Craigslist

[WANNA930]

Ok has anybody had any success buying a Porsche from CA Craigslist. I just spent the day going back and fourth with 2 cars and it is just a sketchy place to buy a car.

One car is listed multiple places all with different contact names and numbers. I asked more questions then usual and just saw it listed on Samba with different contact info. I know they are a dealer but it isn't the same dealer.

The other problem is getting someone to give you there damn contact info. 4 emails wanting mine and still no contact. I lost a 308GT4 as it was real car and someone on F Chat said they got it. It was the most suspicious ad I had ever seen and guy sounded just as suspicious with multiple stories.

Everyone swears by Craigs I just don't have any luck. Is it just me or??? At this point I think everybody has my cell number and email address although I have zero idea what they can do with them?

[panos]

I almost pulled the trigger on a couple cars, but I've bought countless parts off of CL. I would say that buying off of CL is very time consuming, and I think its fair to say that anyone that has attempted it feels as you do right now. I wouldn't use it as my only method of finding a car I want, but I find it helpful to check in every now and again.

[Macroni]

Great luck w/ Philly craigslist but would never buy w/o eyeballin myself.

[ficke]

CL is just another resources and is good for local stuff and cheaper cars.
I would never advertise a running Porsche for sale on CL.
I did sell a 73 911 roller on it and the guy who brought it paid in full sight unseen and had it shipped from Tucson to Toronto. Most of the time I use E-bay.

[911 sc]

Ive purchased 3 great p cars off CL. It takes time and cash in hand.

[Flynt]

I've got a couple good Porsches off CL in CA. My longhood just recently (wasn't listed yet - called about a mid-year).
Takes time, patience, flexible schedule and cash in hand. I've seen some piles and missed out on some good ones.

If you don't know already, google reverse image search is your friend. Save a photo from the listing, go to google images, "search by image" upload saved photo. Good way to find out immediately if the ad is a scam.

[gred04]

In my opinion Craigslist is a waste of time unless you are searching locally and can go see it immediately and have cash in hand.

If your in LA or south FL then you can definitely find a vehicle. Anywhere else it will be harder.

Even if you are the first contact on a out of state car and can come to immediate agreement I can tell you from experience someone else will just up your offer and come get the car sight unseen. Unless you get a seller with a lot of integrity the car will be gone before you can get there to complete.

I live somewhere where there are almost no classic pcars available. I finally gave up and went the dealer route. You pay more but then at least get the chance to PPI and come see the car.

Best of luck with your search.

[techweenie]

Here in So Cal we have to contend with Beverly Hills Car Club showing up with cash and a transporter. Very tempting to sellers. We also are scanned minute to minute by every prospect and broker on the planet - which means every decent sounding car gets a dozen seductive pitches. The reaction can be so strong that sellers kill the ad and just stop responding to everyone, figuring they've drastically underpriced their car.

One recent example was a 911T coupe that quadrupled in asking price after a couple days of this type of bombardment. A friend was literally on the road to buy the car at an agreed price when the seller went radio silent, then launched a new listing with a big asking price a few days later.

[HugoBear]

Originally Posted by techweenie

Here in So Cal we have to contend with Beverly Hills Car Club showing up with cash and a transporter. Very tempting to sellers. We also are scanned minute to minute by every prospect and broker on the planet - which means every decent sounding car gets a dozen seductive pitches. The reaction can be so strong that sellers kill the ad and just stop responding to everyone, figuring they've drastically underpriced their car.

One recent example was a 911T coupe that quadrupled in asking price after a couple days of this type of bombardment. A friend was literally on the road to buy the car at an agreed price when the seller went radio silent, then launched a new listing with a big asking price a few days later.

Yeah, and then meanwhile there is a lot of crap there too hoping to cash in on the frenzy. I have seen a ton of cars that would have been scrap asking for $12k, etc in this market. It is a frustrating place to look for cars.

[techweenie]

Originally Posted by HugoBear

Yeah, and then meanwhile there is a lot of crap there too hoping to cash in on the frenzy. I have seen a ton of cars that would have been scrap asking for $12k, etc in this market. It is a frustrating place to look for cars.

