IM for sale on Samba

I have not heard back from the seller, and I hesitate to post the link to this ad because I have been waiting and saving for an IM at this price point for a while. I have about two more months of saving before I can pull the trigger and I am loosing sleep thinking that I am holding out on my SOC brethren by not sharing info on any available "for sale IM" cars. :).

Hopefully nobody else is interested in a low mileage 24k IM for another couple of months.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1195652

A roadster no less - NICE!

angela

That one has been for sale for at least several months. I think he may have lowered the price though. Looks to be a nice car.

It's not common to find the roadster for so low a price.

Although most 'purists' claim to prefer the speedster, the increased comfort of the roadster in day-to-day use because of the plush seating, full roll-up windows, and more weather defying top system keeps the prices of IM roadsters higher.

This one is possibly not sold because of it's stated 75 hp engine when so many are listed with more. But 75 is 15 more than the original cars had in base form and many potential buyers seem to neglect the fact that with a car as light as these are a little HP goes a long way.

IM cars are solid and well sound insulated even without the available increased soundproofing. Their glass is thick and each car is undercoated. Most don't rattle or transmit drumming sounds to the driver/passenger. Engine and top down wind are the biggest noisemakers from an IM car.

I'd jump on it before you regret it.

I talked to the guy and this car is a really good deal. He is 6'5" and his wife told him he looks goofy driving it, so he is selling.

He did about $1000 worth of work on the car, replacing rubber and chrome in order to freshen it up a bit. The photobucket pics are from before the cosmetic refurb. He said everything that is standard for IM cars, the craftsmanship is impeccable, the power and ride is more than sufficient.

The car is perfect for me, but like I said, I have a couple of more months to wait before I can buy. I had a pretty serious accident in August '10 that required 5 surgeries and lots of recovery time. A used IM is my reward for making it through. If this is still for sale I will get it, but I am posting this knowing that this car at this price won't last until then.

http://s380.photobucket.com/albums/oo242/scottdoering/Intermeccanica/

I hope it does though!

If you have most of the purchase price, can't you borrow the difference, and get this car before it is sold?

The engine does not look like a IM factory install. Perhaps this was a IM "kit" that the original owner installed the mechanical components. I don't see square weave carpet and the leather loks a little like vinyl from the photos. Perhaps Henry knows this car. I would check the history before commiting. It is well priced, but all IM cars are not equal.

I talked to this guy. To me he's way out of the park for a car with that small of a motor and for a 1991. I was looking at several 2000's and 2002's in the 28k range and they had more power and were really nice squared away cars. This guy won't budge off 24k because of what he has in it. I think the cars worth about 18k, but that's just my opinion. The value of a car is not driven by what the owner has spent on it even though this guy thinks it does. he also said it doesn't idle well once I had arranged to drive down to view it so I passed...this car been on the samba for months so I think you can get it if you want it....good luck.

Sorta funny, he had everything in the ad except when it was built!

Hell of a value.

I might move that gas filter from where it is,though.

18K ??? Any decent, well built, nicely running, IM tube frame ROADSTER is worth more than 18K...even with arunning 75hp motor......regardless of year of build. You just CANNOT reach that level of vehicle for less. Does 3 years jeopardize a glass bodied IM Roadster. The rising cost of a NEW vehicle will always TRICKLE down into the older IM with upward pressure. Of course, beauty is in the EYE....but where are these ideally priced IM ROADSTERS? Yes.........in the mid 20s....IF YOU'RE LUCKY !!!

The car is 21 years old.. IF you are willing to pay 24,500 for a 21 year old car with a small motor that looks like that one does, then good for you. It just aint worth it.... I know of every IM out there for sale and yes 10 years makes a big difference in value. IM's are fantastic cars, but not when they don't have an IM installed motor and when they are 21 years old. This guy doesnt seem to even know what the motor is in the car. Also, it doesnt run well apparently per the owner... I think it's funny when people inflate values when they know nothing about the car simply because its an INTERMECCANICA....So lets say you want to throw in an updated motor for about 5k. Then is the car going to be worth 29k while a 2002 with the same motor can be bought for 28k?? That just makes no sense....Why would someone do that? I would have bought this car if it was worth it. It's simply not. Economics are pretty easy to figure on this one.

"It has always been a west coast car... This vehicle has been through the very rigorous NJ state inspection process and passed with no issues... The vehicle is currently registered and titled in the state of NJ.

Never knew that New Jersey is considered being on the West coast. Them Joisey boys really got some connections. Yous got a problem wid dat?

As the owner of this car I thought I might weigh in on the discussion. The car is what it is which is a nice low mileage, early production original roadster. The price is not firm as Chris and i had discussed, however it very clearly is not a sub $20 k car. The car needed a carb adjustment which has since happened. It runs great now.

