Ian Lochbihler

Looking at a 2009 with 60k Miles on it. Its about 1200 miles from home.
Go for it or runaway? Attached is the PPI and the carfax. Buyer is asking $35000. It's a little beyond my budget but also newer than what I expected my budget could acquire. I like the idea of no IMS issue and PDK. Was looking at a 2008 with the same mileage but $30000. I think I can figure out a way to afford the extra dollars by simply eating mac and cheese for the next year.
I've owned a 2004 Boxster S in the past and was able to maintain more myself than I expected. I assume a full on 911 won't be quite as kind to me. Trying to live the dream! Test Drive 2: The Duel started my want for a 911 back when I was 9. Any response is a good response - even the run away kind.

jeebus31

You sure you want to buy a 9 year old 911 for $35k with an accident bad enough to deploy an airbag? Also, one that needs a whole slew of deferred maintenance according to the PPI? Hard pass if it were me.

dgjks6

Never push you budget to buy a used 911.

Get the 08 and save the 5K for problems. If you don't have any, great.

okbarnett

I would look for a car with good history, and pay a couple thousand more

linderpat

For a car, that's just ridiculous. These kind of bad financial decisions will leave you eating mac and cheese for all of your days. Be sensible. Save, advance your career, etc. Sorry to be so blunt, but this just never makes sense. The first big item that goes, bye-bye budget.

Dartmouth

I have an 2009 a C4S. I read the carfax. My advise is forget about this one. It has a boatload of issues, accidents, and parts replaced that I question with WHY?
This carfax tells me a lot. First thing to run from is the airbag deployed. My car is bulletproof. I've had mine for 5 years and haven't had to do any replacing of horns, waterpumps, hpfp, etc. You need to find another 997.2. They are out there. Or buy a 2008 with a good carfax. Just not this one.

Fined

I wouldn't mess with it this one you posted. But I understand wanting to get into a 997.2. I'd say getting into a higher mileage 997.2 would be far far preferable to a 997.1. If I personally was looking at 997.1 I'd just wait to have money for a 997.2 and not do 997.1 at all. If you're stretching for a 997.2, the potential costs of 997.1 are much worse. Cool story about Test Drive 2: The Duel. That was my first racing/simulator, way back on my Apple II GS, also probably about 9 years old!

Stretching to get into a 911 may not be the best idea, but I understand the desire. If you're gonna do it I'd say go with a car with a much cleaner PPI, as having to do the brakes on the car and tires in the short term is going to be a bit costly. There are 997.2 out there in your price range, even some with no accidents. You might have to go a further distance to get it, but if you can get a PPI from a trustworthy source and the car has had its maintenance I'd say go for it.

der Geist

Busta Rib

Run away. As fast as you can. These are fantastic machines but are not kind on your wallet when maintenance/repairs are required. The Porsche tax you pay for everything is quite real. Even if you wrench yourself, parts are expensive. If you can barely afford to buy a $35K Porsche, I don't think it is the right car for you because you will always be on the edge of keeping it on the road. Another option is to look at 996s. They can be had for $20K and are fantastic cars. If you do it right, you will eventually be able to buy a nice 997.

Ian Lochbihler

Thank you all for your time. This 2009 is dead to me.

swingwing

I advise against overspending on a car. Car buying is all about controlling your emotions, because it's damn easy to go over the falls. Ask me how I know. There are plenty of 996s out there that have had the IMS/RMS issues addressed that can be had for considerably less. Join PCA under the "Test Drive Membership" and that gets you full access to member ads. Depending on where you live there may be a PCA chapter in your area, another source of cars for sale. Excellence Magazine has ads, and their updated 2018-2019 Buyer's Guide is a good reference. Have you checked out cars for sale on this forum? IMO your chances of finding a well-maintained car are much better in the enthusiast community.

Balr14

I bought my 2009 C2S, with 52,500K miles in March. It had a clean PDK and needed nothing. I still took it to 3 good shops to have it gone over. I ended up spending $4000, basically for preventative maintenance and peace of mind. I replaced the AOS, had an oil change, the PDK serviced, 60k maintenance, a new ECU tuner and a new tune. I have driven it less than 1500 miles. All 3 shops said it was a great car that I should take to the track! I wonder what I would have spent if there was actually something that needed repair? Remember, that even if you spend $30k - $35K to buy the car, the parts and service are for a car that cost $100K.

ElectricChair

Here's an old wise advice: “There's nothing more expensive than a cheap Porsche.”

php

Listen to others and either go look for another car (think a well maintained 997.1 or 996 with IMS addressed), or be patient and save up more so you can feel comfortable owning the car. $35k budget for decent 911 sounds too low, unless you go 996 route. Also, if you are going to buy a car like this, I do hope you're planning to park in a garage. I understand the itch, as I bought my first Porsche age 26 and my current 997.2 five years ago at age 28. So trust me I know. Not saying it's going to happen, but if you don't feel comfortable throwing out $5k a year for unexpected repairs, you might have a hard time sleeping at night always worrying about what if the car breaks....to me that experience is not worth it. Owning a Porsche 911 should be fun and care free, and in my mind if one have to worry it ruins the experience.

Although I have to say, reasonable advice aside, I'm someone who is not completely against "trial and error". I made stupid mistakes in earlier years (read buying cars at times when I cannot truly afford them), and it has caused me a lot of heart burn and sleepless nights. I do feel this was a great learning experience, and nothing teaches you the lesson better than experiencing failure yourself. So sometimes I also give the advice to others - go ahead and give it a shot, why not. Worst case it turns out to be a bad experience, then just sell the car and move on. As long as one can learn and stay positive, it could be worth it.

Ian Lochbihler

I will take all this advice and continue to save my pennies and watch this forum. If it takes some time to make the dream happen then it takes some time. This is a want - not a need. I intend to garage it during my Canadian winters.