How do I open the engine lid?
 

I'm interested in buying a '90 964 locally. However the owner who inherited the car doesn't have the keys to the car. I'd like to be able to check out the engine but can't open the engine lid because the car doors are locked too.
Does anybody know of a way that I can open the engine lid without a key? Or is there a good way to get into the cabin so I can pull the engine lid lever?

Hi ,


First , try to move right & left your engine lid.

Sometimes that works.

Or sacrify your blower tube (that comes from the fan) that downs to the heat exchangers.

If there is no other way...............

not that I am paranoid - OK I am....

this info should be PM'd and not just openly displayed IMO

AND

before PM'ing anything like this look at the user profile and make sure the join date wasnt 10 minutes ago

just sayin'

2 wedges and a coat hanger should do the trick

Why doesn't the owner step up and pay a locksmith to do the job ?

If you buy it, how do you drive it away with no keys?

This makes no sense.

The lack of keys is suspicious here. These cars came with 2 keys, granted over 30 years things get lost and misplaced these keys are some what of a key ingredient to using your car. Also I would be very hesitant to buy a car that some one says is "working" with out seeing it run. I agree if he wanted to sell the car, he should have a lock smith open it up or he should find the key.

Regards
Dave

I thought my question might raise a few questions of concern. Here's the deal. The car was abandoned at a local car dealership after the car was diagnosed with a $3500 engine problem. The car has sat for at least a year at the dealership. That is where the new "owner" at the impound yard got the car from. A new title is in the process of being acquired and they're going to sell the car once they get it. The "owner" doesn't want to get a key made and I don't want him to damage the car trying to break into it to check the engine condition. He says he "hates these foreign cars" and I don't think he'll be as careful as I'd like him to be. He already damaged the door trying to pull it open from the top to get a clothes hanger into it.
Thanks for the tips thus far.

sounds like the "owner" needs to have his ass kicked :p

So this car had a mechanics lein put on it and now a new title.

OK.

I still say, you need a key.

I purchased another car ('78 SC) from this guy a year ago with the exact same circumstances, no keys, unknown amount of work needed on the car, abandoned at the same dealership, and the "owner" had to wait almost a year for the title to go through. I don't know the legality of it all. Why does it take so long for a title to come? I don't want to pay for a key to be made if he might be asking too much when the title comes.

It probably takes a while, because they might be trying to ensure that the car wasn't stolen and then "made" legit by just getting a new title.

Or - the people at your DMV are just really really lazy.

Hard to say.....

think of the money spent making a key like spending money on a PPI...the whole idea is to spend a little money to protect yourself from being burned by unknowns of a car you wish to purchase....not just tire kick

quit being so cheap and buy a key for the thing if you want the car..the owner obviously is of poor character or he would have already spend the money....so letting the owner damage the car is your other option....

sorry....this isnt that hard, you just have to man up to the car or walk away....if you spend the money on a key and the car turns out to be a lemon, walk with your key to the edge of the ocean and throw it in....take the owner if he insists you cannot have your key, let him watch you throw the key into the ocean

I have more, but dont feel like typing it all, not being mean, but this is sort of silly on multiple levels anyhow

BTW I know the ocean is a little far for you being in UT and all..but......

you need to get the car to a mechanic who is experienced with the 911 (of that vintage, called a 964) and have the car carefully checked over BEFORE you buy it

maybe a tow is in order

local PCA chapter could help

+1 for having it checked out by some one who knows whats up. The only way I would buy the car as is, is if he has the title in hand and its legit, and more importantly he is willing to take a VERY VERY low price due to the unknown condition of the car.

Regards
Dave

$3,500 engine problem sounds a bit suspicious. You should be able to track down the mechanic that came up with that number, it was only a year ago. "A local car dealership" ? Was it the Porsche dealership? I don't like the sounds of all this. Remember even if you get the car for $100 it may not be a good deal other than parting it out. A suckers bet.

I don't think so.........
 

If this guy is not willing to spend a few $$$ to get a single key made, I don't think he'll spend that extra money on PPI. Some people are cheap and some are ridiculously cheap to the point of being labelled stupid.

Tony

Key.....
 

Send this guy, (Call It Friend-O), he'll get the key.................

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1327091268.jpg

Sorry, but I think everything lies with the 'owner'.
If he isn't willing to put out the few bucks to get a key made for a car he is trying to sell, it would be so long from me...
Not to mention the title issues and unknown engine issues even if the key was there.

Craig

Truth is, you won't really be able to 'check out the engine' unless it's running.

the owner has to have a key to sell the car anyway. So wait for him to get a key before you spend your time.

:D
You tell him Coupler Whisperer... He can mail me the key, I'm in California, I can throw it in the ocean. Tim

A good locksmith can make a ket on the spot just giggling a blank in the key hole and a file, I lost all my keys to a enclosed trailer and it had a double sided key, the local lock smith made me a key in less than 5 minutes this way, key blank and a file. Charged be about $5.00, granted I drove the trailer to his shop so he had no road time. But It was scary just how fast he made me one.

This guy sounds like a swindler. I wouldn't touch this car with a 10-ft torsion bar! And you bought another car from this guy last year under the same circumstances!?!?!? There are lots of good Porsches out there with legitimate titles AND KEYS. Just my 2¢

It's easy to have a key made at the dealership, you need the vin and proof of ownership. If he is unwilling to do this, I would value the car as needing a full engine rebuild ie. book value minus $20.000.

I truly find it hard to believe that an owner of a 964 would walk away from their car with a $3500 bill. That is not even a top end valve job. I would be very suspicious and would expect to find a real bill of possibly an engine rebuild or an engine replacement. Good luck. Steve

Thanks to everybody for their sage advice and wise warnings. I'm not one to rush into buying anything without careful considerations of all factors. If I did purchase the car with it's unknown problems (possibly a complete rebuild), what should i offer? The body and interior are in nice shape. He won't sell it until he gets the title.

The previous car ('78 SC) I bought from him was a low risk buy at $1,000. I have put $1,000 for a distributor, CDI and a few other parts. The interior is rough, so is the paint and it has some vacuum leaks that I haven't remedied yet, but it has been a fun first Porsche project.

What was this tread originally about? Who cares.:)

Is a key easily made or is it a difficult to make security key?
Has anybody had a key made for a '90 964 where there wasn't a key to be copied?

I would not pay much for this car. maybe 2K if that. You can tell him that regardless of how "nice" the car may look, its really not about that its about mechanics. Cars are for going places, super models are for looking at. Run under the assumption that nothing works, which is a safe bet it sounds like in this case. Make all your price judgments with that in mind. If he gets a key made and you are able to get in the car and maybe start it thats a whole new story.

Regards
Dave

Someone needs to talk to a dealer - they can provide a key for about $150. All that is needed is the VIN number. When I checked with my dealer, they said nothing about bringing my title - just the VIN number.

I am a new car dealer, and we generally need some kind of proof of ownership or legal possesion to cut a key. Having said that, not all dealers have that requirement and for all modern cars the key can be cut from the VIN only. I do not believe the 1990 has an "electronic" key so conceivably your local dealer can make you a key.

Ok. I think I'll go ahead and try to get a key made.
And I think I'll use the "cars are for driving, supermodels are for looking at" analogy when I'm haggling the owner. Thanks Dave.

Given a valid VIN and title/owners card any P car dealer can order a new key. Never know an Impound dealer or tow truck driver that didn't have and know how to use a "slim jim"