993 German Import Ya or Nein?

[briteskies]

Has anyone got experience of importing a decent Porker from Germany?
I'm looking to get a 993 C2 94/95 and a mate of mine said it would be worth speaking to german dealers and then taking a flight over there to buy one. From what I have seen in the UK I'm looking at no less than £30K (with at least 3 owners) but could potentially get a similar car for £21 - £25K in germany (left hooker of course) Is it worth going over to Germany? Any help/advice appreciated.

[domster]

I have imported a couple of s/h sports cars from germany (Porsche 944S2 cabriolet and Lotus Omega).

IMHO, there aren't the savings to be had these days - it just isn't worth it like it used to be.

1) Price difference between UK and continent in s/h Porsches is now less. ie you can get a LHD 993 from rsj sportscars in Slough from Joel for 19k... why go abroad? There are tons of LHD cars to choose from these days, where the hard work has been done for you and there is some UK provenance.

2) They have made import pricier and more hassle than it used to be. Scottster and I bought a 944Turbo back on cardboard number plates once. I kid you not. Very dodgy. These days, there are nasty things like SVAs, cert of conformity, first registration payments etc. It costs more money to do now (up from say 500 quid excluding transport costs to over a grand) and takes more time (2 weeks rather than 2 days as a rough estimate).

3) Don't be blinded by the savings. There are other problems with getting a car from abroad s/h. What if the car is less than described? Walk away at the cost of hundreds spent on travel, or take the car anyway? Find another at short notice? It's not easy. I'd rather buy in the UK.

I bought my 964RS LHD in the UK, from a guy living less than 40 miles away. It was cheaper than those for sale in Germany as it is a cult car out there, and UK importers had driven prices up on the continent. It had UK service history and I knew the provenance. I also had a choice of a few.

Overall, I'd say forget it and buy in the UK.

[rubystone]

I bought my RS from an OPC in Germany, sight unseen (but with money back guarantee)...brought it back on German trade plates and ran it around for months on cardboard mockups of that number plate (even down to the pink lettering too)...Price differential wasn't huge between that and good UK cars, but it was a minter and I wasn't paying for a UK dealer's profit. In those days UK dealers bought the cheapest cars they could to maximise their profits over here...I see no reason why that ethos won't have changed, except they probably buy the cars from Italy, France, Belgium etc where the rules on damaged cars are less severe than German TUV regs and for the reasons Dom says..but a 993 won't have acquired classic status and as a result they ought to be cheap as chips on the continent...but that'll be reflected when you come to sell the car in the UK

[melv]

Try Thomas Schmitz at H & S -www.911-rs.de

Melv

[domster]

But the bible for buying in Deutshcland is of course:
www.mobile.de

[scottster]

Completely agree with Dom, the savings just aren't there to be had.

And £30k for a LHD 94/95 993. Not sure where you're looking mate but I wouldn't pay over £23/24 for one these days, unless it was something VERY special.

Like Dom says, my old 993 is only up for £19k and it was a great car.

[briteskies]

Thanks all.....

[toto]

I guess all the points made above are valid ... but also partial. It is assumed that what you really want is as much available in the UK as it is on the continent. However, if you are prepared to live with a lhd, surely there is a lot more choice on the other side of the Channel, in terms of specs, age, mileage, condition and prices. I recently bought a 993 C4S from a German OPC and, yes, it was a bit more "interesting" than going to a local shop but I also found it rather enjoyable (see it as your pet project for a few months). Main advantage of OPC is the fully documented history of the car (the dealer also has to confirm in the sales contract whether or not the car has been in an accident) and a 12-month warranty valid everywhere. That must be worth a few bobs too. Buying private abroad is probably the most cost-efficient way of doing it but how much is peace of mind worth? Good luck!

[domster]

toto said: I guess all the points made above are valid ... but also partial. It is assumed that what you really want is as much available in the UK as it is on the continent. However, if you are prepared to live with a lhd, surely there is a lot more choice on the other side of the Channel, in terms of specs, age, mileage, condition and prices. I recently bought a 993 C4S from a German OPC and, yes, it was a bit more "interesting" than going to a local shop but I also found it rather enjoyable (see it as your pet project for a few months). Main advantage of OPC is the fully documented history of the car (the dealer also has to confirm in the sales contract whether or not the car has been in an accident) and a 12-month warranty valid everywhere. That must be worth a few bobs too. Buying private abroad is probably the most cost-efficient way of doing it but how much is peace of mind worth? Good luck!

Fair play. I would be interested what you paid though, if you are prepared to say. When I first imported a Porsche from Germany, the LHD ones over here were rare and enthusiasts paid quite a high price for them... they would be 20% cheaper than RHD ones s/h but a 944 turbo we brought back was almost half the UK market price!

Now things have stabilised. I have seen LHD C4Ss in this country for mid to low twenties (admittedly not from an OPC though, as they don't like LHD), so from a purely economic point of view you would have to make sure the model you import is at least a few grand cheaper in Germany - just to cover import costs.

If you picked up your C4S in the teens, then there is an unarguable case for importation. If you paid more, then it is down to personal circumstance and preference.

I would hardly call some of these posts 'partial' - many are impartial as they are words spoken by people who are pro-importation and have imported cars previously in the same manner as yourself. For example, I am pro-importation as a general rule, but I wouldn't be so quick to advise it these days, and would be certain to point out that the advantages have almost completely disappeared, (apart from in a few rare circumstances).

Cheers
Domster