VIN discrepancy 3.2 Carrera

[Lungauer]

Dear collective,

I wonder whether someone might be able to help. I looked at a 3.2 Carrera yesterday that looks very clean, however it has no paperwork beyond 2014, including service book, manuals - everything (apparently lost in a fire). Before giving up on this as a bad job I thought I would see what I could dig up on the car and have so far drawn a blank.

I spoke to my local OPC (Tewkesbury) and gave them the VIN number from the log book and they say there is no record of it on the system. Moreover the log book states it was first registered in 1999 when clearly it is a much older car (log book states built in 1987). The sales person at the dealer (not a Porsche specialist, selling on SOR for a client) seems to think the car had spent some of its life in Canada, so all a bit odd really. It is RHD, the speedo is in miles and the engine compartment labels are in English. There is no shipping label under the bonnet.

What would be the best way of having the VIN checked, possibly by Porsche in Germany if there is nothing on the UK database. Also is there anything else I can do to verify the legitimacy of the vehicle? I have already asked the dealer to get both the chassis and engine numbers from the vehicle itself in case DVLA have made an error somewhere.

Many thanks

[Lungauer]

Thanks all. The dealer has come back with a photo of the chassis number stamped under the bonnet and it is different from that shown on the V5. It is a WPOZZZ number so this is more encouraging. I'll go back to OPC with this and the engine number to see what they can find. Agree about PPI and I will certainly do that but wanted to check this out first.

Mind you I'm wondering about the viability of fossil fuelled hobby cars at all these days. Not such an easy decision now that government and public opinion against the ICE has gathered such momentum, not without good cause it might well be said.

[Lungauer]

OPC staff proving difficult to pin down at the moment. They must be rushed off their feet...

Still waiting for news on the VIN number and will report back when I know. I am still interested in the car though so, if it does check out, what would be a fair price for a good condition G50 3.2 with sports seats and a Dansk exhaust with no paperwork or service history? 100k miles with no record of engine rebuild.

Edited to add - OPC Wolverhampton can't find the chassis number on the system either. Anywhere else I could try? I would ask Porsche Club GB but I'm no longer a member...

Edited by Lungauer on Tuesday 18th February 15:11

[Lungauer]

IMI A said:

Why not just buy something like this one? If you contact 911v they get some stunning G50 from time to time. You're so much better off just buying a straight car.

http://www.911virgin.com/porscheforsale/1415/9113....

Missed that one. I had seen the white one but was looking for a G50. Couldn't have been on their website for long. Have sold two of my 911s through Tom - very straightforward.

[Lungauer]

BertBert said:

I suspect it's neither weird nor eerie! Almost certainly a US import and lhd to rhd converted.

I don't know why it has such a stigma. You have to get the car checked out for condition anyway. So it's just part of that.

Quite possibly a way to get a good car (if it is good) at a low price. If it's not good or not the right price then don't buy.

Having owned a hot rod of exactly that heritage it was absolutely fine. Nothing wrong with it and very few people could even tell it was converted.

So for me, if good and cheap then consider buying. If not, don't!

Bert

I certainly couldn't spot the conversion, though to be honest I wasn't looking. Drove it too and there were fewer squeaks than from my Carrera T!

I am somewhat put off however, though the plan was to do a little light modding so perhaps it shouldn't matter. They're asking £45k for it.

[Lungauer]

C4ME said:

Can you post vin number from the V5C if it is different?

Number on the V5C is: WP0AB0910H5120598

I'll try Porsche Reading, thanks. The plan was to lose the rear spoiler and make some other cosmetic (and weight saving) changes, perhaps some retro-y seats with a smattering of basket weave leather here and there, get the engine rebuilt with hopefully some gains in power and upgrade the suspension for a more purposeful drive. With this in mind it might be a shame to marmalise a really good 3.2.

Here is a picture of the car, just in case anyone is still curious.

[Lungauer]

And some more for good measure...

[Lungauer]

RSVP911 said:

Top knowledge !

It is indeed and I should have been more fulsome in my thanks for taking such trouble to share it.

Customer Service at Reading are unable to help as I am not the registered keeper. I doubt very much if the owner will be prepared to contact them directly to confirm his car is somewhat tangental to the norm.

Edited by Lungauer on Thursday 20th February 10:54

[Lungauer]

Some interior shots. Clearly I am loathe to let this drop or I wouldn't be going on about it.

I can't see the join...



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[Lungauer]

Richard Hamilton said:

That was mine. Sad to see it go, but life moves on.

Replaced with anything, or leaving fossil fuel hobbies behind?

[Lungauer]

Richard Hamilton said:

The 3.2 is a lovely thing, but I got far too precious about it, and spent more time looking at it than driving it. I'm going back to something more modern which I will use more. I'm looking for a 981 Cayman.

I do get that. The newer cars do everything you want them to straight out of the box, without having to pamper them (though many of us do). Mind you just looking at them is part of it too - if they're pretty enough.

[Lungauer]

chris9682 said:

Have a look at the position of the passenger and drivers door mirrors.
From memory I think they are in different positions on the doors depending on wether the car is lhd or rhd.
Although if the car has been converted to rhd I suppose the mirror positions could have been changed during the conversion.
Regards
Chris

Thanks. Checked the photos and the driver's door mirror is further forward than the passenger one, which is correct if my old 964 is anything to go by.

