mwunder

I have been researching, looking, and learning for a couple months now for a Porsche.

My question is this. From reading these posts it seems that there might not be such a thing as too high mileage if the car was well respected. Is that correct? Most 993's for sale seem to be low mileage in my book (I mean a 95 with 40k is a 14 year old car that was maybe driven 3k a year)...too me that is low. I have found a 993 96 Targa in a color I like. It appears to be a single owner car (at least from Carfax's standpoint) that is selling for slightly under $30K. However, it has 111k miles on it. I haven't physically seen the car but will and if it appears to be well care for I would have a PPI with compression test. I just want to know if the experienced buyers here would bother with a car with that type of mileage on it. The glass top was just rebuilt and new clutch and tires. Not sure about suspension or any rebuild but owner has all docs...apparantly.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

ppashley

OK, well I'll kick off.

If the car has been well cared for then 100k+ should not put you off. However, as many will say, at that mileage, it's possible that the engine / suspension / clutch will likely have had some work done.
When it comes to engine work particularly, its often worth knowing (if work has been done) then which shop did this if so.

General rule on these things is buy the best you can afford PLUS set aside some cash to pay for any things you might need (or prefer) to fix.

GL

helmet155

Lots of members here cringe when seeing a car with over 45k miles (this is my observation). I think a lot of it has to do with maintenance, lot numbers and warmup/cooldown by the previous owner.

I've had vehicles with 20,000 miles that are junk and vehicles with 300,000 miles that are fantastic.

That being said, concentrate on overall condition and when it comes to the engine: compression and leakdown numbers are helpful, if your shop will check valve guide wear with a dial indicator that will be the ultimate test...or the drive test works too: decelerate from 6,000rpm to 2000 rpm then go wide open and see if any smoke follows...after fully warmed up of course.

My 85k mile car is much much nicer than many with half the miles and twice the price, the engine is all original and burns 3/4 of a quart of oil in 3,800 miles and I drive it hard.

b5audia4

Also depends if you want a "garage queen" or a "driver".

A higher mileage car that is well maintained can give you lots of driving fun without having to worry about putting mileage on your baby. In contrast, a super mint low mileage car will mostly sit to minimize mileage to hold the value.

srm_993

Mine is probably a 'tweener. A '96 with ~80,000 miles, so under 5,000/year. It was Dad's car from new until he passed away in 2006; mine since then.

However, I have just had to crack the case to address worn valve guides, leaking oil, SAI/CEL issue (Georgia requires annual emissions test...), etc. Big ticket, and not unusual for a 993 with this kind of mileage. It was a five-figure fix. In the course of getting all of this work done, I had a number of conversations with the techs and the service manager about the longevity expectations, and they basically convinced me it should be good for another 80-100 thousand miles after this.

Any time you get over 50,000 miles, you're likely to start hitting some major repair/replacement items - clutch, suspension, brakes, valve guides, seals, etc. Your CarFax report isn't going to tell you about these routine maintenance items.

BTW, Dad's wife had a '96 targa. I have to say the rear visibility with the top open was really a turn-off for me, but YMMMV. Have you driven one?

Good luck with your search!

mwunder

I am buying it to appease two desires. My German upbringing and my passion to drive this car. It will be a third car so not a daily driver, but I don't want it to be a garage queen. Now that was brought up I think that if I buy a low mileage 993 I would probably be afraid in putting too many miles on it...good point and I am glad you phrased it that way.

Thanks for the input...my observation was correct then. If it passes my inspection, then I, of course, will get a PPI on it. I have an independent that does compression and PPI for $207, but don't know about valve guide measurements.

I have been leaning towards a 95 to avoid any SAI issues, but that really limits my search and I do like the uniqueness of a Targa.

As always, any input is still appreciated. And thanks again for the input above.

cmat

A critical bit of information is oil consumption. Hopefully the owner will give you honest infomation. Anything approaching 1 qt./1000 miles means engine work is on the horizon regardless of mileage. Good luck with the search.

mwunder

To SRM...

