Help needed buying 1972, 911 Targa
 

Hi guys,

I've been an avid porsche 911 fan since I was a kid and currently have found a 1972 911 Targa in Montreal Canada. I currently live in London, England.

Here is the link to the car:
http://www.winghoauto.com/vehicle/porsche-911t-1972/

This would be my first classic car (currently own a golf R), and I was wanting some advice on what to look for when buying it.

I was also wondering if someone could have a look at this car for before I ship it back to the UK, of course willing to pay for this service. In the UK, as you guys know we have certain vehicle safety testing and therefore want to make sure it doesn't have any major flaws.

Many thanks for your help in advance and I hope I haven't offended anyone with my lack of knowledge in this area.

Hi Dan,

In my opinion the car is way overpriced and it appears to have been tampered with in regards to "upgraded this and that " , not sure how much you want a Targa but for that price i would strongly suggest you be patient and look for a nice coupe.
There are nice examples available in the US and Panorama which is a Porsche PCA magazine regularly has good examples for sale and most of the members are long standing PCA members who cherished their cars, unlike some vendors out there who disguise their cars to make a quick dollar !

Just sayin ...

Thanks for the info!
 

Hi Phil,

Thanks for the info. I like the Targa's a lot, but as you say my hesitation was in the modifications - although I was accepting of these at first glance.

I'm unable to find a (dare I say it) cheaper Targa that appears to be in good condition. The Porsche's in the UK definitely appear more expensive (from what I can see). I will take a look at the magazine and see what I can find.

Dan,

You have a pm ...

If you're really interested, hask the owner to bring the car for a pre purchase inspection at your expenses.
You'll have a professional point of view.
There's a few places in Montreal that can do that for you, I can suggest Andrew at wetune.ca

If the car is rust free and leak free and runs well, it looks like not a bad price. Be careful buying from a dealer in Montreal as there are lots of scams. DO NOT BUY THIS CAR SIGHT UNSEEN!
Have wetune do a ppi as suggested and if you like it fly over and check it out. If you do not see it in person you most likely will get scammed.
Ask if they have the certificate of authenticity and be sure numbers match. This car looks like it has some nice options and a nice colour. is colour original?

I know Hugh Kwok , of Wingho Auto, and from what I know of him from the track he is not a scammer or anything of that sort. While some of his projects may not be my cup of tea, they seem to have been well constructed and more importantly not breaking down and coming in on the hook.
I think he would probably be willing to bring the car in to have it looked at, under the microscope, if he feels you are serious about the purchase.

I second that, if it's his car or something he built, could be interesting. Definitely worth investigating, especially if you are not stuck on originality. In pound Sterling, it may in fact be a deal.

Cheers

Matt

Update
 

Hi guys,

Many thanks for your posts. Sorry I've been working over the weekend hence the slow reply.

I've spoken with Hugh many times and definitely feel he's genuine. From what I'm reading it feels the best option would be to get Andrew to come in and check the car over.

I'll keep you guys posted and will let you know how it evolves. The colour of the car is not original.

Any other ideas/tips of cars you see please PM me or post on here as I would be keen to take a look!

Cheers guys - you've been a great help.

I just thought I would round off this thread - I went ahead with the purchase, and turns out the car is in great condition and indeed has gained in some value from just shipping it across.

It was shipped over in June and converted to euro spec headlights etc. Andrew at Wetune checked it out prior to shipping and all was okay, and its been gone over with a fine tooth comb in the UK.

Many thanks for your help and advice.

Nice to hear the about the happy ending. Another reason why the pre purchase inspection is so important.

I know that Andrew at WeTune/AGM Performance does not especially like to do these because they are often uncomfortable for the seller who does not want to hear (or to learn, assuming they don't know) that his car for has been accidented and repaired poorly, unprofessionally repainted, or showing signs of major neglected maintenance.

Nothing like the peace of mind from a thorough PPI...

Cheers

Matt