Hi, first post here after reading just about every thread there is. I have lusted for a 911 all my life and am very close to committing on one. First concern, the vehicle was in a minor accident. Damage to rear bumper cover pretty much, but it shows on Carfax as a minor accident in 2015. Total repair was $5k. No damage to any body panels. Owner has detailed photos of damage as well as detailed repair bill. My only concern is resale.
Owner is meticulous with maintenance and records. I am very comfortable with the history. I have spoken with the owner of the shop where it is maintained and he also says very good condition and maintenance. Car has 60 k miles which is high, but I am not worried there.
I will get a PPI, but I have a question on that. Would the mechanic shop who cares for the vehicle be better for the PPI since they have history etc, or would I be better served with an unrelated shop? If so, can anyone recommend a good shop for PPI in San Francisco or Marin?
Car is a 991.1 if it matters.
Thank you for the guidance, and I hope to join the club soon!

 

I had Marin Porsche do my PPI on my GT4. They were great but missed a mouse nest in the car. To be fair it was crazy hidden. But any true dealership mechanic should of been able to pick up on the smell. Once it got hot you could easily smell that bad smell. Luckily it was just a nest and the rodents didn't do any actual damage to the car. They just brought in leaves and nuts ontop of the engine. I just spent a day cleaning it off. But the rest of the PPI was spot on.

Honestly if your concerned of resell value I would pass on the damaged 911 unless its too good of a deal to pass up. Also the damage depends on what kind of 911 your looking at. It matters more on the more rare models.

 

For Marin: Check HiTec In San Rafael. https://www.hitecauto.com/testimonia...3cp_desc=false

I tend to prefer Indies to dealers when it comes to PPIs. At a dealer you'll likely get an overworked junior tech running a basic checklist - they'll run the DME and put a paint meter on it, and do a basic visual inspection. I haven't worked with HiTec, but as a point of reference, Heyer Performance in Mountain View (excellent shop) found a bunch of stuff for me on a car that a dealer CPO'd. Including ironically mouse damage.

As for the car in question, if you plan to keep the car for a long time and/or track it, this could be a brilliant bargain if the PPI checks out but as the other respondent has said, resale will suffer.

 

Some $0.02 here since you're looking for some perspective.

1. Congrats on getting to the point where you're able to achieve one of your personal goals.
2. Sounds like a really nice example that has been properly maintained.
3. However, it has damage history (no matter how minor) that will carry with it forever. If that's priced into it, PPI checks out, and you love everything about the car, why not do it.
4. Resale - thinking about this prior to ownership, (which comes up all the time), means this is important to you. Maybe this is your transition 911 into a newer model and so forth. Anyhow, thinking about resale can get in the way of enjoying the car. And when you go to sell, the next potential buyer is likely to ask the same questions.
5. Forgetting the minor damage for a moment, what is it about this particular car that you're in love with?
6. PPI - I wouldn't be nervous to use the existing shop that has maintained the vehicle assuming they have a good reputation. In addition, they likely have a standard checklist, but you can always be specific and ask for measurements on items that are most important to you, backed up with pictures. Also, you should find out when the last major service was completed - there are Porsche recommendations based on time and mileage. You may, as part of your negotiation process, ask to ensure it's up to date.

You've waited this long, don't have to rush at the final moment. Trust your gut.

Good luck and congratulations!

Cheers

 

So how does (or should) damage history affect pricing? I watch car prices pretty close, and have for a few years. I should have bought a 993 when I wanted to 10 years ago! What I don’t understand, is what sort of price adjustment off market price is expected, given a proper repair etc? Honestly, to me it doesn’t matter if it’s fixed correctly and there was no structural damage. And I’m not worried about the next buyer, but the reality is I will sell someday and move to another 911, so I don’t want to be stuck with something I can’t move. It’s a weird thing here with 911’s, any damage whatsoever is treated like a salvage title, and miles are frowned upon. I plan to DRIVE it, enjoy it, maybe even track it. That to me is the reason to have one.