Thanks for input. I do realize at this higher mileage there will be things that need to be replaced. According to owner it uses a 1qt/3k and no leaks. Window top was redone, clutch and tires have 5k on it. I just reread the owners post and it appears he is second owner, though Carfax doesn't indicate that, he has owned for last 8 years. He has all service records so would have to review those to see what else was done.

I haven't driven a 993 Targa because they are pretty hard to find. However, I did drive an 03 and I did note the lower visibility. Especially with the sunscreen in place.

srm_993

My comments weren't intended to imply the targa is a bad car by any means - just a suggestion that you evaluate that rear visibility when you test drive it. Makes it a bit more difficult to monitor for blue-lit cars coming up from behind!

mwunder

Didn't take it that way. Here in CA they use red lights so they are easier to spot.

NP993

Key point. Don't buy a 100K 993 if what you really want is a car you can obsess over and rub with Q-tips and live out your OCD neuroses. And don't buy a 35K 993 if you want something you can drive and enjoy and not worry about stone chips.

If you go with a higher-mileage example, just make sure it's been properly maintained, and make sure the PPI tells you something about the condition of wear items, such as the brakes, clutch, gearbox, suspension, and engine.

matt777

"too high" is ambiguous so it's tough to say what that would be for you. Obviously resale becomes more difficult. The maintenance costs will of course be more significant than with other cars but I think you know that. You're on the right track with the PPI to look at leakdown and overall condition. Obvious big hitters are top end, clutch, tires, brakes, rack and suspension. However, a PPI cannot assess every component. A good maintenance history is an indicator that repairs won't pile up on you. However, you've got many parts at various stages of their lives. I've had my car for 2 years now and most of the $$$ have gone for tire, suspension and stereo upgrades and not maintenance. I will need a clutch but with 70k on it that is not a big surprise. The car needs new tinting and the windshield is pitted so that is another $1500 but it can wait. I always recommend budgeting at least a $2k for immediate repairs and $2k/year might be reasonable for just maintenance. Anything left over could go into a maintenance fund if desired. The PPI might give you a heads up on what is needed soon. I think the biggest liability will be your desire to buy upgrades.

os993

mine is at 133k and it drives, looks and performs perfectly. If I were to sell it (which I'm not planning to), I know I'll get peanuts because of the mileage.

I guess it's one side to have a high mileage that you accrued yourself vs. buying one already with high mileage (I don't know, maybe part psychological, part emotional..), but I too would hesitate for "too high" of mileage.

Ok, let's do the math - my car hit the road end of 1994. That means my Beauty is 15yrs old (wow!) at 133k miles, that means I've driven it approx 8.8k miles a year. Nothing.

BUT, I have a higher mileage Beemer and it's a piece of junk and I would never buy a high mileage Beemer, Audi or MB.

Doesn't really help with your question, but some info nonetheless!!

Wilder

Based on what you've stated so far, you might want to consider looking for a well-cared for (visibly and documented) 70k+ mi car that has had the top end (SAI and valve guides), clutch and suspension done already at the very least. There are many cars on this board that have well over 100k mi on the original clutch and the engine has never been opened but it's a $10k gamble that I wouldn't take. Also, be weary of cars that are driven short distances and/or cars that are driven with a light foot. Such cars tend to be more prone to SAI issues compared to cars that are properly warmed up and driven above 4k RPM.

I've owned two garage queens and two high-miler 993s. These cars are built like a brick and feel very tight even when they reach the 100k+ mi range. The pleasure of not having to worry about putting miles on, rock chips or driving it in the rain are priceless. GL with the search.

PS - During PPI, get compression first. If the numbers are questionable, do a leak-down. Also, 95s are still prone to valve guide wear and SAI check valve issues, they just don't have the CEL issues that OBD2 cars have.

matt777

True. High mileage cars are often worth more to the owner because they know what they have and potential buyers don't.