Photocycler

With the 981s getting older, I imagine it's becoming more rare to see cars without any damage. I have found a great example but carfax shows an accident with minor front bumper.

Of course would prefer no damage but it looks like it was cosmetic and with the inventory of 981S seeming to be getting smaller and the prices starting to stabilize....curious of what others would do.

The car is priced right, has mostly the right options and is clean from a reputable dealer.

dps214

If the price is right and there's no evidence of residual damage or bad repairs, go for it. Mine was slid into a guardrail almost immediately by its first owner and I've never had any regrets about it.

boxdriver

Front and rear bumpers are fiberglass. No big issues with replacements. If anything, it gets rid of rock chips when you replace them. Metal panels, I feel a little different about because the factory dips those in zinc for rust prevention. Once those start to get repaired and repainted, you lose that protection. Not the end of the world, but something to think about.
If the only thing damaged was the bumper, I wouldn't hesitate if the price is good. But make sure there is no issues with the suspension, radiators and headlight alignment.
People can work miracles on repairing cars now days. The key is to check the parts that aren't as obvious to make sure they did the repair the right way and not just the cosmetics.

Cyclman

I would definitely get a pre-purchase inspection from a high-end body shop, but if they buy off on it, go for it!

anderson930

I almost pulled the trigger on a 981 Spyder in red out of California with a Carfax that showed an accident to the front end occurring during PDI before going to its first owner. Pre purchase inspection was the best money spent because it revealed that this was just the tip of the iceberg. PPI identified flawed body gaps going all the way to the rear panels. In doing more digging, one of the dealerships it went through revealed another accident that happened with the 2nd owner requiring a tow. The more I dug into its history, the more questions than answers I had. Needless to say, I am very happy with my black 981 Spyder with a CPO and pristine history. My advice: always get that PPI *with* the over rev report.

john981

The prices are actually still falling. I was shocked to look at bring a trailer and see for how much the base and S 981 models were sold recently. Wast majority of the 981 base and S were traded for low30s to mid 40s. I still think the 981 is the best value Porsche sports car. I would not make a compromise. When you really want one, wait until you get the one which you are looking for. There are still plenty of 981s out there and many are still low mileage and in great condition. I waited until I got my base 981 boxster in my dream configuration and with only 6k miles. Unless they offer it to you for something in the 20s, I would pass and move on.

dps214

That depends on what you want. If you want a nice one and are willing to pay for it, yeah, there's no reason to compromise. In my case I wanted the high mileage, crash history car, because it was what I could afford, but also I knew I was going to drive the crap out of it, track, autocross, etc. and didn't want to ever have to worry about what I was doing to its value in the process. The only downside is track insurance is still expensive because I have to value it for what it would cost to replace the car, not what it's actually worth.

pghpp70

Just remember that pricing is relative to how the car is optioned and its condition. If you want an S with PDK and little to no performance options, yes the price has really tumbled. If you want a manual and in some instances a PDK with lots of performance options (PTV, X73, PSE) with low mileage and a clean history the prices are pretty stable and in some instances going up. It is really based on how you want the car configured/history.

pghpp70

Not sure if you’re still in the market but this one popped up. It has all the sports options except for SC. I have no idea on the condition or maintenance records, but Carfax is clean and miles are low:

https://www.landroverwestchester.com...b2a86es140590/

Photocycler

Thanks for everyone’s feedback. The car is getting a PPI next week, the car is from a reputable local shop who sells Porsches exclusively.

Understanding when I do go to sell I will take a little hit, if I get it for what I’m asking it will be a pretty good deal.

Ernest72

I bought my car from Carmax and the front bumper was perfect which told me it had been resprayed which was confirmed by the previous owner. Luckily it was just for rock chips. But the PPI will check the subframe and other areas to see for damage. Recently a guy on the forums bought a car and returned it after seeing frame damage. A little front bumper damage is nothing but you don’t want frame damage. Good luck.