Ever buy an auction car?

[numbnuts]

A friend had a dealers license to attend auto auctions in my area (NJ&NY) where P-cars can be bought at wholesale.------Just like your local car dealer does.

Anyone ever have a good experience with this?

Any horror stories you'd care to impart?

I've been kickin' the idea around for a spell since cars sell for their trade in value and occasionnally lower.

Several caveats tho- no PPI is allowed :renntech: :angry: :angry:

[dbookman]

I don't have any personal experiences to impart, but I've been asked this question by friends before and wouldn't recommend it to them unless they really knew what to look for, inside and out (specific to the model car under consideration), and they are readily able to assess the full cost of repairing any issues before committing to the purchase. You can get lucky, but ask your friend why these cars are at auction in the first place, versus some dealership lot. I think he'll tell you its because it would be harder for a particular dealer to sell than what they are comfortable with selling. In fact, they may not even know any more about the condition of the car than the potential buyer!

I don't mean this as criticism (because its not), but it seems like the low price is what's really attracting you to car auctions. It also seems like you may not be an expert in Porsche repair, because I think if you were, you wouldn't be asking this question. By the way, I'm no expert either! But if buying a Porsche near wholesale price is too strong of an attraction to pass up, consider setting aside some of your potential cash savings to pay someone who is an expert to join you at the auction and provide you with expert advice. Then keep the rest for whatever maintenance you'll have to perform in the future. Hopefully you already know that even at an independent repair facility, maintenance on Porsche's is an order of magnitude higher in cost than say something like a a BMW or Audi.

[numbnuts]

Book- I'm certainly no expert on P-cars :o

But I do know what the Porsche Dealers will give you on a trade in for a new car.......its absurd...... :huh:

That tells me one thing- A 911 is only worth its trade in value unless you can find a willing buyer to give you more.......

These car auctions I'm talking about are for Dealers only and no one without a "dealers license" can get in. In the state of NJ alone 9,000 cars were sold at one auction in the month of April 2009.

These auctions are where dealers buy cars to put on thier lots......Ever see fords,chevys etc in great condition on a Chrysler lot???? This is what dealers do.....

Oftentimes the cars are off lease cars with 12,000 miles per year on them with a warranty remaining.Former owners are listed as banks or PCNA and this is how they get rid of them after they're turned in after the lease expires..............

Last month several 06, 07 Carreras with less than 15,000 miles on the clock sold for low $40,000's.................. :o

Two 1999's w/miles on the 70K range sold for $14,000 and $18,000..............its tempting when retail is at least $5-15,000 higher than that.........

[AP 997S]

If you looking to buy a later model w/ original or CPO warranty left then an auction (and it's cost advantage) is a good way to go. I've been to a few auctions over the years and if I recall they do allow inspection and in some cases a test drive on the auction grounds. You might want to bring along a Porsche 'expert' to 'inspect' the car before you bid on it. Maybe you could offer a few hundred dollars to an 'certified' Porsche technician or competent independent to go along w/ you.

Devise a checklist of items to look at to avoid becoming 'captured' by some visual beauty. To coin a phase . . . Beauty is only skin (metal) deep.

I'd be cautious of high mileage cars.

Good Luck!

[numbnuts]

AP- That is sound advice.....Thanks :)

[dirtyg]

hi all this is my first post here and i am now a p-car owner i bought a 2000 boxster at auction for $5500+ fees now there are issues with the car such as it was parked near another car that was on fire, so the top melted along with the drivers door mirror, the same door has fire damage in the form of paint burned off, aswell as the intake vent on the same side started to melt, the interior is wet due to the top bieng damaged and so far i have replaced the drivers side top trans cable and the rods on both sides for the top i also need to get the clamshell top levers (found on ebay for $25 each) and a top of course and my top will be fixed. Heres the good news every thing works on the car the top(even tho the rag isnt on it yet) works nice and smooth seems all of the micro switches work since the windows drop when the dors are opened also drops to drop the top so far i think i got a break i have a porcshe that i got kinda cheap that will provide me with entertainment to fix as well as drive here are some pics let me kno what you guys think good and bad

[AP 997S]

Are you saying the car was damaged while on the auction grounds? Had the title been transferred yet?

If so, I suspect the auction company has liability insurance and if they don't you should pursue full damage reimbursement in court.

