500SEC worth picking up?

[ProfessorX]

I am reasonably new here still but after getting the bug and biting the bullet with my C230K believe it or not they are like buses. I have the potential opportunity to pick up a 500SEC on an 'A' plate for next to nothing i.e. almost free. The car is the light metallic green colour, good interior and slight rust on the outside (a little shabby). Problem being the car is LHD. IS it worth taking this on for almost no cost other than an new MOT and tax?
Thoughts appreciated.

 

[jberks]

Anything is worth having for nothing....if you actually want it.
An A plate 500SEC that isn't valued by it's present owner is likely to have been neglected and could be quite be costly to get right. Remember, the new equivalent of this car is well over 70k so repair costs and complexity, whilst cheaper, will still be nasty compared to your current motor. The LHD is another - point IMO but some actually like them but it will mean that some parts will have to be sourced from Europe. On the upside, if you are prepared for the hassle, you'd probably make a profit breaking it if the worst came to the worst, but I'd suggest you don't buy it as a car to run around in unless you are prepared for a long term project.

 

[stumpy]

Have it for a laugh but be prepared for a few costs. What you don't want is to end up spending the same as a proper one.

 

[ProfessorX]

Thanks that is helpful. Basically the car belongs to a friend of a friend. The person in question is an avid collector of classics and Porsches. They have no value for it because they need space for the GT3 next to he GT2. This was a runaround in a foreign land and was bought back to the UK for tax implications. Now they have no space to store it. The country in question was hot and the car has been stood and not driven for best part of 18 months. Mechanically it is sound, just the body work is shabby. I will give it some more thought. I was certainly not thinking of driving it around too much (not without a personal Shell tanker behind me anyway ;-) ) IT was more to tidy up and offer for sale if anyone was intrested. I am not after a huge profit just doing the friend a favour taking it off them and also me a favour because he thought of just scrapping it!

 

[ProfessorX]

stumpy - very true. I may keep it for fun just while i tidy up the body work and then sell it on. To be fair I am also tight for space for storage so it cannot stay with me for very long :-( Do you think it would be worth having the whole thing sprayed once the rust is sorted? as opposed to patches/panels? I have a A/C paint sprayer who said he would be happy to do it for the cost of the paint and a night out.

 

[ProfessorX]

Well just as an update I found the car in question has been "sold" instead with a walk up offer to remove it for them. Shame I was actually getting into the mood for driving round with a fuel tanker in tow ;-)