Quote:
Originally Posted by SalParadise
Matt is right about the grey market thing. I was personally involved as a teenager in the 1980s in many 930 conversions (which were hot when they were not available here), and of course many 959s - but these were done to an exceptionally high standard that took into account safety and the car itself.
Problem with grey market is 1) You don't know what has been done, 2) What hasn't been done, and 3) To what extent is the quality of the work that was done, as some conversions are pretty invasive. Many jokers brought them in and either cut things that they should not have, added things where things should not go, and welded pieces and/or garbage in that cannot be removed without work. From shoddy door beams to hacked electrical - I have seen it all, especially on Ferrari.
The only two conversion houses I would ever trust are 1) AmeriSpec in Connecticut (where I worked), and JK Technologies in Maryland. That's it. You'd better inspect the car before going this route, and unless it's very rare, or an Amerispec or JK car from the 1980s - I'd go with the NADA car.
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As far as mechanical condition of RoW vs US spec today 30 years on anything that was missed has been addressed by now.
I think the whole gray market stigma was started by the US car dealerships that were loosing money due to customers opting to go with other venues to get the car they wanted vs settling for the inventory the EPA would allow them to sell at that time.
Porsche dealers especially had a BIG MOUTH about the gray market and the loss of revenue.
Porsche
Ferrari
Mercedes
Dealerships are responsible for the negative image gray market cars once had.
Today the market has realized that a 30 year old porsche if maintained has had many of the claimed issues addressed by now.. Any that may have existed will have surfaced years ago and addressed.
In truth many “federalized” cars had absolutely 0 ZERO done to them and were simply signed off in their european entirety.
The one area of issue is the state of california and it’s EPA...
Well I submit to you that any well maintained RoW 930 can be made to pass california emissions and be driven,plated legally. The cost starting with absolutely no emissions equipment on a 930 is around $5,500..