88 911 issues, any advice please ?

[urseppos]

I put a deposit ($500, non refundable) on a 88 911 with 147k miles on the clock without seeing the car. I went on the word of the gentleman that owns the small used car place in the Atlanta area. I know what your all probably saying but he wants $14k firm & I thought it was a great deal considering what the cars are going for at present.

I live in Kentucky & drove down to see the car today but due to some fairly heavy Atlanta traffic I did not make it before dark. Looked at her in his garage & even though he said that the car was dry underneath, it definitely is not. Car drove well but has some flaws.

Here we go:

Engine smokes (blue) & not just at start up & when I went to check the oil level it was missing the dipstick & a little smoke came out of the oil filler neck. Car seemed to pull well & the engine didnt sound noisey (I'm not a mechanic).

Has had some paintwork on front left panel (paint lifting in some areas).

Gearbox feels good as does the clutch (replaced but no receipt)

Paint on car is ok & two small dings. Rock chips on front & dent in panel under bumper.

Metal that suurounds rear glass seal is messed up but rubber looks good.

All electrics work bar the clock & clock light.

Headliner torn in two corners by sunroof.

Rubber that sits in middle of bumper on left side needs fixing or replacing.

Has new tires & Bilsteins .

Black paint with very light grey seats & panels. (seats are not perfect but not overly horrible)

New H5 Euro headlights

Receipt shows turbo tierods in 02

Has very lite tint on windows (plan on removing it)

I haven't had her PPI'd & it is the first time

Drivers side door opens too freely but opens & shuts as it should.

4 inch crack in middle of dash

Carpets & floorpans are really nice

This is all I could see & remember. I am staying overnight & going back to see the car in the morning. I will then either buy the car or take a $500+ loss, is what it is.

I guess I'd like to hear what everyone, anyone, has to say. It would be gladly received.

Oh, plan on driving her to my place down in Florida (750 miles)

[Arne2]

IMO, $14k is too much for that car. I just bought an '84 with 154,000 miles last month. Paid $15k, but mine has all service records from new, complete top end rebuild at 115k, totally dry, no smoke, no dash cracks, transmission rebuilt 5k ago. The rest of my car sounds roughly comparable to the one you are looking at.

Yes, many feel that the G50 transmission in the '88 is superior to the 915 in mine. But if the engine smokes and you aren't a mechanic, you're looking at a minimum of somewhere like $6k to make it right.

If it was me, I'd sacrifice the $500 and walk.

[timchar]

I would cut my losses now....the hotel, travel and the 500 deposit is small in comparison to having to rebuild that motor. I can see this car needing an easy 15 grand. I can totally understand your enthusiasm for this car... I'm pretty sure most would agree with me. I would stay clear of car lots when looking for a Porsche. Good luck ...

[DRACO A5OG]

$500 no-refundable? But why?

Oil Leaking and when he stated it was dry, LIAR
Blue Smoke = blown valve guide seal.
How about rust, were able to find any?

Good grief, don't walk but run from this clown, negotiate $500 off the next one and take your time and please do a minimum PPI so you know what you are buying. PPI's are not fool proof but better than going in blind.

Or ask a fellow pelican to go with you
Jim

[DRACO A5OG]

Oh yeah welcome to the board!

Try to get Peter Zimmerman's book on buy a New Old Porsche, it will guide you on what to look for.

[timchar]

Arne, I saw the pics of your car... You got a very nice car at a fair price. For a point of reference, I just paid 16.5 for an 86 3.2 coupe, 178 k miles, a 10 k engine rebuild at 153 k miles, New struts, shocks, New clutch and tranny rebuild fairly recently. New tires. Paint and interior are both 7/10. Many would be scared of the miles my car has. I am happy with my purchase....

[urseppos]

I feel like an idiot and $500 is not pcket change, at least not for me. I'm going to try & get at least half back due to him misdiscribing almost everything that I asked about. Doubt if I will get anywhere.

Thank you for having me !

Everyones advice is highly appreciated & thank you for such a quick response. Why is it soooo difficult to trust the human being, specifically when cars are involved ?