I am unsure why Chris feels the need to disparage it given he hasnt seen the car in person. At the end of the day he is entitled to his opinion. I would contend it is fairly priced for what it is. I looked for well over a year for a roadster in this price range and can tell you from experience they don't come up often. Once I get more aggressive about selling it the market will dictate what it is worth. Until then I will enjoy it even if I look like a big dope driving it!

As for the year of an IM/speedster dictating the price, that is not always the case. Depends a lot on the individual condition and components of the car.

Hey Scott,
The price being firm is exactly what you told me. You offered to give it to me for 23k but only if the motor was taken out of it???? If the price was at all negotiable you should have told me and I probably would have taken the drive down and might have even bought it. I like straight forward dealings, not trying to sell a car without a motor. Like you said, i have the right to my opinion. In my opinion the car is overpriced and you telling me it didn't run well was a turn off. Good luck. I m sure you will find the right buyer as it is a nice car and it is an Intermeccanica.....You should find out what that motor is though if you can because that also was a red flag to me when you said you didn't know what the motor was.... This definitely can decrease the value....

Absolutely....the year has very little to do with the price-point. Any decent tube frame IM road/speed will fetch over 20k....they are far and few.....he will be looking until Madonna starts to accumulate dust.....others will enjoy the fine MARQUE

I respectfully disagree. How is a 1991 with a small unidentified motor 4k less than a 2001 or 2002 with a larger CB performance motor? Does the motor hold any value? Just my opinion......I don't get the dusty Madonna reference, and who HE is but OK...

And this is why I won't ever both posting a car for sale in Speedster Owners.com...

This type of "bash the guys car - the motor is a pussy - it's overpriced, etc" stuff got a real hard run on the Pelican Porsche BBS years ago. The administration locked the threads on cars for sale so that the only person who can update, add information or do replies is the original poster.

The three we put up over the next year or two will go straight to ebay.

angela

What Angela said x2

The engine IS wrong, but I guess that's pretty clear. My 2001 has a CB 90 hp that was one step up from the standard IM installed that year so the HP could be right. The way Henry put it to me is it's 90 but if you dyno it you should be happy if you see 80 hp.

But the installation in this car for sale looks weird with loose wire and fuel lines and no throttle crossbar. It could be much older than mine is but it's hard to imagine that Henry's practices were ever so unappealing.

Kinda' weird the business about being 6'5" and looking like a dork. I'm 6'3" and feel like I barely see over the door sills. Maybe the seats in the for sale car are not the roadster seat now used, or they're up on blocks? Either way, when I hear something like this I think "new wife" before I think "new car".

Still, it's a roadster and they don't come up often, especially with mid 20's pricing. I paid $24.5K for mine and felt kinda' like I'd swiped it.

Ken, Sounds like you got a great deal for a 2001. I looked at your car. I like the color combination. Very "period correct" looking which I prefer. very sharp.

Personally, I think a fellow 6'5 would look simply FABULOUS in a roadster!!

I am still amazed at Karl Dempwolf folding his tall elegant self into his spyder. AWESOME!

angela

(laneco)
Medford,OR US
Donating Member posted 4/5/2012 1:20:52 PM And this is why I won't ever both posting a car for sale in Speedster Owners.com...

This type of "bash the guys car - the motor is a pussy - it's overpriced, etc" stuff got a real hard run on the Pelican Porsche BBS years ago. The administration locked the threads on cars for sale so that the only person who can update, add information or do replies is the original poster.

The three we put up over the next year or two will go straight to ebay.

angela

Yesssssss....instead of embracing our quirky tubs....some beat down the odd "sale"....the glass is half full !! Nobody wants to hear that our overpriced piece of sh*t is overpriced. "i wouldn't pay dollar over 18k for that one" ????? That breeds stress in the community.....to have the quiet SCORN at the next show.....gee, they all think I'm an asshole for spending 24k on my IM ???

Members of the SOC have an advantage over individuals who have little or no knowledge of these little replica's, and I do believe that we all would like to someday get the maximum value possible when selling one of our tubs, in Reality, the SOC is most likely not the place to get the "maximum value"....
As they say opinions are like a$$holes, everybody has one, and sometimes it shows more than at other times.....I'm just saying....

Reading the posts from Hawaii are like reading something in a foreign language that no one has ever heard of. Just odd.... Those posts Stress me in my community??? This car was listed on the samba not on the SOC and the seller was not an SOC member.... I agree the place to get best value is not on this forum. I thought that having an opinion on a Car was kinda what this "forum" was all about. I guess we should all just say "nice car, what a deal! Go for it", no matter what your true opinion of something is.... It's awfull to say what you think..... I guess. I would buy that car and then smile when another one pops Up on EBay in 30 days that is half the age and has a better and more identifiable motor... Then maybe everyone will like me!

It's time this thread died...

the thread is Officially dead. Car is sold and destined for a Subaru 2.5 NA/sti 6 speed transplant. Shipping next week to Lake Tahoe it's final resting place. All I had to do was be nice and I stole it. Both happy

all the post above make total sense. Mr Schofield for sure. Both sides are spot on really. Without seeing the car I personally wouldn't comment. I saw videos that nobody else saw. Granted never in person but HD quality vids helped me.

