dciraolo

The idea of a Guards Red car has been growing on me, so I've saved a couple that I've found. You may be aware of these already:

Engine replaced, IMS "updated":
https://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/5884967187.html

Beautiful car:
https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/cto/5922619074.html

Neither are perfect, but I think both are priced very reasonably.

dciraolo

Anyone care to share their thoughts on this car?

http://www.elevationmotors.com/1999-...5/Details.aspx

I've been checking in on this car for a while now. Contacted Elevation Motors a while back and they said all the standard/preventative maintenance has been done (IMS, RMS, AOS, etc).

A couple things I notice in the pictures:
1. Most obvious is the aero kit without the wing. Is that an indication that the aero kit is not OEM? I'll contact them about a picture of the option sticker either way.

2. The front bumper fitment looks a little odd in some of the pictures.

3. The sales person I spoke with said there is a clear bra on the car, but was put on poorly and looks a little rough.

4. Is the exhaust sitting low? I'm aware that this may be a sign of worn-out motor mounts.

I've been lusting after this car for a while now, and I may be in a position to make a decision on a 996 soon! The price seems steep, but I'd like everyone's thoughts.

ZuffenZeus

I bet you Skyland Auto is pissed because they bought the car on November 29th and the 2013 accident didn't get reported to Carfax until December 2nd. Yikes! Talk about bad timing. (see attached picture)

I'm sure they'll just want to break even on this deal.

ZuffenZeus

Opinions below...

1. Most obvious is the aero kit without the wing. Is that an indication that the aero kit is not OEM?

Not necessarily. You can easily purchase just the Aero bumper. I found a used Turbo front bumper and had it paint matched to my car. It's looks great IMHO. It looks OEM. I've looked an many of aftermarket and compared it to the OEM catalog... and this one definitely looks OEM. The only way to be 100% sure is to removed the bumper and the part number will be on the inside. The side skirts also look OEM. Deleting the rear taco spoiler is a personal decision on the PO part and I would worry so much about it unless it visually concerns you.
2. The front bumper fitment looks a little odd in some of the pictures.
I think you may be a little OCD about it, because I think the fitment looks pretty darn good. I've seen many example of poor bumper installs. Trust me, those things are a PITA to align perfectly.

3. The sales person I spoke with said there is a clear bra on the car, but was put on poorly and looks a little rough.

I hate clear bras. I'd rather see paint chips than a clear piece of plastic age over time. And, a simple bumper respray is relatively cheap. Mine cost about $300

4. Is the exhaust sitting low? I'm aware that this may be a sign of worn-out motor mounts.

It does look a little low because the exhaust diffuser don't look stock and so this may be part of the problem, but replacing motor mounts are pretty easy DIY projects.

I've been lusting after this car for a while now, and I may be in a position to make a decision on a 996 soon!

Don't lust after machinery or you could end up like this poor fool...

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=437_1431276344


The price seems steep, but I'd like everyone's thoughts.

Actually, that's a pretty darn good price given the miles and the tasteful upgrades. You may want to confirm in writing that the IMS was definitely replaced. Ask the dealership to provide documentation. Cheers!

Good luck!

gnat

You certainly came to the right place for opinions

Of course they would. If they can't back up the claims, however, then it hasn't been done as far as you're concerned.

No it's not. You could order it with just the lower kit like this car had. The list of options (especially on the 99s) was nuts.

You need to get it's build specs to see what was and wasn't factory.

The dead on front view looks a little off on the passenger side. Definitely worth having looked into, but the most logical explanation is that it was off to clean the radiators out. They can be finicky to get back on right, especially if you do it by yourself.

There do appear to be some scratches (something dead center over the plate, also on the passenger side of the plate, and maybe on the driver side below the light). Could have taken a bit of a bump (street parking in the city?) and that could explain it too.

There is nothing special about this car in my opinion and as such I think it's more of a 17-20k car. Looks like a good car that could be a solid DD if it checks out, but it's never going to be a sought after example.

The more proof they can offer on the maintenance, the closer to $20k I would go.

dciraolo

Thanks for the input! I don't really care if the aero is OEM, I was just thinking it may be a bargaining point so I thought I'd ask. The dealer said they have the sticker from the LN IMS Retrofit, but there was no note about the original IMS being sent to LNE for analysis. I'm sure this is the case more often than not.