$500 less & my search continues.

[timchar]

Urseppos, I hear ya my friend... How did you pay the deposit? I agree with dracos, try and get your entire deposit back...he definitely misled you... Be patient, keep saving your money and make sure you get the most for your hard earned money...I'm sure a fellow pelican member in your area would be happy to help you. This site is full of great experts, utilize their talent....good luck .....

[Gustyones]

I feel for you. I'd push hard for a full refund for misrepresenting the vehicle. Just curious as to who the dealer is?

[Winter]

Hopefully you got his "description" of the car in writing, like via an email and not just in a phone conversation.

If this is the case, then take a camera and take photos of everything he didn't represent correctly.

Now you have documentation that he was deliberately misleading you, present him with the photos, the emails with his description and say, "I don't want to bring this to the attention of the courts, so return my deposit and we'll both move on."

Be ready to pursue him in small claims to get your money back.

If you have no written description of the car from him, that's tough. $500 is a lot for anyone, even rich folks. It sucks to waste money, but as others have mentioned loosing that amount could pale in comparison to what you might spend on this car.

Now if you do keep on doing the dance with this guy, get a PPI, and you may be able to negotiate the price of the car way down depending upon the findings, thus covering your original deposit.

I think I speak for most when I say that usually the best way to purchase any used vehicle is from a private party and not from a dealer, particularly a used car dealer who doesn't specialize in Porsches. Keep an eye on the classifieds here and try to buy from a Pelican. Hard to go wrong in that regard (and something I wish I'd done myself)!

Good luck.

[AVDCAV]

Of course try ". But I agree with the others '
Cut your loses now. Walk away

[IndyShark]

$500 is cheap compared to the problem you just avoided. Keep looking and you will find a nice one. Don't even consider buying one without a PPI next time. If it does not pass the PPI, you should get a complete refund!

Trust me. I learned this the hard way. You are doing the right thing, my friend!

[urseppos]

The dealer is Norcross Motorsports LLC in Norcross Georgia. I took video of the car but no photos. I have his description from the Autotrader listing.

Everyone please stay away from Norcross Motorsports, LIARS ! Marc & Pam Feiler are the owners and they refuse to give me my money back. Also stating that they have a huge list of people that want her site unseen.

Thank you all again for the advice & kind support !

[Plecostomus]

Liars. I'm so tired of used dealerships! I volleyed back and forth via email/ph with this guy in Chicago...over an entire month! Almost flew out there. Skirted certain areas of the car, as slick as one could be. Finally, he admitted the car had some type of body damage before. These guys prey on new enthusiasts!

[Porchcar guy]

If they truly have a long list of people to buy the car sight unseen, they should have no isuue with you getting your money back... Nice scam they got going !

[DRACO A5OG]

It's Okay Brother, lesson learned and considering the future nightmare I say you go off easy. I am sure most of us, maybe all has done something similar. Guilty

The first sign should have been the non-refundable deposit, I'd say take them to small claims, I bet the Judge will side with you. With video in hand you can clearly show their misrepresentation and fraud. It would be worth it just for principle sake. Hell demand all the cost involved in seeing their lie as well, let the judge decide what you will get back.

Jim

[tanmanbgoh]

A Porsche would be the last car I would buy from a dealer.They would screw their own family to make a dollar. I got a 85 Targa for $11,500 from private seller,great guy,car has no problems after 6 months.

[KNS]

A learning experience, hopefully you'll get some (or all) of your money back. A few months from now you'll be really glad you didn't buy the car.

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by urseppos

a 88 911 with 147k miles on the clock...he wants $14k firm...he said that the car was dry underneath, it definitely is not...Engine smokes (blue) & not just at startup.

Just that much info says no deal. Push for a refund based on him not correctly describing the actual condition of the vehicle.

[whiz05403]

Find out if this dealership has an EBAY account. There are ways to totally trash their feedback and kill their business. It might cost you a bad hit on feedback but it could literally shut them down. Ask me how I know.