Alex Koutin

Hi fellow enthusiasts....So i have finally grew up to own a P. Have been trolling forums and like many of us started compiling list of 997.2 C2S MT candidates (nationwide). Mistakenly hoped my VR racing sim rig will hold me over for now with all sig P emulated

Having said this, as much as i enjoy hunt, its very unsettling to realize one must pull buy trigger very very fast. To be honest i am not truly in position to buy my weekend toy tomorrow (was planning to get out of my DD AMG E63 lease next April first), but there are some fine samples that come and go and make me antsy. Every car that more than peaks my interest seems to be gone in a matter of 4 days! I realize it could take a long time to find perfect one for me, so is my timing to start hunting now OK? Should i even bother compiling Excel spreadsheet with all matching listings from usual sources (rennlist classifieds, autotrader, ebay, cargurus, porsche USA etc.). I do have dealer access to nationwide auctions too thanks to some of my clients.

Please tell me I am irrational and there always will be a good 997.2 available (for "right" price of course) at any point in time so i should calm down and not fret util i am truly in a "buy tomorrow" position .. I am tempted to go CPO route to minimize (partially) IMS / Bore Score + general condition and reliability related anxiety ...even though i am set on 997.2 with 3 pedals. Does it even make sense to start another WTB thread ?

To those who were in my shoes - what were your actual experiences... in terms of timing of hunt and dream realization?

Alex

voiceprint1

It's true good examples don't last, but you need your financials in order first, plus expect to need some extra cash for things like tires and wear items that need attention.

You should join Porsche Club America, they run a members only classifieds, or search on here if you want to know a cars history. Carmax also offer a very good 5 year warranty if you buy from them, although the price is usually higher than a small dealer.

Alex Koutin

thanks..I did not think of carmax..they dont seem to have many 997s listed..mostly newer vehicles... will join PCA to expand my "horizon"

Steph1

I would say, if you aren't gonna be ready before April 2020, you should wait til after the next Holiday season to start shopping. But then again, a lot of owners store their car for the winter and they are not available to be seen till they are out of storage.

Alex Koutin

Decisions..decisions...guess its a blessing of sorts that i am in sunny FL...but in retrospect I guess ill stay "a P dreamer" for now

DesmoSD

Yep, they go very quickly, esp if you have a specific build that you're looking for. In my case, I was looking for either an Aqua/Cobalt blue or Carrera white 6 speed 997 coupe, under 50K miles in either black or stone gray interior. Not too many came up but when they did, they sold immediately esp the 997.2's. One was gone within 24 hrs of it being listed. All it takes is one phone call with a deposit to take it off the market.

When you find one that meets your criteria, you have to pounce on it immediately. Put a refundable deposit down and then start the process (funding, booking a ticket if it's not local, call around for a local PPI, post up here asking if anyone knows the vehicle). Don't expect them to verbally hold the car for you. You have to be aggressive yet do your diligence.

ChadF

i'd just wait until the finances make sense. getting into a car you should love, but that is an iffy financial move is going to take a lot of the fun out of it.

once you are ready financially, then move forward and be ready to move immediately when the right one comes up. my experience was that there are not many great deals (you mentioned 'right price') to be had - good cars go fast and get most/all of the money. focus on the right car (what you actually want)and be ready to pay for it when it you see it.

Fined

When you're ready to buy, make sure you're actually ready to buy. When you find a car that lines up close to where you want to be you should be prepared to put down a refundable deposit immediately. I found during my search that the same cars that were close to my ideal would sell within 3 or 4 days. That was 3 years ago, and the supply is noticeably lower now than it was then. Its a shame to let that one you want get away while you waffle about whether or not to do it. Putting down a deposit on the car should keep that from happening.

hapa997

I had the same problem a couple of years ago--I wasn't ready to pull the trigger financially, but at the same time I felt like I was going to miss out on my dream car if I didn't. The best thing I did was to stop browsing the classifieds here and elsewhere (it's hard, I know) until I was ready. Once I was, it made the search a lot less stressful. The fact is, there weren't that many 997.2's made, and finding the "right" car can be tough if you're looking for a specific color or set of options. On the flip side, you never know what could come up for sale in the future, and that's part of the fun. Good luck!

Dartmouth

Having bought my 2nd 911, a 997.2, I wanted a number of options and thought I wanted this and that. Things change as you come in touch with different options, different colors, close vs far away in your search. My advise is be open to change your priorities especially if your search doesn't match up with your list of must haves. Blue was very difficult to find and with the options I wanted. I had to readjust which opened up other cars that better matched in the list. I bought a ruby red 4S Cab when in fact my focus was blue coup, then blue cab with blue convertible top, full leather, bluetooth, DFI, and until I drove a PDK was set on a manual. PDK changed my mind after driving it and knowing I could do so much with it. I've had it now for 7 years and love it. Wish it was blue...., maybe next one.

HardParked

Yeah. You have to be financially ready to pull the trigger on one. I came across mine due to the fact that the seller was not really motivated to get rid of it and was out of town quite often.

Steph1

And when you do find "THE" one, it still has to pass a torough ppi inspection ...

swingwing

You said you're not ready to buy now, so don't sweat it. Start doing some research on Porsches and make notes. Those will describe the car you're looking for. I recommend you join PCA on the Test Drive program, which gives you full access to member ads. Excellence Magazine (excellence-mag.com) has a very good Buyer's Guide for about $15 that's a good market reference. There's also for sale ads on the website there. There will be plenty of cars out there when you're ready to buy. Do the research and set your budget first is my recommendation. For a first Porsche don't rule out Boxster or Cayman. 981 Cayman S was on my short list.

Alex Koutin

Gentlemen, thanks for wise comments.Hopefully my thread does not come across as whining...I also have read similar sentiment expressed in remarks elsewhere on the forum (i am not the first P newbie here). Trust me I am doing my P homework last 4 months already (thank you OCD). Notwithstanding web, I have read most Excellence, Total 911 and 911&P mags from 2014 through now, trolled all major P forums, went twice to Naples FL Revs institute to study their amazing historic P collection...

Its a disease. This is exactly how it all started years ago for me with the other boxter in my life. 2-year long IWSTI / NASIOC forum trolling ended up eventually with building (over 10 year period) a 585WHP track focused STI. i still drove it on weekends on rough NYC streets...Two blown motors later and eventual back to stock rebuild and sale....it was a fun and educational adventure..and a money drain. But jap steel was not so challenging to procure as German throughbreed. I just did not experience P market till now. My first serious exposure to it is mildly overwhelming LOL

swingwing

It's not a disease. It's an expensive toaster really. You're making a mountain out o' a molehill.