California Porsches

California Porsches is a Costa Mesa, California, specialist in air-cooled Porsches, with a focus on early 911s and 912s. It sells cars, restores them and takes them on consignment from other owners. The company calls itself "North America's premier resource" for that work, which is its own description rather than an independent ranking. The business is run by Jason Adams and his wife Leslie. According to the company's About page, Jason bought it in 2013 from the previous owner, Rick Hartbrodt, and later added a dedicated restoration division.

Sales, restoration and consignment under one roof

The model is three services that feed each other. The company sells cars from its own inventory, restores cars for clients and for its own stock, and consigns cars for owners who would rather not sell privately. The site's inventory page is organized the same way, with separate sections for cars that are available, cars currently in restoration and cars already sold. When it was read, the page listed two available cars, three in restoration and a sold archive of 19.

What it sells

The focus is early Porsches. Cars on the inventory page included a 1960 356B and a 1972 911E available for sale, with a 1969 912 and a 1965 356 in the shop for restoration. The sold archive shows the typical range: 912s from the late 1960s, 911T and 911SC coupes and Targas, a 1976 911 S Targa, and the occasional Volkswagen such as a Karmann Ghia or a Beetle. Prices were shown for only a few sold cars, from $14,750 for a 1972 Karmann Ghia to $59,500 for a 1972 911T hot rod. Because the page is not dated, the list is a snapshot, so ask what is available today.

If you are comparing prices for early 911s and 912s, browse classic Porsche 911s for sale to see how other sellers price similar cars.

Restoration and parts

Restoration is a major part of the business, ranging from smaller jobs to full restorations, according to the company. It also lists a wheel restoration service and a parts-finding service. Adams says his motivation is seeing these cars back on the street. The company does not publish restoration rates or timelines on the pages reviewed, so those are worth getting in writing.

Consigning a car

The company says it sells consigned cars with a typical time to sale of up to 45 days, and an average of 25 days. It says it handles marketing, photography, insurance, storage and detailing, and that its percentage-based fee covers those costs with no separate storage charge. The actual percentage is not published, so ask for it up front. If you are weighing this route, consigning a classic explains what to expect from fees and contracts.

Selling a car outright

California Porsches also buys cars directly. The company says it pays cash on-site, handles the DMV paperwork and will take non-running cars. Its wanted list covers all Porsche 356 and 911 models, along with pre-1973 Mercedes, Jaguar, MG, Triumph, Austin-Healey, Alfa Romeo and Volkswagen cars, pre-1965 Corvettes and pre-1970 American convertibles.

Reputation

No verified review score from a platform such as BBB, Yelp or Google could be confirmed for this profile, so none is stated. Ask for references, request detailed photos and service records, and consider an independent inspection on any car you are buying at a distance. The pages reviewed do not mention shipping, financing or trade-ins, so confirm those directly if you need them.

Visiting and contact

The shop is at 1638 Babcock Street, Suite A, Costa Mesa, California 92627. The office phone is (949) 646-3428, and Jason and Leslie Adams are listed with mobile numbers for calls and texts. The website does not publish business hours, so call ahead to arrange a visit.