champignon

I am about to pick up a 2003 996 Turbo with about 75,000 miles on the clock. The car has had more maintenance and repairs done on it in the last 2 years than Aunt Jemima has pancakes.

The car has a new clutch, new brakes, new almost everything mechanical that could need to be serviced for a car of this age.

I have had extensive, many hour-long conversations with the owner, who is quite passionate about the car, and who has described every tiny paint and interior and mechanical issue (past tense) in great detail.

I will be test driving it tomorrow.

Other than just driving it, what should I be looking for on my test drive?

Thanks!

"02996ttx50

GL w it. given you've extensive knowledge of its most recent maint history? beyond a visual and the testing of all functions and features, i'd say a few wot pulls should give you some added info and adrenaline. again, GL!

Carlo_Carrera

All of this stuff.

https://rennlist.com/forums/996-turb...-a-996-tt.html

Atrox

It's not brain surgery, if you like it buy it.

champignon

Not only am I buying it, but assuming that I buy it, I then have to drive it 900+ miles home :-)

kmagnuss

Turn it up to 11 and rip the **** off!!!

Wait, that's not right.

Drive it like you stole it!

There we go.

champignon

The honest answer to this question is that if you were a great, skilled, auto mechanic, and you had unlimited time, plus you were buying a desirable used car during a recession (when non one else is) then you can do all of these things and you can be absolutely SURE that you bought a great car at a great price.

Honestly, no random person out there is going to be able to follow all of these various checklists and links given and to ultimately come up with the perfect car to buy, in the perfect desired condition, at the perfect price.

And what of those poor slobs (including myself) who don't happen to live anywhere near where these sorts of vehicles exist and can be purchased used? We are supposed to do all of this stuff on the fly, in the time allotted for a fly out, test drive, then drive home car buying situation?

Give me a break. This is ridiculous.

My opinion is that you need to size up your seller as best you can, then research the car as best you can, look at all of the data available, then pays yer money and takes yer chances.

And even if you do all of the 87 things listed on the checklists, something else that you did not consider is going to fail; it is just like that!

"02996ttx50

youre not buying the SELLER! youre buying a used car and one that isn't particularly expensive either given the pedigree the marquee deservedly has.

wtf. don't talk about it! be about it. again, GL lol

if i thought like that last post? i would only buy food and toilet paper and nothing else that was "discretionary"

champignon

Perhaps I should not have even started this thread; it may have been a mistake in retrospect.

I think there is a huge amount of luck in buying a used performance car. I have been lucky in the past and I have been unlucky. I am a relatively **** person as these things go, but certainty is not on the menu, unfortunately. What is on the menu is care, due diligence, trust, and luck, in about equal proportions.

I do business (mostly real estate) transactions in some frequency, in which I feel that I have a certain amount of control over the process, and in which I can definitively limit my downside. Unfortunately, used car transactions don't seem to fit that mold.

Just my take.

Peace :-)

"02996ttx50

you know what i say about retrospect? don't look back!

so, perhaps you shouldn't have, but who can say? but that's really why we are all ( presumably? ) here..

to share, compare, wheedle and needle.

but back to the "deal"!.. you have no "control", as such. life

the best one can hope for after any possible "due diligence" is, peace.. and again, good luck. yeah, that works.

ScottKelly911

Congratulations on the possible purchase. Make sure there's no 2nd gear issue. Look for leaks under the car if you can get under the engine with a flashlight. Look to make sure both door windows go down about an 1/8th of an inch when you open the door and that they go back up when you close the door. I've seen many cars where this function has failed over the years and people just leave it alone rather than fix it. Also, look to see the spoiler goes up and down and there's no hydraulic leaks. If there's excessive chatter coming from the engine at idle, could need pulleys which could be a bargaining chip and honestly not that difficult or too expensive to replace. Also, when in neutral, rev it up several times and let it run down. Make sure the revs come down in a natural manner and it doesn't hiccup. If all passes your visual test and lookover, it wouldn't hurt to then take it to a local indy and have them do a PPI so they can do a leakdown, and get it on a lift and give it a better lookover. Best of luck!

champignon

Thanks very much. The 2nd gear synchro was recently replaced, if that is what you are getting at. The entire power steering system was redone/replaced in November, including removing and replacing the engine to get at everything (plus everything you could reasonably do when removing and replacing same). The spoiler is now fixed in position, with manual choices for placing it; the hydraulic system broke and was removed by the most recent former owner.

Will try the other things!

Thanks everyone!

RngTrtl

can we ask how much you paid?

champignon

Have not paid yet. Car has brand new wheels, brand new tires, and just spent $8500 worth of time in the shop in November, not to mention considerable work by the prior owner 1.5-2 years ago. The current owner/seller wanted to get the car perfect, to the point where only oil changes should be needed for the foreseeable future. Then his wife got pregnant and they decided to move to another town as soon as they can. Seller was not willing to negotiate on the price, which was/is $41.5K.

Probably, I'm overpaying, however if the car is really as nice as billed, then hopefully it won't cost me too much to own over the next few years.

RngTrtl

wow. 41.5 sounds almost too good to be true. That sounds like an amazing deal. I hope it goes well!