BEAUTIFUL Intermeccanica Convertible D ebay

Wow!  That's gorgeous.

A beautiful car for sure.

Ditto!!

WNGD posted:

Great color combination, not just a Subie engine but a 300 HP rebuilt 2002 WRX engine , 911 chassis, 944 suspension, all disc brakes, AC, heat, heated seats, p windows, Boxster seats, VW GTI tranny. Only 6000 miles.

It's a special car for sure... but I think the listing dealer may be a bit confused.

I don't see how a car can have a "911 chassis" and a "944 suspension" at the same time (or what that even means), or how it can have a GTI transmission.

Intermeccanicas are all built on box-steel frames, so there is no "chassis" seperate from the "suspension". It's impossible to tell what it has for running gear and brakes, but if it came from Henry like this, it has either a 914 or 911 suspension (and brakes). It's possible that it has 944 trailing arms in the back, but that's not necessarily any great shakes.

Back to the transmission-- the GTI is a front drive car with the engine and transmission mounted east and west instead of north and south. I went to the dealer website, and looked at pictures-- there's an EMPI trigger shifter between the seats, so my bet is it's a VW 4-speed.

The dealer description seems like most other used car ads-- long on pretty pictures and short on any meaningful information.

I was thinking the same thing when I read it Stan, and you beat me to the punch.

In addition, a WRX only ever had 221 hp or so. It was the STI that had 300 hp.

Marketing and ad hype galore.........meaning, not so much.

While yeah, the ad doesn't exactly have the description right (not the first time for one of these cars) since Henry built it I'll bet it's still a very fun car to drive 

It's a standard IM 4 speed.  914 front and maybe 944 trailing arms like Stan said.  But this is a WRX Subie.  I spoke to the guy once.  The engine is Dyno tuned also.  It's a beast in the speed department.  

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1959-...9:g:to0AAOSwXbZeaYGZ

Forgot to put the link in the original post.

And Stan, I'd bet the seller had the WRX and 300 HP correct and simply didn't add the STI

But judging by the look of the vehicles in the background, this dealer likely wouldn't err on the specifics and exaggerate HP

On occasion IM does install early 944 rear susp but in reality that is like a type 1 except for the brakes. 

Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful car, but get your info right in the ad....

Aren't the 944 trailing arms aluminum, like the later 911 arms(which are pretty close to the same IIRC)?

It does look like a Type1 4 speed for sure but it has Joe's wheels

@WNGD wrote- "But judging by the look of the vehicles in the background, this dealer likely wouldn't err on the specifics and exaggerate HP"

Dealers like this do it all the time- they're dealing with a crowd where a lot of people have more money than brains, some really don't know much about cars in general, just need to hear certain buzz words to get their interest and don't always care if their descriptions are technically correct. You and I both know it does not have a "911 chassis", and a "944 suspension all around" makes it sound that much more exotic (again, probably wrong as being an IM it probably has a 911 or 914 front end- either a much better suspension than the 944 stuff for a rear engine'd car) but that sort of thing is what the crowd who frequent this type of dealership wants to hear. It will be bought sight unseen and will end up in another multi car collection where it will be driven a few times a year until the owner gets tired of it (what- it needs a mechanic how often? it leaks in the rain?) and shuffles it on, maybe even by the same dealer. The car was previously part of a collection and the owner only put 6,000 miles on it in 6 years, 1,000 miles at one time in a vintage car rally. The old owner never spent enough time with the car to really get to know and appreciate it- another case of too many toys.

A number of years ago there was a similar discussion here about a replica for sale online, with the seller (again, a higher end car lot) not really knowing much about the car. I emailed them asking to clarify a few things and after a couple of back and forths (with no real info divulged) was told that everything in the ad was correct, that was all I needed to know and unless I was truly interested in buying the car to stop bothering them. I of course emailed the guy 2 more times (what else do you do in the middle of the night when you can't sleep?) just 'cause I could. I don't know if I'd posted my first time yet or had just started as an active member (I lurked occasionally for 4? years before my first post) so didn't report anything. Al

Totally agree. The error I referred to that a high end dealer likely wouldn't purposely exaggerate or lie on, was the 300 HP claim. I have no doubt that's an STI engine. The rest, they either take as face value or glam over what they want from the original IM documentation. I wouldn't be surprised if the owner had it built just for the race and barely drove it afterwards. Like you said, more money than brains.

Beautifully executed car and I'd bet a blast to drive though.

Cheers

Al, those kinds of dealers are not worth your time they are looking for Tucker.

Also bait and switch, happens continually with some dealers which is so offensive.  I refuse to deal with some dealers.

Early 944 arms are steel, late arms aluminum.

The ad has been removed.

It also reminded me of going to a high end car dealer and the salesman thought it was a privilege for me to go for a test ride and was adamant that he wanted an appointment and a minimum of 4 hours to sell me. 

I looked at him and said sorry there is no way, that under those terms we will do business together.  

You are under the impression that I need you, from my perspective it is the other way around.  Have a nice day.  I never bought that type of car and nothing from that car dealership or their affiliates at all.  

Clients are an asset, not the other way around in my books.

if their lips are moving...they are lying.