Car that has been sat for years = put you off?
Discussion
I think buying a car that's been sat around until you get it can be a bit of a gamble, but buying one years later is no issue.
I bought a one owner 1991 Mercedes estate in lovely condition that had been sat for two years or more and in the 6 weeks or so that I used it prior to taking it on a European banger rally (for which it had been bought) loads of things broke and needed replacing (exhaust, suspension pipes, fuel tank split etc) but it did the 3-4,000 mile trip perfectly and my brother then ran it for 3 years with little more than an oil change at MOT time. I sold it as SOTW last November and occasionally see it still knocking around locally.
I bought a one owner 1991 Mercedes estate in lovely condition that had been sat for two years or more and in the 6 weeks or so that I used it prior to taking it on a European banger rally (for which it had been bought) loads of things broke and needed replacing (exhaust, suspension pipes, fuel tank split etc) but it did the 3-4,000 mile trip perfectly and my brother then ran it for 3 years with little more than an oil change at MOT time. I sold it as SOTW last November and occasionally see it still knocking around locally.
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Don't know if I am closer...but have my eye on a couple...http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...
mileage on this one is putting me off a little.
Also another I have noticed>>>
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/porsche/911/...
Would a 964 without a rebuild put you off?
The one at RPM that somebody pointed out a few days ago sold immediately, so the search continues.
p.s. they all seem to be targas at this money, but I am getting used to the idea...if the roof has been looked after or replaced, should be fine, I was initially worried about leaks, etc.
another point - regarding rust - if there are a couple of rust spots coming through - can this be sorted easily? Or likely to be a problem?
It's not unusual for cars of this age to spend periods of time on SORN. I wouldn't worry about it if it's running fine now. If it has stood for a number of years I would look for evidence of thorough re-commissioning i.e. a major service following the SORN period. But it is generally better for these cars to be run fairly regularly.
My car had done 800 km in the 7 years before I bought it (with a couple of oil and brake fluid changes in that time).
Knowing this, I gave it a truly monster service and a new set of tyres the moment I bought it. Only ill-effects were that all of the ventilation fans (3 x hot, 1 x cold and 1 x AC) failed in the 8 months after but otherwise all was well.
I bought the car as it was exactly how I would have specified it new, had low-ish miles (72,000 at 16 years old), had super history and 1 previous owner. Go into the deal with your eyes open and accept that there may/will be some recommissioning and it can be a good way to buy.
HTH,
E
Edit: It was also cheap. Fire-sale cheap. The vendor was tired of giving it garage space and I nearly bit his arm off!
Knowing this, I gave it a truly monster service and a new set of tyres the moment I bought it. Only ill-effects were that all of the ventilation fans (3 x hot, 1 x cold and 1 x AC) failed in the 8 months after but otherwise all was well.
I bought the car as it was exactly how I would have specified it new, had low-ish miles (72,000 at 16 years old), had super history and 1 previous owner. Go into the deal with your eyes open and accept that there may/will be some recommissioning and it can be a good way to buy.
HTH,
E
Edit: It was also cheap. Fire-sale cheap. The vendor was tired of giving it garage space and I nearly bit his arm off!
Edited by EJH on Wednesday 8th August 14:46
dom9 said:
Mine has been sat for two years and will be sold this month.
It has been dry stored and started/ warmed-up every week so I wouldn't expect it to put anyone off but who knows?
As long as it passes any inspection then it should be fine
Nothing wrong with properly storing a car as long as it is re-commissioned properly as well.It has been dry stored and started/ warmed-up every week so I wouldn't expect it to put anyone off but who knows?
As long as it passes any inspection then it should be fine
Frankly, one that has been started weekly, without being run for a good distance would worry me a lot more.
Are you actually saying it was started and warmed up without being taken on the road?
REALIST123 said:
Frankly, one that has been started weekly, without being run for a good distance would worry me a lot more.
Yeah, I don't like that concept either. If my car is off the road for months, I certainly don't start it up weekly. Cold starts are when the wear occurs. I'd maybe start it up once a month and try to take it out for a run to get things properly warmed through. However good it seems if you are planning on using it daily be prepared for lots of things to break/stop working etc fairly quickly. These things need using and things dry out and get brittle and then stop working.
Its all fixable and if its a weekend car it may not seem that bad as the use is spread a little.
One of mine had done about 100 miles in the whole year before I bought it and it seemed fine , ran well etc but as it was my only car at the time lots of little niggly things needed fixing fairly quickly.
Its all fixable and if its a weekend car it may not seem that bad as the use is spread a little.
