rusnak

Yes there is only one chance to buy your first Porsche.

I want to suggest another factor too though. The number of unmolested, original, low mileage 911s of this vintage are exceedingly rare. This one appears to be one.

Too much negotiation will let your car get away from you.

As a seller, I pay more attention to someone who seems serious. A deposit always makes you seem more serious, even though it is refundable and applicable to purchase price. Any offer that is below my asking price is looked at, but the ones that are prinicipaled (based on logic) are given more weight than one that is arbitrary (low ball offer for the sake of lowballing). This is a buyer's market, but the price is certainly fair to start with now.

murphyjp

Rusnak, thank you for your input. It is noted and appreciated. I agree, the price is certainly fair. I was thinking maybe starting at $1.5k low and see where that gets me. Thoughts?

The local PCA President has been very helpful, and is planning on checking out the car tomorrow. Certainly much quicker than I expected. I only initially contacted him yesterday. He says he has his own checklist to go through and will also look at some points I indicated. Gives me confidence in an honest, unbiased, unemotional opinion. Just goes to show how welcoming and helpful the Porsche community is. Makes us outsiders what to get in that much more.

rusnak

You should offer what you think you can live with.

Carreras have been known to eat alternators. Also the fuel lines on top of the motor are known to crack. A lot of 911s (especially ones that sit) have needed new fuel pumps. Ask about the oil lines on the right side of the floorpan. If they are crushed, then that is about $1K right there to replace both. Ask about the alternator fan housing. Are there cracks in it?

murphyjp

Rusnak,

I'm a bit slow sometimes. I got what you're gett'n at. Agree on a price and then apply a deposit.

Marc Gelefsky

Thats a damn nice looking Targa, don't worry about the 915 they are fine good tranny's.
That shift boot looks pretty much like the stock one in my car, it's the one that comes with full leather so perhaps it was upgraded.
Good luck!

theiceman

that front left has been tweaked for sure .. get some better pics of it .. that woul dhave to be fixed as part of the deal ..

murphyjp

theiceman, can you elaborate on what you see? I'm just not noticing anything but the reflection. I will ask for additional photos of the front left and post them.

Marc Gelefsky

I thought that was a reflection as well.

whalebird

Ed and Rusnak are spot on. A 915 is not a worry in the least. As for an offer it should be merited, but hold your cards close. The PPI should be done and repairs can be negotiated on - fairly. The asking price is a good number for a great car, and this may be a great car. The PPI will shed light on it's qualities and I suspect a fair number is not far from asking price if the car is, in fact, superb. I really like the car and hope it finds a home amongst our Rennlist community. Your first Porsche, a sweet car to begin with, a liesurly trip home on the scenic route with a "mate"; You're gonna have a blast and a few dollars either way won't change it. Keep us posted and good luck.

LlBr

Boy, I'd sure like to get that car alone for an afternoon. Very nice. Black Targas show the rollbar less, it kind of blends in more; goes with the black Fuchs. Overall great visual effect.

dshepp806

Make sure that top doesn't leak.....

murphyjp

Looks like I'm gonna pass on this car. Had a local PCA member have a look at the car. He provided a ton of photos which shows some flaws in this car.

Have a look.

http://web.me.com/aambrosi/HPC/85_Carrera.html

OttawaDave

It doesn't help that the car is black...it shows just about every flaw in the paint...but the initial pics you had shared looked pretty good. The lesson, of course being that it's very easy to hide flaws in pictures, hence there's no substitute for a good honest inspection.

And naturally, I broke all those rules and bought my car sight unseen (but with a thorough PPI) - I got lucky, mostly. It also helped that I was looking for a driver, and not a concours-perfect example.

In any case, seems that you're on the right track - Good luck on your search!

Marc Gelefsky

Black is a tough color for a 25 year old car, hell it's a tough color for a 1 year old car!

Good luck! keep us posted on the search!

LlBr

On a similar note, older preowned cars should have black interiors. The lighter ones always seem to look shabbier (see photos above). Glad you decided not to get the car, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to tell you.