Here’s one of the more unusual craigslist postings we’ve seen: a collection of exotic cars offered for a flat price of $140,000 by a seller who admits he hasn’t had a steady job in five years and now needs to sell. Of course, this is all happening in Los Angeles, so it’s hardly surprising that someone has a Ferrari Testarossa, Dodge Viper, and BMW 850Ci V12 sitting in a generic parking garage. The listing claims that the seller has kept up with the basic maintenance requirements of these machines which is hardly a casual type of commitment, but that he has put off fixing “marginal issues” while he’s been unemployed. Find the three-car package here on craigslist.
The Ferrari is obviously the catch of the bunch, and frankly, the asking price would seem fair for just the Ferrari; for all three of these cars is somewhat unheard of. The Testarossa is a 1985.5 model with 53,000 miles on the clock that the seller has owned since 2017. He is refreshingly honest in the listing, noting several electrical gremlins that still need sorting and that the Ferrari last had an engine-out service five years ago and is likely do for another one shortly. Of course, the real shocker is to see that he still owes roughly $33,000 on the car, which just reminds you that not everyone rolling around in an exotic actually owns the thing. The Viper is a 2003 SRT-10 with 30,000 miles that he owns free and clear, and sounds largely turnkey with some minor hardware issues.
The E31-chassis BMW is a sought-after car among BMW enthusiasts, but it’s also a generally maintenance-intensive vehicle that demands ongoing attention – especially when equipped with the V12 like this car is. The seller does note several recent big-ticket maintenance items, including all drive belts, spark plugs, coils, cap and rotor, brake accumulator, and more. This car has a few lingering issues, including the need for new batteries and what sounds like a leaking power steering pump. There is an electrical issue that causes the batteries to drain which the seller believes is attributable to a faulty relay module. There’s 137K on the clock and the seller owns it free and clear.
So, there you have it: three borderline-exotic / sports cars that all scratch a different itch and seemingly offered at a very reasonable price. I don’t doubt the seller has let a few things slide over the years but at the same time, the recounting of the maintenance that has been done seems pretty strong. I certainly wouldn’t call these cars neglected; in fact, it seems to reveal that you can own sports and exotic cars from a certain era and keep them running without having to chase down every last detail. The Testarossa is the clear winner here in terms of desirability, and if you could sell the BMW and the Viper for $50,000 combined, you’d be in a pretty good position for owning a classic 80s Ferrari for under $100,000.
Does anyone else here feel a little dismayed? We work our entire lives to pay for the kids braces, or that mini-van transmission, and this person, who admits not having a job for 5 years( and who knows what before that,) and has a car collection like this? That they need to get rid off? I know I shouldn’t, but what the heck,,HAW-HAW,,,not so happy now, eh?
Either it is a scam or the seller is a criminal who happened to buy them via nefarious means. Run away from this. If something seems too good to be true, almost always it is. Might even be buying stolen goods and before the check clears, the thief will be long gone. Be extra diligent if he asks for payment in Amazon gift cards.
This is amusing to read. If you are making low wages that’s not anyone’s fault but your own. California has tons of rich people. Over here making $100K/year implies you’re still quite poor. I think the current poverty line is about $120K/family. There are tons of $100K+ Teslas, BMWs, Benzs, etc around me in San Francisco and I wouldn’t consider these people truly rich. So $140K worth of cars really isn’t that much in these parts. Especially if the dude is single and just put all his money towards cars buying them years ago when they were much cheaper. No need to be jealous.
You sound jealous and vindictive.
Howard, thats a pretty callous attitude. You’ve no idea what this guy’s circumstances are which have led to his unemployment. Could be illness for all you know. For your sins may you be condemned to forever be driving the mini-van with the dodgy transmission.
I can’t think of a single thing that could be fishy about this story. I’m ready to use my frequent-flyer miles right now!
My first time on a track driving a race 2CV was at a Bentley owners club trackday at Knockhill in 1995. There was a Testarossa there too; much faster than I was on the straights but I was all over the back of it from Duffus through to Chicane, but it was so wide that there wasn’t room to get past it!
I’ve considered them a waste of space ever since…
I’d sell it and the Dodge, and keep the 850 and enough money to run it for quite a while.
I think this is pretty legit, but I would definitely look at the cars before buying.
Lets look at the cars – He purchased the BMW in 2001, so he purchased an 8 year old BMW which was at the bottom of its depreciation curve. Given his description it is a 10-15k car today and really was about the same. My guess right out of college with his first real job.
He then started a business around 2014, in my experience these are “Fad” businesses, a restaurant, night club, a vape shop, or maybe he just did standup. For a while the money is good and he splashes out first for the Viper and then later for his dream car the Ferrari.
Back then the Viper would have been about 30-40k, the Ferrari somewhere between 60-120k.
Now the Fad dies, and the business goes under as he can’t recreate the magic, and he has to sell the toys. I have seen this several times and over the years I have owned an Esprit, a Gallardo, a 355 and a 360 due to circumstances like this. My guess is he borrowed 30-40k against the Ferrari in order to prop up the business or support his lifestyle.
Now for these cars the BMW is worth around 10, 15 if you get the right buyer.
The Ferrari would be worth 100 to 130 but it needs a lot of work, and I am talking 25 to 45k worth of work so its value at best is closer to something like 80.
I am least sure of the viper but given the circumstances I would bet a lot of deferred maintenance, so its values is down in the 30-40k range. He really didn’t lose his butt on the cars, but the value of all three is somewhere between 120 to 135k and I would definitely look these over before writing a check.
People like Gullwing and Beverly hills make a living off of people like this (and those people selling grandads old car) so I give him kudos for actually trying to get fair market value for them.
The cars are supposedly in LA but the Craigslist is Miami. What could possibly go wrong?
Sounds like a rapper, who’s 15 minutes ended 5 years ago. That happens quite frequently!
Keep the Viper, sell the other money pits, own the Viper free and clear with cash to boot.
Keep the cannoli, drop the cars.
“I haven’t worked in 5 years because every time I post this ad, some idiot falls for it.”
Did I miss the part where he wants to be paid in Apple gift cards?
Posted 6 days ago, and nobody has jumped in?
How do you spell scam?
If anyone cares about E31 battery draining problems, here’s how I fixed mine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbfdIqzLc_0
The list of have-done and need-to-do is a nice reminder why I cannot afford a Ferrari. Engine out because it’s already been five years?
I agree with Kevin, had all of these car types run through the shop at one time or another, different owners with different situations some buy them with beer goggles, then can’t afford champagne maintenance costs. If no suspicious circumstances, I bet they sell, and possibly for less.