MikeinBloomfield

Hey all! With the sale of my 928, I am in the market for a 996. I wanted something newer, faster, and with a manual but I didn't want to give up the white-knuckle, bet-your-engine thrill ride! Ha! So here I am.

I am excited about my next car. Particularly since I am planning on buying a car on the west coast and driving it home to NJ. I have never driven across country, and I think its about time I do it. I may or may not bring a friend along. Logistics for this kind of purchase are a bit tricky. I think my safest bet is to pay for the car, register it and insure it before I leave, and fly out with the plates. I am open to all suggestions.

But the first job is to find a car. Now that I have the cash from my sale, I have begun looking in earnest. I'm looking for a sorted non-cabriolet, preferably not in silver but mechanical sorted-ness is paramount. No really high milers. I am not a big fan of aero cars or factory wings, but I'm a weirdo. My budget is 20K with a little room to move.

All that said, here are some cars I am interested in. Any and all opinions appreciated.

Yellow car on Rennlist
https://rennlist.com/forums/vehicle-...-s-ed-car.html

Just a tad outside my range, but nice looking. If the car has been used for DE is that good or bad, or neither?

VivGs Car
https://rennlist.com/forums/vehicle-...57k-miles.html

Love this color, and looks well taken car of.

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/la...048838352.html

Silver, but says RMS and IMS taken car of. I plan to ask what that means (what solution? Who installed?)

https://santabarbara.craigslist.org/cto/6062984951.html

1999 Black on black, looks clean, no mention of RMS/IMS.

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...ngId=441514724

1999, Not a big fan of the bling bling rims, but this keeps popping up in the searches. Would have to get a thorough PPI.

As I said, any opinions appreciated on these or if you know a decent candidate in SoCal/NorCal/Western States, I am interested in hearing about it.

Thanks!

TomR9964S

Found this one in blue. Price is a little north of what you requested but I just bought mine in Houston and I got $4.5K off listed price. This is one owner before it was sold at auction.

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...modelCode1=911

MikeinBloomfield

Wow, that is gorgeous. 32K on the clock! I will keep it in mind, thanks!

gnat

Talk to VivG. He's a known and respected member here and that will make up for it being a tad outside your budget.

MikeinBloomfield

I sent him an IM this morning. Looks well sorted. Thanks!

jaetee

Keep your eyes on the "Today's Craigslist Find" thread....

If Cali doesn't pan out for you, here's a relatively clean looking car available just up the street from me that offers a low cost entry into 911 ownership. But it's from Florida...

LMK and I'll go take a closer look at it for you....

https://tampa.craigslist.org/psc/ctd/6061999635.html

MikeinBloomfield

I subscribed to that thread last week. Lots of interesting info on where the market is.

I would consider Florida for the perfect car. And that's a nice price. Thanks for the offer, I will let you know.

gnat

My guess is that at the price there is something more to tell about it as that is lower than just for the miles. It does look like a clean car though and with a 20k budget you have room for just about anything it could need other than a catastrophic engine failure.

In fact at that price you could drive the hell out of it, put minimal work into it, and if/when the motor goes you should be able to recover at least half the price as a roller. Pretty low risk if you look at it that way actually...

jaetee

+1 My curiosity is so piqued, even though I'm not in the market myself.

But, I promise to shut-up about that car now. Enough's enough...

Dennis C

I bought my first 911 when I lived in the midwest. It was a 2002 C4S. I bought it in the San Bernardino, CA area and drove it back home (a little over 2,000 miles). This was a great experience, and it really allows you to get to know the car. I think you will enjoy it.

A few things to keep in mind:

- State laws vary with respect to sales tax. I don't recall exactly how it worked when I bought my car, but I do remember that the CA law at the time allowed you to buy a car in CA without paying sales tax as long as it you took the car out of state within a certain timeframe (I think it was 24 hours). I did this, and I paid sales tax in my home state when I registered the car.
- I stopped by the Department of Motor Vehicles in CA with my sales receipt from the previous owner, and I paid $15 for a title transfer into my name. I transferred the CA title to my home state when I registered the car. I kept the original owner's plates on the car for the drive.
- Most auto insurance policies give you 30 days to officially add a vehicle after you purchase it, but you'll want to check your policy. I called my insurance company and added the vehicle before I drove it home.
- Payment is always a tricky one, as you'll want to do it in a secure manner and avoid the potential for a scam. In my case, the owner and I had accounts at the same bank. We went to a local bank and I had a banker transfer the funds directly from my account in to his account. Simple and easy.
- Definitely get a PPI and tell the inspector that you plan a cross-country drive. Make sure the oil has been changed, fluids are good, etc. The car that I bought needed new tires, but they had enough life to get me home. I drove home and bought new tires when I got there.

Enjoy the hunt. It's really one of the fun parts of the experience.

MikeinBloomfield

Thanks Dennis, that's really helpful. I guess a lot depends on whether the PO is ok with his plates being on the car for 5 or 6 days going across the country. No risk involved for them, but you never know.

Dennis C

I think you could get temporary plates at the DMV, but I'm not sure how that works. You may actually get them in your home state if the sale is finalized before you drive the car home. That's worth investigating.

MikeinBloomfield

Yeah, that's kinda the plan I am most comfortable with. My plates on the car just sounds like a better deal. And as it stands, I am going to have some time between purchase and when I fly out to get it registered, because I'm going to have to clear things up at work before I leave for a week. Thanks for all the help.

Spork

If you buy a CA car, the plates stay with the car. The seller fills out a release of liability form with your info on it and mails it to DMV. That takes the car out of his name.

Some state, like NV require the seller to turn in the plates.

Many states require a VIN inspection before you can register the car. You better check with NJ DMV.

I've done a few fly and drives and always had a blast. I highly recommend it. No better way to get a feel for your new car than to spend a few days and a couple thousand miles behind the wheel!

Flat6Music

Buy it here and drive it home, then deal with the registration and sales tax. In some states, the plates stay with the owner. In California, the plates stay with the car. I found that out the hard way many years ago when I bought a 7 series BMW way below value on a whim on eBay while visiting in Michigan. I drove the car back to California with no plates and somehow managed to not get pulled over. You won't have to contend with that issue buying it here.

And as an aside, try to take a few extra days and take in some sights along the way. Enjoy the ride! Best of luck in the hunt for your new ride.