996 Buyer tips?
11-28-2012, 02:13 PM
#31
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Nice tip and yes I got wind of the superior turbo engine. I need to make sure I mention that. For a person concerned about engine issues, the turbo is the way to go but they need to keep in mind the turbo needs to be treated differently. Cool down considerations for example.
Most important tip I can give based on my own experience: Get a warranty that will replace your engine when it fails, and never let it expire. All Carrera engines have cylinders that grow more and more oval until the wall eventually cracks. I would have either gotten a warranty that includes the engine or selected a very low mileage car with upgraded IMS/RMS.
Don't get me wrong, the 996 is a fantastic car to own and use... When the engine doesn't disintegrate itself.
Also note that GT2/GT3/Turbos have a different construction and even with tuning is close to bulletproof.
Don't get me wrong, the 996 is a fantastic car to own and use... When the engine doesn't disintegrate itself.
Also note that GT2/GT3/Turbos have a different construction and even with tuning is close to bulletproof.
11-28-2012, 03:02 PM
#32
I aggree with your point but it's just your opinion. I'm preparing a scientific document.
Seriously the issue with multiple owners is just like "Was it driven hard". It's a Porsche, it's built to drive hard. A car driven fast may possibly last just as long as one that never get's close to redline if the hard driven car is well cared for. The issue is the lighly driven car caries less risk. A fast driver may be putting all kinds of stress on the car and wearing parts out OR not.
So 1 owner could do more damage than 10 good owners, BUT the 10 owner is a higher risk. Does the seller know anything about owners 1-8? Very unlikely. So if you value knowing a little something about who the previous owners were like I do, you want less owners. Best case is a 1 owner car that bought the car and serviced it where you are buying it. The seller knows the owner. Was it some young hotblooded kid or an older family guy? Now that kid could take better care of the car for all you know but when you buy a used car you are taking a chance. You have to take leaps of faith and to do that you need information and to make judgments on that information, all the while realizing you could be guessing wrong.
Seriously the issue with multiple owners is just like "Was it driven hard". It's a Porsche, it's built to drive hard. A car driven fast may possibly last just as long as one that never get's close to redline if the hard driven car is well cared for. The issue is the lighly driven car caries less risk. A fast driver may be putting all kinds of stress on the car and wearing parts out OR not.
So 1 owner could do more damage than 10 good owners, BUT the 10 owner is a higher risk. Does the seller know anything about owners 1-8? Very unlikely. So if you value knowing a little something about who the previous owners were like I do, you want less owners. Best case is a 1 owner car that bought the car and serviced it where you are buying it. The seller knows the owner. Was it some young hotblooded kid or an older family guy? Now that kid could take better care of the car for all you know but when you buy a used car you are taking a chance. You have to take leaps of faith and to do that you need information and to make judgments on that information, all the while realizing you could be guessing wrong.
Just my $.02
11-28-2012, 03:18 PM
#33
Carlylespicks -
This forum exists for owners and prospective owners to share information and enthusiasm. You seem to be here as part of some for-profit activity... not that there is any problem with that, but it does not fit the 'community' concept of this board.
As a long-time participant here, I would not want the name 'Rennlist' associated in any manner with a half-baked resource created by someone we don't know, populated with information that you have decided is accurate.
So perhaps you should explain who you are, what your qualifications are related to automotive maintenance and repair, and give us some examples of your work. Otherwise I would suggest that we all just stop responding to you.
This forum exists for owners and prospective owners to share information and enthusiasm. You seem to be here as part of some for-profit activity... not that there is any problem with that, but it does not fit the 'community' concept of this board.
As a long-time participant here, I would not want the name 'Rennlist' associated in any manner with a half-baked resource created by someone we don't know, populated with information that you have decided is accurate.
So perhaps you should explain who you are, what your qualifications are related to automotive maintenance and repair, and give us some examples of your work. Otherwise I would suggest that we all just stop responding to you.
