Blender77

Hi all,
After owning a 911 SC, I have decided to move up to a 993 in an effort to give me wife a little more comfort (and a/c...). I've come across a very nice 993 with low mileage. Car is apparently owned by an enthusiast and is extremely nice. However, the odometer apparently broke and was replaced at 20,000 miles, so the car is now titled as a "not actual miles" car. I believe the replacement is documented.

He is asking $31,900. What is a reasonable offer? How much does an odometer discrepency devalue a car like this?

Blender

Arena993

The odometer gears on these cars do have a tendency to break and cause the odometer to stop working. As a matter of fact this is a common enough failure that there has been a DIY (Do It Yourself) fix that many have used. The only issues I see with the car is that the title is branded as "NOT ACTUAL MILES" This may or may not (depending on the buyer) be a hurdle to overcome. If the replacement is documented than there is proof of how many miles elapsed between the time it broke and the time it was repaired. My car's ododmeter was broken when I bought it and according to the seller he never knew about it, but my title does not have the branding of "NOT ACTUAL MILES" My concern would be the day you sell the car that branding stays and would be a concern to the buyer (it concerns you). Value is hard to assess with the information you provided. Tell us everything about the car. Current miles. color, manual/tip, coupe or cab, all records, options etc..

Mike

fullbooker

I would try to determine who repaired the odometer and then compare that with any available repair records, etc. to try to estimate the unrecorded miles. As discussed above, you may have a bigger problem when/if you resell the car.

My odometer gear broke after I purchased it and I repaired it as soon as I noticed it using the DIY. No big deal!

If car appears to be honestly represented by seller, buy it.

Phil

Arena993

Agree with Phil on this one. My only sticking poit would be the "NOT ACTUAL MILES" branding on the title, not so much the odometer. Phil's odometer broke as well. One day you will sell the car and you will have this red flag to explain. People always say they will never sell their car, but after the newness goes away most do.

Mike

logan2z

Since the odometers in these cars do tend to break often enough, I'm surprised that more of them don't have NAM titles. I don't know about other states, but in CA it's required to check the 'Not Actual Mileage' box on the title when doing a transfer to a new owner if the actual miles are unknown. I suspect that many people either forget or consciously choose not to check this box when transferring title (as it seems to have been the case when you purchased). There are probably a lot more NAM cars in circulation than are honestly represented as such.

As another poster has said, if the car has been honestly represented and checks out at a PPI, then I would factor the NAM branding into your offer to purchase so that you will come out ok if/when you decide to resell the car. At least you are going into this with the knowledge of the mileage discrepancy and can alter your offer accordingly. It's likely that many people buy NAM cars without the title branding and don't get exactly what they pay for.

Allen

It's really just is a matter of you're gonna have to deal with the "NAM" brand on the title when/if you sell it just as the current seller is having to deal with it now. Is that ok with you or not? You will indeed take a price hit when/if you sell it, so maybe try to make some of that up now with a lower offer. Other than that issue, get a PPI, if it checks out...buy it and enjoy!

Blender77

Thanks for some many great responses so quickly, folks!

More info about the car

1995
C2
MT
Guards red over black and cashmere interior
Both exterior and interior appear flawless
41,000 miles (odo shows 21,000)
All docs back to original sale including odo change which was apparently performed by the dealer
Owned by PCA member (3rd owner)
Turbo twists
No leaks (can't verify this)
No known problems

My main concern is resale. I'm afraid the NAM title could be problematic when/if I go to sell the car later. From what I've seen here, $31,900 is appropriate for a zero problem car with these miles. At this point, I'm inclined to offer significantly less. Does 25-26K seem unreasonable?

dcdude

What you descibe is about a 15% price hit for the title issue, which seems reasonable since the discrepency seems to be documented.

Not nearly as bad as a salvage title, which can be as much as a 50% hit, IIRC.

logan2z

Really? To my mind, there really is no mileage discrepancy in this case. The difference between what's really on the car and the odometer reading is fully documented, so there's no unknown here. 15% seems pretty steep in this instance. In fact, it may even be possible to have the NAM branding removed from this title by the DMV, since it sounds like the true mileage is known and can be proven.

NC TRACKRAT

FWIW, I concur w/logan2z on this one. If it passes a PPI, it's an EZ $30K car in my book. I'd hate to see you pass up a car you want on a relatively small issue like this. People who appreciate cars like these do their homework just like you and when/if you decide to sell, they'll understand just like you.

C4SJOHN

If this is true. (All docs back to original sale including odo change which was apparently performed by the dealer) The service book for this car has a page for the dealer to record the mileage and stamp for a speedo change. If that was done then that would be fine with me, if I was looking at this car to buy. Stuff happens to 15 year old cars if the paperwork is their then you need to see if you can live with it. And you may want to use this issue in pricing in what you are willing to pay for this 993....

porschemikeandnancy

Just remember, in any sale it takes a willing buyer and seller. The negotiated price is only what you and the seller agree to.

For myself, given current market conditions, I suggest $30k is way too high even for a 41k '95 car in great condition. I'd start at $23k and maybe go to $25k.

NC TRACKRAT

This is really human nature at work. If you're buying, the price is way too high, right? But, if it's your car and you're selling, then the guy is "low-ballin' you"!

Jeff Ward

Bruce, is that you?

ironimages

seems like a 28K-30K car, 41K miles, records, no leaks sounds good. Any mod's?