 

Firstly, congrats. Secondly, $5k on a Porsche is the cost of a new bumper cover and repaint - nothing. Having full documentation is golden. Impact on resale is minimal-to-zero for any reasonable buyer and will only continue diminishing as the car ages. Not true that any damage is treated like salvage. If you have that impression from reading forums, it's because everything is blown out of proportion on car forums. It's not reality. Go get your car and enjoy it!

 

It's a good question. Not sure if there is a scientific method that car dealers use. One way to measure the impact would be to compare two very similar cars and compare pricing. You can also talk to your local Porsche dealer sales associate and get their perspective. I've never considered buying one for the same reasons you're suggesting. Typically there are enough available without any negative history that it's something I filter out, e.g. Cargurus has this feature.

One of the reasons I asked what about this car you really like is this. Forget about the minor damage for a moment - often a buyer will say they really love the car because X, Y, and Z. I realize you really want to drive the car, track it, etc., and more miles isn't an issue. But, how does this car compare to all the other 991 vehicles with 60k miles?

 

If the car is a fair price, slight discount for the bumper mishap, good documentation of it, IMHO go for it if it passes a ppi at any reputable Porsche shop.

 

At that mileage depreciation has already hit... drive it and enjoy it.
one of the reasons I have not pulled the trigger on a 992 is because I don’t want car payments and I don’t want to worry about resale. I’ve already done that with 3 gens of past 911s I’ve owned...

if I do it again it’s because the corvette Z06 order got picked up.
worry about resale just ruins the experience..

 

If I had those I would consider for a 10% discount. It will affect resale but just keeps pics in a very safe place and you might consider taking pics of pics and putting them on google drive.

 

I recently bought my dream car, a 2013 991.1 C2S Cab with just under 50k on the clock. It had been in a front end minor/moderate accident with no airbag deployment. I had a PPI performed that found a few minor mechanical issues. The car was priced appropriately and I negotiated the price down to cover the repairs the PPI identified as needing to be done (a new radiator fan and horns). It's a daily driver and has been flawless since I took delivery. Resale was not really a concern as I plan to keep the car until the day I die. Good luck with your hunt.

Martin

 

some people don't care and would rather have the deal but some people just will not look at anything with an accident so when you go to sell it will take a bit longer because of a limited pool of potential buyers.

i'd take the deal but i plan to keep cars forever so the sale really isn't an issue for me

 

I think if you actually plan to drive it and at that mileage that minor accident, especially with documentation will be less of an issue, as you approach 100k miles, the mileage will take over as the bigger impact for resale value. I say get the car if you are in love with color combo, overall condition and plan to keep it for awhile and add mileage.

 

Two identical cars sitting next to each other. One show accident other doesn't which would buy?? Well statically 55% of individuals will not even look at a wrecked car or I will rephrase a car showing "accident". May be zero damage but if accident is shown value is decreased. Diminished value and its alot. I wouldn't buy a wrecked 911 without a 15-20% off price. Aftermarket parts are garbage, i would never buy any wrecked car where mechanical components were damaged like steering rack, AC, transmission. The body shops replace with the cheapest garbage on market and wear you out with their lifetime warranties. Your car will not be competitive when it is sold with accident. Either get 20% discount or walk away.... Oh and when your car gets wrecked and it isn't your fault go after diminished value. My Tundra was classified as being in an accident and it wasn't. Before and after carvanna offers were $8.5k different. Again that was a Tundra not a 911............................................

 

2017 991.2 C2 CPO. Bought 6 months ago, same damage, someone rear ended the car, cosmetic damage only but still over $4K to repair so noted on carfax and noted by the dealer that I bought from. Accident happened only a few months after original purchase in 2017. I'm the third owner of the car and it had no bearing on my decision. Maybe some places will negotiate price but my experience is for CPO you pay the price they advertise or they let you walk. You're buying a 911 not a mustang.