I found a 73 1.7 liter hidden away here in my town. I stopped by their shop about 8 months ago and asked if I could speak with the owner of the car. Some guy said that he wasn't there but the car was not for sale. I left with my tail between my legs. This car has been sitting outside for years and I am stopping by again to night to see if I can catch the owner. Anyone have any suggestions on how I should approach the situation? This car is too nice to let sit and rot to the ground. But, it's my experience that old non-running car owners, specifically porsche's, think they are sitting on a gold mine. If i talk with the owner and he says it's not for sale what would be the best way to convince him? This car will sit there for 10 more years. I don't think the car is worth more than $800.00 but I don't want to insult him and mack him mad by offering him that right off the bat. Suggestions?


Luke D

QUOTE (LukeD @ Mar 21 2005, 02:04 PM)

I found a 73 1.7 liter hidden away here in my town. I stopped by their shop about 8 months ago and asked if I could speak with the owner of the car. Some guy said that he wasn't there but the car was not for sale. I left with my tail between my legs. This car has been sitting outside for years and I am stopping by again to night to see if I can catch the owner. Anyone have any suggestions on how I should approach the situation? This car is too nice to let sit and rot to the ground. But, it's my experience that old non-running car owners, specifically porsche's, think they are sitting on a gold mine. If i talk with the owner and he says it's not for sale what would be the best way to convince him? This car will sit there for 10 more years. I don't think the car is worth more than $800.00 but I don't want to insult him and mack him mad by offering him that right off the bat. Suggestions?

I've had the same experience. A guy down the street had a teener that had been rotting in his driveway for the last 10 years, and I made him an offer atleast once a year. He also thought he was on a gold mind and wouldn't sell it. Then, last year he junked it

Anyways. I'd go and just talk casually about it to the owner, tell him that you're looking for one to restore, and ask him if he'd consider selling his. If he says yes make an offer.

That's a bad situation to be in. They (sometimes) think they're doing you a favor by listening to you. You can't ask someone out of the blue to sell you their car, and then ask them what they want for it. You have to make them an offer you know they'd be crazy to turn down. Why bother when there are many willing sellers out there? Convenience has its price.

My brother watched a car rot in a field for 3 years. He kept sending me pictures of it and finally I emailed the guy and asked him how much he wanted for it.
He said he would sell it for about $1500.
I drove 9 hours to see it only to find he upped his price to $2000.
I took a quick 2 minute look at it and told him it wasn't worth me coming back with my truck and trailer to pick it up. It wasn't worth $200 let alone $2000.
He said he will just restore it and sell it for $20,000.
I smiled, got back into the Chrysler 300 Hemi I rented and drove away.....really fast.

Just ask RonD. He found a creamsicle in a field here in CO. Completely original - 98% rustfree. Another member had asked the lot owner about the car and was lied to about its status.

Ron somehow found the owner and bought the car and got an incredible deal.

Lesson...be smart with how you approach the situation, a smart approach could win you the car - if you are really serious about it.

Cash!

John

QUOTE (jd74914 @ Mar 21 2005, 05:58 PM)

I'd go and just talk casually about it to the owner, tell him that you're looking for one to restore, and ask him if he'd consider selling his. If he says yes make an offer.

Approach the owner honestly, but don't give him (or her) a price - let them come to you. Do your homework, know what you're talking about, and know what the car is worth. If the price is too high, try and explain why and negotiate but if they won't come off their price, make a fair offer, leave your number and walk away. If the owner is at all motivated to sell, they will get in touch with you.

I like to walk away, and let things rot to hell.

You can get cars without issues for too little money, to waste your time wanking about a POS somebody won't sell.

Move-On.org.com.gov!


M

I have a guy that is the second owner of a 427 powered "vette...been trying to get him to sell if to me for 5 yeras.....it's been covered and not running since 1980......says he will "eventually" give me first shot.....but still no go...sometimes ya just wana smack them upside the head to get the marbles to bounce around a pit.....

Approaching a car owner is like approaching a mandolin owner... Be persistent... give them your phone number and wait.... be patient. (inside joke, sorry).

(Miles... log in to IM!)

