GuardsRedHammerhead

The wife and I are making a rather drastic life decision, and packing up the end of the school year and moving South. I am walking away from a position that I have loved and held for over 12 years, and she is moving her CPA firm down there. This will be a major move for us, and we are liquidating most everything to start over down there.

I am selling my 928, and have an issue that I was going to avoid on Rennlist, due to the opinions and the nature of the 928 beast, but with the sale of this car on E-Bay and Craigslist, it will end up here, anyway. Might as well get the opinoins now to help in my pricing the sale.

I have a 1988 S4, in Guards Red. Black interior. 5- speed. LSD car. Rear Air. 12 way seats both sides. RMB. Momo wheel, T Twist wheels. 107,000 miles. She is a well-maintained DRIVER grade car. I drive it every day in the spring summer and fall. I am driving it today. She has 1000 miles on it already this spring. Woohoo! The catch is that she is an "R" title car. Never bothered me, but I know it is a red flag for most everyone else. When I list the car, I will be quite honest about it. I will disclose it right in the first line of the ad. The damage is due to a tree limb falling on the rear hatch. North California wind storm brought the limb right down across the back hatch, and took out the hatch, spoiler, glass and passenger rear fender. Needless to say, she was deemed a "total" by the insurance company in 2004. Original owner gladly took the car and the check, as he owned a body shop in N. Cal. He fixed the car. I have documentation and photos of the damage. I literally have pics of the car right after the limb hit it. Otherwise, the car has never been in a fire, flood, or automobile collision. Serviced for 18 years at a Porsche dealer in Northern, Cali. Then a move to Florida, where I then brought her to Ohio. Never an issue titling it, or insuring it, in any state. I personally believe that certain cars do not deserve the "R" title scare. I know a lot of Porsche folks that have incurred much more damage to their cars, and have skirted the insurance company, took the lower sum and fixed the cars themselves, all in an effort to avoid the "Salvage", and then the "R" designation. Moral of the story, the title designation doesn't necessarily clear a car of past indiscretions.

So, to the question. I would like honest and considerate suggestions from my Rennlist friends on where to begin pricing her. I honestly have no clue. Must I take a complete beating due to her "R" status, or does the 5-speed, LSD, and options redeem it, if ever so slightly. Maybe we can have fun pricing it, listing it and seeing where she goes, together.

Thanks, and have a great day.

Here's a link to photos...

http://porsche928s.com/images/

Fabio421

There was an 89 5 speed with sport seats and LSD for sale here a couple months ago. The car had all of the maintenance up to date. The sale price was $10,500 and the seller never got it. That car was black on black. Yours is red so it may be slightly more desireable but the R title will negate any increase in value in my opinion. It's hard to give a real value without at least some pictures to see but I'd say you are looking at $10k - $12k.

I'd suggest pricing it at $20k and when it doesn't sell you can just say " honey, I don't know why it hasn't sold. Maybe the market will be better in FL". Then just bring the car with you. We need all the sharksters we can get. Mel Ward is relatively close to St. Augustine and he'd love another 928'er to hang out with.

hacker-pschorr

It's unfortunate what really goes into salvage / repared titles. I've seen cars rolled into a ball & burnt to a crisp sitting at insurance auctions with clear titles. Meanwhile a friends local 928 needed a new fender (just the fender, no damage beyond the aluminum) and it got slapped with a salvage title. Carfax is also worthless.

The insurance company adjuster makes the call and most of them don't have a clue. It's good that you have before photos showing the damage, that will go a long way versus most cars where the title history is a mystery.

Good luck with the sale and the move.

+1
I like this idea.

Please post more photos.

Shane

Not always true, one of mine was on CL for a week and it never popped here, or the local list.

GuardsRedHammerhead

Thank you for your opinion. I would love to keep it and drive it all day to my I.T. consulting gigs in Ponte Vedra and St. Aug. I love this car on route A1A!! LOL!

It isn't a wife issue, but more of a wanting to pay as much down for a house. It is as much me, as it is her.

GuardsRedHammerhead

I also communicate with the original owner in California. He is a nice guy, and still sends me tidbits and trivia about the car. He is the one that sent me the pictures of the limb damage.

I just added a link to some photos of the car, as she is today, and will add more as the day goes...

http://porsche928s.com/images/

stealth

Nice car! To me, seems asking price should be around $10,500, reducing it according your motivation-to-sell factor (not driven by Fabio's comp-sale number, that's the number I see, but also supported by Fabio's comp-sale number as it turns out ).

NoVector

I like your approach of putting the dirty laundry out their first—you’re doing yourself and the potential buyer a favor. I would maybe put some math into in your ad too; e.g., “I’m pricing this car at FMV of $8,900 and deducting 20% due to the R title. That way you’re acknowledging there’s a problem and you’ve identified how much you’re willing to accept as a loss because of it.

It will take a ½ hour of your time to take to CarMax – that can give you your “tipping point” (rock bottom) price. FWIW - I move every 2-3 years and have for over 30 years so I understand “liquidating”. If the “R” starts looking like it stands for “raped” and you don’t need the immediate cash, an option is to put the car in storage and come back to it in a year or two. The “R” isn’t going to go away; but, the value of these cars may rise to offset your loss. Or who knows, a nephew may need a car someday. You never know…

Regardless—best of luck--and it is a nice looking car.

cpayne

PM me My brother is looking to buy an 86 + 5spd

Randy V

Where's 'down there'?

Moving to the Mosquito Coast?

GuardsRedHammerhead

St. Augustine, Florida. Mosquitos can't be worse than the summertime, West Nile infested, Ohio skeeters.

mickster

Unfortunately it is difficult in a state like New York to find a carrier who will insure an "R" title. They tend to turn their noses up on them.

SteveG

.02, you never know what is lurking here, CL or ebay, so I would price it w/o regard to the "R", but you have to disclose same. Plan B, I don't know your finances, but just playing with numbers, and guessing that $10K is low, (and you can get 10K on a quick sale?), how much difference is 10K going to make on a down payment if you can get financing in the first place? Plan C, In the summer it's your DD. Are you going to have to replace it w/another DD? What is your DD in winter? The S4 can go year round in Fl. Sell what you drive in winter, take the loss there. You may end up w/only 5K, which may suck, but you get to keep the S4.

S4ordie

I say your car is worth $11,999 as is. I like that it is a rare 5 speed S4 (2.20 ?), that it also has rare 12 way seats and it looks very clean. Saw no pics of the engine but I assume that is clean looking as well. If the maintenance is current and all the typical things have been kept up to date, recent fuel line replacement for example, then it should be worth what I posted.

Your description of the reason for the "R" in the title report should suffice for someone looking for a well sorted 5spd S4.

Good luck!

GuardsRedHammerhead

Thank you for that. It is pretty well sorted out, but like any 25 year old driver car, it has things that it needs and will need over time.

Fuel line replacement was two weeks ago with Roger's kit(new style "U" hose). Timing Belt in 2009(10,000 miles ago) by Michael Stead Porsche, with tensioners, and customer provided Laso water pump(invoices to prove). Re-Tension performed and checked frequently. I am LITERALLY putting brand new tires on it today, and having a proper 928 alignment done to it. Gearbox and diff fluid changed. Rebuilt tail light harness due to old bulb sockets. And, I am throwing new caps, rotors and S5 Berus on it this weekend.

Although I am certain that I am selling it soon, I am continuing ahead with the maintenance items, as most of them were long bought and paid for, and the parts have been sitting in the garage waiting for install. My sons and I love to wrench on the P-Car.