I'm looking to purchase my first Porsche. My desired car is a 2006 or newer 911 Carrera S Coupe with manual transmission, 60,000ish miles. The prices are all over the place and private party seems to be slightly less than dealer but not always. My question is can you use the car value websites to get an idea if a car is priced even close to fair market value (NADA, Kelly Blue Book, Edmund's etc.)? I realize history and condition have huge effect on price but there are lots of used Porsches to buy so overpaying for one should be easy to avoid, right? Thanks for replies in advance

 

I think there is no guideline of price because Of demand so the price is all over the places. On top of that also factor in of condition, service history, upgrades, and location. Same as other popular sports car like Supra or NSX. Your best bet is study the market value and know what to look for. Down in the line to buy a classic sport car is depends on your perception of value. What is it worth to you.

For that reason I end up got a 06 c2 because c2s people are selling almost 6-10k over c2 and I don’t think it’s worth it.

 

Your best bet is to look at actual sales prices, and the place to do that is Bring-a-trailer (BaT). There have been many 997's sold through that auction site, and the site is easy to navigate and searchable. See this link: https://bringatrailer.com/auctions/results/?search=997;

Expect to pay in the low $30's for a fairly stock 06 "S" with 60K =/- miles on it.

 

It also depends on maintenance. You can pay let's say $40K for a mint mint car that has all the maintenance up to date, versus a $35k car that needs the spark plugs and coils, along with idler pulleys, belt and water pump etc.... and rapidly climb to $40K or over pretty quickly. There might also be cosmetics that you want to adress on the cheaper car....

That is why prices are all over the place.

Get a mint one with all maintenance done and one that needs maintenance (if you have no proof it was done, treat it as if it wasn't). Check the difference in price and evaluate the cost of maintenance to be done to see if it is worth it or not. But don't be fooled by the cheaper car.

 

Buy from an enthusiast owner, as you'll have a much better chance of getting a car that's been taken care of. Excellence Magazine (excellence-mag.com on web) publishes a Buyer's Guide that's very useful. The current 2019-2020 edition shows 2005-08 S price range $33-45K. You can also join PCA on the Test Drive membership which gives you full contact information on member ads. The PCA chapter in your region will have ads on their website so that's another place to look. Basic question you have to answer is whether you're looking for a project car or one that's been maintained and is ready to be enjoyed - and then how far you're willing to cast your net to land it.

Here's a PCA member ad that I'd be interested in as a buyer:
Beautiful 2006 S 6-speed coupe with rare cocoa int. 3rd owner. Records to new. No mods, no paint, no accidents, no track. Sold new and maintained at Porsche North Scottsdale and at Roger Jobs Porsche in Bellingham WA. Sport Chrono+, Nav, Bose, power seats, clear bra. Recent service = exchange of all fluids, alignment & new Michelin Pilots Sports. 100+ photos. Runs perfectly. $37,900.

 

If private seller, mid $30K would be realistic; dealer a bit more of a premium. Also depends on options.

 

I saw that but felt based on mileage should be in lower 30's so didn't want to waste his time but I might be way off in my thinking, i'll research a bit more, i'm very patient. Thanks for input.

 

Make sure you do an invasive PPI. Meaning bore scope from the oil pan side. No question.

Cw

 

thank you cwheeler, I had planned on doing PPI but wasn't sure to what level so I have been in contact with local dealers with questions on recommendations.

 

Prices are all over the place in part because the cars can be so different. Price is dependent upon a number of factors including condition (damage or accident can be a deep discount), whether services are proper and up to date, condition of wear items such as tires, brakes, clutch and etc.

Some cars may also be listed at what appears to be discounted prices with a clean Carfax, but yet they have extensive paint work or damage repairs that are not listed on Carfax.

Exterior color and interior color can make a big difference and options will also drive the price.

Biggest lesson I learned long ago is trying to bottom feed or purchasing the cheapest cars always turns out to be the most expensive cars. You can quickly drop a lot of $$$ addressing needs, wear items, service issues and etc. on high performance sports cars that are running well.

 

I have been more disappointed with cars I purchased from so called "enthusiast owners" over the years than cars I purchased from Porsche or other exotic and high-end dealerships.

 

I recently bought a 997 from a PCA member and he obviously maintained it well. Had service history records, and created an Excel sheet with all of the things he's done to the car. Now I'm filling it in as the new owner. He also had all of the stock parts from all of the desirable mods he have done. Interior was super clean and no scratches on the center console, that should tell you something. I'm a firm believer that buying from an enthusiast is the best, they know their car and practice the warm up procedure which I think is most critical.

 

No, a good car would not be priced near KBB, etc. It will be higher.

A poor car might be.

Very easy to overpay for a Porsche. Typically by buying a cheaper one that has issues and then having to spend money to catch-up to a well maintained car.

 

This is how I feel, I am as much a caretaker as owner. I have a spreadsheet with all of the history before me grayed out and all of my maintenance added below. I figure if I keep the car forever, this info will be helpful to me and if I sell it, the next caretaker will appreciate it. A base Carrera isn't rare and lots of them are abused but that doesn't mean it can't be well treated and documented.

To the OP, as others have mentioned, prices are all over the place, check sold (not reserve not met) price on Bring a Trailer, and it's in the best interest of a buyer to remain dispassionate and logical about the purchase. Don't just buy something blindly because you think the deal will disappear if you don't. There are always other fish in the sea, as hard as that is to see in the heat of passion.

 

Thanks Wolfsburdge, I appreciate the input and couldn't agree more. I'm very patient but also very green when it comes to Porsche supply and demand as well as value. I appreciate everybodies input and find it very helpful in this process. The search continues and hopefully ends with a good 997 at a fair price.