i've had bad experiences with dealers. i just feel most of them are out to rip people off. profit is fine if done honestly. i think people who sell a car to dealers do it as a last resort because the car is mediocre and it couldnt be sold privately. a dealer in turn will flip that mediocre car and advertise it as clean car fax this and excellent everything and charge 15k more what the car is worth. then they knock off 5k off the price making it look like you got a good deal and then 2 months later, you see yourself spending 5k in maintenance.

i would rather buy from a private seller who has confidence in the car. the car is mostly likely in good shape and a dealer wouldn't offer a price that would reflect the condition of the car. plus i think most private sellers are open to a ppi. some dealers may be reluctant or offer one because they know the car is crap.

in conclusion, i say eliminate the middle man, avoid the "stealership."

 

one of the main reasons i chose the 996tt over the 997s was to stray away from ims issues. i have the x50 just because i prefer factory performance over modding. there were actually some x50's for sale in the forum classifieds a few months ago. you never know... some people may flip their 996tt for a 991s.

 

Your comparison point is a Z4 M? Just not in same league. Any way my advice is be patient for right car. X50 is worth a ton in my book. I have been in your shoes and just wait. LA bad place to buy one as it is good al season. Find a good deal in areas with snow etc. You know what your ideal is so stay put. This is not your ideal. Dealer and mods are big negatives to me. I like private sale.

 

It looks like a nice car. A plus in your favor is Porsche dealers generally don't sell cars this old unless they are in fabulous condition. Even a 5 year old car if not pristine will usually be wholesaled or unloaded at auction. Wow they are asking a lot for it. I take this to mean the prices are really coming up on these cars. It's a good thing as they were priced way too cheap a couple of years ago when I bought mine in the pit of the recession. They are still the deal of the decade or should I say century for what you get compared to a new car for $50K.

I would get a PPI. Inspect the car from the underside while on a lift. Make sure you have all the books and manuals, tools, jack, spare, electric pump too. Ask for the service records and you should have all 3 keys. If you love the car and it checks out and you feel the price is OK, buy it.

 

There was a porsche dealer in NC that tried to sell me a 01 silver turbo and months later, a member in this forum took a look at the car and confirmed it was a mess mechanically. Another porsche dealership in ohio tried to sell me a 2003 "certified pre-owned" car last year and it turns out a car older than 6 years old cannot be porsche approved certified.

i think times really are hard and even authorized dealers will sell mediocre cars and lie about them.

 

I agree with what is being said about 50k getting a solid car. As far as Tony and Tom at Callas. Nobody touchs my car except Tony and his guys and I live one hour from there shop. Got to remember Tony crewed of the GT1 Roar car that won Daytona.

 

if you plan on staying completely stock then the x50 is a decent package when you look to resell. if you plan on driving racing generally driving the car hard and modding it the x50 package has no real value.

17,000 $ oem price for the x50 on paper. this gets you k24 turbos, gt2 intercoolers and a tune . for 2000$ you can buy used k24 turbos, 800 rebuilds them to spec, 2000$ gets you 997.2 intercoolers and 1500$ gets you a blazing tune. total cost 6300$ and will walk all over a oem x50 package all day.

ask yourself this. are you staying completely oem? if yes get the x50. if not and you plan to upgrade get the best low mileage car you can find for the money in the color you want and buy it. fwiw i bought a 03 with 30k 3 owner for 55k. receipts had 40k$ in gmg upgrades and mods. all free. i have since added close to 10,000$ more in the car making faster, safer and better looking. its a slippery slope!

 

@PK911 I held out for a year for a X50 Black on Black with cf - last week i found one local with one owner! PPI and I took delivery yesterday- couldn't be happier that I waited! its a car worth waiting for the right one and doing it right. You will be happier in the long run