88 Targa

Wanted your guys opinion.I have been searching for about 5 months now for an 87-89 cab or targa without out finding the right car. By, right I mean in good condition in/out with reasonable miles and price. Well I finally have found exactly what I have been looking for. I have been talking w/a guy selling an 88 Targa I found on the internet. The car sounds great and has had a major tuneup recently. Only problem, is that he seems reluctant to send pictures - while all the while saying the car is in excellent condition in/out. He said something about his internet server being down so he could not email pix ,yet he said he could email me a copy of the carfax. I really would like this car, but I don't thinks its unreasonable to request photo's before I purchase a ticket to fly up and see it and send a deposit. Am I being too cautious?

Thanks,
Michael w

Depends on the price.. are you saving 5K over book?? if so, it might be worth investing a few hours ina drive to see. Otherwise, you might ask if anyone on the board lives in a nearby town. I took a leap of faith on mine w/o pics and drove 4 hrs to go see it. I bought it on the sopt.. NOt to say that it was perfect, but it was as advertised.
One other thought.. why don't you contact a local (to the car)independant import shop, offer the guy $100 for an inspection, and then tell the owner that you have an "old friend" that will look at it. If he won't deliver the car to the shop, you know he's scared, or lazy...

I think you should get pictures. If something doesn't sound right in a deal, it probably isn't. Give him the benefit of the doubt and be patient, but get the pictures.

Scott, you gave good advice but I have one question. At the end you suggest that the buyer also be deceptive in his approach to having the car looked at by an "old Friend". I don't understand why you feel he needs to lie about it? Why do we always look for some way to get around the truth? I don't understand, how can you have expectations that the seller is honest yet you feel this should not apply to the buyer? Just curious, I don't mean to be too critical of your advice.

Get pictures. Refer to the post, "where is everyone from" and ask someone to go and look at it. Then go from there...

------------------
E. William Reinecke
1988 Carrera Targa

Car has 73k on it and the guy is asking 23k. Just had $6900 worth of tuning up. Replaced almost everything that can be replaced of normal wear and tear items. Guy selling is a porsche specialist that bought the car from an owner that did want to pay the bill.

Michael,

It sounds like another lazy, arrogant, complacent salesman who figures the seller always has the upper hand, and that there will be a line around the block waiting to fight over that car! Fat chance!!! He is an idiot and a jerk ... typical used car salesman who thinks there's always another sucker coming around the corner!!!



------------------
Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa

I could be wrong but want to forewarn you --- You need to have a closer look at this one. My years of experience tells me that this might be a "Porsche spcialist" who may really be a "refurbisher". If true, these guys fix everything jerry-rigged and give it a 10ft paint job (looks good only if you are farther than 10ft away. You spend several years and double the money to fix it correctly. You wouldn't believe how many things I've had to undo and fix on my last (current P-car) purchase --- but, I bought it cheap because I knew it was that way and I LIKE fixing these messes (sorta like saving a landmark property from the wrecking ball )

Soooo he's not able to send you pics because the server is down or seemthing like that?? You do have a snail mail address right??? Suggest he send you some pics recently taken VIA snail mail with a photo shop date stamp on them. Doesn't gurantee the pics are new because they could have been made from old negatives but at least it might be a step in the right direction.

------------------
Howie
79SC

Then again, he could just be a little new to the internet and like many folks not know how to scan or import a pic.

------------------
Mark Szabo
1986 911 Targa 3.2

Pictures may not help you that much, you'ld be better off getting someone on the list to look at it. Photos almost ALWAYS can be made to look good by simply not showing the bad parts of a car..for example a photo won't show is a bashed fender if that side of the car isn't photographed.

I've looked at several 911s this year and they looked great in photos, but nearly every single one of them had flaws...some major. One car had obviously been in such a serious wreck that it actually TORE the front left fender. It was repaired by an auto shop welding and filling the tear. It didn't show up at all in a photo, but 3 feet away it was DEAD OBVIOUS (pulling out the front trunk carpetting confirmed my suspicions). I took a look at another that had clean exterior and interior photos, but when I came in and looked at the car, there was a rat's nest of wires underneath the dash, and when the car was started it smelled like an electrical short in the cabin...it looked great, but it was an electrical nightmare.

