Help with Grey Market 85 Euro Carrera
02-28-2003, 08:49 PM
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
Help with Grey Market 85 Euro Carrera
Hi,
I'm looking at an '85 Carrera with 65k miles on it. Since this is a car that I have not had on my radar screen (learning more about the 964 and 993) I need some help understanding it's value, potential pitfalls etc. Obviously it is a grey market car which doesn't help it's value but at 2750 lbs and 235HP it seems very attractive from an AutoX/Track point of view. I would appreciate it if anyone could answer any of these questions:
1. Are these the right specs?
2. Any trouble spots with this car to look out for. I will do a PPI.
3. Is it a desirable car? What are the alternatives?
4. In what kind of range do these cars trade in the USA? Owner is asking $21.5k
5. Will I have any ownership/EPA issues downstream because of it being a Euro car?
Many thanks,
Lefty
I'm looking at an '85 Carrera with 65k miles on it. Since this is a car that I have not had on my radar screen (learning more about the 964 and 993) I need some help understanding it's value, potential pitfalls etc. Obviously it is a grey market car which doesn't help it's value but at 2750 lbs and 235HP it seems very attractive from an AutoX/Track point of view. I would appreciate it if anyone could answer any of these questions:
1. Are these the right specs?
2. Any trouble spots with this car to look out for. I will do a PPI.
3. Is it a desirable car? What are the alternatives?
4. In what kind of range do these cars trade in the USA? Owner is asking $21.5k
5. Will I have any ownership/EPA issues downstream because of it being a Euro car?
Many thanks,
Lefty
03-01-2003, 10:52 AM
#2
Lefty:
1) Euro Carrera specs: 231 hp @ 5900 rpm's, 209 ft lbs torque @ 4800 rpms.
2) The only real major problems 3.2's have is the premature valve guide wear which shows up around 40,000 to 60,000 miles IF this problem were to occur. Other than that, the usual used car problems should be checked for. Brakes, tires, accessories, A/C condition, etc.
3) Any nice 911 is desireable, but the Euro cars seem to be a bit less valuable over here in the US due to the potential emmissions problems. It's been written that Euro cars tend to be more abused than the US conterparts. But, this all depends on when the car was imported. Lots of European owners take great care of their cars, so this point might be mute.
4) I would think now in March in the Midwest, this car should bring under $20k due to the season and it being a Euro car. Though, these Euro cars have been in this country for years now, so the usual 10-20 % decrease in value on a Euro car seems to be realized less and less.
5) The only real problems you could have with a Euro car is the emmissions testing failure. If the car was properly imported and converted (CAT attached, etc), the car should pass even our strict emmissions testing. The DOT paperwork should have been done when the car was imported. If the car has a legal, current title from the state it's being sold in (even better if it's in your home state), you should not have any problem licensing it.
My brother owns a Euro '83 SC and has never had a problem with emmissions or with the DOT. He's had it over 6 years now and always passes our strict emmissions testing here in southeast WI. When he bought it, we were concerned with passing emmissions, but the previous owner kept all of the emmissions reports from when he had the car tested, so we knew it would pass inspection.
Good Luck
Jay
<a href="http://www.jays911.com" target="_blank">90 964</a>
1) Euro Carrera specs: 231 hp @ 5900 rpm's, 209 ft lbs torque @ 4800 rpms.
2) The only real major problems 3.2's have is the premature valve guide wear which shows up around 40,000 to 60,000 miles IF this problem were to occur. Other than that, the usual used car problems should be checked for. Brakes, tires, accessories, A/C condition, etc.
3) Any nice 911 is desireable, but the Euro cars seem to be a bit less valuable over here in the US due to the potential emmissions problems. It's been written that Euro cars tend to be more abused than the US conterparts. But, this all depends on when the car was imported. Lots of European owners take great care of their cars, so this point might be mute.
4) I would think now in March in the Midwest, this car should bring under $20k due to the season and it being a Euro car. Though, these Euro cars have been in this country for years now, so the usual 10-20 % decrease in value on a Euro car seems to be realized less and less.
5) The only real problems you could have with a Euro car is the emmissions testing failure. If the car was properly imported and converted (CAT attached, etc), the car should pass even our strict emmissions testing. The DOT paperwork should have been done when the car was imported. If the car has a legal, current title from the state it's being sold in (even better if it's in your home state), you should not have any problem licensing it.
My brother owns a Euro '83 SC and has never had a problem with emmissions or with the DOT. He's had it over 6 years now and always passes our strict emmissions testing here in southeast WI. When he bought it, we were concerned with passing emmissions, but the previous owner kept all of the emmissions reports from when he had the car tested, so we knew it would pass inspection.
Good Luck
Jay
<a href="http://www.jays911.com" target="_blank">90 964</a>
03-01-2003, 05:47 PM
#5
Instructor
Thread Starter
Thank you all for the great information. This should be a nice driving car. It's either this or a 964. I would love an early car such as a '73 but I'm worried about the rust issue since I'm in Chicago area. I'm looking forward to seeing it.
Regards,
Lefty
Regards,
Lefty
03-01-2003, 07:05 PM
#6
Burning Brakes
As long as the car passes emissions testing, I wouldnt worry about it being a Euro version (unless extra HP isnt to your liking) <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />
The asking price is indeed high. I would be shooting for a ballpark figure of 15-17K for a clean 85.
The asking price is indeed high. I would be shooting for a ballpark figure of 15-17K for a clean 85.
03-02-2003, 12:10 PM
#7
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03-02-2003, 01:23 PM
#8
Instructor
Thread Starter
One last question. As I was thinking about this car today I'm having a hard time coming up with negatives. If the car was changed to meet EPA specs then did the power get watered down?
Thanks
Lefty
Thanks
Lefty
03-02-2003, 08:48 PM
#9
Lefty:
Even with emmissions equipment installed (i.e. Cat), the Euro car still has the 10.3:1 compression ratio vs. the US ratio of 9.5:1 which helps bump hp.
My brother (with the Euro '83 SC mentioned above) goes to emmissions testing with a new cat installed. Gets the car tested, passes, comes home, removes good cat, puts it on the shelf for the next time, bolts gutted cat back on, and away he goes.
Good luck with that search!
Jay
90 964
Even with emmissions equipment installed (i.e. Cat), the Euro car still has the 10.3:1 compression ratio vs. the US ratio of 9.5:1 which helps bump hp.
My brother (with the Euro '83 SC mentioned above) goes to emmissions testing with a new cat installed. Gets the car tested, passes, comes home, removes good cat, puts it on the shelf for the next time, bolts gutted cat back on, and away he goes.
Good luck with that search!
Jay
90 964