11-28-2012, 03:29 PM
#34
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It's really frustrating when I spend my valuable time to help others and I get met with this kind tension. It's just bad that in a world where many people are only about themselves, people like myself who provide so much for people who many times don't take the time to say thanks that some people make the process even more difficult than it needs to be.
I'm not going to waste time debating about his but I spend THOUSANDS of dollars of my OWN cash doing these kinds of projects for the benefit of strangers who may or may not appreciate it. The last thing I need is a response like yours.
I think I asked some very simple questions and I spent a LOT of time doing my own research before I came here. I'm simply asking to make sure I'm being thorough.
I'm not going to waste time debating about his but I spend THOUSANDS of dollars of my OWN cash doing these kinds of projects for the benefit of strangers who may or may not appreciate it. The last thing I need is a response like yours.
I think I asked some very simple questions and I spent a LOT of time doing my own research before I came here. I'm simply asking to make sure I'm being thorough.
11-28-2012, 03:32 PM
#35
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If spending days an hours of my own time and making phone calls and doing endless searches and spending a lot of time contemplating the information at hand is being "spoon fed" to you, then please send me your resume. Your work ethic must be legendary.
Not sure why on some forums you can't have a quality discussion without people getting all suspicious and taking things down a completely different road than you intended.
Not sure why on some forums you can't have a quality discussion without people getting all suspicious and taking things down a completely different road than you intended.
11-28-2012, 03:53 PM
#36
It's really frustrating when I spend my valuable time to help others and I get met with this kind tension. It's just bad that in a world where many people are only about themselves, people like myself who provide so much for people who many times don't take the time to say thanks that some people make the process even more difficult than it needs to be.
I'm not going to waste time debating about his but I spend THOUSANDS of dollars of my OWN cash doing these kinds of projects for the benefit of strangers who may or may not appreciate it. The last thing I need is a response like yours.
I think I asked some very simple questions and I spent a LOT of time doing my own research before I came here. I'm simply asking to make sure I'm being thorough.
I'm not going to waste time debating about his but I spend THOUSANDS of dollars of my OWN cash doing these kinds of projects for the benefit of strangers who may or may not appreciate it. The last thing I need is a response like yours.
I think I asked some very simple questions and I spent a LOT of time doing my own research before I came here. I'm simply asking to make sure I'm being thorough.
Again, give us an example of what you do. Explain who you are, your background... writer, blogger, mechanic, what?
11-28-2012, 04:53 PM
#37
If spending days an hours of my own time and making phone calls and doing endless searches and spending a lot of time contemplating the information at hand is being "spoon fed" to you, then please send me your resume. Your work ethic must be legendary.
Not sure why on some forums you can't have a quality discussion without people getting all suspicious and taking things down a completely different road than you intended.
Not sure why on some forums you can't have a quality discussion without people getting all suspicious and taking things down a completely different road than you intended.
If you spend hours of your own time on this forum specifically with the little thing called the "Search" button at the top, you would've received all the answers you were looking for.
Edit: I'll help you out which should reduce your "hours and days" of researching down to a few pages on this model specifically. Look at that? First link on the page.
www.lmgtfy.com
Last edited by alpine003; 11-28-2012 at 05:30 PM.
11-28-2012, 05:05 PM
#38
Three Wheelin'
I think the answer to your question lies in what you want your video to be (something I acknowledge you detailed further down in your comment). No, buying a used Porsche isn't entirely unlike buying any used car. Separate and apart from the basic recommendations you might make regarding any used car purchase (check the service, accident and ownership history, etc), I believe a true 996 specific guide needs to do something more comprehensive. That's just my opinion.
Is your list better than nothing? Sure, I'll give you that but if you're not going to be comprehensive, I'm not sure what value you're bringing to the market. You're just repeating what is already out there at a quick click of a button. If you're going for "Top Gear" level data then you're in it for entertainment. If you want to be a true buyer's guide that is recommended rather than reviled by the 996 community you better be comprensive.
