Rinty

Holy:

If you do decide to drive it back, it's pretty painless driving them on the Interstates. Just set the cruise at 81, or whatever the local constabulary will allow, sit back, and enjoy the symphony. And they won't break down; they're as reliable as a Camry.

But I also wrestled with whether to truck it or drive it. It's sort of like in driving it home, you've earned the right of ownership. But if taking time off a busy schedule is going to create too much stress, it may be better to ship it.

Rinty

UberXY

Some, but not all, of the bigger shippers will let you give the check to the truck driver - when the car is on the trailer and the paperwork is in hand, he gives the buyer the check. But this only ensures that the car actually exists - they won't do an inspection, or check VIN, or anything that would make them liable in the event of things being not quite as advertised. Still, it is better than doing a wire transfer and then sending a shipper to an address (and car) that does not exist.


All in all, with exceptions, 911s are not rare cars by any means, and I think in the end you will find it easier, less expensive, and less stressful to buy local. I suspect that a lot of hobby cars will be coming on the market in the next few months at very reasonable prices. Unless the car has some compelling feature - it only has a few thousand miles on it, or it is something cool like an old 3.6l Turbo - I cannot see how the cost involved in fetching a distant 911 is justifiable.

holy911

You gentlemen are very knowledgeable at this I can tell. My neophyte-ness even comes through in my lack of patience to wait. I've only been on the lookout for a month. Youse all looked for several months, some of you over a year. Wow.

Well, here's a description of the car to give you an idea:

1989 Targa, Black, 77k miles, no rebuilds, no accidents, clean CarFax, white linen interior (one of the major things attracting me), 993 turbo twist wheels, newer RE71s, whale tail. He claims no rust. He's 4th owner, service records back to 1997. Claims AC works but not charged. East Coast car its entire life.

Seller seems sincere, his ad is one of the more complete in description, he is willing to take pictures and perform a PPI (at my expense). He is asking $22, 500.

It would cost me ~2200 for airfare, shipping, hotel, etc. Total cost after all said and done ~$24,700. These are of course estimates.

What do you gentlemen think? I've not seen that white interior much. I saw one other nearly identical to this one. It was in NY, had only 22k claimed miles on it. That one is sold already though.

RacerX1166

It may have been covered but where is the car located and have you put out a call to Rlisters and Pelicanites to see if anyone is close by to take a look at it?

Granted, I'm still tired from driving but either you or someone who knows these cars should eyeball it before you consider making the purchase. I say this especially if it's a Linen interior. The blue coupe at Holt's has the linen and it looked mint in the photos. In person, it looked pretty grungy. Granted, a cleanup would have addressed most of it and I am in no way saying that Tim doctored the pics; my point is that pictures and owner's description are just not enough to go on.

As far as price goes, if it's a nice car with very few issues, you're in the ballpark. However, if you're not going to eyeball it or get someone to do so, I'd wait and find something that you can personally examine. I found some pretty nice happy surprises on 'my elect' car that I would have missed if I didn't touch it. Likewise, you can find stuff that you wish you would have known about before wiring money.

I don't think your criteria are that difficult, personally. The market seems to be thick with Targas or at least it seems so to a guy looking for a coupe....I know patience is not your strong point but, really, it will pay off.

holy911

Thanks, Racerx.

Seen Speed Racer lately, your brother? Ha. Old skook anime.

I do plan on checking out this car. Funny you think there's plenty of Targas. In my search the market seems to have most Coupes and Cabs, with Cabs being the majority. I like the look and idea of a Cab, but it just won't be practical for me.

Chris M.

Keep it simple. Get a PPI or even better, a "Rennfax", wire the money, and have the car shipped. I've done it twice (sight unseen) with no problems.
The cross-country fantasy drive is a fun idea but like the OP I didn't have the time off work, childcare setup, or 4 days to blow on the adventure. Besides the airfare and gas will cost almost as much as the shipping charge. Unfortunately if you're looking for a specific car it's just not possible to restrict the search to your local area, especially if you live in KY!

Also, I did the same exact process for the sale of my 964 and everything was fine. Price was agreed on, money was wired to me, buyer arranged for transport, I met the transporter in the Home Depot parking lot, and off he went.

Ed Hughes

I hear what you're saying about not necessarily having time, but don't refer to the method of picking up and driving home a "fantasy drive". I've done it, I know a lot of people who have, and I've sold cars that've been picked up by the buyers. Every trip has been loved by the new owner, and there were no regrets. It's a real option, and many people actually look forward to it when buying a new car.

holy911

The drive home in the new car would be nice. And Fall is a mighty fine time to cruise with top off. Pros/cons to all options here. It just depends on what's realistic time and finance-wise for each person. I'm actually still debating on the possibility of just wiring the money after a thorough PPI and someone I trust checking out the car. It would save at least $1000 (airfare, hotels, gas to drive back). But I guess $1000 is cheap when spending $20+ on a P car. But of course there's the time factor.

Ah, but still each person has their own idea of what the car should look like. Since this is my first P, I really should check it out in person, inspect, drive, deal.

KC911

Driving your new 911 home certainly wasn't a fantsasy for a lot of us. I know of a few that made the trek from CA to NC, but that's certainly not an option in some scenarios. I still maintain "patience and wait for a CA car", but for me, a personal inspection would be a "must" (every thing is just so subjective in many cases.). Getting a good feeling after talking to the owner (I did), and getting someone "unbiased" to take a look (I have done that for others) are great, but (if a drive home isn't going to happen), I would spend the round trip air fair, take one day, and go finalize the deal after it meets YOUR approval. BTW, I've just been skimming, but have you verified the "oil consumption" (sometime easier said than done) on that one? That price (in these economic times) would not have me jumping up and down for "that" car, considering the logistics you're dealing with...good luck!!!

Keith
'88 CE coupe

Chris M.

I have two kids under 2 that I'm at home with 20 days a month. I work full-time and my wife is in school full time. For me it IS a fantasy and one I'd like to fulfill someday...