Hi,

I am a newbie to this forum and hoping to get your expert advices on what one might need to do to sell an older model of 911.

The car is a ‘90 model Carrera 4 with <37k miles, bought as pre-owned in 1992 from Carlsen Palo Alto and has been driven, or garaged in California only. It is in very good shape and never involved in any accidents. The battery has been replaced with a Sear’s Diehard, but everything else is original. The hood and trunk struts have aged and would need replacement; and CD player is a little sticky.

I always admire and appreciate Porsche for their engineering and aesthetic attributes. The car has never been driven hard, or driven very much :=).

My questions are:
• Would it be better to get the struts, CD player fixed and the battery replaced with original Porsche parts?
• Would it make sense to get the car certified/inspected first? By whom?
• Which is the best (least hassle, highest return) way to sell the car? This forum, E-bay, Craiglist, AutoTrader, Local paper, or through dealer?
• Would the car appreciate if I decide to keep it for another 10-15 years?

Any and all comments are greatly appreciated. Sorry if these questions seem odd (never sold a car I before).

Alf

 

Need to have some pics of the car, any details on service over its lifetime, and how was it stored?

 

Can't hurt to post pics here (I'm in the market for a 964)
Color and details please!
-Mike

 

Good luck whatever you decide to do.

 

Pics will tell us a lot.

 

If you price it low it will be no hassle. if you price it high it will take longer. They can go very quickly at the right price. don't fix anything. Wash it. Sell it with the appropriate price. This is probably as good a place as any.

 

Yes I think they will appreciate.

 

The struts wouldn't hurt, they're fairly cheap & easy to replace yourself. The CD player & battery I wouldn't mess with - the CD player probably won't even be used that much (personally on a clean car, a CD sticking issue wouldn't amount to anything in my decision process), and the battery is a complete non-issue. This isn't a longhood concours car...

Most sensible buyers will want to have the car inspected by a 3rd party of their choosing regardless. While it may not be a bad idea to have the car looked over, just so the buyer (and you!) aren't surprised by any issues that come up, if you are confident in the condition of the car, I wouldn't worry about it, and let the buyers decide what to do. There is no formal "certification" process anyway for a car this old.

I've had very good luck selling cars on ebay, you get a national audience, and not necessarily just the guys dedicated enough to be on a forum. I also think the 'excitement' aspect of bidding can cause some potential buyers to pay more than they normally would. Craigslist is free & doesn't hurt, but be careful as a lot of the replies are scams in my experience. I can take or leave autotrader, doesn't seem to be a whole lot of movement on the special interest cars any more.

I don't think people really look at the local paper for a car like this in this day and age (I certainly don't, as you can look for months, even years at a time and not see anything. Not time efficient for the savvy buyer). The dealer will take a good chunk if you sell on consignment, or will pay a good bit below market value if you just sell it outright to them (remember, they have to make a profit, and generally have to fix items ($$$) their techs identify before they sell it, if they are a decent operation).

Recap: this forum, ebay, and CL for the best bang-for-your-buck.

If you don't drive it, that is a good possibility. But whats the point of owning it and not driving it - which brings me to another point. Don't take this the wrong way, but you're in a weird mileage bracket between "low miles" and a driver. Keep in mind while pricing it that while yes, it has lower miles, I think for the average buyer that wants to buy a car to drive (which I'd bet are the large majority of potential 964 owners, as they're not quite classics yet), the difference between a 37k mile car and say, a 70k mile car isn't gonna be worth a huge chunk of change. OTOH, 37k miles is a bit high to be a "time capsule" car. These cars are built like tanks, and mine with 110k on it feels like a brand new car - almost hewn from granite type feeling. Feels like its going to way outlast my 330i which is 14 years newer and 30k miles younger.

Hope that helps some. These are just my musings and ramblings from watching the 964 market for a while, so don't take them as gospel. Do what you feel comfortable with.

 

Please post more details and pics! Cab or coupe, color?

 

Thanks for all the great suggestions. Will take some photos and add more details about the car.

Thanks again.

Alf

 

ialiang,

I may be interested in your car. Can't PM you so can you send me an email at scslite@gmail.com? I'm in SF bay area.

Thanks!

 

Thanks Alf! Cab/Coupe? Color?

 

I listed my car last week and it took all of 3 days to sell. My recommendations:

- Have a mechanic have a look at it so you exactly know what you are selling. This way, there will be no surprises by you and the buyer
- Take tons of good pictures
- Become a RL member and post a good and honest description and the pictures here and on Pelican Parts. This way you are addressing true enthusiast and avoiding time wasters.

I had 17 inquiries and 5 real bids. I sold to the first offer, which turned out not to be the highest but I still honored it even though I had not received a deposit or signed the bill of sale.

Most interest seems to come from Europe and most offer to buy without a PPI (Pre Purchase Inspection)

GLWS

 

Hi,

Thanks again for your excellent suggestions and information. Managed to take a few photos today. As you can see, it is a C4 coupe in arctic white. Option includes AM-FM-CD; power (leather) driver & passenger seats (including lumbar adjustment); power sunroof; 5-speed manual transmission; Special Porsche Alloy wheels.

Currently the odometer reads: 36222 miles.

Car is located in SoCAL.

Have a great day,

Alf

 

You have to do this to advertise your car for sale here or your post will be removed.

Asking for help or advice is one thing, advertising is another.

Thanks and GLWS.

Marc