yellowlab

Hi all. I'm brand new to this community.

I'm looking to buy my first Porsche and I saw a listing for a 2001 911 for $13K. The problem is that it has over 115,000 miles on it.

Is it worth buying? Would love to hear your expert thoughts.

Billup

Too vague, so I would not buy it.

Maintenance records? Color / options? Manual or Tip? Convertible or coupe? Number of owners? Overall condition of the interior / exterior? Factory IMSB? Pre-purchase tire inspection is mandatory. There is a decent list of reasons that would deem a car un-purchase worthy.

Chris(MA)

Need way more details, I bought a 2000 996 cab with 102k on the clock for $14.8k for example

I found a similar car when I was looking with 141k on the clock for $9999 and a 128k mile car for $12.8k, but they were rough. It all depends on the details...

Give us more info

vandersmith

Link to listing?

Coopduc

Link?
Assuming it has not been wrecked,runs well, been reasonably maintained and has a clear (not salvage) title, etc. then I would consider it.
Caveat emptor: If it needs work and you have to pay an indy to do everything, there is nothing more expensive than a cheap Porsche.

yellowlab

OK, here's the listing:

http://www.worldvw.net/used/Porsche/...84ca7f9c6e.htm

I admit, I'm seduced by the low price.

Billup

Find out about maintenance records and the overall history of the car. There's not much information in the comments, so you'd be basing your decision solely on pictures.

yellowlab

Billup, sure I'd definitely do that. But I guess my question is on the high mileage. Is it even worth getting if the car only has another 35K miles left in its life?

gnat

To the title question, yes. Why not? They are just miles and contrary to apparent belief, they do not turn into pumpkins after 100k.

For me there are 2 important things to consider with a 100+ car. The first is that if it has it's original motor (or was a factory reman early in it's life), then you can be satisfied that it's a good one without the structural issues that contribute to some failures.

The second is that it's already crossed the 100k barrier that everyone seems to fear, so you should already be picking it up for a song (even by 996 standards). This means you are free to drive the snot out of it with much less worry than a lower milage car that is either close to the 100k mark or low enough that "it'll be worth something any day now!".

These cars are the best when you don't stress over them. So buying one dirt cheap can greatly help with that.



As far as this specific car, unless I happened to be local to it I wouldn't give it a second look. There is nothing really special about it from the pics. It looks about what I expect for condition, but what it really comes down to is that there are better documented examples out there.

gnat

Only another 35k?

There are good examples around here of 200k+ cars. Most with nothing but oil changes and fixing things when they need fixing. Plenty more examples in the 150-200 range. Lots in the 100-150 range.

ZuffenZeus

Judging from the Carfax, it looks like a decent, well maintained car with no accidents and at $12,900, it would be a great deal. But if you're really concerned about the car's mechanical reliability, then have a thorough PPI conducted if they will allow it. Also, if you notice, the interior has some serious sun damage. That means the top was left down for extended periods of time which also could mean it got rained on inside. And so, check ALL the electronics and top mechanism. If the convertible top won't work smoothly, then budget about $2500 for service and replacement.

yellowlab

Nice! Thank you, Gnat. That's the advice that I was looking for.

yellowlab

Thanks, b3freak. Very keen observations.

Billup

This is where service records are important. You can't say it's only going to live to 150k and then it's game over. Proper maintenance is a real thing, and with that, it could go over 200k. Hell you could get over 200k with basic maintenance like oil changes and brakes. If you have the mentality it's going to blow up, then why bother looking at high mileage examples?

Like gnat said, if you want a less costly 996, then sure, it might not be a terrible buy. This folds back on what you want out of the car and what specs you want. Don't just think of it as a cheap Porsche, because that may come back to bite you.

Turbojamie

For that money I would gamble on it myself, that's used civic money. Long as its 95% mechanically sound it should be a home run.