Meursault88

This has got to be the # 1 puff since 'little old lady and only on Sundays".

Over and over, I see 997.2 ads with "meticulous maintenance" and when asked about drive belts, PDK fluid, pan and filter changes, spark plugs, even air filters for these cars that typically have 30-60k miles the answer is no to most or all of the above. The Porsche guidelines are clear cut - 60,000 miles/6 years.

The 'meticulous' car can have $5000 - 7000 in maintenance to perform the week you get it.

Every 997.2 with a PDK should have had its first flush, pan and filter change by now or start subtracting from the ask price and looking a lot closer at what else has been neglected.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0ahUKEwirhb-s9IfbAhVJyYMKHbG1BYYQFghDMAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fgaudinporschelv.com%2Fima ges%2Fdealer_images%2F486%2Fuploads%2FScheduled_Maintenance%2F911_IM_200 9_911S_997.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0KSZIEKTyxBU8BWUQgPzRZ

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=0ahUKEwirhb-s9IfbAhVJyYMKHbG1BYYQFghfMAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.porsche.com%2Ffilesto re.aspx%2FPorsche-Download.pdf%3Fpool%3Dmiddle-east%26type%3Ddownload%26id%3Dporschecentrenetwork-bmarket-911%26lang%3Dnone%26filetype%3Ddefault&usg=AOvVaw0wG1Uqgd8ILQ7sE2ihdpBT

kisik

All are valid pints. Just keep a simple spreadsheet that could be shown to interesting parties. Typically: every year: oil change or two ; every 2 years: brake/clutch fluid flush and air filter ; every 4-6 years: spark plugs, belt, water pump, diff fluid, cooling...For early 997.1 there should have been water pump and plugs changed 2 times! That is why guys doing track events are " meticulous" in maintenance since its life depends on it.

Fined

+1

In general I'd imagine 997 with light to moderate track use have a much higher standard of maintenance than other 997. I'm sure there are exceptions, but good luck finding a 911 that's been used for HPDE that still has its original brake fluid in it. Not likely to happen at all, since that is a part of tech inspection along with a number of other things that anyone putting their car on track will have addressed multiple times over.

ogun228

Ok, so what is your point? Sure you have to exercise due diligence, that is obvious..
Have you found something you like, with PDK revision, fluid, and belt and spark plugs changed
that you are interested in even though you "are a lousy driver" (sic)? Ask for opinions or ask questions.
.Please contribute meaningfully to this forum and stop with the inane topics and comments.
Members here are very good at giving advice,
answering questions that make sense.
.Be a contributing member rather than a sensationalist. ...
Welcome to the forum!

DesmoSD

+100


This is what a PPI is for. Rule #1: Do not trust the seller. You're going to have weed out the strong from the weak purchases when buying a used car; especially when buying a Porsche.

voiceprint1

Agree with ogun228, If you buy from a used dealer you get none of those records with the car, so you have to start your own, just like any used car. You might consider another type of car that is better for your driving style.

Meursault88

The lousy driver post was to understand if there was any benefit in a 4S since the last 2 cars I made offers on were AWDs. A lot of sellers are full of crap or just negligent and one needs some ammo to counter that. The 2 google links are to maintenance checklists for the 997.

As I mentioned in another post, I am inking a deal to buy a very nice 4S for about 41% of MSRP (low miles, full records, no accidents, flawless condition). So life's good.

Batman33

Bravo

Flat_Six_

BillNye

To quote myself: everything is about compromise.
What about the guy who's car is "meticulously maintained", he does everything that the 1st revision of the owners manual says to the letter, no more and no less..They wash it 3x/wk with dishsoap and a bath towel but dont notice the underbody tray that's skimming the ground while driving.

Or, the guy who takes great care of the car, oil changes as appropriate based on lab tests for oil life remaining and impurities, it is correctly detailed as necessary. He does maintenance as parts fail. Goes to the track semi-regularly so the fluids are all flushed often, and the brake pads/rotors are nearly fresh. So maybe he gets slightly worse power and fuel econ because plugs and air filter weren't changed as often as they could have been. Doesn't mean it's a poorly maintained car that needs $5k of immediate maintenance.

user 72902

karl1672

When I bought my current 997 the process was straightforward / simple and took about 3 weeks. Admittedly, I had some decent inventory to pick from
1 – did some research and decided on what I wanted
2 – checked local market to see what was available
3 – looked at 3 cars – made some compromises and picked one (keeping in mind that I was buying a 10 year old car)
4 – did a PPI and used the results to negotiate the priced (deferred maintenance, etc.)
5 – purchased
6 – addressed the maintenance issues (myself and an indy)
7 – and now, driving and enjoying

You seem to be spending an incredible amount of time and energy on this IMHO

mjsporsche

Too much worrying about questionable definition of deferred maintenance. Let a professional perform the PPI and then go from there. I have a 997.1 that is in outstanding condition and have it checked over every year by my dealer as I have an open checkbook (actually a Fidelity Platinum warranty) and other than routine oil and brake fluid stuff and filters changed, I am not doing what the OP is suggesting. Not replacing the plugs, the water pump, AOS, or any other stuff until I am advised by a professional that it needs to be replaced. If that turns off a buyer (hypothetically speaking), then so be it as they would miss out on a great car.

linderpat

Some people are destined to sit on the sidelines and wonder what they are missing. They will never truly know unless and until they jump in. The richness of life is jumping in. Everything else is just posing.

larrysb

Actually you're wrong about that. The PDK clutch fluid change is due at 6yr/60k miles. However, the transmission oil and pan/filter replacement are due at 12yr/120k miles. So a 6 year old car should have had PDK clutch fluid change done, but not the full flush and pan replacement. Many advise doing both at the same time, but it is NOT called out for in the factory maintenance schedule.

Any used car is only as good as its last maintenance. If you want perfect, go pony up for a new one.

The other thing is, it is just a car!

Seriously, Porsche, like other car companies abuse the crap out of them during testing, then they write schedules that are pretty conservative. Weirdly enough, cars that are driven hard all the time and mildly abused often hold up better than garage queens.