I'm a careful buyer. I'd been looking for an IM for quite some time. At first it was all SAS for me I had a build sheet all ready to go...Meissner Blue/Dark blue/AC Roadster in mind. DREAM CAR. I'd called Steve up in Tennesee about then and he told me I had to wait 18 months for my SAS Dcab'. Boo..I'd asked a year prior and it was 2 years (who knows though). So I temporarily gave up that dream.....

That was 3 months ago and that's when I started my hunt for a reasonably price IM to put my Subaru drivetrain in. I couldn't find one for less than 30 that I liked ie color/drivetrain/leather etc. This one popped up and I watched it for a few weeks (like 6) 'till I felt it was right. I love the colors and options (despite the dual port 1600). In videos he sent me the motor appeared to run smooth and clean. The car was originally ordered as coach according to the build sheet I got from IM. Someone else put in the engine. Any serious VW person can see that in the pics. It does run solid. Should get me by till the conversion

A zillion emails later and I worked it out with Scott and got a real good price. Plus he made it real 'easy' for me at the DMV when it comes to use tax. Saving BIG TIME and nobody but us know the truth

I can't wait to dive in and make this 6 speed D Cab' a reality

ps glad to be here. so much knowledge

Barne,
What I found appealing about the car was the color combination and the fact that the seller had spent some money on freshening it up. Despite my previous posts I actually had my mechanic ready to drive to NJ with me and check it out, but I got cold feet when I heard it didn't run well at first idle. Sounds like Scott squared that away pretty easiy. I am sure that you will love the car and that it will be a blast to drive. I am a huge Intermeccanica fan...Congrats on the purchase... Enjoy!

Well put Barne and Cheers!
Vince, you want to pronounce last rites on this thread? Or just hold hands and sing KumbiYa in a circle, celebrating the magificent differences we all have but are still able to "just get along"= Rodney King.

Barne, what is moo sex?

I am also glad to see this thread come to an end.... I know no one and I don't even have a car right now. Maybe that's why I'm such a miserable prick! Sorry to come off like an a hole for those of you that think I am. Hoping I can meet some of you in Carlisle next year as I still won't have a car by this years Carlisle meet.... Thanks. Chris

I gotta say MooseX is better than "Snakehole Buddy" any day of the week!

Well I'm off , belatedly to Crusin Grand here in beautiful downtown Escondido after getting my front blinkers working!

Talk about snake holes, you should see the scary wire mess under my dash, I almost wish I had some buddy with long arms to pull me out!

Hopefully I wont get pulled over by the Fuzz for not having seatbelts yet. God willin' and the creek don't rise.....

Cheers All!

I say if you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen. All this point and counter point is exactly what I as a prospective buyer needed to hear. NO FLUFF just folks in the know speaking out.

The price was a bit high to begin. I channeled my inner Mike Brewer' and went to work on the seller. It's only about the 70th car I've bought used. Not bragging just that I love cars...german cars the most

..but really love subie boxers' I've worked in a BMW resto shop, a vw shop and shade treed' it for a few years on all kinds of Subarus, Alfas and a few Porsches. A Dcab' with a Subaru drive'is a very enticing idea... actually makes feel a bit like Garth staring at Kim B'. Couldnt resist

Moosex? I made that up after my crazy freind made me watch fat people porn...I said that's gd' moose sex haha. I needed a screen name and it popped into my head..

For the six-speed - I'm REAL intrigued about this but I thought the six speed couldn't be converted to run as RWD?

Are you going mid-engine with it or is there a way to flip the R&P so that it remains rear-engined?

We are looking at subie drive trains for two of our projects. The cost of converting the 5-speed subie transaxle to allow a rear engine setup was about what it would cost me to put in a rebuilt 915, and for less money an audi box... And all the sources I found were pretty adamant that the six speed subie was a no-go (unless you run mid-engined).

Just fishin' for info to enlighten myself! Glad to see this neat car got a home and with a real enthusiast! Haven't met you yet, hope to see you at one of the events soon!

Go SUBIE!

angela

Angela, this is probably the best source for information on Subie transmissions in a VW
http://www.subarugears.com/

A quote from his website: "We do NOT manufacture ring and pinions for the 6 speed STi transmissions or Automatic transmissions."

Chris, I'm from N.Y. i think everyone from Boston is a prick....
No matter, just consider the source....

Very refreshing to hear from another north easterner... Thanks Vince. I'm not fond of New Yorkers either these days since the other Manning stuck it to us again this year. I bet youre a Yanks fan too.... I could care less about baseball... Too boring for me, but I have to dislike all Yankees fans just because......Right now I'm staring at you and your ride in my office every day on my extra large SOC calendar. At least I can like the car you drive... nice ride.... Totally Bad A$$.....