zose

I'd first like to introduce myself, I'm Mike from Seattle, and I have been religiously reading this forum for the last three months. I am about to make the move from an Audi S4 into the 911 world. I will be my first porsche. This is also my first time posting here. I have found a car that looks nice online and its located in Oregon. I'm planning a trip out to take a look at the car, but first I wanted to see if anyone in the Pacific Northwest has had any dealings with this dealership. It's called Grand Prix Imports. I'm just trying to see if there are any overwhelmingly positive or negative things to be said.

Thanks in advace for any input and again thanks to all that contribute for the vast amount of knowledge that I have already picked up.

Mike

Res Ips

Hi Mike...

Welcome to the forum. I live real close to Wilsonville. Grandprix is brand new. I've been by there a few times and they look like they have some interesting stock. My brother-in-law has been there a few times also and says the sales staff is fairly knowledgeable. He was interested in the new Elise which they carry.

Which car are you looking at? Send the link if you can. Many people on the board will tell you what to look for and will be able to tell you what they think a fair price is.

If you decide to purchase the car, you may wish to consider a pre-purchase inspection. I take my car to Stuttgart Autotech in Lake Oswego which is about 5 miles north of Wilsonville on 5 heading toward Portland. They charge about $375 for the PPI and it is well worth the effort and expense. If you get serious about this car you might ask them if they would run it up there for you. Let me know if you need their phone number.

Again, welcome.

Jim

zose

Jim-
Here's the link for the car that I'm looking at.
http://www.gpimports.com/db/front/ca...php?which=0010
I think it looks fairly nice, but I certainly will do a PPI. I look at it like cheap insurance. I plan on talking to the dealer a bit more tomorrow about it, and then possibly come down this weekend to take a look and hopefully buy it.

Let me know what you think about the car.

Thanks again,
Mike

leedav

Looks nice. I don't think any of the listed features are options. It's a bare-bones car, and should be priced accordingly. (I am not a pricing expert tho)

Res Ips

Well, the car does look very nice. Like Lee said, the options are pretty much what the car came with. My first impression is that it is priced to low for a '00. I am not certain that I am correct. 50,000 plus miles on a 4 year old car is not all that bad. But according to Sunset Porsche the average miles driven on a local porsche is about 5500 per year. I have no idea if that is true or not.

You really need to see what it looks like in person up close, looking at the tires, under carriage, wheel wells, door alignment, panel fit, cracks in glass, the engine compartment, service records if available, and very importantly if the paint matches on all panels. Also very important is to find out where they got the car from. If they say they don't know, they may have gotten the car from an auction. Hopefully, they got the car in trade where they might contact the owner to have him talk to you. But I wouldn't get my hopes up too much on that one.

Also (as most on this board will tell you) take a quick look under the car with a flash lite and see if you spot any oil leaks where the transmission mates with the engine. If there is, there may be a big repair needed i.e., a possible RMS failure -- this happens to some of these cars.

CarFax is OK but it doesn't tell you much. If you get the VIN off the left side bottom from windscree call Sunset Porsche in Beaverton and ask if they have serviced this car. They won't tell you anything about a previous owner, but they will probably tell you if they did service the car and what recalls were made. They were pretty good with me doing this in the past.

Drive the car and see what its like and if you have a friend who is knowledgable about P/cars take them with you. Be cautious and be thorough.

If you have specific questions...post them here. You'll find 99.9% of the members are more than willing to help you out.

Good luck...

Jim

Mitty

A picture of the options sticker under the hood would give an idea of the options from the factory. Like if the emblem delete on the engine cover was an option or if they took off or worse, a paint job that never got the emblems put back on.
It’s about a 20 minute drive from my work. I’d be happy to take a look and take some pictures for you if you like. I love extended lunches!
I think I could do it tomorrow.

-Darren

zose

Darren-
that would be incredible if you would be willing to take a look at the car. I'm in Seattle, and would love to get someones input on the car. Especially someone that is knowledgable in porsche's. This being my first porsche and the fact that I'm not the most mechanically inclined person out there I am not always the best judge. If you have a chance and could look and give me whatever feedback you have I would be more than greatful, in fact if it looks good and I end up coming down this weekend I'd be more than happy to buy you lunch to thank you.

Let me know.

Thanks again
Mike

leedav

Drop me a line if you come down, too. May be able to join you (Mitty you wanted to hear my pipes, right?)

Mitty

The dealer said you were on your way to buy the car today. So, congrats if you did get it.

Here are the options:

C02 Equipped with catalytic converter
424 Automatic heating control
446 996: Colored Wheel Crests
490 Hi-Fi sound system
696 CDR-220 radio

Here are some pictures. Looks like there is an RMS issue.
I really like those wheels. Wanna trade?

Lee: Yeah, I really want to hear Paulina breathe. I am starting to hear an exhaust rattle. May need to upgrade.

Res Ips

Darren...

Interesting leak...I thouht the RMS leak would be further back but I can't tell. Maybe someone more 'mechanical' or knowledgeable than I can answer this.

I'll see if I can check out the VIN thru someone I know...

BTW Good shots...

What was your take on the car general condition etc.

leedav

Maybe Jim, Lee and Darren should meet for coffee sometime Saturday?

Res Ips

That would be cool. Lets set something up. Maybe when we are supposed to have some sun. I hear the rain is supposed to stop sometime in 2008.

Res Ips

I asked Loren over at RennTech to take a look at the shots that Darren took to see if it was an RMS leak...

Here's his response...

I suggest you ask them to put it on a lift and take a pic straight up from underneath. Every car I have ever bought (new and used) I demanded to see the underside before purchase. New cars can have dock damage, road test damage, etc. while used cars could have strut leaks, accident damage, oil leaks, etc., etc. If your friend doesn't know what to look for then have him pay someone that does - pics on a lift would be even better if it is a "long distance" buy. My 2 cents...


--------------------

Loren
RennTech.org
PCA member since 1978
My Mods in the Garage · My Blog

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I think this is sound advice.

Jim

Mitty

Lee – Sounds great. I’ll ask the boss when I can play with the boys.
Jim – Good resource to use, Loren is brilliant.
That is a great idea to get it on a rack. When I pointed the leak out to the dealer they acted like they didn't know “Oh really?!” However, it is definitely leaking, I touch the drip-that-was-about-to-fall with my finger, and then took the pictures.

The car’s interior is fantastic as you can see from the dealer’s pictures. The seats (all 4) look brand new. Oh, I see the car is no longer on their web site. Maybe Mike did buy it.

Yo Mike!!

leedav

Jim, Darren,

You have a PM.