Mini-rant, being lowballed

AaronM · 07-13-2004, 01:45 PM

As some of you might know, I'm trying to sell my 914. It's as un-rusted and clean as you can get considering that it's a driver and not a show car. In other words, it's what's sometimes known as a "15-footer", from 15 feet it looks perfect, and there's no major issues with the car even when you're close.

Asking $4,000 and noting that I'm willing to be a bit flexible.

Had a guy call me up today:

Him: "I'm looking to get into a 914 in the high-teens."

Me: "Well, I'm only asking $4,000."

Him: "I know, would you take $1,900?"

Me: "No."

Him: "How about $2250?"

Me: "No."

Him: "Are you sure? These cars tend to sit without selling for a while."

Me: "Taking $2,000 for the car would mean a 50% depreciation in the three years I've owned it. These cars don't depreciate like that."

Him: "You're absolutely sure?"

Me: "Yes, good-bye." *click*

Now, if I'm wrong here, let me know, but last time I checked on 914's in the midwest, $2,000 bought a barely-running rustbucket with chassis flex. When I was looking for 914's, I saw one with a blown rear mainseal, un-lined top, torn seats and a driver's door that needed a dent beaten out of it. The asking price was $2,600.

A link to pictures of the car.

Somebody tell me if I was way off, but I think the guy was just clueless.

Aaron

Alfred1 · 07-13-2004, 03:07 PM

I had a look at some of the pictures of your car. IMO, asking $4000 for a '76 2.0 with few problems is fair. Have you tried putting it on ebay?

AaronM · 07-13-2004, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Alfred1
I had a look at some of the pictures of your car. IMO, asking $4000 for a '76 2.0 with few problems is fair. Have you tried putting it on ebay?

Thought about it, but I'm not enthusiastic about it. It's kind of a personal thing, but I want to be sure the car goes to someone who is a 914 guy like you people here. Had one guy who wanted to buy it as a daily-driver for his 16 year old son to drive to HS in the winter on salted Ohio roads and in Ohio snow... It would've rusted out in a couple years.

I just couldn't do that (I know, sounds stupid). E-Bay would make me contractually obligated to deliver the car to the highest bidder when I'd actually rather take a little less money from someone who will take more care of the car than get extra money and know that the car was not being taken care of. (Of course, I would prefer getting top dollar from a guy who will baby the car, but that goes without saying.

) It feels more like I'm putting the car up for adoption than selling it.

Aaron

Air_Cooled_Nut · 07-13-2004, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AaronM
... Had one guy who wanted to buy it as a daily-driver for his 16 year old son to drive to HS in the winter on salted Ohio roads and in Ohio snow... It would've rusted out in a couple years.

I just couldn't do that (I know, sounds stupid)... It feels more like I'm putting the car up for adoption than selling it.

Dude, I understand!

I had a previous '75 1.8L that I had for sale (only temporarily, then I regained my senses

) and I had a couple of lookers. One guy offered to buy it but really had no clue as to what it was. Made the typical ignorant comment about it being a Volkswagen, didn't know where the gas tank was nor the engine location, and was looking at it just for a daily driver until he could afford something better (

). He did offer me my asking price but after talking with him I told him flat-out that I didn't want to sell it to him, that he simply isn't the right owner for such a car. Sorry. He was a little confused and put-off but didn't get ornery or angry.

gbalke · gbalke's Garage

Aron,

Last fall I was in searching for a solid 914 to replace my rusting
'74. After months of looking on line, across the country, I found two "rust free" solid '72s here in the St. Louis area, one yellow and one red. Both cars were very solid and in need of fresh paint.

Owner of the yellow one was asking $4000 and the red car's owner was looking for $3500. I bought the red car mainly because he was also tossing in a 2.0 liter engine plus a ton of spare parts.

Point being, based on the pics of your car, your asking price of $4000 in the Midwest is not out of line. It does however take time. Both of the cars I looked at were up for sale for over a year.
Both sellers were looking to sell their cars to someone who would continue the care they were used to.

Good luck.

siverson · siverson's Garage

I dunno, that looks/sounds more like a $3k car to me without having heard more details. Maybe they are worth more in the midwest though.

-Steve

AaronM · 07-13-2004, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by siverson
I dunno, that looks/sounds more like a $3k car to me without having heard more details. Maybe they are worth more in the midwest though.

-Steve

Midwestern road salt is hell on a car. You lucky west coasters have no idea what it's like to watch the door seams on a 5 year old car show surface rust through the paint and consider that to be normal.

Any daily-driver in the Midwest that is more than 6 years old is pretty much guaranteed to have some rust on it. And those are fully-galvanized modern vehicles.

Plus the car is coming bundled with a plethora of spare parts that I bought when I had more space and intended to get into 914's more deeply.

Still, a $3,000 offer would likely have been entertained (or at least held in reserve). But when he thought he was being generous with the $2250 offer it had to end there.

Aaron

Zeke · 07-13-2004, 06:54 PM

You will get speculators. It's part of the game. I guess you haven't gotten an offer for $10,000 and you just send the difference to a "friend?"

