jebdog

if it has 250,000 plus miles the car has little or no resale value. Get much over 100,000 miles and resale takes a hit ; 150,000 and it gets tough;200,000 and few will consider it; But 250,000 plus forget it even the most optomistic souls realize the party is nearly over. $8,000 is absurd. Perhaps he has it insured and is HOPING you take it ! This is the type of car which gets donated to a charity very high miles will not pass smog hard to sell.

Vancouver83LTD

to the chinese, 444 would be a good luck charm
bahaha

fourside

250-280Kmi and $8k? Sounds like a major ripoff to me.

Vancouver83LTD

sounds like few options left for this car, although - it was enjoyed by the PO.
Check the records and documentation.

JEC_31

However, the news that it's sitting from failed emissions is a LOT better than "it's sitting because both the timing belt and thrust bearing failed when the fuse panel caught on fire".

My only Specific thing to look for: Remove the 2 black plastic intake tubes that run up each side of the motor and look into the timing belt inspection holes with a flashlight. No belt = bent valves = $$$$$$$$

He wants to sell it to you. Play up the sky-high mileage and the astronomically-high parts cost when you make your low-ball offer.

Mark

You obviously missed the post where Ron Serio was selling his S4!

Dr. P - PLEASE post your location. There's a very good chance there is a 928 R'lister close by that would be more then happy to go with you and give the car a look!

tv

track car at best, give him 2k, rebuild engine with a DR power boost and beat on it.

Dr. P

I'm in Chicago, north side, right off of Kennedy expressway. Anyways....I'll go take a look at it but I doubt I'll buy it, even for a grand or two....I don't need another project on my hands. Just finished restoring, well almost, my 1990 Coupe Quattro. I want something nice, sit and drive....but if any of you guys may be interested, if nothing then for parts, I'll be more than happy to introduce you to him.

Peter

aircooler

I say (even if it has 250K), if it starts, and runs, it is still worth min 3.5 - 4 K. Particularly if it is a car to be played with and enjoyed. A good car, like a good woman never shows her age, or mileage. However, there will be no easy flip of a car with that mileage. So it is a keeper.

There is no way it is worth 2K.

2K buys both fenders, both comps, and the S4 spoiler.

Just MHO,

Cheers,
Michael

aircooler

Oh.... Dr P. Don't forget to take down the VIN # so you can run a Car Fax.

Cheers,
Michael

jserio

I just sold my car with 215k miles running excellent for 5800.00 And looking pretty good to. He want 8k and it has been sitting over a year. He is definitely free basing. I would not go near it unless it was strickly a parts car and very cheap at that. Don't get sucked into the eternal void like I did with my first 928 purchase. That's my 2 cents anyway.

Thaddeus

Run away.

Dr. P

Yep, I'll drop his keys off today - don't need another project that may turn into a money dump - Thanks for all your help guys!

JPTL

If he's dead-set on getting anything over a couple of k for the car, give him the keys back. You don't have the means and aren't willing to dump a ton of money into this car, right?
After he comes to the realization that if he's holding out for anything over about $4k, he's going to have the car sitting in his backyard for many years to come. And I'm guessing that's going to eat at him (and his S.O.) considerably. The "I just need to get it out of here" attitude will eventually come into play. Since he's your neighbor and assuming that he isn't in a financial pinch, you may suggest that he 'donate' the car to you...that you're willing to 'adopt' the car. Play it like it's a neglected child in need of a good home. (Said tactfully..) you're willing to spend the time on the car that he didn't.
Since the car's in his back yard, it sounds like he either doesn't have a garage, or isn't willing to commit garage space. Are you?
If he sees your enthusiasm & commitment to fixing up the car that he apparently never had, he might just come around. That will be easy for him to do if he sees that you aren't looking to flip it on eBay or part it out for a profit.
He'll have visitation rights in the future, of course, and if he has any sentimental/emotional attachment to the car, that counts for a lot. Fixing up the car is why he got it in the first place, not as an investment, right?
Depending on the type of guy that he is, taking the valuation/investment factor out of the situation and seeing the car go to a good cause sit much better with him.
The reason that I say all of this, is many years ago I was in his exact situation. After struggling with the value of a nice, running, 3/4 restored California 240Z that I had with a couple of $k worth of new parts ready to go into it, I realized that since I wasn't going to get around to restoring it, that it was a financial loser. After I accepted that, giving it to a deserving neighbor to restore with his two teenage boys seemed like the right thing to do....much better than getting a couple k for it and seeing it go to a dismantler.
One thing you might also shoot his way as a suggestion:
If you have the intentions/resources/space to turn the car into a track car, your neighbor might really like the idea of being able to tool around a track sometime in the future (as a guest-user of your new track car, of course). I certainly would have.