Mark Wagner

Negotiations are over and I am purchasing a 996 from a Connecticut dealer. They are against me taking the car off the premises. It is a single owner car with 25k on it and all service records and clean carfax. Any suggestions on how to protect myself? I am very qualified to do the body and paint inspection and already drove the car and all feels and sounds right. I will be doing the IMS bearing as soon as I take possession of the car. I thought maybe going and driving the car for 15 or so miles then have the dealer do an oil change and cut open the filter in front of me for inspection. Any other suggestions in lieu of having the PPI. I would be willing to pay someone to go to Porsche but not sure who if anyone local to Danbury would do that.

DTMiller

If they won't let you take it for a PPI my inclination is they are hiding something. Does it come with a warranty? If not, insist on one. If they won't give you a warranty and won't allow a PPI, what does that tell you?

Zanzibar Red 996

Plain speaking at its finest

theporscheguy

Mark,
I'll guess I will refer you to your first sentence. Is this really the case?

Mark Wagner

It comes with a 60 day 3,000 mile warranty so my thought is have it gone throuvh before my shop dismantles for the ims bearing change. If something pops up bring it back for repairs under the 60 day warranty period. I dont think they ars hiding anything, this is not the first dealer that didnt want to let a car of the premises.

Gonzo911

Won't let you take it off the premises? Have one of their people drive it to the shop that will do the PPI.

Funny, but I can't remember the last time the Dealer didn't insist I take the car home for the night.

Imo000

What does that 60 day 3K mile warranty cover?

Mark Wagner

I will find that out when I go on Tuesday what is covered under the warranty period. I am still going to request they allow the PPI and see where that goes. For some reason I do not think they are hiding anything but ya never know I guess.

Macster

The dealer is a bit balky because the car goes off its lot on its insurance and to someplace that may not be as qualified to "work" on these cars. If the PPI say strips a spark plug in doing some goofy compression test or causes a spark plug tube leak or knocks a coil loose, scratches the car, pokes a hole in the seat covering, etc., the dealer not only loses a sale but then has to put the car right again.

What do you expect to get from the PPI that you have not already provided yourself?

The car sounds like a real nice find. One owner. Low miles. Service records. So far you have found nothing amiss and you claim a proficiency in checking out cars.

The only thing you have not done is driven the car.

My advice is to visit the car cold listen to the engine at cold start and as it warms up. Walk around the car and look at the car but listen to the engine.

Let the salesman take you on a test drive. The route could be 15 miles long and allow the driver to demo the car in a variety of scenarios.

Back at the starting point then you take the car out and drive it over the same route the same way.

Again back at the starting point if you have found no reason to reject the car and have a DME printout of the engine run time and over revs and engine run time and mileage jive and there are no scary over rev numbers buy the car on the precondition a tech will remove the oil filter housing and oil filter and let you examine the contents and replace with a new filter and top up the oil.

Elmiko

I bought my 996 from a Porsche/Audi dealer here in Northern Jersey. Not only did they not mind an offsite PPI, the sales guy took it to the independent Porsche specialist I use (about a 20 minute drive). When the PPI was completed a couple of days later (the Porsche specialist staff was at the track for most of that week), he went up and picked it up for me. All I had to do was read the PPI report and pay the bill.

DTMiller

In many states a PPI from an independent mechanic is permitted by law.

Mark Wagner

Actually I have driven the car for a few miles and everything seemed great. You have some great advice in your last paragraph.

Cuda911

Hey Mark, Glad you finally found a 996 you like. What year?

When I bought my 996, at first the dealer balked too. But I told him that if it passed PPI, I would commit to buy it. I found a Porsche shop near the dealership and arranged the PPI, but the dealer had one of his employees take the car to the shop. I had the shop email me the PPI results and I discussed the inspection with the shop. The car came with a 30 or 60 day warranty (I forgot which), but I think it only covered drive train parts at 50% or some such relatively useless coverage.

When I got the Cayman, the dealer (a different place) let me take it myself to my mechanic.

Neither dealer would let me take the car home overnight (like Gonzo911 mentioned). When I bought my Lexus, the dealership just about insisted that I take the car home for the weekend before I bought it.

So, every place is different. It doesn't necessarily mean they are hiding anything. Still, I would insist on a PPI or I would walk.

Gonzo911

Macster, I always appreciate your advice, but from prior posts, you seem to have a great relationship with your dealer's service department staff.

My local dealer, well, I wouldn't trust them to rotate the air in my tires!

I always think an independent PPI is called for. Service records show what has been done, the PPI shows what has been done and what NEEDS to be done. A simple test drive never tells the whole story.

Sounds like the OP is sold on the car. I am sure all will be fine. Enjoy your Porsche!

Imo000

Besides the last paragraph, diregard the rest. Get a PPI by another shop. These cars are expensive, a lot of repairs can be hidden than a normal walk around won't show. Get a mechanic to look at and then a body expert.