Sold it two weeks ago:
http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/56021-Good-Bye-996-a.html
I bought it back today.
Well, actually the new owner called today and asked me to buy it back from him.
Here is the story:
Two weeks ago, we agree on a very low price (under the $10K that I was originally asking). I gave him that price because he's a friend and I know that the car needs a few things fixed. This way, he can fix them and not immediately be underwater financially.
We meet for him to see the car. He drives it and loves it. I showed him the CEL for a SAI system fault. He was ok with that. I told him that other things would eventually need replacement like the shocks and maybe water pump/t-stat, wheel bearings, etc. I told him not to buy the car if he can't afford $3,000 per year to keep it running. He says ok, no problem, he can afford it.
He pays and I give him the title. A few days later he calls and says that the driver's side window isn't dropping correctly and that the airbag light has come on. He wants to know what I plan to do about it.
I tell him, no worry. I make arrangements for him to take the car to my local indy and I agree to pay for the repairs ($1,000). He's a friend and I want him to be happy with the car so I take care of him.
When he calls the shop to check on the repair status, the shop tells him about a few other things that they found during the standard inspection. Those items add up to $4,800 and he freaks out.
So, what is on the $4,800 list? The big hitters were;
- Tie rod end replacement
- Sway bar end links
- Alignment
- Clutch
- Water pump
Of course, the quote is at list price so everything adds up fast.
I explain to him that none of those repairs has to be done immediately! The clutch is fine - the shop put it on the list solely because of the high mileage. Similar situation with the tie rod ends, sway bar end links, and alignment; they are fine for now but should be replaced whenever the shocks and suspension is refreshed. The water pump is seeping a little and will need to be done within 90 days but I tell him that its a $200 DIY and I'll help him do it.
Further, I explain that he got the car so cheap that even if he put the full $4K into it, he'd still be ahead financially.
And I tell him that if I buy it back, I'm going to DIY the water pump, skip everything else, and immediately sell the car for 50% more than he paid. I ask him if he wants to sell the car himself "as is" and make that profit himself.
He says no, he'd really like to get his money back.
Ok. No problem.
And that is how I bought my 996 back today!