Based the damage I see from the pics it might cost up to $10K or so to fix/replace. So $5.5K + $10K for a 2000 non 'S' Boxster is not such a great deal.

How many miles on this 'fire sale' car?

Sorry to hear your misfortune.

[tekky]

Are you saying the car was damaged while on the auction grounds? Had the title been transferred yet?

If so, I suspect the auction company has liability insurance and if they don't you should pursue full damage reimbursement in court.

Based the damage I see from the pics it might cost up to $10K or so to fix/replace. So $5.5K + $10K for a 2000 non 'S' Boxster is not such a great deal.

How many miles on this 'fire sale' car?

Sorry to hear your misfortune.

I think he meant to say, he bought the car AFTER it had caught on fire; at an auction. Probably the reason he got it that cheap.

[1schoir]

Make sure that you protect the interior from getting wet if/when it rains. If you get water under the driver's seat, you are looking at an expensive repair for the central alarm locking computer that is located there.

While you are at it, check the drains in the convertible top well to make sure they are not clogged, as that will result in the same problem.

Good luck with your repairs!

Regards, Maurice.

[number9ine]

Are you saying the car was damaged while on the auction grounds? Had the title been transferred yet?

If so, I suspect the auction company has liability insurance and if they don't you should pursue full damage reimbursement in court.

Based the damage I see from the pics it might cost up to $10K or so to fix/replace. So $5.5K + $10K for a 2000 non 'S' Boxster is not such a great deal.

How many miles on this 'fire sale' car?

Sorry to hear your misfortune.

I second this, there's a lot of potentially unseen damage there. Top and bodywork alone are $4-5k on the low end; you may need to replace mechanical parts that have been affected by heat. If you're a DIYer you might see some savings, I wish you luck with the project.

For safety's sake I'd replace your tires, who knows what the heat did to them.

M.

[dirtyg]

the damage you see there is why it was auctioned off i am a diy guy and parts that need to be replaced have already been replaced except for the levers for the clamshell and the rag top,the interior has been dried and like i say all works well including the alarm the tires will be relpaced as soon as i can get those pita locks off some smart a swiped most of the tools out of the kit, so far i have spent about $350 on the cable for the top,antifreeze,hydriolic oil and rods for the top from the collection in miami also found the clamshell levers on ebay $50 for the pair so the only thing i dont have a price on yet is the paint and supplies and i forgot to mention this is a deal to me since i get a car that in my opinion doesnt need much work (which i am going to enjoy doing myself) that was/is below wholesale price for the year and mileage (81k) if i attempted to by this car in the bahamas at retail it would cost me about 30-35k+ since import tax here is 57% of purchace price, so agin for me this is a deal/project

Edited May 20, 2009 by dirtyg

[number9ine]

the damage you see there is why it was auctioned off i am a diy guy and parts that need to be replaced have already been replaced except for the levers for the clamshell and the rag top,the interior has been dried and like i say all works well including the alarm the tires will be relpaced as soon as i can get those pita locks off some smart a swiped most of the tools out of the kit, so far i have spent about $350 on the cable for the top,antifreeze,hydriolic oil and rods for the top from the collection in miami also found the clamshell levers on ebay $50 for the pair so the only thing i dont have a price on yet is the paint and supplies and i forgot to mention this is a deal to me since i get a car that in my opinion doesnt need much work (which i am going to enjoy doing myself) that was/is below wholesale price for the year and mileage (81k) if i attempted to by this car in the bahamas at retail it would cost me about 30-35k+ since import tax here is 57% of purchace price, so agin for me this is a deal/project

Whew! I had to stop a few times and catch my breath after running through that sentence. :)

Sounds like a good deal considering your options; with those import fees I don't blame you for picking up something as cheap as possible. You may try hammering an old socket to the wheel locks and using a torque wrench, then replacing with regular lugs or a new set of locks. Until you get a paint job get some 600 grit wetordry sandpaper, etching primer, and a few rattlecans of Krylon White to cover up the door. Put a tarp over the car, tape everything off except the fender and door, pull the seal from the windowsill, and go to town! $40 in materials and an afternoon later, you'll have an all-white car again. Good luck!

M.

[dirtyg]

mind you some that had minor damage to body panels or dents all around sold for $2000-4000 i just looked for what i thought would be easy fixes