Critique this car

dheinz · 01-04-2005, 02:12 PM

A friend will be picking this 964 up on Saturday. He paid the "buy it now" price with out a PPI.
The Tiptronic is necessary for the new owner's physical condition.

Thoughts or comments?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4516022311&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

Steve87-911 · Steve87-911's Garage

$15,900.00 for a 91 C2 is waaay low. I hope for your friend's sake that this car doesn't fall into the "if it sounds too good to be true..." category.

And like SoCal911SC said, a PPI would definately have been a wise move.

Pete000 · 01-04-2005, 02:43 PM

I purchased mine with out a PPI, but I went over the car with a fine tooth comb. I could never buy a car site un seen although many do.

JeremyD · JeremyD's Garage

I think that could be classified as a $15K roll of the dice at the Porsche crap table - red or black?

ubiquity0 · 01-04-2005, 02:59 PM

Did he look at the car?

Shaun @ Tru6 · 01-04-2005, 03:30 PM

OUCH!

Every time I see that over-the-top, hyped marketing speak in eBay ad text, I mean when an ad has to start off with Ferry Porsche's autobiography to get you primed, you are just asking for trouble.

Love the mechanical section: "... gets better gas mileage..." a key selling point, but the real gremlin lies in the phrase "... seems to have been well maintained." That's going to come back and bite you.

jfw834 · jfw834's Garage

well, i have to concur mostly with what has been said here, but cmon guys! lets give the guy some hope at least, even if there is something significant that needs to be addressed, at 16k he should be better off than if he paid a more average price for a 964 like more around 18-20k.

i know i'm only looking at ebay pictures, but the general look of the car is fantastic and lets just hope that when he turns the key he'll be runnin on all 6.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 01-04-2005, 03:51 PM

hmmm, optimistic, and if he got the car through an auction with no reserve that played itself out, I might agree, but no one puts up a nice car worth $10K more with such a low buy it now unless there's something wrong with it.

I can just hear it now 1 month down the road.

"Hey, my car needs this and this and this..."

"Hey, you got a really great deal... now bugger off."

cactusdtd · 01-04-2005, 04:01 PM

A quick email to the seller asking for the name and number of the mechanic who said it was tight and in great shape would have been a start. At least he could have determined what the mechanic looked at to judge the car to be "in great shape" Also, having lived in Buffalo for a long time, I don't understand the "sun and leather don't mix" comment about the interior. It just isn't that hot or that sunny in Bflo. I wish your friend nothing but good luck with the car...

mark_d_mcguire · 01-04-2005, 04:37 PM

I have bought and sold cars on Ebay, all have been positive experiences. I have one requirement: allow an inspection after the auction closes.

I am an honest seller, so I represent the car accurately. I expect other sellers to do the same.

Anyone willing to spend $250 to have a car inspected is serious about buying, and that is good enough for me, and should be for the seller. When selling, I guarantee to refund the deposit if the inpection uncovers something major.

If they will not permit an inspection before I send money, it smells too fishey for me.

dheinz · 01-04-2005, 04:57 PM

I believe the dealer aquired the 964 from the Mannheim auction.
No, the buyer did not see the car in person.
The dealer told the buyer if he is not completely satisfied with the representation of the car, the buyer can back out. The dealer has other buyers waiting.

My friend agreed early in the auction to the "buy it now" price.
I'm thinking the dealer is having second thoughts about his low "buy it now" price.

Jeffra · 01-04-2005, 05:21 PM

I own a '90 C4 and have never had any problems with it. It's been a great car, I love it.

With regards to this auction, it's priced very low. Feb 2005 Excellence lists this car between $25k-32k, so this sounds like a good buy. Even if you did have to put $10 into it, your still in good shape given the overall condition of body and interior.

911teo · 01-04-2005, 05:31 PM

I think the price is low enough that if there are issues your friend can fix them. I just hope that the price was your friend's budget... Cause without a PPI you need to allow for some unwelcomed surprises...

techweenie · techweenie's Garage

Slightly better odds than rolling the dice at Vegas... but who knows. Your friend might luck out with a bargain car. Then again, at that price, it should have sold locally in short order.

The 'touch up below the windshield' sounds like rust to me. i've seen it even on galvanized body cars...

jwhcars · 01-04-2005, 05:54 PM

On 12-16-05 at Manheim auto Auction a 1991 C2 Cab. sold for $12700 with 128,966 miles (red)
Looks like this might be the same car.

Good Luck & Happy Motoring

Crachian · 01-04-2005, 06:57 PM

The 200+ miles put on the car since the auction certainly is encouraging.

Will an inspection of the cylinder bases for seepage reveal that problem? Is there a way to tell if the wiring harness recall problem has been fixed if its without documentation?

These cars seem to be great values.

dheinz · 01-05-2005, 01:55 AM

Thanks guys for all the input.

Keep it comming!

Paul Franssen · Paul Franssen's Garage

Eddie dHeinz, I have no comment to make, for the simple reason that I don't know a thing about that car.
The price is low (and VERY low for the European market, where prices are higher than in the USA, also becaus the dollar is so low).

Of course, you seem to have stuck your neck out, and you seem to have taken a gamble...
But I would like to give you some support, in the sense that
(1) maybe you'll be lucky, and a happy 964 owner!
(2) if you are not so lucky, please let NOTHING (especially not "negative" remarks!) prevent you from seeking further advice on this fantastic board.

BTW, the car looks beautiful...it's a PORSCHE...

89911 · 01-05-2005, 04:35 AM

For that kind of money, just drive it into the woods and leave it if something goes wrong! Joking aside, that price seems right. You have a car that has 130k miles on it and close to 15 years old. Throw in that it is a C2 also. At the auction, the wholesale price was going to be very low as the prior post indicated. The seller bought it for this low price, slapped on a few grand and looks to get rid of it. Nothing mysterious here. Most wholesale auction cars aren't going to have any records, so its up to a PPI to see if the car hasn't been bent seriously or major mechanical problems are present. A compression test would be indicated. Besides that, it could be the right car for the right kind of money for the buyer. (Hey Ed, did you hear that the Allegheny Region got dropped out of Mid-Ohio this year?)

911teo · 01-05-2005, 06:04 AM

Also I tend to "trust" more a car with a 120k miles than one with 25k at this price. The car has been driven, which means that someone had to take care of whatever necessary for the car to run. OK so let's say it needs a top end rebuild... U are looking at 3.5 to 4.5k. After that you have a nice C2 with a fresh engine for under 20k.