SGB · SGB's Garage

Do you really have to sell it? Y'know some day you will just buy another. There is no other car available that adds driving fun, uniqueness, and even repairability to the Porsche name. It's not just a car, its a Porsche. It's not just any Porsche, but an odd orphan with a secret. It's a Porsche that rewards the dirver with handling, and with simplicity.

AaronM · 07-13-2004, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SGB
Do you really have to sell it? Y'know some day you will just buy another. There is no other car available that adds driving fun, uniqueness, and even repairability to the Porsche name. It's not just a car, its a Porsche. It's not just any Porsche, but an odd orphan with a secret. It's a Porsche that rewards the dirver with handling, and with simplicity.

Eh, I can always pick up another in Seattle after I move. Apparently the prices are lower there anyway. But I can't take it out with me (no place to keep it out there) and to just leave it sit in a garage is awful for it. I know that I'm going to miss it. Was driving it a couple weekends ago and I am still amazed by it, but I just don't have a place to keep it once I move and no practical place to store it at home. Of course, if there aren't any good buyers who come around I may have no choice but to keep it...

If I need money and need something to sell fast, the 924S can go. It's just that of the two, the 924S can live outside in an un-covered apartment lot better than the 914.

Aaron

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by AaronM
If I need money and need something to sell fast, the 924S can go. It's just that of the two, the 924S can live outside in an un-covered apartment lot better than the 914.

2 words, CAR COVER

AaronM · 07-13-2004, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by red-beard
2 words, CAR COVER

You all are _not_ helping me make the practical decision here.

Aaron

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

What did you expect, sympathy? Get a Clue. You are not supposed to sell this car.

Verruckt · 07-13-2004, 10:27 PM

Sorry AaronM, its a VW, and it is only worth 2K.

genrex · 07-14-2004, 12:05 AM

[QUOTE] I can always pick up another in Seattle after I move. Apparently the prices are lower there anyway.
___

I think you have been mis-informed. Decent 914s without rust issues are rarely for sale in the Pacific NW, and if you find one, you should be prepared to pay more than the full asking price of the 914 you have... a car that you know very well. In my opinion, if you are considering having a nice 914 in the future, your present 914 may be the best one.

In the summer months, a car cover is a viable option at apartment complexes in the low-vandalism areas of Seattle, and in the winter months, renting a storage garage month-to-month, for $90/month, is quite popular. There are many such storage facilities, all over the Seattle area.

AaronM · 07-14-2004, 04:00 AM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by genrex

Quote:

I can always pick up another in Seattle after I move. Apparently the prices are lower there anyway.
___

I think you have been mis-informed. Decent 914s without rust issues are rarely for sale in the Pacific NW, and if you find one, you should be prepared to pay more than the full asking price of the 914 you have... a car that you know very well. In my opinion, if you are considering having a nice 914 in the future, your present 914 may be the best one.

In the summer months, a car cover is a viable option at apartment complexes in the low-vandalism areas of Seattle, and in the winter months, renting a storage garage month-to-month, for $90/month, is quite popular. There are many such storage facilities, all over the Seattle area.

Bleh, didn't need this.

How's Federal Way area? Near Dashpoint State Park? (Yes, I know a commute into Seattle will be a pain, but it's worth it to be out closer to the edges.)

AaronM

genrex · 04:27 AM

Most of Federal Way is absolutely awful, but the Dash Point area is very nice.

You should seriously consider Mercer Island, too.. VERY convenient to Seattle and Bellevue. Shorewood Apartments has an excellent reputation, and moderately-priced places like Islander Apartments and its immediate neighbors (for these latter ones, ask for the top floor, view side; the view is awesome). No carports or garages on the "island," but the big thing is, Mercer Island has basically no crime at all. And lots of p-cars.

Scooter311 · 07-14-2004, 04:37 AM

-insert old mafia voice -

"No sella you car.... "

We need an "or else" smiley

AaronM · 07-14-2004, 04:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by genrex
Most of Federal Way is absolutely awful, but the Dash Point area is very nice.

You should seriously consider Mercer Island, too.. VERY convenient to Seattle and Bellevue. Shorewood Apartments has an excellent reputation, and moderately-priced places like Islander Apartments and its immediate neighbors (for these latter ones, ask for the top floor, view side; the view is awesome). No carports or garages on the "island," but the big thing is, Mercer Island has basically no crime at all. And lots of p-cars.

The cost of the ferries would eat me alive on Mercer. I looked into it. At least I think that was Mercer Island, but I could be wrong. I looked at a lot of places by proxy (have a friend there who looked at the places for me) and decided that the Dashpoint area was for me. It seems to be quite nicely set back from the rest of Federal Way. The complex that I'm likely going to rent at (the credit report _should_ just be a formality, but never wise to count on things beforehand) abuts Dash Point State Park. I can leave my apartment and as soon as I'm off the grounds, I'm in the state park.

What I should have done was put both the P-cars up for sale and seen what the fates decided...

Aaron

Jason Porter · 07-14-2004, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by red-beard
2 words, CAR COVER

I'm sure I can get approval to get you a deal on a cover, because we don't want you to sell your teener either.

As long as you have a 914, you'll be a Pelican for life. In fact, you already are. The branding squad is supposed to be over there around noon. Don't worry, having a Pelican branded into your arm isn't nearly as bad as you think.