You can’t blame Porsche fans for lusting after the classic Porsche 959, but modifying a 911 into one? Well, sometimes, there’s a reasonable explanation.

According to the eBay ad, this replica 959 Cabriolet started off as a 1988 Porsche 911 3.2 Carrera, finished in Grand Prix White with a tan leather interior. The reason why this conversion took place was because the 911 was written off as total loss with only 15,000 miles on its 3.2-liter flat-six.

“We will be the first to admit that a bastardized 911 can certainly make you scratch your head as to why anyone would modify such a great car,” says the seller. “The answer is simple. At some point early in its life there was a claim on the insurance that exceeded the threshold to justify a repair. As is common with high-dollar cars, water damage, accidents, and electrical bugs can all run the repair bill past what the insurance company is willing to shell out to put the car back on the road. The beauty of this car is that nobody in their right mind would cut up an ’88 911 in today’s market. That means you would be one of extremely few to own such an example.”

The body kit itself is superior to other 959 kits according to Evolve Motors, with consistent body gaps and a smooth finish on the surface. Also, the bumpers are accurate in their design, with the vents and lights positioned as they would be on the original model. Same can be said about the aftermarket side view mirrors, as well as the headlight bezels and rear light bar.

Right now, this 959 replica has 46,850 miles (75,397 km) on the clock, and according to the description, its original G50 5-speed transmission offers smooth shifts, so you might end up with a good driving machine if you can spare the $23,500 asking price.

As for negatives, aside from being a replica, apparently the power top needs fixing, the radio is broken, the passenger power seat adjustment isn’t working, there’s some discoloration on the door panel leather and a small tear in the driver corner of the boot – visible with the top folded down.

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