forbiddenbeat

Hey folks, in the market for a 993, and found a lovely one that has unfortunately been in an accident that shows up on Carfax. Front bumper was replaced, done at a reputable shop, no airbag deploy or any other damage. I'd be buying to own for a long-haul and not as an investment, but, would you advise still passing?

Edit: while a properly repaired car won't bother me, I'm curious if selling it would be a huge hassle should I ever decide to. It's a 993tt, fwiw.

mike cap

If as you described and bumper only, properly repaired - which should be no issue with a bumper only - then no hit in value. Especially if it’s been a while and in a escalating value market for all 993’s.

forbiddenbeat

Thanks for the input. Sounds like the accident damaged the quarter panels and hood as well slightly, but instead of repairing they just replaced them all.

mike cap

More than a bumper cover and assorted parts I guess. You don’t even own the car and you’re downplaying the damage? Seriously?

So now it’s bumper cover and under structure, hood and both fenders? Then the subject of tub and frame damage comes up. Definite discount versus an undamaged and yes, you’ll be discussing this if you ever sell.

Others here are more knowledgeable on the built in damage haircut. My best WAG is 10% to 20% discount versus no damage history.

forbiddenbeat

Ha, well, yeah...trying to convince myself it's worth getting I suppose. But given the amount of money we're talking, doesn't seem worth dealing with. The frame has been checked and is 100%, but still, as you said it wasn't a tiny fender bender if the quarter panels were replaced. Again, thanks for the input (and the sanity check).

rk-d

Any Carfax accident notice, no matter how stupid and trivial, will hit resale one way or another.

How sure are you that this is a long haul investment? Have you owned a 993 before? If you are not 100%, know that selling a car with a story is a pain in the ***.

If it was truly just a bumper cover, then who cares. It sounds more extensive and I’d start being concerned about the car running true. Fixing a tweaked 993 is not something I’d want to do - aligning these cars is hard enough as it is.

Quarter panels, hood, bumper - I’m guessing a front end collision? I’m surprised the airbags didn’t deploy.

boomboomthump

Right but his cost basis will also be lower to start with as it's already on the report and will be factored into his buying price to the same extent as it would his selling price.


Personally, would not get hung up on this. For as many people that would turn their nose at the car, there are just as many desperately looking to grab what they can. There will always be a buyer. Let the folks who turn their nose go buy the cars with a "clean Carfax" that have been in multiple accidents but all repairs were done w/o insurance/police report involvement because the owners had deep pockets.

rk-d

I don’t disagree, but it is what it is. The price will be factored in, it’s true, but not the effort involved in getting your money back. It’s harder to sell a car with a story.

I do agree that Carfax is definitely not reliable for these older cars. No doubt about it.

Personally, I would not buy a car that had fairly extensive front end work - there is just too much unknown. Having owned my car for a few years and going through nearly every part of it by now, there isn’t much that would worry me, but a potential tweaked frame is where I draw the line.

I mean these cars can come slightly skewed from factory. It’s not uncommon to have some asymmetry in the body alignment, particularly side to side. Too much to worry about if you ask me, but I’m only so adventurous.

Quadcammer

The older the cars get, the less its going to matter in my opinion. Further, if this was a 20k mile car with commensurate price tag, I'd be inclined to pass. 60k miles and above...well, stuff happens. If they have pictures of the damage to confirm severity, I would say buy it and keep the records in your file.

GJSPIN

On the surface bumper cover replacement isn't an issue is the RO available for the repair? If not who did the work possibly you can retrieve from the shop. If not start with the hood if the car was hit somewhat hard the hood would likely be repaired or replaced. Is the option sticker still on the hood? That will often tell you if it's been replaced as it came on the original hood. Look insider the frunk for signs of repair or overspray. This includes the fenders and so forth. if the owner will allow you ask them can you wax the car before purchase. This is a great way to get very familiar with the paint and signs of repair,etc. Last if not get a good paint meter and check every panel and multiple places. Good luck!

toona

If you're asking yourself the question, I'd stay away. No point in not being 100% happy every time you see or drive it.

Mozella

I'd listen to the warnings in this thread. If your talking about a Porsche, damage showing up on Carfax will eliminate at least half the prospective buyers right off the bat when it comes time to sell. It may matter less for other brands, but Porsche buyers are ............ um......... let's just be kind and say "different".
Anything more serious than a front bumper cover repaint for stone dings would be a deal killer for me if we're talking about a Porsche.

My current Porsche was purchased new, but the one before this was a used car which I shopped for by clicking on the "no damage" box to filter out all the previously wrecked cars. I know I'm not the only Porsche buyer who checks that box.

But if you're gonna' keep the car "forever" AND you can get a significant discount (like 20%) then it might be worth it to buy a properly repaired wreck.

Having said that, my Fiat 500 Abarth showed TWO crashes when I bought it. But it was properly repaired and we're talking about only $10,000 which is in a different universe price-wise.

forbiddenbeat

Thanks everyone. Based on the opinions here, I'll pass. We're talking fairly big bucks for me, so I'd rather pay a bit more for something clean (10% savings at this point isn't really worth it). Cheers!

JasonAndreas

An SUV in a parking lot backing up at ~5MPH into the headlamp assembly of a 964/993 will bend the front quarter panel, hood and more than scuff the front plastic bumper warranting a replacement... Resulting in a $11-15K repair bill.

Churchill

I'd buy it if it's the color and spec you want and the price reflects the accident damage. Have someone who knows these cars look it over to make sure the work was done right. I wouldn't buy a 993 that needed major repair and reassembly, because body shops are terrible at putting cars together correctly. But if the damage was minor and fixed right there's no reason not to enjoy the car. No airbag deployment means a minor accident at slow speed.