I'm not sure what you mean by "exhaust diffuser". Are you referring to the winglets on the rear bumper?

I think I might put up a thread for a RennFax on the car and PPI recommendations in the Denver area. Maybe someone wouldn't mind cruising over to check it out for me.

gnat

If I had to guess, I'd guess that most legit ones do get sent to LN. There are examples (mine) that don't though. You can get the serial number off the sticker and contact LNE to see if they can confirm if they got the original bearing and what it's state was.

Just the bearing doesn't do you any good though. Knowing the reputation of the installer is also critical. There have been shady people that have had bearings installed in failing engines. A good installer will also take the opportunity to check some of the other big things that could cause bearing failure which someone else may just slap the new bearing in and call it a day.

That would be your best bet. Have a 3rd party set of eyes on it (even if it is local to you) is a good thing since you'll look at it with lust and desire (you do seem to have a good critical eye though) and the seller will be looking for the highest sale possible.

808Bill

I've been lusting after this car for a while now, and I may be in a position to make a decision on a 996 soon!

Don't lust after machinery or you could end up like this poor fool...

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=437_1431276344


The price seems steep, but I'd like everyone's thoughts.

Actually, that's a pretty darn good price given the miles and the tasteful upgrades. You may want to confirm in writing that the IMS was definitely replaced. Ask the dealership to provide documentation. Cheers!

Good luck![/QUOTE]

What's wrong with people...

vizsla_22

What's wrong with people...[/QUOTE]

OMG!!! That video is crazy. That guy needs serious help. Wow.

stan23

Im my research every dealer and private party likes to put 'IMSB done' in their ads, but when you ask, it's the usual - "the previous owner told me it was done." speech. Unless you have receipts and you can call the shop to confirm the actual car's VIN had the bearing completed, I would consider it not completed.

dciraolo

Thanks, gnat. I'm not looking for a pristine example, just a mechanically sound DD. A black C2 with the aero kit fits my aesthetic preference which is why I've become set on this car - but not so much that I'm unwilling to walk away from it. I'm going to contact them again and have them send me any work receipts/documentation. Unless there is something I'm missing, I was thinking it was about a $20k car (assuming all of the claimed maintenance was completed). We'll see what they say.

dciraolo

I agree completely. Will do. Thanks!

808Bill

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1999-Porsche...25.m3641.l6368

gnat

Ask them for a picture of the option code sticker. It's on the underside of the hood. Post the information and we can help you decode it (and there are services that will do it for $10 or something off the VIN).

What I see:
Plain halogen lights: much cheaper to replace a housing, but the Xenons make a world of difference at night.
Leather seating surfaces: At least it's not the fake leather, but there is a lot of plastic in that car which is the root of complaints about the 996 interior being "cheap".
Leather steering wheel with colored crest (though the 4 spoke vs the more popular 3 spoke).
Partial aero-kit: Could be a factory config, could have been added after, could have been a full kit and lost it's taco. The build options will tell us how it came from the factory. Either way, they are the OEM parts and even with the poor taste of not having the Taco it adds something special beyond the standard look of the car.
Sport wheels: These are the only other special thing on this car. They are, however, relatively common since they are so popular (the twists being the most common and the Carrea IIs seem to be catching up).
CD storage: Means that from the factory it had the in dash single disc CD player (obviously gone now).
Sunroof: I love how some sellers try to up sell it, but it was a standard option. The "delete" was the option and is very rare.

That's all I see for options which is why I said earlier it's not a special car. Doesn't mean it's bad, just that I agree with your assessment that it is over priced. The unrepaired bumper doesn't help (as b3 said, it's cheap to get it resprayed if that's all it needs) either.

gnat

Ummm... Just how will brakes be needed due to it sitting?

Also mentions that it still needs an intake, but also that he and "others" are driving it as is.

Sounds more to me that someone bit off more than they could chew and they are now trying to pawn it off on someone else. He clearly has a shop and a crew, so if it is really so close to being finished why not finish it so you don't have to include a bunch of caveats?