This is why I don't care for German cars.

"The Transporter" (transporter)
05/14/2014 at 22:07 • Filed to: None

On today's episode of Wheeler Dealers:

I want to replace this cheap plastic and metal part that performs a simple but vital function and is probably worth three pence all total. Unfortunately, Porsche won't sell me the part without making me buy a brand new intake manifold made out of an unobtanium/wonderflonium alloy and costs over Ł9000.

FFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKK YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU PORSCHE!!!!!!!!!!!!1!111!!!!!!!1!

DISCUSSION (16)

Spaceball-Two > The Transporter
05/14/2014 at 22:10

I JUST hit record on the DVR for this. Having read the description I was already feeling like this wasn't going to go well.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > The Transporter
05/14/2014 at 22:12

Keep in mind, that is one of the most notoriously expensive to repair German cars ever made. There's a big difference between that and a VW Golf.

Your boy, BJR > The Transporter
05/14/2014 at 22:15

Oh my god……..DEM 928s doe. ESPECIALLY in brown. I'd take this over any car besides a 288GTO and Testarossa ANY DAY OF THE WEEK.

Manuél Ferrari > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
05/14/2014 at 22:20

Good point. If the 928 wasn't so expensive to maintain then the used values would have help up much better. It's hilarious how cheap you can buy a 928 now considering how much they were new.

lone_liberal > The Transporter
05/14/2014 at 22:23

Whoever owned that 911 should be taken out and flogged for neglecting it like that.

The Transporter > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
05/14/2014 at 22:28

For a few years I helped keep my sister's GTI running and while the price of replacement parts were an order of magnitude less, they were still an order of magnitude more than equivalent parts for American and Japanese cars and the whole car was riddled with German design idiosyncrasies that made me want to drive the thing into the damned river. I can't think of a single repair that didn't involve taking the car halfway apart.

Devlin Munion > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
05/14/2014 at 22:28

Even the gap between a Porsche and a BMW or Audi is quite large.

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > The Transporter
05/14/2014 at 22:29

Similar experiences maintaining my roommates Passat.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > The Transporter
05/14/2014 at 22:31

There's no doubt, maintaining a German car is expensive. But if you find the right one, it can be well worth it.

Manuél Ferrari > The Transporter
05/14/2014 at 22:33

Some German cars are designed really weird and a pain in the ass to maintain. I think it's all about finding the right model.

I think in general you are better off going Japanese or American. But if you do your research and buy a used German car that is known to be reliable and not a pain in the ass to maintain then you can get good value.

The Transporter > Manuél Ferrari
05/14/2014 at 22:37

I really like Beetles! If you can't maintain a Beetle using nothing but duct tape and a pair of pliers, you should just probably stay the hell away from cars.

Manuél Ferrari > The Transporter
05/14/2014 at 22:47

Then you would love one of the earlier Porsches!

The early Porsches were literally just faster bugs. They got more and more complicated over time...

My old man is almost done restoring a '63 356. He's fine tuning the (VW) carbs now. Everything about that car is simple.

The Transporter > Manuél Ferrari
05/14/2014 at 22:57

I wouldn't mind a 914 for obvious reasons but there are so many other really good cars in their price range.

Manuél Ferrari > The Transporter
05/14/2014 at 23:00

You're going to flip when you read this -

He bought the 356 last year for $19K. With a straight body and very little rust. It wasn't running but he got it running within 2 days.

It was worth at least 3 times that when he bought it. Hell of a find...

The Transporter > Manuél Ferrari
05/14/2014 at 23:01

Damn!

Manuél Ferrari > The Transporter
05/14/2014 at 23:03

I was so jealous. He was just driving around town on a Sunday and saw a covered car parked in a driveway. It looked like a Porsche so he left a note with his number in case the guy ever wanted to sell. He called him that week! Old guy who had no idea what it was worth...