I_am_imprezed

Allow me to share my story in hopes i learn a lesson and maybe help other people out there. I bought an 87' 924S thinking that mechanically, the car was solid. The exterior had some minor surface rust and the rear panel was a little rusted. The interior was stained but i was going to strip it out and use it for DE so i did not care about the rust or the interior stains. I was told only the motor mounts and oil pan gasket needed to be replaced and i was provided with the gasket (not the mounts). I paid $3,750 for the car from a friend 145k miles on car. The owner claimed the car had brand new timing belt and water pump and assured the strong mechanical condition.

A week after owning the car i notice the noise from releasing the clutch (shutter) is not going away (car had been sitting) and is getting louder and more violent. I suspect the rubber in the disc has gone bad. I also notice the backseat under area is soaking wet and moldy as i tear apart the filthy and smelly interior. I took a look under the car at my friends lift and noticed power steering fluid on the rack and pump...since the car was going to be convered to a manual rack i wasn't upset just dissapointed i was not told about this. As i have my mechanic look over the car he tells me the clutch is indeed bad and there is a gushing rear main seal leak (the oil pan is fine) The right motor mount is completely collapsed and rounded off (not just bad but destroyed). Now i feel i have been taken advantage of. Had i known what was wrong with the car i would've offered him $900 for the car. Now to further complicate things i have only given him $2,300 out of the 3,750.

Upon hearing this he offered to buy the car back however i paid $450 in taxes for registering the car and cant afford to take that hit right now. So i countered with my offer- Give me $500 back so the total is around $1,700 (more than a fair price for the piece of junk he sold me imo). And we call it even and continue to be friends. I believe this to be a more than fair counter and i hope he accepts it. I am strapped for cash at the moment and cannot afford the 12hours labor i was qouted for clutch/rear seal. I can barely afford the $850 clutch/rear seals themselves.

When buying a used car i expected it to have leaks and to put some money into it. i knew it wasnt going to be brand new and perfect, but i did not expect this. The worst part is he is a mechanic so he had to have known at least that the clutch was bad, i know enough to know that this is dishonest and upsetting to me.

long story short...do not buy a car from a friend. And if you are make sure you have a mechanic you can Trust look at the car first.

krystar

so...did the clutch not feel like it was crap when u test drove it?

and u need to pick yer friends better.

I_am_imprezed

clutch felt fine and worked fine. just made a little noise when released and shuttered but i was assured that was the motor mounts..(im no mechanic and dont claim to be so i believed him).

and yes i do lol.

Arominus

Sounds not fun, but i wouldn't always assume that your friend knew every little thing that was wrong with the car either. In the end an independent inspection is always your true best friend if you don't know what your looking at. Same as any other used car.

BlueRiver86

With the person who intentionally ripped you off? Why?

Swagger93

Well, I'd say you are at fault for most of this--the logic used to arrive at your conclusion in reality doesn't show buying a car from a friend is a good or bad idea.

First, you bought an aging, sitting Porsche to depend on without thorough documentation, independent inspection and/or lots of personal knowledge about the vehicle and didn't assume huge things could go wrong right away and/or at least have the ability and resources to quickly repair the car yourself.

Second, you bought a Porsche to drive when you don't have a few grand in discretionary cash on hand.

Third, you've kinda shown that this guy probably isn't a great friend since he values a few measly g's over your friendship.

Really what you've proven is that the buyer's guides in Excellence and on the Web are right, since by disregarding their advice you're facing the very consequences they warn a new owner might suffer.

I've purchased or traded several cars/other stuff between friends. I always have outstanding outcomes since I know how different friends take care of their possessions. IMHO, it's better than buying from an unknown individual ... there's more information symmetry, since the car was owned by someone you know and which you likely had plenty of past contact with or at least had prior knowledge of.

I'm not here to start an argument, but I do feel that the evidence here doesn't support your conclusion and that there is strong reason to believe the very opposite.

User 52121

Two words: buyer beware.

Unless you are absolutely certain that your friend knew the extent of these issues before you bought the car... you can't say he screwed you. You may have gotten screwed - but it's not the seller's fault. It's just the car and the way they are. These cars need maintenance, plain and simple. The main seal leak - I could definitely believe that HE believed it was a pan gasket. Probably crawled under there, saw approximately where the leak was, and figured, "Hmm. Must be a leaky gasket."

theiceman

.. and don't buy a Porsche if your strapped for cash .. recipe for disaster ..

BlueRiver86

That ought to go on the front page, would save alot of people alot of trouble. If a 3k car is what fits your budget, your budget is too small.

Chads996

*rolling eyes* Not another "Poor me" story about a dood with no money buying one of the most expensive marques to repair. Spare me the drama.

C.

ArcticSteve

Upon hearing this he offered to buy the car back

Sounds like a pretty stand up guy to me.

however i paid $450 in taxes for registering the car and cant afford to take that hit right now

That's a cheap lesson in the grand scheme of things.

If you need a Porsche mechanic to install this clutch you should not be owning this kind of car at the present time. The clutch will only be the beginning. Let go, move on and keep your friend.

shiners780

Best option: Let him buy the car back and suck up the $450 in taxes paid. It's the cheapest option, gets you out of having to do all those repairs, the problem goes away, and if you guys can forget about this you can remain friends (if you so choose).

edit: ArcticSteve beat me to it.

jcb928

x3

R.J.

Why was this car not professionally inspected before purchase regardless of who the seller is?

8ball

What RJ said. PPI is good for the buyer and the seller. Third party that can put it all on the table.