What's it worth???

[fig911]

I have been looking for a good 911. How much do you think this thing is worth and / or should I walk because of the history. It is an airplain ride away, so I don't even know if it is worth pursuing with a PPI. Here is the sellers response to some initial questions:


"Yes, it does have a small leak. About the size of a dime after a
week.

No.....no accidents!

Yes, paint work due to Florida sun fading it.

Clutch is fine.

Interior is excellent.

Selling due to getting engaged and I need the $.

Sorry no records.

I have owned it 6 months.

No leak down/compression test.

A/C blower motor needs to be replaced.

Asking 20,000.....would come down to 18,000."

What do you all think???

[fig911]

Sorry, I should state that it is a 1987 silver coupe. It has about 95K miles.

[Jim Richards]

Hey fig, there's too little information to invest the time and airline ticket on this purchase. I have a list that I've started using for my early car search (see below). If the seller seriously answers these questions, and the pic's look good, I'll first try to get someone (Pelican member) that's local to look at the car for me and maybe take some up close pictures. Note that sellers love to take pictures from 10-20 feet away so none of the warts show up. Anyway, if the car looks good at this point, I'd negotiate a price, contingent on a personal inspection and PPI. Then I'd make the trip.


Model?
Year?
Mileage?
VIN - does it match in all 4 locations?
Number of owners?
Sunroof?
AC?
Other factory options?
Any modifications or aftermarket add-ons?
How long owned?
Why selling?
Body color?
Original color (what's on the paint code on driver's door jamb?
Body condition?
Paint condition?
Rust?
Prior accident damage?
Bondo?
Condition of glass, rubber seals, and weatherstripping?
Condition of the chrome?
Interior color?
Interior condition?
Seat type (regular or sport), material (vinyl or leather), condition?
Dash condition?
Condition of door panels and door pockets?
Condition of headliner and sun visors?
Condition of carpet?
Electrical - do all gauges, switches, lights, fans, horns work?
Engine #?
Is the fuel injection still intact? (I'm interested in MFI cars)
Does engine leak oil and/or smoke?
What is the rate of oil consumption?
What's the gas mileage for your car? (tells state of engine tune)
Have the tensioners been upgraded to the pressure-fed type?
Has the engine been rebuilt? If so:
When / how many miles ago?
What exactly was done in the engine rebuild?
Any non-stock modifications to the engine?
Who rebuilt it?
What is the condition of the gearbox?
Does it shift smoothly between all gears?
Any abnormal gearbox noise?
When was the clutch last replaced?
What is the condition of the brakes?
Size and brand of wheels and tires are on the car?
Condition of wheels and tires?
What service history/records/receipts do you have for the car?
How far back do these records go?
What doesn't work on the car?
What recent maintenance was performed on the car?
What maintenance should be done on the car in the next 6 months?
Does the car have a clear, clean title (no salvage, etc.)
May I arrange for a prepurchase inspection at a shop of my choosing if we agree on terms of sale?

[fig911]

Jim,

Great advice. and great list.

Mark

[nostatic]

sounds to me like MAYBE a $15K car. And that's if the PPI is clean. Sounds like a classic case of someone buying without a clue, finding out what it costs to fix things, then trying to unload it. Dime size leak after a week? Could be a couple hundred to fix, or couple thousand. Lack of records and paint work are flags too...

[FLAT6FAN]

Sounds like the guy that purchased this car 6 months ago did not get a PPI and he wants out?