85 911 for sale in Dallas area

[RSMC]

Does anyone know this car? Based on a google search, seems like it has bounced around dealerships for a while. Just wondering if anyone has information on the car.

Thanks,
Scott

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ctd/4388408648.html

[christiandk]

Well it looks like it has been dragged upon a flatbed lately. The rubber plug in the drivers side rear bumper has not been put back in.

[COLB]

Can't tell much from the pictures. It was a no sale on Ebay in Feb at $24,950. That ad has better pictures, but still nothing of the engine bay or underside -- draw your own conclusions on that.

Porsche 911 | eBay

Its had at least 5 owners since 2002. Was in New Jersey in 2002.

Sport seats that look like they were recovered. Amateur Steering wheel repair. Otherwise it looks pretty strong cosmetically. Apart from the head unit, it looks dead stock. Given the mileage, I expect it has been repainted -- especially the front clip, which shows no apparent rock chips. An unpossibility at the mileage. Nothing leaps out at me from the gaps or body panels.

That paint looks almost purple-ish, with a heavy flake -- but maybe that is normal for metallic black under that type light. If it is not factory color, or a worse job than it appears in the pictures, that would be a pretty big hit.

Two things leap out. First, the relatively high miles at 180k -- and I will guarantee those are not original. The carfax shows it was at:

175,500 in 2002.
180,495 in 2006
180,565 in 2008 when it was titled as "mileage exempt" in Florida.

Now showing 180,489? No telling how many miles are on it. But over 200k is a fair guess.

Second, zero mention of maintenance, no shots of the engine or underside, and a revolving ownership door over the past 10 years. That screams deferred maintenance, and potentially significant mechanical work needed.

I think it is probably an $18-22k car --largely based on the cosmetic condition -- with the top end of the range being optimistic.

I bet a physical inspection and PPI would show major oil leaks, weak transmission, etc -- that would lean me more toward the bottom of that range.

[grendiers]

Ok, what about this '85? This is mine, I had it listed on this board awhile back, but pulled it since a friend of mine wanted to buy it. However, he backed out, due to having 6 P-cars, and wife said no. Anyway, it's for sale in Prescott, AZ, and priced accordingly to Carfax report. In 1995 it was in an accident, not sure what was replaced, and speedo replaced at some point. Runs great no records, has an oil leak when running, turbo tie rods, a nice repaint, older vinyl seats, comfy, driver car.
Porsche 911

[RSMC]

Thanks for the responses, guys. They are very helpful. I may go take a look to see what it's like in person. I'm not optimistic though.

[CountD]

Originally Posted by COLB

180,565 in 2008 when it was titled as "mileage exempt" in Florida.

That's the problem with Florida - anything, I mean anything over 10 years old are mileage exempt no matter what. It kinda stinks because I have titled motorcycles in Florida (with no mileage on them) and I get an exempt title. It's a stinky law but it shouldn't deter you from a purchasing a good vehicle from a trustworthy person.

[COLB]

Originally Posted by CountD

That's the problem with Florida - anything, I mean anything over 10 years old are mileage exempt no matter what. It kinda stinks because I have titled motorcycles in Florida (with no mileage on them) and I get an exempt title. It's a stinky law but it shouldn't deter you from a purchasing a good vehicle from a trustworthy person.

Very good point. Mileage exempt doesn't always mean mileage unknown.

But in this specific case, the car had apparently logged negative mileage since 2006 -- a period of eight years. And only 5k miles since 2002. That tells me the odometer broke somewhere between 8 and 12 years ago.

That is either a significant amount of unaccounted for mileage, or a car that has been sitting for close on a decade. Neither is a good thing.

A phone call to the dealer might yield enough information to make this a car worth investigating. But my general opinion is that if dealers (particularly boutique/exotic car dealers) have positive information on history and maintenance on cars like this, they are not shy about advertising it.

[COLB]

Ok, what about this '85? This is mine, I had it listed on this board awhile back, but pulled it since a friend of mine wanted to buy it. However, he backed out, due to having 6 P-cars, and wife said no. Anyway, it's for sale in Prescott, AZ, and priced accordingly to Carfax report. In 1995 it was in an accident, not sure what was replaced, and speedo replaced at some point. Runs great no records, has an oil leak when running, turbo tie rods, a nice repaint, older vinyl seats, comfy, driver car.

At $16500 I think your car is competitively priced, but there are more questions than answers from your post & ad.

Is the paint color original? It is a desirable color, and coupes in unusual colors are pretty hard to come by.

Does the A/C work? Or is it at least complete? What about the gauges, electronics, lights, accessories? Any major mechanical work on the engine or transmission? When was it last serviced?

Where is it leaking oil from when running? This could be something minor (breather gasket, oil pressure sensor, thermostat o-ring, or cam oil line) or something serious -- like leaking from the head due to broken head studs.

A minor accident 15 years ago -- on a car with your mileage -- is not a major issue, provided there is some kind of evidence it was repaired properly. If the car title is clean, and it can be aligned & corner balanced, and there is no bondo or rusty repair work, it is not really that significant.

My 1988 has VIN stickers on all the majopr body components (fenders, hood, deck, doors) -- not sure if your year does. If so, that will give you a hint if the hood or any panels have been replaced.

All that being said, if you have good answers to the questions above, you could potentially get more than $16.5k for the car if you work on the cosmetics and put together a more thorough ad with better pictures.

You would be well served by cleaning up the engine bay. I assume you live on or regularly drive on a dirt road -- because that thing is dusty as heck. You don't need to "armor all" everything --- just spend a couple of hours washing it up.

I think you should also go back to a more stock-looking wheel and a stock shift knob, and sort the wiring coming out of the dash.

Those things could be done for around $300-400. If you know it has lots of deferred maintenance, and needs some major mechanical work, your price is about right.

If it is mechanically sound, and the leak is minor, I would be shooting for closer to $18-20k for a coupe with your color, age & condition.

There are not a whole lot of them trading in the $15-16k range.

[6300 RPMs]

Originally Posted by COLB

If it is mechanically sound, and the leak is minor, I would be shooting for closer to $18-20k for a coupe with your color, age & condition.

There are not a whole lot of them trading in the $15-16k range.

Two months on this site it was listed for $14k.

[COLB]

Originally Posted by 6300 RPMs

Two months on this site it was listed for $14k.

if it didn't sell at that price, there are obviously reasons the owner did not disclose in his post.

Like the leak being something serious, the transmission and/or engine needing major work, and the general state of the mechanicals reflecting the visual of the engine compartment.

[6300 RPMs]

Originally Posted by COLB

if it didn't sell at that price, there are obviously reasons the owner did not disclose in his post.

Like the leak being something serious, the transmission and/or engine needing major work, and the general state of the mechanicals reflecting the visual of the engine compartment.

The ad on this site was deleted, but I do remember there being some issues other then just the oil leak listed that are not in the craigslist ad.