What would you do?
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Instructor
Joined: Aug 2009
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What would you do?
I have an opportunity to buy a Porsche that has been sitting in an unheated Wisconsin garage for four years. It is an 86 3.2 with 53,000 one owner miles. It won't start, the gas has turned into sludge, tires are rotted, Injectors wasted and I'm guessing to brakes are **** at this point as well. I contacted someone to do a PPI and they where apposed to making any kind of evaluation on a car that won't start. I'm certainly not able to work on the car myself. Should I run like hell or take a gamble at a certain price point? What would you guys/gals suggest? This car has sat and rotted through a lot of changes in seasons and humidity.
Thanks Hugh
Thanks Hugh
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 155
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Body, paint and are good, paint is original, no accidents and interior is excellent. There is a mark on top of a quarter panel that looks like a bike fell over or something to that effect. I believe it would look a hell of a lot better after a serious detailing. I was thinking of making it a daily driver and just use the targa for convertible days. Maybe lower it and put on some bigger tires to create a different experience than the targa. Asking price has been thrown out the window because of it's condition. Seller thought he could just change the gas and fluids and she would fire right up. Now we both know, that ain't gonna happen. My thinking was starter, gas line, injectors, fluids, brakes and tires approximately 5K, add 5k more for the potential engine, transmission & time spent dealing with it. That leaves me with possibly another 5K of potential downside if the whole engine needs a rebuild. I don't want to insult the seller but is this a 10 or 15k flyer. If the car gets going with 5 grand It could be a great buy otherwise I'm headed into a freight train wearing a bike helmet.
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From: Aloha!
I would be asking myself: "why did they stop driving this car?"
Odds are, something happened mechanically that made them park it and give up on it...and it most likely was something expensive to reair. Perhaps not... are you a gambling man?
At the very least have a cylinder leakdown and head stud torque done on it. Find a mechanic who will travel. It will be the best money you never spent, if he finds a problem and you walk away.
(ask me how I know).
Good luck to you.
Odds are, something happened mechanically that made them park it and give up on it...and it most likely was something expensive to reair. Perhaps not... are you a gambling man?
At the very least have a cylinder leakdown and head stud torque done on it. Find a mechanic who will travel. It will be the best money you never spent, if he finds a problem and you walk away.
(ask me how I know).
Good luck to you.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 155
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Wealthy owner who is absolutely not a car guy and bought it on a whim. Father bought it, drove it and then gave it to his son who let it just sit in the garage. He talked about selling it for two years because it was just sitting. I think they have a 2 mile commute to their business and it was never worth firing up the Porsche. I won't gamble in Vegas but every once in a while a gamble is interesting. Can they do a leakdown and head stud torque without the engine running?
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Joe Kucinski
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Generally speaking, it is usually the fuel pump that packs up. Often cleaning the tank and replacing that will see a car start. A shot of WD in the plug holes, turn it over, blah, blah, blah...
IF the engine is sound, the rest of a 911 is pretty basic for a DIY project.
IF the engine is sound, the rest of a 911 is pretty basic for a DIY project.
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From: Aloha!
A leakdown check is done without the engine running, but you must be able to manually turn the crankshaft over. It also requires compressed air... might be able to do it from a portable tank, but I never tried that.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2011
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From: southern Illinois
If you buy a car that's not running, ALWAYS budget for the worst-case scenario. And it's easier to buy a car that is completed & running than to pour a bunch into one to get it to that point. The seller will say "Ok, we know it would be a $20K car if you put $10K into it to get it back on the road, so I'll sell it to you for $10K." Forget that! Just go buy one that's $20K and ready to go. It will almost always cost you more to fix the car than you initially plan, so basing the sale price on the repairs brought up during an inspection isn't smart.
I wouldn't touch it unless you're getting an absolute steal! There are always other cars out there & other deals to be had.
And MilleniumFalcon is right. Leakdowns are done with a non-running engine. As long as it turns over, you'll be able to determine if the pistons/rings/valves are ok.
I wouldn't touch it unless you're getting an absolute steal! There are always other cars out there & other deals to be had.
And MilleniumFalcon is right. Leakdowns are done with a non-running engine. As long as it turns over, you'll be able to determine if the pistons/rings/valves are ok.
