Cajun

Hi guys & gals,

Quick question about PPI's....

I think I finally may have found what I have been looking for - an '86 w/ 81k. I located the car in Houston Texas through a relative who knows I have been looking. He is a mechanic, but knows very little about P-cars. My mother has done business with Momentum Porsche, so I was considering taking the car there.

I was wondering (1) if a dealership is the "best" place to take a car for a PPI; and (2) approximately how long do PPI's take?

Thanks in advance!

George 911-V8

Where is the car Cajun texas? If so what city.

Curious George

reed

I took my '86 to a reputable Porsche dealership to do the PPI. While they were fairly thorough, most dealerships just aren't set up for this type of service. 95% of their work is new car warranty repairs, not working on cars approaching twenty years old. But since I was buying from out of town, I felt more comfortable going to an authorized dealership than just picking someone at random in a city that I was not familiar with. When I got back home with the car, I took it to an independent repair shop that I know. He was much more thorough and knew all of the 930's problem areas since he works exclusively on pre-90 911s.

By the way, is the car you are looking at a white '86 with tan interior? If so, the car is now listed on ebay with a "buy it now price" of $26,500. From the pictures, the car looks very nice and appears well maintained. Good luck.

Chris

Cajun

George, the car is in the Houston area.

Reed, I'm not sure if it is the same car or not. I was originally hoping to find a silver, white or black car. My friends/family know this so chances are it is one of those three colors. I have been playing phone tag with my uncle who heard about the car I am talking about. I haven't had the opportunity to ask him any questions (color, etc.) He simply left me a message to call him because he thinks he found something, and mentioned the mileage. I will check out the car on e-bay. Who knows, it might be the same car??? -If so, I would still like to see it in person before buying/bidding on it. I have a close friend who purchased a car off of e-bay sight unseen and it turned into a real nightmare.

As soon as I hear something, I will let you guys know. - Thanks again for the replies.

reed

Here's a link for the car on ebay.

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6433&item=2401370164&rd=1" target="_blank">'86 930</a>

ZCAT3

That car looks to be in nice shape and is fully optioned - full leather interior, sports seats, updated stereo with tweeters, 17 inch Porsche wheels, etc. Although what the heck is that light green oil filter? If a PPI checks out on this car, it is a nice deal at that price.

JBH

There are several reputable shops in the Houston area that I would select before going to the dealer:
Pro-technik 281-879-8892
Viking Motorsport 281-498-1001
Rennsport 979-885-7304
Eurocar-werk 713-661-6428

All these facilities work on Porsches regularly and could do anything you want for a PPI. Just make sure you know what you are getting and exactly how much it will cost. Shop around.

Any PPI on a turbo should include a compression and leakdown test. It costs more, but it tells you a lot about the health of the engine.

Be sure to ask lots of questions before you buy - this seller does not sell a lot of Porsches - he probably got it from an auction. The transmission is not a G50 as stated in the ad.

Cajun

Thanks for the advice guys.

Reed - I think that it might be the same car in the ad. If so, I don't think I am going to bid on it. I would feel alot better getting a PPI. God knows I would be pi$$ed off if I had to drop another 10 - 12K on an engine rebuild on top of the purchase price.

I was just talking to one of the guys at work who is also a Porsche guy (currently has a C2 Aero & a '73 911 racecar) and he told me about an SC he bought several years ago without getting a PPI. Within a month, the engine blew. Needless to say, one $10,000 engine rebuild later he is a strong advocate of the PPI.

If it doesn't sell, I may give them a call.

JBH - Is Coral Red similar to Raspberry? Just curious, sounds like a nice car. Thanks for the info.

reed

Cajun,

I agree with JBH. On a car with this mileage, I would definitely want a compression and leakdown test as part of the PPI. Also, as with most ebay auctions of cars like this, I think you could arrange with the seller in advance of your bid, that it was conditioned upon a satisfactory PPI. I think most reputable sellers would agree to this.

ZCAT3

Yep - a PPI contingency in advance of bidding is a wise idea. It does seem as if the seller does not know the car very well. Twelve thousand dollars of maintenance for a 17 year old 930 is nothing. Perhaps if he does not know 930s he is using Kelly Blue Book or the like as a price guide. KBB always seems to list prices below the market rate for 930s, so maybe you can get a good deal.

Did they even make 17 inch hollow spoke wheels like that? The only hollow spokes that look like that that I am aware of are the 18 inch 996TT rims.

JBH

Coral Red has more gold in it than a Guards Red - it is a metallic paint where the metallic component is gold flake. In bright sunlight it almost looks like a bronze color.

It is one of those colors that appeared for a short while in the 90's (remember all the pastel colors that came out in the Carrera series?)