vannielj

I posted this on the Turbo forum but this one is way more active and it seems like there are several very informed posters here so any help from you guys is greatly appreciated.

I have been looking for my first Porsche for several months and after having some poor experiences with porsche dealerships I ran accross an exotic used car dealer a few weeks ago. He had a car that I just wasn't interested but said that he would find me whatever car I wanted and I would just have to pay his wholesale price plus 2k. He said I can get the car checked out before I purchase it and that there is no obligation to buy if it doesn't check out.

He has come to me with a few options but I am unsure about pricing. I am looking for a 2001 or 2002 Turbo and need help on what I should expect. He is supposed to check out an '02 this weekend with low miles but said that it will be around $65. Does that sound right for a clean '02 Turbo? What range should I be looking for as far as wholesale price for an '01 or '02. I have heard that kbb.com trade-in prices are higher than wholesale so I am trying to make sure I calibrate my expectations. I have also noticed several porsche dealers with prices in the high 60s or low 70s for these models (including some CPO) so given that they usually build in about 10k I would think wholesale would be more like 55k-60k but I really don't know. Thanks in advance for your help.

pl

2 K is too much for his "leg work"
1K is on the high end, i think.
u can ask him show you the reciept from auction for the exact price.

slaaw

I was considering an '01 TT earlier this year with 48k miles and priced at $58k, so $65 for a clean '02 TT sounds like a good deal. I ended going with an '03 C4S instead.

earlyapex

That price sounds reasonable assuming the car is clean and has no issues. You should shop car brokers as much as you shop anything else. His asking price of 2k to find you your car may not be the best price out there. Do you know anything about his reputation?

vannielj

I don't know his reputation other than he has a dealership with some nice cars and a nice showroom. He has been responsive and I have called him directly on his cell phone several times. I assumed 2k was a decent price given that the dealers are trying to get 10k out of you. I made an offer to a dealer of 2k over their cost and the laughed me out of the place. I'm in San Diego so if there are any suggestions of brokers I should go with please feel free to let me know.

Ucube

They're always very responsive before getting your money, so don't be too impressed with his attentiveness. Would/should you expect otherwise? I'm with pl on this, $2K is too steep for brokering the car. If anything, you should pay his auction buy price + $2K, since auction prices are typically much lower than wholesale.

vannielj

I'm sorry if I was unclear but the price is 2k plus his cost to get the car (ie. auction price), I assumed that wholesale and auction were the same. He already has my 2k as a deposit. I paid with a credit card so I'm not too worried about it and he just asked me to commit to letting him work for a month on it. The time is actually going to be up in another week or so and he said if I find something in the meantime from a dealer that he will give me my money back. He has been responsive the whole time.

bellwilliam

"used car salesman" and "responsive" in the same sentense ? wow !!

QueenCityCarrera4

Not to be paranoid, but the old rule of a salesman, especially a car guy is; "If their lips are moving, they are lying!!" PROCEED WITH CAUTION

My guess from experience is that you wont find a guy to broker a PORSCHE for less than 2K. Wont hurt to ask, but I wouldnt expect it.

vannielj

Yeah it took me a few weeks to even decide to use the guy and I found nothing negative on him or his company when i checked with the better business bureau. I also paid with my amex so that if there was any issue I could easily fight it. Amex has always been very good at that in my experience.

palladio

Do you mind posting the guy's name or business name?

I used to live in San Diego and bought a Range Rover at auction through a local guy who does this as an aside to his real estate business. He was very fair, honest and I would do business with him again. I also know that has bought quite a few P cars for other customers. If this deal falls through or you're interested, let me know and I'll pass along his info. I think buying a clean car off lease at aution can be a good way to find a great deal, IF you trust the guy and he knows what to look for. I bought an extremely clean low-mileage RR with factory warranty for nearly 30% off what the local dealer would have charged.

vannielj

Farhad from Platinum Motors
http://www.platinummotorssd.com/

slaaw

I checked out their inventory last spring before I bought my C4S and their price points were about average and in line with most other independent dealers.

10 GT3

Vannielj,

Your analysis is correct that it is a low price for an 02', but it depends on several factors. $65K is a very good price for a low mileage 01'. I had a chance to pick up an 01' that was a clean high option car with only 13K miles on it. It was very clean with no damage, clean interior, perfect history, carfax and inspection. It was at an independant delaer not a Porsche dealer. I walked away due to only 1 factor: no warranty. Without any form of warranty, there would be a lot of risk on my side. I would have wanted at leaset 6 months to cover an initial problems that may arise. Nevertheless, it would have been a very good deal.

For the 02', it will depend on a lot of factors. A clean low mileage out of warranty 02' (non-X50, aero or PCCB) should be in the low $70's from an independant. It will be upper $70's to low $80's from a dealer. If it is an X50, aero or has PCCB's then it should be $5-10K more for each of these options. There are several factors that need to be looked at. Anytime I see a price that is significantly low (>10% under market), I get suspicious. What is the mileage? Is it in or out of warranty? Is the carfax clean? Has an independant inspection been done? If you are paying a broker for the car, he should be able to answer all these questions in writing.

Verist

I appraise cars for a living, for a large (huge) company and buy cars at auctions. If the wholesaler buys the car at a Manheim Auto Auction, he should be able to PSI, (Post Sale Inspection) which can be done at extra cost and provide you a copy of it and what condition the car run with any applicable announcements. A PSI is a step in the right direction, but wont cover everything, just guarantees against Flood, Frame, Odometer and Transmission issues. Any questions, I'll help you out..