Photos may be a place to start, but don't get your expectations too high.

Good Luck,

Bill Wagner

Good idea - the car is in nyack, ny - anyone intested in checking it out for me!

Thanks,
michael w

Good idea - the car is in nyack, ny - anyone intested in checking it out for me!

Thanks,
michael w

Michael!

If you really want this car, make a "Conditional" offer subject to a complete and thourough inspection at a local Porsche Dealer. It will cost less than a $ 100.00 and could save you! I found about $ 2,500 worth of fixes on my 86' 911 cab, and I used this as leverage to lower the final purchase price. If the seller will not cooperate, move on!

Huey581
86' 911 Cab

I looked for 6 months for my Targa -- the guy sent me email pics but they can't show you everything. If it's what you want and the guy sounds like he has it together (NOT a salesman) I'd take the trip -- you'll have to do it at some point anyway. As others have pointed out -- he can send regular pictures through the good old US mail. Good luck -- a Targa is a gas!!!

------------------

Orb, only reason that I suggestd the "old friend" routine is that I assumed that the buyer wanted a quick lookie-see on the car. To be followed by a full mech inspection later. Some sellers could be resistant letting the car go for another day for the full inspection after a mechanic had already "looked it over". Not trying to be deceptive, just selective.

I would not worry about the pictures until you have the car looked at by a dealer. Twice I tried to buy a Porsche out of state and both times I tried to be cheap and drove to check out the car before I had it inspected. Both times the seller lied to me. Once a dealer said the car had not been hit and it was plain to see that it had. The second seller sent me pictures and the car looked great. When I drove six hours to see and purchase it, the car was missing the crest on the hood, there was a whole in the drivers seat and the radio was missing. You could also see the front bumper had been painted. It turned out he sent me old pictures. He even went so far as to take a picture of the front seat with his two year old son sitting on the seat to cover the hole. He figured if I drove six hours I would over look all this and buy the car anyway. I did not. If I only would have paid the $100 to have it inspected, I would have saved myself two weekend trips and all the gas and hotel bills that went with it. When I found another turbo cab 1000 miles away I had the guy drive it to a dealer for an inspection. It passed with flying colors and I knew that I was flying to purchase a great car.

I just want to put in my 2 pennies and what is probably NOT the norm when buying over the net. I'm in England and I caught the 911 bug and had been sitting here with no car payments long enough. I wanted an 87 or 88 Targa and the hard part was I wanted an American spec car so I could easily bring it home with me. I found one in Germany and I dealt with a guy here in England that imports left hand drive cars to the UK because they are cheaper. I knew jack boo about him or the car. He was taking a little risk buying the car and getting it over here knowing nobody wants an American spec car when they can have Euro. He understood my worries, found this car and began to tell me what was wrong with it rather than what was right. I only wanted to spend $15k on my starter 911. I knew I was going to have to make sacrifices. He told me the paint had some chips... I expected to have to paint it day one. But, I didn't. The car looked great. I got exactly what was described to me. They only had 3 jpegs from the guy in Germany and they were poor. These pictures were of the chips! I couldn't imagine what the rest of the car looked like and I even told him to cancel the order once. I have been just floored at how helpful and honest this guy was and how great my car has been. He just wanted to see people get in 911s. I was scared just crapless when I drove the rental car 6 hours to go pick this car up. You could not pry the grin off my face the way back. I got lucky finding one of the few people left that just like what they do, love Porsches and don't mind helping folks out. I'm sure he made some money in the deal but it couldn't have been all that much. My car is worth more than $14k. If your guy is worth anything he would understand your plight and be willing to help settle your mind. He could send pictures. For the kind of money you are putting down there should be no "surprises"

Thanks for the info guys. I am having a very generous board member check the car out for me when he get's a chance, as well as a PPI. From those 2 pieces of info I should have enough info take make a decision.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Michael