Mark in Baltimore

How did this well-meaning thread go so wrong? Oh, right.

There's always one in every crowd...let's see; what did my assertivness trainer say to do?

Jim, it is clear that you are, unfortunately, a man full of assumptions, and, really, I could care less if I disappoint you. How you surmise that I have acted like I do or don't know how to "change out your own brakes, shocks, valve cover gasket, etc" is beyond ordinary logic. Please, for your own dignity, put down the pipe and stop making yourself look foolish.

I never said I could or could not do any of these tasks, but, more importantly, the point is completely moot. Time is money. Ever hear of this phrase? I have no idea what you do, but I often work seven days a week, 12-14 hours a day and make a decent living despite the hours. Even if I had time, which I don't, I'd much rather pay someone to do the work for me.

I have a rule of thumb that has served me well: for every hour that I estimate it takes to perform some new task on the car, I can easily double my time out of thoroughness, a steep learning curve, ineptitude or a frozen bolt that is situated in an area that can only be removed with a four inch ratchet handle. I completely admire those who have the time to always wrench their own cars but I am not Colin Chapman, Chris Walrod or AJ Foyt. Whether I race has nothing to do with my mechanical ability, at once an abjectly incorrect correlation and causation. I do much of the work on my car, but many things I choose to have my mechanic do. He's fair, inexpensive and can get the job done in half the time it takes me. Oh, and I can make ten times the money he charges me for aligning the car.

It's really quite sad that, despite the effort I made to write up a comprehensive review to warn my fellow Rennlisters of this 993, and despite the time Andreas and I have taken to pore over an obviously suspect car from a dealer whose credibility has been corroborrated by Dave Howerdel, fast_freddy and Bull, we still have a naysayer who, clear evidence presented before him, hasn't even seen the car and still makes inferences that he pulls out of his nether regions. Just out of curiousity why are you trying to discredit the obvious service we did for the greater Rennlist community?

Some people just have to be contrarians, understood. But for your own sake, Mr. Wood, I suggest you take a more logical and less embarrassing approach.

Wow, a year ago, I coul dhave never written something like this. Note to self: thank assertiveness trainer.

Drugs kill brain cells. 'Nuff said.

<flame suit set to..could care less>

jimwood

Mark its amazing how you seem to flame so many people in so many threads. This is pretty much par for the course for you.

Agree with Mark or be accussed of using drugs and other things.

Nuff said.

fast_freddy

Come on boys, everyone is sensitive today. Full moon? I just got flamed by someone because I made a comment about Sloan Cars charging too much for a car and a typical Connecticut stereotype. We're only talking about cars here and not brokering peace in the middle east, some very good information has come forth within this thread that could be extremely useful to others. Everyone has their opinions and there are elements of validity to everyones arguments. We have to remember though, whats good for the goose isn't necessarilly good for the gander.

briefescape

Baltimore are we sensitive ?
Ahhhhh sooo....nice to be in the bleacher eating popcorn .
Though agreed your post was good for potential buyer n rennlister but I do have the biggest grin

EndlessEarth

That's it. I'm calling Jimmy Carter.

Mark in Baltimore

You call it flaming, I call it defending my position. I am not running for office and this is not a popularity contest. I call it like I sees it. The problem is is that I sees it.

https://rennlist.com/forums/off-topic/310371-another-red-light-camera-question.html

Let he who is without sin...

BTW, no one has ever called me a shrinking wallflower.

John H

You didn't give me grief, just asked if I was going to track it with the other 993. I loved my blue car even with the high miles. Two kids and that as my only car was just getting to be too much. My 9 year old daughter actually cried tears for a solid hour when I told her I sold it. Even though we only had it 9 months or so, she said she had so many memories. She made me take a picture of her standing by it so she could remember it. Here's a pic before her last ride to school in that car.

MarkD

I, for one, very much appreciate the heads up.
Thank you for taking the time to write it up and making it entertaining to boot.

And we have a new catch phrase... Renn-Fax... I love it.

As a side note, EndlessEarth, you crack me up. If you lived out here on the left coast I'd buy you your choice of adult beverage at a local watering hole. Thanks for the laughs.

Mark in Baltimore

John - Cool. I was afraid that I flamed you.

Mark - You're quite welcome. I took the time to write the review because I thought it was really important for other Rennlisters to know of my experience.

Dudley

+1

John H

Mark,

I just read thru all of these threads. I for one think you did an excellent write up and service to those of us who fiddle around with high miles cars. I would have offered $15000.00 maybe based on your description. YAs was said above, things like bad shocks, very dirty air filter and oil everywhere may have sent me running for the hills. I am not sure I'd give $15K for it. But, on the other hand, there's a sucker born every minute. I am just glad you posted and warned others here not to waste their time. I always exaggerate flaws so that folks don't fly in or whatever and leave pissed at me for not being honest about the car's condition. The guy who bought my blue 993 was pleasantly surprised with what he saw when he got here. I have flown to remote locations based on a description and left pissed on at least three occasions. Anyway, I'm all for the service provided. If you'd just made blanket statements about the seller without backing it up with your specific observations then I can see twisted panties.
In the end, it will likely sell maybe for more maybe for $15K, but hopefully the new owner will go into it with eyes wide open and not based on what appears to be a poor description.

993inNC

I for one, don't see what all the hubbub's about. Mark I think what you and Andreas did is very cool, considering you went to buy it yourself.....figured you didn't want to see anyone else get raped.....cool any day of the week. Agreeing with your evaluation of price and repair #'s really isn't worth worrying about. I don't believe you and I have ever really differed in major opinions (that I recall). I don't know that I necessarily agree with the cost breakdown for repairs, but thats not really important. I think what this car represents (soley from your assesment) is a great car for either (A) a track car for someone who knows what they are buying, or (B) a great place to start for someone with the ability to repair it, but maybe not the experience of the 993 to repair and drive a great car on a budget. I appriciate, and would have offered the exact same number, but I don't think a few dollars more would be grossly un called for. Leaking VC gaskets and smelly heat exchangers etc don't necessarily mean an internal problem. I mean we are talking about a 97, it has a greater value than a 95. If someone could get into this car and repair it for the early 20's would that not be reasonable? Let me rephrase, if you could buy a 97 with the same miles in a condition condusive to all the issues you came up with being in fine shape, would you, I, any of us pounce on it in a minute? I would, that'd be a great deal. Cars with half the miles have biggers problems, its a crap shoot. You do a leak down, compression etc, the rest is realtively insignificant and when all is said and done, you have hopefully the best car possible for reasonable money, given what you started with.

Just my .02 cents. I respect your feelings towards it and applaud your efforts for those less 993 savy/edumacated (I not being one of those ...any more)

John H

Nice spot by the way.

RallyJon

So are you guys seriously suggesting that the value of a beater is the value of an "excellent" car minus the price of parts and labor (regardless if it's your labor or your mechanic's) to bring it to that level? Or even a "good" car minus parts and labor?

That's a nice negotiating tactic but it defies reality. If that were true there would be lots of cars that the owner would have to pay a buyer to take. Just doesn't happen. There are many people who will tolerate serious flaws in a car, as Mr. $19k bid on Ebay is demonstrating.

chris walrod

What I meant by that is that this car can be cheap enough -- it would make a great track car candidate.