Steph1

Gents, am actively looking for my 911 and thought I had found THE one, until things started going kinda weird.... So I need your input.

First thing, the current owner is really nice. However, my first visit went like this.....

First, while communicating during the hollidays, he mentionned numerous times, that his car was mint mint mint with absolutely nothing to do... just start and go....

So, some might recall from a previous post, he knew I was coming from 2 hours away, but when we got to the stored car, it was full of dust, he had disconneted the battery and didn't know how to open the bonnet. So we ended up just seeing a dusty 911 and sit in it, not even able to sit properly cause the seats are electrical and I am much taller than him. Interior was not very clean. Needless to say I was extremelly dissapointed. We were 2 floors down in an interior garage and cell phones had no signal. And I was so turned off that I didn't feel like walking outside to do a google search. At that point, I was thinking that I would come back to check the car out at a later date when he figures things out and the car is viewable and driveable.

Worth mentionning that while looking for a way to open the bonnet, he was manipulating the car like I would with a beat up toyota corolla in a junkyard. At numerous occasions, he didn't pay attention to the windows when closing the doors and the windows being out of power, didn't lower the half inch it needs to clear the top so they became kinked on the top and I was following him and closing the doors properly. When opening the fuse box cover, he used his key to grasp the incavement and was yanking and yanking until the door popped out. When I was trying to check the paint for door dings and scratches, he was behing me, using his hands to wipe the dust off the BLACK paint. The wheels were very beat-up and had tons of curb rash. Especially the front left one.

First thing my wife said when we got back in our car to head home, is "this guy has no clue how **** you are with your cars, heck, did you see how he treated that car !!!".

Soooo, this was just a briefing to put you in context....

After insisting that his car needed NOTHING, while having difficulties opening the bonnet, he says, " by the way, the check engine light was on when I stored it, and my mechanic said it is just an O2 sensor.

After I got home, I told him how disapointed I was with our visit and I was going to go back next week (today). So he had his mechanic over to his place to open the bonnet and start the car on monday to bring it over to his garage to do the work.

I contacted him wednesday to see if the car would be ready for friday (today), and he said the car was at the garage, getting the heated seats worked-on cause the system needed to be reset.

I contacted him thursday to verify same thing and he tells me the heated seats had been reset and they were working on replacing the faulty O2 sensor. So the car should be ready for me on friday, but he would call me to confirm before I hit the road for that 2 hour drive.

He contacted me this morning and told me that the O2 sensor had been changed, but the check engine light was still on. So it wasn't gonna be ready on time for me to see it until they figure out the culprit....

Soooo, is this a red light or what??? What do you guys think??? I've been burnt once with a Land Rover Discovery that has been a nightmare to maintain despite all the preventative maintenance I had done. So I might be frightened easily....

Does this sound like a Lemon, are these cars a nightmare to own. Some have told me that you can't compare Porsche to Land Rover, and to my knowledge, Porsches are very reliable.

Please share your thoughts.

wjk_glynn

Under better circumstances this car might have been 'the one' for you. But don't let emotional desire mess with the hard headed practicalities of buying a used car.

The facts show the seller isn't being truthful. You can't trust the seller. I'd pass.

You will eventually find another car.

Steph1

Thanks for the wise words, I just wrote the seller and told him I would pass on the car. Thanks.

groovzilla

C4S nicer car and I would search for one - They are out there but have to dig deep
Best

docdrs

Iceter

cosm3os

Walk away. You are buying the previous owner as much, or more so, than the options/color, etc. There are better owners and cars out there. I bet he doesn't have any service records. If that's the case, you already know how he treats his cars (he doesn't care/neglects them).

kellen

Run.

doclouie

linderpat

I would not deal with a lying seller under any circumstances. This guy lied. Also, I would always be suspect of how the car was maintained, based upon what the seller showed you in your initial visit. There are other cars out there.

Turbodan

Walk. buy from a caring seller. otherwise I would ask what codes were shown when they scanned for the cel

Edgy01

You're quickly learning that "mint" takes on a wide spectrum of meanings.

I would go elsewhere. They produced a ton of 997s so there is another around the corner.

gtvr6

Other's have said it and I agree, unless there's a reason you like this one (hard to find color combo, option, etc.) or the price is very appealing, I'd move on.

If there is a reason you want this car, see if he's willing to bring you the car and have your mechanic give the car the twice over.

lstoker

Walk away. There are plenty cars out there. The owner has already shown you his true colors. I've sold dozens of cars, not once have I had someone show up that didn't think the car was in better shape than I described it. Be honest, point of every thing and no one is disappointed.

Monster231

On the other hand, It's a rare opportunity justifiably to low ball him. Tell him your offer is contingent on a PPI. Go there, get it running, take it for a PPI and make a decision once you have the data you need. Based on your experience, he is going to have a very hard time selling the car to anyone else