Is there a way to see the PCA classified as a non-member?
 

I was told a good place to find cars for sale is the PCA classified. I am just kicking around the idea of a 911 and browsing the market, so I don't really want to join PCA. Is there a way to see the PCA classified as a non-member?

I paid $40 and joined under their Quest program. It let's you join without owning a car and view ads for 6 months... which is great, accept of course it's gonna cost you $40.

Not Yet An Owner? Try PCA Quest

I dont see the point in pca quest..not hard to find a random porsche vin on the net.

Most the stuff is way overpriced imo.Tim

Most PCA cars in their classified are way over priced, I agree. Worst is Hemmings, gee have you seen the longhood prices on there. Most start at 35k up....I have not found any good prices as of late, Craigslist is just a feeding frenzy .....there was a $9000 SC on Chicago Craiglist and every body has a search engine, the guy was over called

PCA quest was ok... Keep searching here and Autotrader and you'll likely have better luck. Just be sure to be patient.

+ 1000-------------And their web site sucks. They are elitist and make you sign in every time you want to enter, Unlike this site, Rennlist or any list we all use on a regular basis. I don't bother logging in any more, its just a big self promotion. Every time they say they are making it better, it get worse. Been a member for 25 years and if it weren't for my local chapter, I would leave.

Seems counter productive to me. After all, if I was a PCA member and listed my car in the classifieds, I should expect all the exposure I can get. Instead only members are capable of viewing my ad rather than the whole world, and that would piss me off.

Exactly......"The Astors speak only to the Vanderbuilts, and the Vanderbuilts speak only to God"

I don't know... I've seen some deals listed with PCA. The last two months there has been a fellow with a nice 2003 996 Turbo X-50 for sale for $36K, which is well below market value and blue book. I have been awfully tempted by that one!

Also, if I was looking for a real collector, top quality grade car and willing to pay good money, then the PCA is the first place that I would go to look. Of course Craigslist will win for cheap, cheap cars, but I don't think that's what most PCA members are selling. I personally would feel much more comfortable buying a collector grade car from a long time PCA member because there is a greater inherent trust that you won't get screwed by someone who is a committed Porsche enthusiast and chances are that they have taken better care of the car. I know that Manny Alban has told me that European Porsche owners see it this way and have begged him for PCA decals/badges. He said that when they buy a car from the US having a PCA decal or badge on it ads value and peace of mind to them because they know it's been owned by an enthusiast and taken care of.

Kirk

Agreed on a PCA member/owner adding value. If I was selling a nice car I would sell it on PCA to avoid many of the time wasters and low ballers, likewise its probably the best place to find a really nice one to keep. You generally get a better qualified buyer on PCA.

A little scarey that people want to buy a nice 911 but not pay $40 to assist in their search :)

I respectfully disagree. You seriously would limit your car's exposure when selling by only listing it with PCA? I don't know about you, but I would expose my car for sale by most any means available to me to expedite the process. And what makes a PCA member's car worth more than any other equally presented car?
And really, tell me what's scary about a buyer not willing to fork out $40 for a very limited search? Guess your a member? :D

Well its like targetting advertizing to the correct audience. Smaller audience on PCA but way less timewasters and lowballers. So less calls but the ones that do call tend to be serious, educated on the cars and have money available. Likewise sellers on there tend to maintain their cars better and describe them more accurately.

I agree the same car is worth no more on PCA but it may well take less wasted effort to buy or sell a car on there if you are looking for quality. Generally a PCA member owned car is better condition from what I have seen. IMHO its worth $40 for that filter and time is money. In the scheme of things Porsche $40 is nothing. Add up the costs of wasted PPI's and 5 hour drives to see mis represented cars.

Also many owners of the perfect one/two owner cars on PCA have owned them decades, they are not in too much of a hurry to dump them quick at a cheap price. Likewise if you are going to buy a keeper 911 its way smarter to pay more and buy a perfect one than spend way more fixing one up that still won't be worth as much. Prices are going up and this years price will seem cheap next year.

So IMHO PCA has it place if you are looking for an excellent low ownership car. If you are not then not so much :)

We have been a PCA member off and on since 1986.
I posted a WTB ad on PCA Mart, had decent targeted responses offering good cars w/ good docs, a little above mkt. price. My comfort level w/ an individual PCA member selling their car adds a level of confidence other formats lack.

I will say that the new format for Panorama will keep me as a dues paying member. It's SO Much better than the old version!! Almost as good as Excellence. The Panorama July?? issue with the new format change was the first one that I sat down and have reread, and did not pitch.

But, the best response was from my Penguin WTB. (Maybe 75% Penguin, 25% PCA)
We did buy a beautiful car from a response to my Penguin WTB ad. Have to take a pic of her will post it this weekend.

Bob

well lets see, according to your logic if i want to buy a car listed on the pca classified, i first must pay $40 to join, but wait i can't join, i don't have a car.

Oh you say, if you go to their web site they will give you a pass and let you look for $40. No one who seriously wants to sell his/her will advertise only on the pca web site.........peroid.

I spend a lot of time here and on rennlist, and bought my first porsche from a postage stamp pix in auto week. The intrenet has changed all that. There is more help, technical information, kindered spirit, and yes dare i say classified on these two sites than anything the pca has to offer.

I love the new Panorama mag, but think that Pelican and Rennlist have more to offer for buyers and sellers. Just my opinion.

Not correct, last year a couple of very rare color Carreras sold quickly only advertized on PCA. I called about a very rare green one but it sold same day.

Ever wonder where high end dealers find the super rare option/low ownership 911's?

Anyway all I am saying is if you don't look at PCA you are potentially missing some great cars. If thats not worth $40 to you then fine.

After searching for a 2010 C4S for more than a year which ticked off the right boxes (for me) and was "affordable", I located the car in the PCA Mart which was also only marketed on Craigslist.

It passed the PPI with flying colors and negotiating with the owner has been seamless primarily because of our shared club membership. Purchasing a vehicle long distance is not the easiest thing to do however it was made easier by working with a fellow PCA member.

IMHO, the $40 cost is more than worthwhile.

I fetch the 911 mid October...ROAD TRIP!!!

This may be somewhat true. Two days ago, I saw a "PCA member's concours-award" 911 for sale. It was a mass of mismatched parts, had a color mismatch; overspray on parts not normally body color, etc., etc. I was surprised. Similarly, the Tangerine E Targa that recently sold at auction had a custom engine lid on it that was butt-ugly. That was a long-time PCA "show car" as well. It sold about $30K under market.

I think in general, a car owned by a hard core PCA member probably is in good mechanical condition, but not necessarily unmolested.

And as observed here, asking prices are often... how can I put this nicely? Hallucinatory.

You are a better man than most of US here, because you do find "nice ways" to say things.