I would want to know the specific gotchas or issues to be aware of for a specific make, model or year. A smattering of questions I'd ask are... Is the 3.4l less reliable than the 3.6? What are the differences between the different models - C2, C4, C4S, Turbo, GT2, GT3, 40th Anniversary, etc. What's an X50 and why do I care? What are the major changes between the MkI and MkII versions of the 996 and why should I be aware of them (not all are cosmetic)? Is one model year more prone to problems than another? Should I expect maintenance costs to be high/low...comparable to my [______]? How long does the clutch typically last? How long before an engine/tranny rebuild? What should I know that might dissuade me from purchasing one (AOS, RMS, IMS, ABCDEFG, etc.)? The last question is probably the biggest and there are tons of great resources that detail the common problems. Just off the top of my head, have you checked out Porsche 996: The Essential Companion? How about Peter Zimmermann's book on the 911? By the way, he's also a Rennlist member. What about the Essential Buyer's Guide for the 996? For that matter, have you spoken to any of the big aftermarket vendors who specialize on 996es? Many are even on these boards.
Remember, just like you guys suggest I look at different sources, so should the buyer. I think you guys are treating this as a definitive complete guide of buying a 996. This is free information provided to buyers at my expense. It will be available for people to take what they want from it. It's not like I'm selling something or expecting dealers to use it or anything.
Also, I think you are making this more complicated than it needs to be. What more than a PPI would a buyer need to do that is unique to this car? I doubt you can come up with anything that would be excluded from a good PPI(not all PPIs are equal). Considering my list goes over much more than just "Go have a PPI done and run with it", I think the list is solid and I don't think you disagree IF you look at this project for what it is. A basic buyer guide to get a buyer with no knowledge about the car started.
Second, you're answering some of your own questions. If not all PPIs are equal then depending on the quality of their PPI, there may be a lot that a buyer needs to know before taking the plunge. Are you telling people what they should expect from a good PPI vs. a bad one? Did you know that a Porsche dealer's PPI doesn't necessarily include lowering and inspecting the top on a Cabrio to make sure it works as intended? Some people insist that a leakdown test should be part of any good PPI while others say its unnecessary for a 996. What is your opinion - what are the bare minimums you should check and are they included in your PPI? That was a rhetorical question.
Things like Carfax are not unique to this car. I'm focusing on 996 issues and I expect the viewer to get a good sense of what they are possibly greeting into so they can have a good starting point for their own research. Just like I have to consider credibility of advise here, so will they. They will be expected go out on their own and confirm the info. Without his guide you could spend a good time figuring out what to search for in Google and getting little pieces of info here and there and have to read through a lot of threads as the information is scattered and not formatted for your benefit. I'm compiling a lot of that stuff into one place. There are much more thorough guides available if a person wants that, however I disagree with some of what they say, which again is why ALL buyers would need to look around. I'm just giving them a jump start.
As you said in your note, I guess it all comes down to what you want to deliver. If you're just looking to do a walk around to introduce someone to the 996's specs while pointing out some known issues then it sounds like you've got just that. I'm not sure what it provides in terms of value (at least to me, if I was a potential buyer) but it sounds like you've checked the boxes on what you want to deliver.
Best of luck!
-Eric
11-28-2012, 05:06 PM
#40
Rocky Mountain High
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I like turtles...
11-28-2012, 05:14 PM
#41
11-28-2012, 07:38 PM
#44
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I'm a philanthropist and car enthusiast. I'm always looking for valuable information to share with others. Not everything is about money.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L9p96te_5k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77doNYjOCM8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Yzg-paXxIk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzSOY4vbaII
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L9p96te_5k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77doNYjOCM8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Yzg-paXxIk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzSOY4vbaII
11-28-2012, 07:50 PM
#45