SilverJag

Hi all, first time poster here. Wanted to get your opinions. I'm looking at an ad out for a 2012 911 C2. I ran a carfax and it pulled 0 prior service records. Is this a red flag enough that maybe I should consider back out before doing more due diligence and getting local PPI done? The car is about 200 miles away so trying to keep high suspicion before traveling there for no reason. The video and photos provided all look immaculate. Owner unable to find any service records. He is the 3rd owner. Vehicle has 62k miles. Looking for all opinions. Thank you kindly in advance.

Catharpin

Carfax is not a reliable source.

james280

Agree Carfax is not a reliable source. When I bought my 2016 Targa in 2020, there were no service records on Carfax but a full set of service records/receipts from a Porsche dealer with the car - fully serviced from day 1, nothing on Carfax. However, nothing on Carfax AND no records with the car seems risky - no idea of service history whatsoever. I'm always surprised when Porsche owners don't understand the importance, and value, in keeping all records with the car. I would never buy a car with zero documented service history, despite a PPI... but that's just me.

Tier1Terrier

I agree that Carfax is not a reliable resource in terms of completeness, but with a car that's 62k miles old and ZERO carfax records, unless you are able to find reliable proof of service history elsewhere, I would just keep looking for another car. Even a thorough PPI can only reveal so much. If you were able to get a used oil analysis showing excellent wear properties, then that would help. But that takes time and not likely to happen.

996scott

If the current owner is unable to provide any service records at all under his ownership this would be a red flag for me. How long has he owned it? There are plenty of nice 911s out there, do be in a rush.

bmwexpat

Porsches come in many different models/configurations and price points. What are you looking for in a Porsche?

• Daily driver or fun weekend car?
• What is your target budget?
• How long do you intend to keep the car? Couple years and move on or long term hold?
• Is this car just for you or do you have a significant other that will have input?
• How do intend to drive a Porsche? Like a grandmother or when the opportunity presents drive her hard and fast?

I could list more questions but different people want different things and just trying to understand who you are as a first time buyer.

SilverJag

I appreciate everyone’s input and duly noted — will back off as I’m in no rush to have something now. I want a P car I can feel good about as a first time owner with the appropriate documentation and service intervals. the gentleman spoke highly about the car over the phone and repeated multiple times it was well taken care of however without the appropriate documentation to back it up.

This would be a vehicle for me only. To daily drive in summer (I live in Chicago). Would not drive it very hard and mainly cruise on highways. Would definitely like to
hold it for the long term and aspirationally even pass it down to my son (he’s 1 now hah). My budget can vary and is definitely flexible for the right car.

This gentleman listed his C2 with 62k miles for 50k. I’d be willing to go up to 80-90k for a well spec’d example with lower miles however.

The only option was premium plus with full tan leather interior and alcantara headliner which is indeed very attractive. No performance options unfortunately.

best,
FS

bmxtreme

Not a Porsche, but my Honda dealer where I get my van serviced NEVER reported anything to carfax, so my van's carfax is pretty much empty in the last 4/5 years.

bmwexpat

Good information about yourself. Me- Long time Porsche owner 1972 Targa purchased used in 1982. 2014 Turbo S purchased in 2020. Turbo S currently has 87K miles and climbing.

With your flexible budget you have a lot of options in the Porsche universe. Definitely suggest you visit some Porsche dealerships and look at both their new and used offering to see what appeals to you.

Things to think about:

• Your budget puts you right in the middle to upper end of the previous 991 series 2012-2019. There are 2 variations that you will hear references for 991.1 & 991.2. The 991.2 is the mid-cycle refresh 2017-2019. Depending on specific models there are some small feature and HP differences between the .1 & .2 cars. The .2 cars tend to be lower miles and will always be higher priced than the same model .1
• Another possibility is to look at the previous 997 generation cars. You budget will pretty much allow you to look at everything in the 997 range from base models to Turbo's. The 997's are more reminiscent of the previous generations of 911's. That said there are a lot of great examples around and many owners love this generation.
• If you can see the service records don't be afraid of mileage on a 911. Once the milage gets to around 40K+ driving the car for another 50K miles will have minimal affect on value , as long as you take care of the car. Also, you are going to be looking at cars that are 6+ years old. Overall they are done depreciating. If you select a good solid 911 you will not get hurt financially.
• You need to understand the differences between 911 - Base, S, T, GTS, & Turbo & Turbo S. In general as you move up the Porsche food chain, more factory options become standard and HP goes up as well. The other thing about Porsche is you can take a base car and easily add 20-50K in additional factory options. As you are looking at used Porsches you need to understand what additional options that may be on the car... Full Leather, deviated stitching, Burmeister Sound System etc.
• Over time well kept and maintained Porsches can go up in value. The more rare ( fewer number produced) the more likely the car will appreciate over time. Variations to consider here start with the GTS versions... GTS 4S, Targa 4S etc. moving up to Turbo & Turbo S. You will be at the top of your budget here but if this turns your head then again they ae done depreciating.

I've rambled on quite a bit and at this point good luck in finding what you want. Keep the forum posted on your thoughts as it's interesting reading.

Bud Taylor

I would not spend my time on this car. No service records plus 3 owners would make it a pass. Buy the newest, lowest mileage example you can find. Track time is dog years (x7). Always get a full PPI with paint meter reading on every corner (lots of you tubers rebuilding wrecks). The .1 and .2 have very different power delivery (2017 and on turbo vs NA). The S and above have bigger wheels, brakes and motors (or turbos). MT cars are hard to find as they were produced in low numbers. VW sucks at building sunroofs. Maitenance on these cars is exponentially more expensive at a dealership. Take your time and drive several different variants. Your use case should drive your decision. The newer turbos require fewer revs and may be better as daily drivers as they are more sedate and require fewer revs to be in the power band. Im a petrol head/motorcycle guy so I prefer the NA experience of winding the NA motor out. If you dont want to wail on the car and typically drive in a more sedate manner this should drive your generation .1 vs .2 model decision.

vanlieremead

Research is half the fun. Take your time. PM and I can send you the .2 tech sales manual.

bill edwards

not necessarily. Person like myself may use 3rd party Porsche trained tech. But owner like myself would be advised to keep all service records listing date, ODO, and service performed.

in 2025 i may be selling our 991.1 S having $30,000 in options back in 2012. Currently under 85k miles.

mwjackson92

Hey SilverJag, I only have one piece of advice and that's do your research on all options available for the 991.1 and be patient finding the perfect car. I bought my first 991 blind and ended up missing a lot of options I would have loved if I knew they existed. I made sure my 2nd one had all the important options I wanted, or if it didn't, that I could retrofit them.

If you're looking at PDK cars, get one with sport chrono package no matter what. I retrofit it on my 2012 991.1 but it was very, very tricky and only possible with the help of my friend in the PCA. Sport Plus makes the car really come alive and I personally love watches so the cool chrono clock on dash was a must for me.

Porsche Sport Exhaust (PSE) is also a MUST, but it can be easily retrofitted if you have $3k budgeted so don't worry about that upfront.

Enjoy the hunt, it's half the fun for these cars!

bill edwards

i agree with all the options you stated. Ours has all these and a few more such as PDCC and launch ( we hardly ever use). We lucked into our 991.1 S as it was ordered by VP of marketing/ training of Porsche North America.