerryrich...scheinside.jpg

like the creases you see in the side bolster of the first photo you posted. Maybe the smaller second photo just won't do the detail...

Were there even vinyl sport seats? Come to think of it the ones I've seen in SCs and Carreras were all leather.

The owner said they are leather

krichard -- thanks for the update. Nice.
If you're a somewhat tall guy, you would really benifit from a non-sunroof coupe. . .then again, a cab in Texas will serve that need well too.

Yep; I bought a pair. They look just like the 83 seats.
FWIW, they did come out of a 944. And, for holding original condition, you're right, it's hard to beat vinyl.
. . . did I say 944?:eek: (oh gee, now I feel like such a B-grupper . . .basterdizing my SC like that.) ;)

Now, if I could decide on leather or cloth/leather for the recovering, I would be set.

take car of the clutch, they have a tendacy to expload...no kidding, so budget for this in the price...

Looks like a great potential "buy" to me. Especially if you can get his price down to cover the needed updates. Prices have gone down. In my area in 2001, I wouldn't have been shocked at a $15,000.00 asking price!