[Lungauer]

supersport said:

I would also look at the smugglers box. It’s tidgy on the RHD model and huge on LHD. You assume this area would have been re-worked bug time in a conversion.

Not sure I know where the smuggler's box is to be honest, or how big it's supposed to be on a RHD?

[Lungauer]

IMI A said:

Looks lovely. I'd be very happy with that car in my garage. Lucky new owner and 911v sold mine in a flash too. 30 mins or something daft. They're obviously pricing their air cooled competitively as theirs tend to fly out the door.

OP on this car it looks sound on the face of it. The question is whether with your extra spend tinkering on the car post buying will she end up costing more than the car linked? If so better to buy one like Richards old car. Also the 3.2 Carrera engine very expensive to extract extra power from. Mine was no slower than my 964 C2 and you had to keep her above 4k rpm but this was no chore. Super cars and probably the best classic 911 to buy as a way into classic Porsche ownership. You're obviously missing your black 964!

IMI A - you've got me bang to rights. Really miss my lovely black 964. Should never have sold it. So I'm back on the trail for a classic but thought I'd go to the previous generation for a change. No ABS or power steering - and I was never a fan of the shark fins on the 964. Glad to hear yours was no slower than the 964 which was a surprisingly heavy car.

All true what you say about spending money on a project though, but part of the fun is the project itself. Deciding what to do, sourcing parts, making it personal - all that. There was an interesting Harry's Garage video on the Club Sport which was something of an inspiration (that car's engine was only blueprinted and seemed fast enough). Given where we're heading this may well be my last 911 purchase...

[Lungauer]

Thank you Richard - all becomes clear. Seems that the car in question is the same.

Are there any other clues here showing it to be an original RHD?

Edited by Lungauer on Friday 21st February 17:19

[Lungauer]

RVVUNM said:

This car needs to be ultra cheap and taken is it stands in front of you now or walk away. I would walk away.

Well, forgive the thread resurrection but apropos the quote above the car is still for sale so I bunged in a cheeky offer. Not yet heard if it has been accepted but if it is I think this might be worth a punt.

I will need to get a PPI done if the offer is accepted. Can anyone recommend someone for East Anglia? Not too keen on Paul Stephens for some reason.

[Lungauer]

BertBert said:

I hate myself for saying this as I can't abide the unreasonable stigma attached to oddball cars, but be really sure that the price is right and the car is right for you. My hot rod that I had built on a US L to R G50 conversion probably lost £25k in value compared to if I'd had it built on a proper UK RHD shell and it was a complete pita to sell.

There speaks the voice of experience and clearly a very good reason to at least be very cautious, if not walk away. The car was originally advertised at £48k and my offer is £33k. Still a lot of money really for a 35 year old dodgy oiler. Add in the resto-modding I wanted to do (including engine work) and it could easily stand me in for £60k plus. Doubtful one would get it back even in the best of times, let alone post Covid, post Brexit, end-of-ICE and whatnot.

If the car turned out to be basically sound I could be left with a very nice, fun air-cooled 911 at the end of it, but my record of hanging on to any vehicle for long is poor.

[Lungauer]

To update an old thread, the ambiguous 3.2 disappeared from the dealer in the end. I'm not sure whether it sold or was withdrawn, either way that one escaped me and I think I dodged a bullet there. Since then I've journeyed from going classic or staying with my rather brilliant Carrera T, dragging my long suffering family along the way (two of whom arrived just before lockdown and will be glad to get away from my 'tedious' discussions about what I should do about Porsches).

Anyway, on the basis that I had to do the proverbial or get off the pot, today I bought this...

http://www.911virgin.com/porscheforsale/1352/9113....

Different from the 964 I had before. Please someone tell me I've done the right thing.

[Lungauer]

marky911 said:

That looks ace. Ex Dr Mark’s off here.

I had it on a list to view last May but when I rang on the Friday before our Saturday viewing, I was told it had sold.
The salesman was very uninterested and didn’t even take my name incase it fell through.
It did fall through apparently, but I’d bought another GT3 by then, if not it would be mine now.

Lovely car and 1000 times better than the original subject of this thread.
Enjoy!

PS I must add the guy I spoke to at 911V wasn’t Tom. I’ve dealt with Tom before and he’s a gent.
I still rate 911V in my top 3 Porsche dealers but the guy I spoke to that day just didn’t seem interested. Maybe my Geordie accent, or maybe he was just having a bad day. Either way he couldn’t get me off the phone quick enough which I thought a bit odd, given I had £60k burning a hole in my pocket.

It was Tom I did the deal with and as ever he was honest and straightforward, so much so that I bought it unseen on the strength of his opinion of the car and my needs. Proof of the pudding and all that - won't see it until he delivers it in a week's time!

[Lungauer]

Koln-RS said:

G50 and a respected engine rebuild - has it been dyno’d?

Not as far as I know. Would expect it to be holding up well with only 3000 miles since a full rebuild. 275bhp would be nice.