The last few "parts" cars I bought I just happen to see them when out for a drive in my 914. The last one was behind a guys house, seen it there for the past year or so. Out for a drive one day and seen the garage door open so I pulled in. I was up front with him and said I noticed the car before and just wanted to let him know about the 914Club Long story short 30 min later I was going home to get the checkbook. Bought the car for $100 and parted it out, it was to far gone to save

I always find to just talk cars and see where it goes from there. I have met my share of "parts car" owners that think they have a goldmine. I always thank them, and give them info about the 914club to help them with their restoration

QUOTE (redshift @ Mar 21 2005, 07:29 PM)

I like to walk away, and let things rot to hell. You can get cars without issues for too little money, to waste your time wanking about a POS somebody won't sell. Move-On.org.com.gov! M

I agree! There are so many of these out there for sale (in probably the same condition) that the owners are DYING to sell. If he thinks it's a pile of gold, let him keep on thinking that and move on.

Some of you are so cynical. You never know what's going to happen unless you open your mouth.
In 1991 at age 21 I came home from a volunteer mission overseas. Didn't have a dime to my name. Got a job at a parts store and started looking for a car. A 914. I'd decided long before then that I wanted one. After a few weeks I'd spotted two in town (parked in driveways). One looked to be in pretty good shape and I figured I couldn't afford it even if the owner would sell. The other was in very poor condition. I aproached the owner and he wasn't interested in selling but said I should go check out another 914 he had seen (same one I'd seen but didn't stop to ask about). So I went and knocked on the door. I said I was new in town, just started work, would be starting school in the fall and needed a car. Told them I wanted to buy the 914 if they were interested in selling it. They said sure. How about $1,000? I said ok, and we sat at the kitchen table and I wrote a contract. I gave them a $100 binder to hold the car for me until I could pay the rest and they agreed to get the door-locks fixed in the mean time. A few weeks later I drove the car home. I cleaned it up to the tune of about $1,200, drove it for 2.5 years and 40,000 miles and then sold it for $3,500.

-Ben M.

QUOTE (itsa914 @ Mar 21 2005, 08:50 PM)

I always find to just talk cars and see where it goes from there. I have met my share of "parts car" owners that think they have a goldmine. I always thank them, and give them info about the 914club to help them with their restoration  :lol:

Approach the owner and tell him you like his 914. Ask him about it. Did he buy it new, has he done any work on it over the years? If the guy is the friendly type, like most 914 owners, you can just talk shop for a while. Tell him about the club. After a while ask him what his plans for the car are. If you feel there is a chance he will sell, just say "any chance you want to sell it and see it running again?". After a while of talking shop he will come to realize that the car will end up in good hands. Hopefully it is worth saving and not a parts car. If he turns out to be an ass then walk away.

I think alot of it is that some owners have unreal thoughts about their cars. I had heard about a 1 owner 76 50k mile, 914 for sale. From the outside it looked great. Unfortunately, it had sat for YEARS and the doors wouldn't open (use your imagination=think midwest). Price was only $1,500. Thanks but no thanks.

It can ber very frustrating dealing with people like that.

There's a guy that my buddy works with. He has a 73 914, bought it brand new. He drove it for 12 years, then the master cylinder went on it, and he parked it. Apperently it's been sitting in his garage ever since. I'd really like to see it, and possible buy it, but I guess the guy keeps saying that he'll get it fixed someday soon, he just hasn't had the time. WTF, it takes a couple of hours to replace the MC! I'm sure that it will need a ton of work now, all the fuel lines will be dried out, bad gas, rusty fuel tank, etc. I really want to talk to the guy, I'd even be willing to help him get the car running again, but it sounds like he has no interest in any of it!

It can be difficult dealing with Porsche owners, they usually think they're worth a fortune. Just talk to the guy and see how it goes. You neve know unless you try. If he isn't interested, move on.

There was a white 75 2.0 in my nieghborhood a while back. Never stopped and asked the buy about it. It sat for the first year that we moved in. One day it was gone, I finally pulled up after a couple a weeks and asked the guy what happened to it. He said it wouldn't start anymore, turned over, just would go so he sold it for $700. He said it ran fine when he parked it last winter. Oh well, point is, don't wait to ask, this guy had NO IDEA what he had. He was thinking VW dead in my driveway. Oh well.

politely ask them about the car. if you get the brush off, just keep an eye on it and approach them again in 6 months. the service shop isn't going to let that cash cow out of their clutches.

k