Prairiedawg

I'm looking for thoughts on a low mileage (less than 8k) 2010 C2S for sale. Its located in a very remote area of the country, about 3 hrs from the nearest airport. I'm not sure a PPI would be available due to the location and would likely have to take it on faith there's no issues with it. The owner has sent pictures of it and it looks like it's a new car. I'm going to speak to him tonight and get more specifics on maintenance etc.

What types of issues could one encounter on a very low mileage car? I probably wouldn't be able to see the car in person until the transaction if it occurs due to the location and logistics involved with getting there. I would probably have to transport it home because I would probably feel more confident driving a higher mileage car that distance.

I'm curious on thoughts about this car, price, and buying it due to location. It's really far from anything! No warranty, PPI, etc.
What type of value would you put on it and thoughts in general


BASE 911 Carrera S Cabriolet
022 Instrument Dials in Black
176 Sports Exhaust System
267 Self Dimming Mirrors
342 Heated Front Seats
404 19" Turbo Wheel
619 Bluetooth Phone Interface
640 Sport Chrono Package Plus
680 Bose High End Sound Package
810 Floor Mats in Interior Color
870 Universal Audio Interface
A1 BlackAPBlack Sport Seats
P77 Leather Sport Seats
V9 Cabriolet roof in Black
XSC Porsche Crest in Headrest

Balr14

I would be looking for signs of aging, like dried seals, cracks in rubber and dried grease and lubricants. I would be most concerned about bad gas as that can be a pretty expensive fix. I doubt the car will have much maintenance history in 8k miles, so don't put too much emphasis on that. I would estimate the retail value of this car from a private seller, under normal conditions, would be around $54k. In a remote location with the difficulties you describe, I would expect a discount of a few $k. The car has a trade-in value considerably under $50k. There are a number of car value tools you can use that deliver pretty realistic real world values, not the optimistic estimates you usually get here on Rennlist.

D1coach

Phrog Phlyer

If you can borrow/buy a Durametrics cable or ICARSOFT I960 or a Foxwell NT510/520 scanner at least you could see if any codes exist before you bought it. That could tell you a quick view of the health of the motor(misfires, over revs etc) and other components.

DesmoSD

If you're 100% certain this is the car for you, bring a friend and as many tools (jack, jackstands, paint meter, Durametric, etc) as you can to do you own inspection since a PPI is not going to happen. Bring or pull up a PPI checklist with you and take your time to go over the entire car with a magnifying glass. Depending on how the car was kept, 8K original miles could be a blessing or a curse. Best of luck to you.

Prairiedawg

Unfortunately going and looking at it with tools and such just will not be possible. When I say remote, think rural Idaho remote.

Its going to have to be a decision to buy ahead of time. It will be quite the ordeal getting to it. I'm curious what types of problems engines can have without running enough with the exception of main seals and such?

D1coach

DesmoSD

At least bring a durametric and a paint meter since those can fit in a carry on. My 06 C2S had 14K miles when I bought it and it passed a PPI with flying colors. 8K miles on a 997.2, it seemed like it was barely driven and hopefully a garage queen. I doubt you'll see much service history and/or crack rubber seals on a 9 yr old car etc unless it was kept outside. Even though it's not a 911, I've seen many low mileage cars in excellent condition.

This is my friend's 1998 Supra 6 speed twin turbo in Quicksilver FX. IIRC, it has 6K miles and it looks like it just rolled off the assembly line. All original except for the battery, fluid changes and minty fresh.


Which is rarer in unmolested form, an AE86 or a JZA80 Supra? It’s hard to say, but for this year at least, the judges awarded Frank Guerrero with the Best Original/Restored award for his 1998 Quicksilver Supra Turbo. Since Supras are often judged by their horsepower numbers, it was great to finally see an owner get some much deserved recognition for preserving an endangered species.

If it's worth the trip, I'd say for got it but don't purchase it sight unseen.

UK2

There are quite a few Porsche specialists throughout Idaho. I used to live there, so I know first hand what's around. If it's the car for you, I'd reach out to the most local one to see if they are available to do a mobile inspection before you buy. It may cost you an additional few hundred dollars for them to do this but no where as much as the follow on costs for a problem car. PM me if you like and I can help point you in the direction of one.

Balr14

Find out how the owner drove it; summer only, weekends, short or long trips, last time driven, etc. I don't think it's old enough to have suffered any serious degradation, unless it sat for a very long time. Now, My opinions are based on past experience with normal older cars, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

Prairiedawg

Thanks for you opinions everyone, keep them coming. Anyone have reasonable offer suggestions based on this info. Keep in mind the car is in a VERY remote location which will require a PIA air route plus lots of layovers because there are no direct flights except from small regional airports, then a 3 hour drive. This could be a real gem of a car but only if its for the right price. I have a dollar amount in my head but I'm curious what others think?

cosm3os

If the car is that far from civilization, what are the chances the PO is getting the service done at proper time intervals? If it doesn't come with a service history, I'd walk. Miles that low make for problems waiting to happen.

Prairiedawg

I'm calling the gentleman this evening. He said in an email that he has a 3 ring binder with all of the maintenance records and is the original owner. I'll post further when I get more information.

cosm3os

That's a good start, but I wouldn't buy without a PPI.

cannonball05

Is this a private sale? Ask him to send you all maintenance history he has done or might have from pervious owners. If a dealer, ask them to send it. Trust your gut instinct when you talk to them on the phone. Ask a lot of questions. Any red flags that come up when speaking with them, walk. Its not worth it to gamble. There are others out there. I gambled on mine but I spoke to the seller a lot and my gut said he is a good guy. I didn't do a PPI either but he sent me maintenance receipts and it felt honest. So I flew out there and bought it. My indy did a PPI and it was clean for the most part other some minor issues that I would expect. ….. that said.... it is a gamble either way. But this being a 2010, less of a gamble than what I did for my 2006.

P.S. I just saw the owner has a binder of maintenance and only owner. That is a good sign. Ask him to scan last 12 months of maintenance receipts and list out anything later than that.