Heh! My Porsches all seem to find me! I wasn't looking for a 968, but was "Porsche-less", and happened to drive by the Ford Dealer in the next town over (15 miles). Glanced at the used car lot, and almost ran off the road when I saw this Black 968, looking sort of lonesome, at the rear of the used car lot. Pulled in and spoke to the Head Honcho of Used Cars, who said the 968 was sold, to a fellow in my town who owned a Porsche repair shop. Well! There is only one guy, so I went back home and stopped in and asked if he had bought the 968 at the Ford Dealer. His wife said "no, but we called about it for another Porsche owner who wanted it for a track car, but the Ford dealer said the clutch was gone, so he decided to pass on it".
Not being deterred, I returned to the Ford Dealer (helps to be retired and have lots of time to explore these options!) and informed him that the car was not sold, which did not make him a happy camper, but it DID make him very interested in showing me the car. I asked about the clutch. He grudgingly admitted that he had been told that it was "Gone". Ah Ha! an even better bargaining chip! I didn't even try to drive the car... just started it to see if the engine was junk. It was not, so I made the Dealer an insanely low offer... I think he had to swallow his lunch twice before he could respond... of course the answer was "No Way... I would sell it to a junk yard first!" I said "hey, sounds like a plan to me!", and walked out.
He called me the next morning, practically begging me to buy the car at my price... it seems that the Dealership had taken the car and a BMW M3 Z3 in on trade for an Expedition (the better to haul drugs with???), and the General Manager was having a fit because the 968 was still setting on the lot, and with the bad clutch, they couldn't afford to have it fixed and make a profit on the total deal, nor could they auction it in that condition, so they were, shall we say, STUCK!
I said I would be right over with my trailer with a winch on it, and haul that piece of foreign crap out of there that very day! I will not reveal the actual purchase price, on penalty of death!
When I got there to load the car, the Used Car Guy had one of his minions help me. He asked if I wanted to drive it on the trailer, or should he? I said, No, I would winch it on because the clutch was gone. He looked at me funny, and said he had just driven the 968 around the lot that morning and the clutch was fine! I said Okay, then you put it on the trailer! Which he proceeded to do, with absolutely NO issues!!!
Yeah, you already guessed the punch line! The brake fluid reservoir was low, and below the level of the clutch master cylinder, which had sucked in some air at some point and needed bled. Sometimes the clutch was a bit "soft", and the Manager had listened to someone who had complained about that, BUT had never checked it out for himself!!! Refilled the Reservoir, bled the clutch, and away we go! Body and interior are pristine, and she runs like a top! So I spent the extra money on a full belt and roller change, new front end seals, etc. and had some left over for the Bilstein Escort Coilovers and M030 Bars! (and a set of Lloyd's mat's from Kathy! Love those Mats!)
So, look far and wide, but sometimes they are right in your "backyard"!!!
