newport996

You are looking at it all wrong....I bought my 99 C4 Cab for LESS than private party blue book from a dealer WITH a CPO warranty. The premium a CPO car carries is MAYBE a few grand...I had about $30k in warranty bills from a PERECT car...this included a new engine. Yes thats almost as much as I paid for the car...lol....When buying these cars, dont cheap out and try to save a few bucks, it will bite you in the end...I am not saying pay the premium price, but if you are a good negotiator, you can get a good deal at a Porsche dealer, with a warranty, and enjoy peace of mind. Here is why your non CPO car WONT be in just as good condition....to certify the car, you must perform all services, change brakes, check clutch and change if under 50%, replace tires if under 50%, check cooling system, electrical system, replace battery if its not holding adequate charge, plus like 100 other things. All things that NO ONE selling a used car would do. I have had my car 3+ years, put 70k miles on it, same clutch, changed brake pads ONCE. Imagine if you buy a non CPO car....you have to do a service, up to $1000 depending on which service is needed....tires, another $1,000, clutch $2,000, battery $100, coolant tank, $300....thats if nothing goes wrong! It makes sense to get a CPO just to get a car that has been gone through, serviced, and "refreshed" to CPO standards.

Tippy

If money was not an object, why buy a '99, I would at least get a '02. Also if you could afford a 997TT, what is another few grand for a newer car? If you are looking at it on a pure "investment" standpoint, I understand not wasting more money than you have to, but when I hear money is no object, I wonder why a person would buy the oldest one.

gota911

Molly - CPO warranty should cost you about $1,500. I would recommend '02+ with CPO.

Sids911

Like Molly said before, having money is one thing and justifying an expense is another - especially when a VERY close substitute is present at a VERY attractive price. Corsely put - Would you spend $40 on a great burger when you can get a similarly great burger for $20 if you just had to cross the street at a similar restaurant ? $40 isin't going to break your wallet but what about the "hmm ... is that a good deal" feeling ?

I know a lot of people, most self made, who would HATE to know they've paid more for an experience/business deal/contract/house. Its the "Damn, I didn't negotiate the best deal / do m ybest research" kinda feeling.

All said and done, Molly, I'd recommend you look at CPO cars. They really aren't that much of a premium for the mileage/age you get (dealers generally CPO only their best cars) and plus you get pretty good extended warranties (though not comprehensive) if you hunt just before the CPO warranty is about to expire. If you hunt for extended warranties AFTER the CPO expires, you get very poor deals generally.

Hunt around between different dealers - you'll notice some dealers to be expensive and snooty and some to be of great value and very personal (genuinely). Tell the sales guy that you're looking for a XYZ car (spec out the car as well your ballpark budget contingent on condition). Tell him to contact you when he eyes such a car.

The $1k-2k extra of a CPO (IF at all) will really justify
- the higher probabality that this car less problematic
- the higher probabality that the major repairs will come for free
- the peace of mind of having the EXPENSES covered (since they concern you) so you can be less worried about this and more focused on work/family/etc.
- the peace of mind of having your TIME and EFFORT saved when the dealer is bound (by CPO contract) to do ALL that's needed to "just fix the car".

But now I didn't practice what I just said above !

I came across a killer deal from a luxury car dealership. A '99 996 with 54k miles at $31k !! This was 1.5 years back when I bought one for my 25th birthday. I have an extended warranty for the "major" stuff and the extra money saved is invested elsewhere making more money - to be pulled in some other day if I need it. So far I've had a very reliable car with no major problems (knock on wood) - just the usual maintenance/wear and tear stuff.

In my case the closest CPO was an extra $6k and I didn't want to wait too long - so I jumped onto the non-porsche dealership. If you can wait - look for a CPO.

I hope is of some help !

searching4996

I understand this rationale perfectly, and it's also kept me from buyig a 99-01 model yr 911. I honestly think, however, that you should budget about 40-45k for the car and get a cpo'd 02 model. I am now in a position to buy any sports car I want as well, but i share your concerns about feeling foolish if it cost me 15k in repairs. It's not our fault the 996's have had rms and engine problems, it's Porsche's.
Because of this, I decided to buy an m3 and an older M Coupe for the same money I would have spent on a 911. When the cost of the 997's come down in a few more years i plan on buying a c2s.

Wachuko

Used with CPO... and patience with a lot of bargaining... that is how I got into my 996TT... after the two years are up I will reconsider what to do with the car depending on its service/reliability history. For now I just enjoy the heck out of it.