Value of wrecked '99 cab? (long)

I am a current 993 owner, and just came across an interesting deal on a 99 C4 cab with 11k miles on it. It went on an off-road excursion through some bushes. The damage was all on the surface and the insurance company insisted that it be repaired- one new rear quarter panel skin, doors, top etc... Here's the problem- when the body shop reassembled the car, and installed a new top, the top would not fit. Actually, it fits fine, just won't close automatically. It should be said here that the bodyshop is exceptional normally, and made an honest mistake, aligning the new quarter and top mount incorrectly. They were going to fix the problem in good faith, the owner and the insurance company got litigious, yada, yada- you know the drill. The car has sat for 4 years in a warehouse. While it has a clean title, it is not worth repairing, since the cost to put everything back to rights would be prohibitive. As a street car, it's value is low, since any owner would want a fully functional automatic top. I can raise the top manually, and the car is in perfect condition. As a race car, it would be fantastic. Original sticker is over $100k and the car is heavily optioned. I can get the car for $20K. If I am thinking of this as a really fun car to play with and not worrying about resale, is this crazy? I could drive the car for a while and then worse-comes-to-worse, part it out. Or just drive it! Any thoughts would be appreciated.

For 20k I would just drive it and enjoy, as long as the engine and tranny are in good shape! Good Luck

I'm not sure it would make a good race car. By the time you bolt in a cage, seats, suspension, etc you will have a $35k track car. For that kind of money you can go buy any number of race cars that would work better than a 99 996 cab. On the other hand, fo $20k, forget the top and just drive it on nice days. Jim

For $20 K you could still fix the roof and be way ahead. Go for it, should make a wonderful street car but a cab is probably not a good starting point for a race car.

20K appears to be a good deal, infact too good of a deal. Even under the circumstances, it could be parted for more than that ...

Sounds like a great deal...go for it. For 20k you have a great car to use on nice sunny days (oh wait you're in Seattle ) I agree with everyone else tho, cabs are not great track cars...

You say the top doesn't close automatically but does it close at all? If so, just treat it as a coupe and have the top closed all the time. For $20K you can't go wrong as long as the car is safe and is mechanically sound.

That is a good price for the car, but why wouldn't they just part it out? Seems odd. After sitting for 4 years really make sure the engine is sound, that's a long time to go without turning over.

That is a good price for the car, but why wouldn't they just part it out? Seems odd. After sitting for 4 years really make sure the engine is sound, that's a long time to go without turning over. It's not a good deal, it's a fantastic deal. Even with the bad top, this car should conservatively retail for $40K . I don't think you are getting the whole picture. Never forget the old adage: caveat emptor.

Sounds like a fantastic deal. I paid over double for a similar low miles 99 cab earlier this year. Anyway, I suggest lifting the car and driving with the top down all the time, and if you need to drive covered (heaven forbid), just use the hardtop (you did mention that it had many options)...

Thanks for all the input. It really would be a fun car to just drive and enjoy! We started the car and checked everything out. The car has been started nearly every month for the last 4 years. Because the litigation took so long, the bodyshop wanted to be able to prove that they took proper care of the car. These guys are really reputable. I know every detail about the car, because I was able to get the file from the insurance company's attorney. It appears as though everyone just wants the whole mess behind them. Everyone lost in this case, including the owner, who was without his car for nearly a year before the insurance company paid him off. The top does close, but not automatically. I would have to retrofit some manual latches from an earlier cab to make it work. Maybe I should just skip the top altogether and convert it to a 996 Speedster! (LOL) I wonder if a 94 Speedster windshield and frame could be adapted... Thanks again for the input. I will keep you posted about how it turns out.

cab =/= race car