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No Reserve: 1988 Porsche 911 Targa

It’s rare to see an air-cooled 911 selling at no reserve these days, but this listing for a very clean 1988 Porsche 911 Targa has no such restrictions. The 911 market is full of dreamers and pikers who want to see the stars for even basketcase examples, but preserved specimens like this are the ones serious buyers hold out for. The seller mentions that the Targa comes with a beautiful Linen-colored interior, and remains in very tidy shape despite 91,000 miles on the clock. Find it here on eBay with bids currently surpassing $31K.

The California blue plates give some indication to the car’s length of time in California, but it’s a still a well-traveled example: sold new in Florida, it also spent time in Texas and Nevada. The light-colored Linen leather interior with matching door panels and carpets is in exception condition for such a light tone and a car that’s seen some actual use. My hat is off to whichever owner was able to keep the cabin looking so nice. The seller notes the Targa top is color-matched to the Marine Blue exterior.

It’s amazing to see Targas drawing this sort of interest, as they were once the red-headed stepchild of the 911 family. Given the interest in air-cooleds of every generation, the Targa is no longer a steal as it relates to the rest of the lineup. The paint code looks excellent against the Fuchs with black centers, but I’d lose the whale-tail if it were mine. This 911 also has the desirable G50 transaxle, which is a much more pleasant transmission to live with every day than the previous generation. The seller says there are no signs of paintwork or accident damage anywhere on the car.

The engine has received some attention recently in the form of fluid changes, as well as some additional work that included new valve cover gaskets, fuel pump, and a new battery. The seller says there is a theft listed on the 911’s history report, but that no damage occurred at the time. Overall, there’s not much here to fear, as the car looks incredibly honest and well-presented. A no-reserve listing will likely net the seller a decent number, which I expect will crest $40K by the time it’s over.

Comments

  1. Avatar Luki

    Ho hum. Later model 911 Targa. There are plenty to chose from that don’t have marked up Carfax reports.Light interior is just plain ugly and does not belong in a sports car. 3.2 is nice. G50 but it’s a heavy slow beast.
    No wonder Porsche almost went broke they clearly lost their way styling wise during that period. Big whale tail for street use. Ugh.

    Like 3
    • Avatar Rx7turboII

      Wow! Couldn’t disagree more with everything you just said except the 3.2 is a good engine…lol

      I suppose an early rusted out 356 does more for you? Don’t worry then, they’ll be 20 of them on here by next week.lol!

      Nice car with gorgeous interior and awesome whale tail….no wonder people are bidding like crazy on it! Love the color too!

      Like 9
      • Avatar VwbussEd

        The color definitely sets this one off. Absolutely beautiful contrast.

        Like 2
  2. Avatar Dean

    Probably go for high dollar, but here’s a starter 911 for someone…

    from the description

    I am selling my 1978 Porsche 911 project car. this car requires a lot of work but the title is clear $5000

    Like 3
  3. Avatar Ike Onick

    Florida, Texas, Nevada, California visitor. I would have a drug sniffing canine check this crime scene vehicle out before I did anything else. This car either belonged to a dealer or his lawyer.

    Like 0
  4. Avatar Miguel

    “The California blue plates give some indication to the car’s length of time in California”

    This is completely wrong.

    Those blue plates were from the middle of the ’70s and they were not transferrable.

    Either they were just put on there for the pictures or there is an interesting story on the title of this car.

    Like 2
  5. Avatar Michelle rand

    This car was up for sale on B.A.T. and ‘sold’ for roughly $40k. I was interested in it but couldn’t bid at the time it ended. Shortly after, it showed up on eBay at ‘no reserve’. I corresponded with the seller who said that the B.A.T. sale fell thru and they were trying a new venue. The car ‘sold’ again around $40k. NOW, it is up for sale again on ‘no reserve’. I don’t know what’s going on here, but it’s feeling fishy.

    Like 3
    • Avatar VwbussEd

      I’m surprised he didn’t try BAT again. Ebay is so worthless anymore, I cancelled my account after spending hundreds of dollars trying to sell one of my 914’s to ghost bidders. Ebay does not care, I almost feel they create fake bidders to make more money for themselves.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Michelle rand

        BAT doesn’t care either. If you look at the reviews of BAT online, you will see they are fairly miserable. If you have trouble with a counter-party, you are totally on your own. At least on eBay I’ve had some luck combating that.

        Might take a look at Wheeler Auction Group (be sure to put “Group” in there as there are a few Wheeler Auctions… )

        Like 0
      • Avatar Todd Zuercher

        @Michelle rand – I hadn’t looked at BaT’s reviews online until I read your comments so I did a little googling and reading. There certainly are a number of unhappy people out there that don’t like them, but I’d counter that after 10K auctions, the number of unhappy folks is probably a pretty small percentage of that number. I’ve read from day one from/about folks that were unhappy because BaT wouldn’t take their car or wouldn’t agree to the seller’s reserve. That story can go both ways and I see both sides of that story. In any case, it’s caveat emptor with any of these places where you can sell your old car.

        Like 0
  6. Avatar Todd Zuercher

    I was going to say this car sold for $40.5k on BaT on 11/12. The photos are the same ones he used there. He has a history of putting plates on cars for “display purposes only” and has had to explain that practice more than once.

    The seller is a BaT darling and has sold a lot of cars there. Somehow he claims he’s a “private party” selling cars on “behalf of their owners”, but he’s sold more cars in his time on BaT than perhaps anyone except Jason at Denwerks, who’s unfailingly honest and says he’s a dealer.

    That said – his cars are nice and seem to be high quality units.

    Like 2
  7. Avatar Wolfram

    I am German and wonder what is B.A.T. Can somebody tell me? Thanks

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Dean

    Bring-a-trailer…a site for selling cars to the highest bidder, much like an auction

    Like 0
    • Avatar Wolfram

      @ Dean, thanks for the quick response, i am allways curious about new sites, but barnfinds is my every evening/after work lecture

      Like 1
  9. Avatar h5mind

    FWIW, posing as a private seller while flipping more than x number of cars a year- AKA, ‘Curbstoning – is illegal. I have no problem buying from a dealer as long as they identify as such. Honesty is like being pregnant- you are or you ain’t. This is especially important as these classic cars continue to sell for more and more money.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Todd Zuercher

      Thanks for the info on that term – I had never heard it before. I’m not sure it would apply in this case. This car’s seller (http://dietzmotorcraft.com) refers to themselves as an ‘automotive concierge’, not a dealer. They do the work of photos/listings, etc. for the owners and in turn get about 10% of the sales price if the car sells. I suppose one could argue they’re a dealer, a consignor (they apparently do a lot of other stuff with the collections they manage too), or a concierge service. It’s a lot of semantics and picking the fly bits out of the pepper, but in the end, I hope they’re paying the taxes on the $$ they earn.

      Like 0
  10. Avatar Bodyman68

    Just another glorified volks wagen and not even a barn find ,waste of print

    Like 0

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