Now and then I’ll come across a car that looks in good shape and with reasonable mileage and think, “why is this car so cheap?” Cheap, of course, is a relative term, but lately for air-cooled 911s, and especially the 930, it is rare to come across a car that is priced reasonably, if not too low. The immediate next question is, “so what’s wrong with it?”. This is the basic process I went through after coming across this car: a Yellow 1986 Porsche 930, located in Phoenix, with 51,000 miles on it. Typically, a 930 with this mileage and in a color we rarely see would be priced somewhere in the neighborhood of $100K. The car may not ever sell for that price, but it sets the starting point. So when I saw this one with a BIN of $54,900 it seemed like a steal. There are many who have dreamed of owning a 930 and watched those dreams fade as prices for one have climbed ever higher. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to find examples that are accident free and in good mechanical condition, so while the car here isn’t offered at a low price, it is certainly the sort of car that may provide a window of opportunity to fulfill one’s dreams.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Porsche 930 on eBay
Year: 1986
Model: 911 Turbo
Engine: 3.3 liter turbocharged flat-6
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 51,000 mi
Price: Reserve Auction (Buy It Now $54,900)
You are bidding on a factory 1986 Porsche 930 Turbo, 51,000 Actual miles, documented on Arizona certificate of title.. gorgeous yellow paint with black leather interior.. recent service and inspection by local independent Porsche shop, document this car as never being in any major accidents, and no rust.. 3.3 litre intercooled turbo engine runs very strong, has upgraded stainless exhaust with headers and heat exchangers, upgraded 5 speed close ratio gearbox, this car is a rocket!! with virtually no turbo lag.. same owner for past 10 years.. very nice yellow paint, full glass out all new rubber, correctly done.. interior is also very nice, original and shows well.. dual power leather seats, no dash cracks, power windows and power sunroof work correctly.. AC is new and works well.. heater works.. European ride height.. 8’s and 9’s with brand new tires.. clean and clear Arizona title, with 51,000 actual documented miles.. vehicle history report is posted below.. some records included..runs and drives excellent, this car is very fast!! Pictures speak louder than words..
Email or call Alan with questions or offers 602-363-2300
So…what’s wrong with it? It appears, not too much. At least, not much if your hope is to own a driver-quality 930 and have little desire for a collector or concern over the car as an investment. For one, the paint may not be the original color. We need some clarity, but it sounds like it has been repainted and the seller has made no attempt to claim it’s the original color, which typically we would expect. For a driver that’s not really a big deal. Perhaps more problematic is the transmission. The standard 4-speed box has been replaced with a 5-speed, and again we need some clarity to know exactly what transmission this is. With that said, a good 5-speed box should provide for a better overall drive. Other than that, there are a few other minor modifications, but nothing that would detract from the overall nature of the car. All in all, there is definitely some investigation needed before any buyer will feel comfortable with the car, but if some of these issues check out and everything is mechanically sound, then as a driver-quality 930 this should make for a very interesting opportunity.
-Rob
What’s up with those cutouts? Factory? Don’t’ recall seeing those on other 930 variants.
Interesing into comes up Googling the VIN on this one.
For sale ads with a price as low as $29k, and Pelican posts mentioning a salvage title.
Oh what a tangled web we weave…
as the previous posters stated….something fishy in Denmark here….
for 55k I’d be all over this….no questions asked if it didn’t smell a bit…..
The salvage title would certainly explain the low price and raises plenty of questions. Appears to be because it was stolen but has since been issued a clean title? That’s still problematic, but perhaps less so if the buyer simply wants it to drive and doesn’t care as much about resale. The transmission still seems like a potentially larger issue and those things combined make even the $50K price tag too high. It’d be interesting to see what this actually could sell for though it’s going to need a VERY thorough inspection.
It sold for $29k in July on eBay and salvage title was disclosed.
Different states issue different titles (salvage, rebuilt, theft, etc) for different things, this vehicle has moved around to at least 3 states. Some states will not issue a title for a vehicle with X-branded title from XYZ states, but some will issue a new one that may or may not be marked with earlier cause for concern. People who do this nefariously know what states to buy salvaged cars from, what states to reissue titles in, and what states to sell them. Fortunately a good internet community can do a lot of fact checking these days on certain niche higher value cars.
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5574639392&toolid=10001&campid=5336921388&customid=rare-1986-european-model-porsche-930-turbo&icep_item=221492590135&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg
PS – I think the color should be called “Dijonaise.”
Long story short – I contacted the seller and he has mildly revised the listing and it now states that it is indeed a salvage (but a “quick” one!) at the bottom of the description.
Great comment thread on BaT with wll the facts & links. Great comment over at BaT on this car saying something along the lines of “this is one in a long list of cars GCFSB posts then BaT posts days later.” Hey probably some of the same people submit to both, and probably not a giant pool of unique listings out there. But, there has been a pattern. 😉