Make a Bid: Dirty Cars at Bargain Prices

Bud Fischer had seen it all, or so he thought, during his 41 years as a San Diego auctioneer.

But this weekend in Chula Vista breaks all the records, because Fischer, with gavel in hand, will mount the podium and preside over the largest sale of confiscated vehicles ever held by the U.S. Marshal Service.

The 1,300-car auction, which includes a Federal Drug Enforcement Administration-seized 1985 Porsche 930 Turbo and a mobile recording studio used to smuggle aliens, is expected to draw more than 1,500 people Friday through Sunday.

Normally a public auction is considered anything more than 200 vehicles, but numerous recent federal Immigration and Naturalization Service and U.S. Border Patrol seizures of cars carrying illegal aliens have swelled the marshal’s car pounds. DEA- and FBI-seized vehicles are there, too.

Kathleen Carson, a supervising deputy with the marshal’s office in San Diego, said the vehicles sold this weekend should average about $1,000. The minimum bid will be $100, with winning bids on a dozen nicer vehicles subject to approval by the marshal’s office.

Most are autos and vans, a favored vehicle for smuggling aliens.

The vehicles are now spread out over several acres of asphalt and are covered with dirt and debris. Most have been left uncovered for three or more months, and some have been in the marshal’s custody since 1986.

But, for an enterprising shopper not put off by the grime, the sale will offer many bargains. More than 150 used-car salesmen are expected.

Many of the cars could fetch far higher prices in showrooms after a few dollars are spent cleaning them up, said Jeff Pembleton, a Fischer assistant and vehicle auction veteran.

Car buyers “like to be coddled,” he said. “They like to buy a pretty car in a pretty place.”

But those lured by claims that you can purchase “Miami Vice”-style exotic foreign cars for a few hundred dollars shouldn’t bother making the trip.

“Drug runners and smugglers aren’t going to smuggle in a Mercedes. They’ll do it in a $300 car,” Pembleton said. “For them, they’re throwaway vehicles. Besides, it’s not like you’re going to pay $100 for a Porsche.”

Officials warn that it’s common for con artists to attempt rip-offs at government car auctions.

Among the scams Carson has seen include a phony $100 “credit card” that its advertisers say eliminates the $100 deposit required to bid.

“They got taken,” she said.

Meanwhile, for the auctioneer, it’s just another day on the block.

“I’m used to it,” Fischer said. “After a while, you learn how not to let it irritate your throat.”

Fischer, who says at top speed he can auction 80 cars an hour, guesses it will take him and his two assistants 20 hours of fast talking to get rid of the whole lot.

Both Fischer and the marshal’s office expect only 10% of the audience to be licensed dealers, leaving enthusiasts and less-practiced buyers an opportunity to compete.

“They shouldn’t be afraid of the used-car dealers,” said Barry Borden, manager of Abre Enterprises of Chula Vista, which handled the vehicles for the government.

“The (dealers) won’t be able to look at each car as well as the individuals.”

Though there won’t be a lot of licensed dealers in the crowd, Pembleton said some unlicensed participants will buy several cars, only to resell them later.

“Some guys will come in here and buy five bottom-line $300 cars, get them started and turn around and sell them for $600 a piece,” Pembleton said.

Joseph Ney, supervisor of the DMV’s bureau of investigations in Chula Vista, said there were 300 investigations in San Diego, Imperial and Riverside Counties in fiscal year 1989 involving unlicensed car sales, although he said public auctions don’t exacerbate the problem.

Undoubtedly the car that should fetch the most this weekend is a pearl-white, heavily modified 1985 Porsche 930 Turbo. A European model, it was altered to meet U.S. standards before being imported. The exterior has also been heavily modified with a wrap-around spoiler.

The car’s 14-inch-wide Pirelli P7 tires alone--at $1,200-a-set retail--cost more than most than most cars on the lot.

According to Mario Fallone, who sells Porsches at Hoehn Motors in Carlsbad, the car has a 3.3-liter, six-cylinder single-turbo capable of 330 horsepower that will shoot from a stop to 60 m.p.h. in 5.5 seconds.

The marshal’s office says the car has been appraised at more than $85,000, but Fallone said he couldn’t see it go any higher than the $40,000 range.

The Porsche will be kept roped off inside the auction warehouse, but the others will be unlocked for prospective buyers to look over, provided there is room to get the door open in the tightly packed lot. Members of the public can pop the hood, too, but they won’t be able to start the engines.

And don’t think about stealing a loose item--dipstick, hubcap, etc.--that your car may be missing, as officials will keep a sharp eye on the vehicles, which remain the government’s property until they’re paid for.

Prospective bidders can inspect the cars from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday and from 8 to 10 a.m. Friday through Sunday on the grounds, 3650 Main St., Chula Vista.

The auction will be in the warehouse beside the lots from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Saturday and as long as it takes on Sunday. Before receiving a bidder’s number, participants must put down a $100 refundable deposit.

Purchased cars must be paid for by 4 p.m. July 24 and cleared off the lot by the end of the day on July 27, which might be a tight deadline for some, considering that a few of the vehicles probably won’t start.

“Gas goes bad after a while,” Borden said. “I don’t think more than 80% of these cars will run.”

Cash or cashier’s checks are the only payments accepted.