TheBruce

I concur with the rest of the guys, you are buying the prior owner as much as the car. A guy that drives around with a CEL on and knowingly stores it without tracking it down, is not a guy I want to buy from.

That being said, I would also low ball him and see what happens. If it checks out in the PPI you might be able to create some value by getting the car up to your standards. Mine wasn't perfect when I bought it, but now it is. I also knew I was getting a car that was 10-15% below market and now I can sell it for 10-15% above market.

Monster231

Me too, I estimate I got about a 25% discount on mine. The PPI was solid but cosmetically it has seen better days. Especially little things like interior lights, hood struts, dash leather shrinking, etc

Steph1

Yeah, it was a rare find with the automatic and being a 4. That is why I was willing to live with the fact that it was black..... which I love in the shade, but once swore I would never buy another.

In my list, I have 2 that are absolutely mint. One is a 2008 guard red with tan interior with 60000 miles , but it is a manual transmisson and a plane Carrera.

The other is a 2007 plane Carrera in white with tiptronic, navy blue interior and top, a nice set of Vossen wheels with stock wheels and tires and only 45000 miles, but it is $10 grands more than the red 2008 and $5 grands more than the black carrera 4 with the same miles.

So not sure what to do. At this point, despite that it is a manual, I believe the red one is the best buy....

Thanks for all your inputs.

TheBruce

If its not already been discussed, a Tipronic is going to really hurt your resale. Personally I would only buy a manual 997.1. If automatic is a "must have", I would focus on 997.2s with PDK.

Tle

Doug H

As Bruce said, don't do tip. Spend a little extra and get pdk and a (A1 engine. Porsches ca be very reliable cars that you can absolutely beat on and they can take it, however, . . . they can turn into expensive maintenance nightmares as they get older if they were not properly serviced and taken care of throughout the years. If you are purchasing an older car with higher miles, make sure it has proper service records and was well maintained since new. I would rather have one with a minor Carfax issue that was well maintained and properly serviced over one with garage queen, never been dinged appearance that was not properly serviced. Many service by miles and not time intervals. That is no good either.

Steph1

The 2 that are left, are presently in the hands of car dealers. So the records will be hard to get. But I'll do my homework before buying for sure.

Vincent713

I am also in the market for a 911 and have test driven all of the variation of the 997.1 & 997.2 except the turbos and GT's. I see a lot of folks dislike the tiptronic but honestly I had fun driving one. Haven't heard or read one mechanical issues with them and seems to be bullet proof. Yes they do not shift as fast as a PDK but they cost about $15k less. The resale value of a tiptronic is lower than a 6sp manual (purely by demand) but you're also paying less upfront for a tiptronic, I've been searching the market for a while now and this is a fact. There are pros and cons between the two transmission and it all boils down to your preference. I'm leaning towards a manual only because this will be my weekend toy. If it was my daily driver I would jump on a tiptronic or PDK.

sandwedge

Just put this on tonight. If you liked the Tiptronic, you will LOVE the PDK if it's within your budget,
https://rennlist.com/forums/market/1125207

dawgcatching

I had a similar experience last year. On CL, I found an "X51" C4S, 2007 in GT Silver over full black leather, for $45,000. The price seemed very reasonable. Upon closer inspection, the X51 package wasn't present: the seller claimed that X51 was sold to him as "being on the car" by Porsche Bellevue (AutoNation), which is widely known to be a group of hacks. OK, I get that; obvious to any one of us (the intake is distinct), but to a lay-person, perhaps not. When I requested a PPI, he took it to the top shop in Seattle (Chris' German Auto Repair), only to find that a new clutch was required, along with a new RMS and some other repairs. All-in, I was looking at $5,000. He didn't want to budge on his $45,000 asking price, and I walked.

Oddly enough, a month later, a very clean, well optioned, similar mileage 997.2 C4S popped up through a local contact. $5,000 more got me a .2 and a car with extensive documentation and previous CPO history. These "issues" tend to work themselves out: pass on a questionable car, and you may just find that a great car falls into your lap!

rickdogg82

I'd never buy a car with known problems, even discounted. Ask the guy to repair the car, and then you will talk.

Hella-Buggin'

I'd pass. You're buying the seller and he's shown that he doesn't care for your time. Doesn't care much about the car either form what I just read.

Steph1

Thanks guys, I have passed and am now looking for another.... unfortunately, Carrera 4 or 4S with tiptronic are pretty rare.

I have 3 left on my list. All 3 plane Carrera 2C, 2 are 5spd and one tiptronic.

Hella-Buggin'

Smart Pass.
I'm thinking about selling my 06 S but its a manual.
Higher milage but very well cared for and maintained.
If you change your mind and want to row some gears, LMK.

TheBruce

If you are ok with the Tip another idea would be to stretch a bit for a Turbo Tip. I've seen those trade in the low $50s.