Tim Wasmer

Gang:

I may have a line on a car that is at auction. But I was curious what the process is for laying eyes on the car. It is being sold "AS IS" but could be had for a great price.

Are dealers only ones allowed on the auction site to look a car over?

Thanks for the info

Kevin

Tim didn't you go thru this "As is" and full of repairs with your 993TT..

2nd gear pop out will exceed all your repair bill that you had with your 993TT..

Failed oil cooler seals, require a engine removal.

Dealers and registered guests, however, you only have the pre-auction walk thru/inspection.

Tim Wasmer

Its an 03.........

Didn't they fix the tranny issues?

Oh yeah....bring up my 993 JK

TT Surgeon

Tim, there is a post auction inspection that can be pretty thorough. I think you would be safe with an 03 car, good hunting!

Kevin

I wouldn't buy a 996TT unless I drove it to test the trans.. It's a $8,500 gamble.

Tim Wasmer

Well it went for 44k (03 with 62k miles) Had nice mods on it to.

Missed it.

Bummer

whyb2nd

What modifications, mods = more aggressive driving/racing. With that amount of miles on the car better to see it go.

Tim Wasmer

Tripp

Not to argue here but I call BS. Mods do not mean more aggressive driving and racing. I have modified all my cars and never abused the cars OR raced. I mod mine for looks as do a bigger portion of the owners.

Just my .02

TT Surgeon

Tim, Tripp you're both right, but mods do reduce the value of a car, that's a fact. Also, not all modded cars are abused, true, but some are unfortunately and you have little time to evaluate such at an auction. The flip side is that the 996TT is pretty much indestructable.

gobble

I always ask myself why a car like this is at the auction to begin with. If a dealer takes in a clean low mileage car, chances are he's going to make more money selling it on his lot. There is a reason why some cars hit the auction and others don't.

Chuck Jones

WhyBE2nd: I don't necessarily agree with you that the presence of mods on a vehicle is an indicator of overly aggressive driving or abuse. There are a lot of folks on this board who are driven for one reason or another to install mods on their cars...mostly driven by a personal preference...something they read, saw, heard from another Rennlister etc.

I know that I modded my 99 996....mostly because I was new to the Porsche arena and bought in to a lot of the hype.....but the car was never abused. The mods were there because I took pride in the car and wanted the best and latest enhancements that were out there.

I realize that mods detract from the value of a car up for sale....but if the truth be known....the really knowledgeable folks keep their OEM stuff and put the car back to "stock", then sell off the mods for additional profit.

So the presentation of a car on any advertisement as a "stock" vehicle is only valid if you truly know the history of the car or the previous owner. There are few footprints left behind if a vehicle is reverted to stock. A thorough PPI with leakdown tests is your best bet against potential problems in any advertised vehicle...stock or modded.

If I knew the owner of a modded vehicle, I'd consider it a coup to be able to buy a car that someone else has invested all the money in modding. There was a really beautiful 01 996TT up on eBay a bit ago that had mods that were outstanding. Those of us who have modded our cars then sold them are well aware of how much money you invest and never get back.

TT Surgeon

^Very true, the only way to get your money back out of mods is to return your car to stock and sell the parts later. You can generally get 50 cents on the dollar with ease, which ain't bad.
Love your car btw.

MidnighTT

I sold my Magnacharged '02 C5 for more than blue book because it had exactly the mods the buyer planned to do himself. I might have netted a few more dollars by demodding and selling the parts separately, but the effort involved made that decision for me. The buyer bought it from my eBay auction and flew from Canada to the Bay Area to pick it up. I had all the funds before he saw the car in person.

The bigger coup was selling my 9 second street '96 Camaro for $26k. The buyer drove his crew cab pickup towing a construction trailer from Alabama to Sacramento to watch it make 3 passes at the drag strip. Then he handed me the check and asked me to put it on the trailer. He never even sat in it.

Moral: There are buyers for modded cars who will pay a premium to get them.

BTW, I don't pretend that I made any money on the cars - the Camaro probably had at least 2x the selling price put into it over the 11 years I owned it. But it sold for $26k while stock versions traded for 4-figure selling prices.




Jeff

Tim Wasmer

OK, I have a chance to weigh in here.

I guess I am one of the only odd ***** that like a modded car. I have a pretty good feel for the condition of the car and it owners usage. The only screw up that I can think of was my 993TT. And I did all the right testing etc. Sometimes **** happens.

This car needed some TLC. And had higher miles than a "normal" car. But if it is mechanically sound the cosmetic stuff is what I consider "fun". I like making a good looking car So I would love to have grabbed it.

I "usually" hold on to my stock parts and put them back on if needed. Then give them away after the car is gone.

Chuck Jones

Tim in Denver: I'm not sure that you're in a minority. The guys (and gals) who know their cars and the prices and functionality of the mods are in a good position to make some killer deals. Surgeon was right when he said that he figures 50 cents on the dollar for the sale of mods, maybe 2/3rds depending upon the mod.

I would have bought that beautifully modded 01 996 TT that the guy had from Fresno if I hadn't already bought the 02. It had some real bucks sunk into a guy's dream of what he wanted that car to be. And it was very tastefully and professionally done. Now when we start talking about the 7-800 HP monsters with five point harnesses and roll bars, then that's quite another story....but a plenum, exhaust system, carbon fibre, aero kit etc....those are nothing more than a guy personalizing his/her car and putting their signature on it. As far as I'm concerned, that's just gravy on a purchase.