One of mine had done about 100 miles in the whole year before I bought it and it seemed fine , ran well etc but as it was my only car at the time lots of little niggly things needed fixing fairly quickly.
Porkupine said:
Would a 964 without a rebuild put you off?
Nope...it gives you the opportunity to have a blank sheet of paper to have a good job done, as and when you are ready. Mine leaked a bit before I had the rebuild done but it never let me down. I had it rebuilt a couple of years ago for no other reason than I aim to keep it. I'm sure if I hadn't had it done it would still be running now. From what I can gather 964 engines don't just suddenly fail. I'm sure most of us get them rebuilt for the same reason as I did or get talked into it based on it being a little leaky and having a compression test which produces less than desirable results.Porkupine said:
Thinking about buying a car, but in its history file, there was a period when it was sat SORN for a few years. Hence a gap in the history during this time...would this put you off?
If you're looking to buy any car that has been stood for ages without being used, oil seals are your main concern. They dry-out over time and leak when the engine/diff/gearbox or whatever is rotated again. I was reminded of this recently when looking at a 944 that I really liked the look of. It was a relatively low-mileage example with a service history that had historically been used regularly, but was then sat for an extended period of time. The car had then been put back into service to be sold-on. When I had a PPI done by a local indie, the car was leaking oil from just about every possible seal in the engine, the driveshaft seals on the diff and also from the seal on the nose of the diff. Also a couple of the water hoses had perished and were weeping. Whilst the hoses would have been an easy fix, the oil seals would have meant a partial engine strip-down and a differential strip-down to replace them all. The cost was prohibitive (in relation to the value of the car) so I didn't go ahead.
The other thing that always concerns me if a car isn't used for ages is the bores/rings going dry. I've even seen them rust and eventually seize if a car's been stood long enough. Even if the bores have just gone dry, they will take a hell of a beating when the engine's restarted unless it's recommissioned 'professionally'.
My advice, FWIW, is to proceed with caution, to make sure the car is very thoroughly inspected and to make sure you have accurate estimates for any remedial work that might be needed.
boxsey said:
From what I can gather 964 engines don't just suddenly fail.
Hmm 
Have you forgotten Hallowe'en 2010 at Donington Park? 
To be fair though, I knew it was worn and just wanted to see the year out in style - I did get pole and was leading when it failed, but sadly it couldn't manage to hang on the last 15 minutes or so.
That aside, this thread's gone off track - the car the OP's looking at has been used regularly but had a period of no use quite a while ago.
dom9 said:
Mine has been sat for two years and will be sold this month.
It has been dry stored and started/ warmed-up every week so I wouldn't expect it to put anyone off but who knows?
As long as it passes any inspection then it should be fine
This would put me off. There is little worse for an engine than regular static warm ups. It has been dry stored and started/ warmed-up every week so I wouldn't expect it to put anyone off but who knows?
As long as it passes any inspection then it should be fine
MrCooke said:
This would put me off. There is little worse for an engine than regular static warm ups.
Actually, I believe it has been monthly and the car is out of storage and being recommissioned as we speak.So, in two years it has been started 'static' 24 times, warmed up and revd etc. All fluids moving, everything up to temperature etc. How often do you start your cars from static in a year or even one week?
Not sure why this would concern you but at least everything is moving around the engine, rads etc etc.
Nope,
My Lotus was in a museum collection for 12 years - needed work but I accepted that. My Porsche 911 was unused for 2 years but now in daily use with no issues.
I have a 924 thats been in storage for nearly 20 years - in that 20 years it has been maintained, fluids changed regularly and driven 10 miles or so every 6 months. Still works fine and looks new. I would have no issues driving around Europe in it. I will be selling it though as it deserves a far better home.
My Lotus was in a museum collection for 12 years - needed work but I accepted that. My Porsche 911 was unused for 2 years but now in daily use with no issues.
I have a 924 thats been in storage for nearly 20 years - in that 20 years it has been maintained, fluids changed regularly and driven 10 miles or so every 6 months. Still works fine and looks new. I would have no issues driving around Europe in it. I will be selling it though as it deserves a far better home.
dom9 said:
MrCooke said:
This would put me off. There is little worse for an engine than regular static warm ups.
Actually, I believe it has been monthly and the car is out of storage and being recommissioned as we speak.So, in two years it has been started 'static' 24 times, warmed up and revd etc. All fluids moving, everything up to temperature etc. How often do you start your cars from static in a year or even one week?
Not sure why this would concern you but at least everything is moving around the engine, rads etc etc.
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