So true. A friend in Germany made an agreement to buy a '65 912 he found on CL in "Rancho Dominguez" and I went to seal the deal in person. Location was a total stereotype: house was in Compton, bars on the windows, 125 lb. pit bull in the junk-filled back yard, and -surprise! - there was a second buyer on hand to start an auction. Car didn't have one unrusted or un-Bondoed panel. Other guy was determined to pay *any* price for the car. I just walked away when bidding reached 120% of my friend's "agreed" price. A week later, the 'determined buyer' was trying to dump the poor car for what he'd paid. On CL.

[HugoBear]

Originally Posted by techweenie

So true. A friend in Germany made an agreement to buy a '65 912 he found on CL in "Rancho Dominguez" and I went to seal the deal in person. Location was a total stereotype: house was in Compton, bars on the windows, 125 lb. pit bull in the junk-filled back yard, and -surprise! - there was a second buyer on hand to start an auction. Car didn't have one unrusted or un-Bondoed panel. Other guy was determined to pay *any* price for the car. I just walked away when bidding reached 120% of my friend's "agreed" price. A week later, the 'determined buyer' was trying to dump the poor car for what he'd paid. On CL.

Crazy, I've seen at least 20 of those on LA, SF and Sacramento CL in the past week. Seller admitting the whole body is rusted out and absolute disaster and still asking $12k, for cars that aren't all that great if they were in OK shape.

But… one upside of the frenzy is that it has influenced some folks to part with some incredible cars. Not necessarily on CL but in other places.

[WANNA930]

When I lived in NY I always bought cars from CA. Now it really seams like CA has been picked to the bone. Lot's of cars heading out of the US and out of State. Kind of a shame as they stayed in that condition by being in CA weather.

I have offered cash and pick up within an hour and I have no idea how someone gets there faster. It does piss me off when someone agrees to a sale and then says they are selling to someone else.

B Hills actually has decent pricing but I always put them in same class as Gullwing and that might be wrong. I am just not a dealer buyer but I am learning to get past that to fond the right car.

[WANNA930]

To think in December there was a chocolate SC near Romana clean as anything and like $16k but I was too lazy to make the 20 min drive. Now i would drive 6hrs for the right car.

[sm70911]

Originally Posted by techweenie

.... Car didn't have one unrusted or un-Bondoed panel. Other guy was determined to pay *any* price for the car. I just walked away when bidding reached 120% of my friend's "agreed" price. A week later, the 'determined buyer' was trying to dump the poor car for what he'd paid. On CL.

In a sense this is exactly how I think things will go following this market, except of course it will play out over the course of the next couple years as some buyers either realize what they have (or rather haven't) got. If they can't DIY and they are confronted with extensive necessary major repairs and in some cases restoration costs I'll wager we will see quite a few cars dumped for cost or less.

[COLB]

I bought my 911 on CL, and got a good deal -- but it was August 2012 -- which may as well be a decade ago. Great, honest seller -- no BS.

Very few aircooled cars are on CL these days -- and I am in one of the biggest metro areas on the east coast.

[CountD]

I found mine on Craigs - Los Angeles Craigs in June 2012. Was just looking when an ad went up with no pics on a Sunday afternoon. Asking was $4900 with a rebuilt motor and new clutch - hadn't been started in 20 years. Contacted the guy, said I would be there in the AM. He sent some bad cell phone photos. He saved it for me but a bidding war had started and there was more than 20 calls. He was true to his word but the price went up to $5500 (he said he had a new fuel pump for it - oh yea). Oh well, I lost a little dignity but as I put the cash on the table there were three more calls. It's a good solid car - California all its life but needed a lot of work to get going (still isn't).

I don't even look on Craigs anymore. I'm done. If I buy a car it will be on here. It was pretty nerve wracking to begin with, and on atop of it you never know if the deal is going to fall apart at any second. Some people like this thrill - sure the thrill is the hunt but to have an auction start is no fun.

I was surprised I got it. The few times I have looked in the past two years (maybe 10 times) there were no older 911s to be had at all. Surprising as I live in SoCal.

[TV74911S]

Originally posted in May 2012 very briefly. Saved the ad as it had a phone number and contacted the seller a number of months later when I was ready to buy. Car was still for sale and was able to get a great price. Two owner car with <32K on the clock with records back to new.

[Macroni]

It all depends on the location..... rural areas still tend to have opportunities.