Advice needed on 1987 911

[bonneville54]

Apologies in advance fro my lack of knowledge....

My 75 year old mother in law has a 1987 911 Targa Carrera with less than 25,000 miles on it. She recently brought it to the dealer for smog and a check-up. (original owner, btw)

She was told that she has a bad cylinder and was given an estimate of $10,000.00 for the repair.

Later, a mechanic from the dealer called and offered her $4000.00....

Advice? Does 10K sound reasonable? Should she fix it and sell it? Is 4k a lowball offer?

And what might a '87 with low mileage and a good engine be worth?

Thanks in advance

[w21055]

10K seems high and yes 4K is a lowball offer. Might be worth taking it to an independent and having them take a look. The car is worth well over 4K with that mileage and it would be worth 5 times that if the motor is sorted out and everything else is good.

[jbrinkley]

dear lord, is that for real?
don't do anything until you get some more advice

[Aerkuld]

Definitely get a second opinion!
Call me acynic, but it sounds as though someone might be trying to con your mother in law.
Even if there is an apparent problem with one cylinder it may just be caused by lack of use. The car might just need a good hard running for an hour or two to clear it up.

[Chris Lovell]

75 year old mother in laws with an '87 Targa are rare and keepers in themselves. You MUST find a local 911 person who is honest and creative. They are everywhere and this BBS is a great way to find some allies. $10k for repair is high and probably includes a reasonable complete rebuild or an expensive top end only. $4k for the car is so ridiculous it is not funny.
Bonneville, where is this car. Help is on the way.

[jbrinkley]

tell me you're in louisiana, I'll be right over

[KFC911]

This doesn't pass the "smell test" imo. A 25K mile Carrera with cylinder damage (that hasn't been abused) would be rare, and just what kind of "check up" did they do in order to make that determination, and what are the symptoms? The $4K (lowball) offer from the "mechanic" also raises a "red flag" too imo. I don't know your location, but find an independent shop and staying FAR away from the stealership would be my best advice. I'd bet the car just needs to be driven hard

[hcoles]

yes... please get some honest opinions..as others mention.. this has all the flags of a con.. get the car to the nearest Pelican recommended shop for inspection.

[Chris Lovell]

Right you are KC911. I have an '88 with a "bum" cylinder. Still passes smog just fine and runs great. The bad cylinder (25% on leakdown) is real but it doesn't mean firesale. Oh, and by the way, the stealerships and other scavengers were all over me to unload the car for a song. A little knowledge and honest friends carried the day.

[bonneville54]

Originally Posted by KC911

This doesn't pass the "smell test" imo. A 25K mile Carrera with cylinder damage (that hasn't been abused) would be rare, and just what kind of "check up" did they do in order to make that determination, and what are the symptoms? The $4K (lowball) offer from the "mechanic" also raises a "red flag" too imo. I don't know your location, but find an independent shop and staying FAR away from the stealership would be my best advice. I'd bet the car just needs to be driven hard

Thanks all - this is quite real - .....I'm hearing this through the my mother in law and it didn't pass the "smell test" with me either. I don't know the details of the estimate (although, I've asked her to fax a copy). I've seen the car and it seems to be in good shape, never been in an accident and so on.

Anyone know a reputable mechanic in Washington DC?

[Chris Lovell]

Can you be a little more specific on the location? Downtown DC, Maryland, Virginia? I bet you've a Pelican very near by.

[KFC911]

This thread might pass under their radar, so you might want to post another one requesting help from the DC area Pelicans. There are a bunch of them on here, and I'd bet that someone would volunteer to lend their expertise and/or shop recommendations. If this turns out to be as I suspect (someone attempting to scam a 75 year old lady), then I'd become VERY pi$$ed off. What's the name of the "stealership", I bet you find they have a "reputation" (don't they all)? Good luck!

[bonneville54]

Originally Posted by KC911

This thread might pass under their radar, so you might want to post another one requesting help from the DC area Pelicans. There are a bunch of them on here, and I'd bet that someone would volunteer to lend their expertise and/or shop recommendations. If this turns out to be as I suspect (someone attempting to scam a 75 year old lady), then I'd become VERY pi$$ed off. What's the name of the "stealership", I bet you find they have a "reputation" (don't they all)? Good luck!

Again, my thanks!....(These DB's are incredible) The car is in Georgetown, don't know the name of the dealer although I've heard it's the "closest" one. BTW, I live in CA, so I'm not familier with the local guys.

[Chris Lovell]

Can you rename your own thread? If so, "Advice needed on '87 911 in Washington DC" might be better. On the other hand, you may get a good result as is.

[deanp]

Rick Lee is in the DC / VA area. I sent him a PM to check this thread.

[KFC911]

I posted another thread to get the DC guys attention for ya...

[Rick Lee]

Thanks Dean. No Porsche shops right in DC, but plenty in MD and VA. The only one I trust 110% is ASG in Merrifield. Everyone here knows them. You need to always stay away from the stealer and doubly so with a real Porsche like a 3.2 Carrera. Oh, we have stories. In fact, I think I bought my last set of H4's for my SC from Pelican when the local stealership told me they had no idea what kind of headlights I had (Car was there for insurance accident repair).

Below is our local board and lots of folks will be happy to help. Remember two things: 1) Never go to the stealer for non-warranty or non-insurance work, 2) When in doubt, see rule #1.

http://dorkiphus.net/porsche/index.php

[VaSteve]

Yes, please check in on the local board....it's pretty raw, but most of us would be happy to help.

[William Miller]

What Rick and Steve Said

I bet someone could get over there in within a few hours too.
We'd love to know where this happened too.

A mechanic calling with a low ball purchase is a sure sign.

[William Miller]

BTW, what if anything were the symptoms?