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I am seriously looking at my first Porsche right now. It is a 991.1 2013 Carrera 2S cab with a manual transmission in PTS Porsche Racing Green.
I am come from corvettes & V8 mustangs. To be honest while I love the power of American muscle, I am tired of their build quality & ride quality. I want a Gemini of a car that can be a monster and sophisticated; I can take to work without embarrassment, on a date with my wife, cruise on the beach, spacious enough for a few friends if necessary, or rip it apart by myself on the back roads.
My budget is low (for a pcar. wife thinks it’s too high lol) and I want to buy in cash. Mostly was looking at 997 targas and really drooling over pushing the budget a bit more for a turbo. But then I found this car by accident! Manual transmission is a non-negotiable. Cab or coupe are the same to me. I prefer the lines of a coupe but the fun of a cab. Targa is best.
I’ve been lurking here, FB marketplace, pcarmarket for my unicorn. I think
I found my car.
Pros:
-$63k
-Manual
-991.1 PTS Porsche Racing green (dark green over brown is my favorite color combo)
-Private party sale
-Current owner did $10k of work to get it crispy
-NA 3.8 L
-Good documented maintenance on carfax
-Good specs (carbon fiber, dual tone, Bose speakers)
-Wireless Apple CarPlay added seamlessly to oem with a module behind the screen
-Front & rear camera
-Laser Radar detector
-New pirelli tires as of February
-First owner took factory delivery in Stuttgart so I can reasonably assume it’s been on the autobahn.
-New leak free top seemingly
-$130k new and very nicely spec’s including bose, dual tone leather, upgraded seats, carbon fiber
Downsides:
-100k miles (single owner for 98k miles)
-Accident in 2021 at 80k miles (undetectable from pics and videos so far. Seems
blended. Minor right side collision per carfax)
-Front marred with a dumb front plate bracket (silly criticism, but I hate those. I don’t need a front plate. Can obviously get bumper plugs or invest in repair and repaint down the line)
-Current owner is 2nd owner. First owner sold to dealership. Second owner bought it for a steal at $50k in Feb but then did all the aesthetic work to get it looking nice. (Hole in front seat bolster, tons of scratching on front and rear bumper, realigned car at Porsche, new tires, did ppi and fixed all known issues.)
-Out of state car
Talked to the guy over FaceTime for an hour yesterday. Seems real legit. Great, knowledgeable Porsche guy that has owned 14 previously. He’s selling as he has the car bug and wants a 718. He already has another 991.1.
I am thinking about doing another PPI and then flying out to see it.
Does this sound like a good deal? Sound good for my wants? (This is not a garage queen, collectible or showpiece). Any tips to look for in particular? Could I reasonably drive this for another 100k miles without too much maintenance? This is a car I see as my daily for the next decade - so resale isn’t a big deal for me. Even so, I do think with the PTS color, NA 3.8, and manual transmission I think the big depreciation hit has already happened.
Last edited by RJScheuerle; 05-09-2024 at 09:09 AM.
Very nice looking car and I’d say the MT is the biggest plus since is not as common as PDK on 991.1’s. At $63k it’s not a bad deal but based on milage and accident it’s not a great deal. I’d recommend you test drive an S with PDK before ruling them out. I thought the same coming from muscle cars but I was converted after driving one with PDK.
If the color, option and MT are exactly what you are looking for it may be a good buy for you. If you are a little flexible you can find something with lower miles and no accidents.
I bought a 2012 991.1S with 58k miles last November for $62K but bought it from a Porsche dealer and got CPO for two years which is huge.
Yeah, I was going to go try a PDK at a local dealer and see how I like it! It would be very very hard to move me off of my stick shift ethos.
Main reason I was going to test drive a PDK was to show the car to my wife. I want my wife to experience the cabin and ride of a 911 to see that it is not a corvette and very comfortable/functional. She’s very on the fence about the purchase as a non-car girl that thinks there is no car better than a Honda CRV for convenience and cost. Tbh, she isn’t wrong.
I agree the manual is selling this price in addition to the paint to sample color. PTS + manual always seems to bump up a price $10-20k over its Silver PDK counterpart.
unless you are a very short person there is no chance of getting any adults in the back seat. I'm 5'11" and I have the driver seat as far back as possible for my personal comfort. that leaves about 2 inches between the back of my seat and the back seat edge. a 911 is not a family car despite having a back seat unless you are putting kids back there. if you have never sat in a 991 then you need to do that first.
Fortunately we are #dinklife (double income no kids & no intention any time soon). So the back seat is more for emergency temporary purposes than regular use. The back seat is no more useful than a Mustang back seat; It’s reserved primarily for friends without legs.
She’s very on the fence about the purchase as a non-car girl that thinks there is no car better than a Honda CRV for convenience and cost. Tbh, she isn’t wrong.
people who think that driving is a necessary annoyance or inconvenience won't get anything out of a 911.
people who love driving just because they do will never want to drive anything else.
my first porsche was a lowly 914 I drove in the early 80's. mortgage and family meant a 911 was not in the budget but I always coveted one. 40 years later and there is no going back.
Yep! Got the PPI scheduled for next Wednesday. That’s the first step. Then I’ll book a flight pending results!
I love the color. It is my favorite color. But I’m not going to let a color overshadow any potential flaws. This girl is gonna be my daily driver and I need to make sure it is good to go.
I hope it works out for you. This was also my first Porsche although I'd been lusting after one since I drove my girlfriends 911 in 1985. I'm now a little obsessed with the car and enjoy every minute I can spend driving it, working on it or spending time with other enthusitest at local meetups. Life's short so enjoy it!
I agree. Driving is life for me. I’m in the navy and just got orders to 29 palms hospital this summer. We’ve been in Norfolk the past 2 years and just sharing one car as I have been deployed 90% of our time here and she works from home. The non-exhilarating numbness of driving a CRV is slowly killing me haha.
Need a sportscar back. Blasting through the Mojave desert and trips through west coast national parks are all on the to-do list!
I am thinking about doing another PPI and then flying out to see it.
Could I reasonably drive this for another 100k miles without too much maintenance?
It would be nice to be there to observe the PPI being done as some are detailed and complete and others...well...no comment. That would matter if you are a hands-on car guy. It being a manual , I would ask to see the engine over-revs. I'd also get a paint meter and check the whole car.
And if you know cars and do your own maintenance, owning these are as cheap as owning any other car. Check to see when all the fluids were changed: engine oil, transmission, brake fluid, coolant, etc, and all filters.
05-09-2024, 09:07 AM
Good deal? (New to the Pcar)
, I would ask to see the engine over-revs. I'd also get a paint meter and check the whole car.