Hello, fellow M9X owners!

This is Bobby – lead producer for The Knowledge Gruppe and Rennvision. We are currently in the planning stages of this project and need your input.

We’ve had many people request that we produce a video(s) on how to conduct your own Pre-Purchase Inspection of M9X based Porsches. No one wants to get stuck with a lemon or money pit and a PPI is the best form of protection in any car consideration. Unfortunately, in some cases (e.g. auction rules), an off-site professional pre-purchase inspection cannot be achieved. Therefore, you’re stuck with conducting an on-site inspection yourself or getting someone do to do it for you (i.e. Rennfax). These are great cars, but buyers must be mindful of the problematic areas and things to check during the inspection.

Please submit a list of areas that you would like covered in the video. We’re also making every attempt possible at making this video a practical and affordable resource for you. There are many ways to distribute video content these days and we understand people like options. Please complete the poll and respond with constructive comments so that we can report back to Jake Raby on the findings.

I thank you for your time and contributions. We value your input!

Poll descriptions:

Basic Detailed– This would give the buyer a general overview of the exterior, cosmetics, electrical, and mechanical areas to inspect before a purchase.

Highly Detailed– This is would involve a more thorough overview of all known problem areas and what to look for when examining the car’s exterior, interior, electricals, and mechanicals including a more invasion inspection of the health of the M9X engine.

This would include the following:

· Tools needed for the job

· The “Jake Raby’s” step-by-step bore scope procedure will be demonstrated.

· An advanced ECU interrogation – Overrevs, Camshaft Deviations, Fuel Trim, etc.

· Your best defense against IMS bearing failure. Identifying what bearing is in the car.

· How to identify the condition of the fluids, belts, and ancillaries.

· How to check for a failing AOS.

· How to catch a catastrophic problem in the making.

· What to look for when doing an oil sump inspection

· What are the top modes of failure and how can I protect myself

· Being attuned to the senses. What’s that sound? Smell?

Engine Only PPI– This video would be for the more experienced purchaser that understands how to inspect for exterior and interior damage, but just needs a more detailed overview on the M9X engine and mechanicals. The video would cover the engine/mechanical portion in the same detail as the “Highly Detailed” video.

NOTE: This video(s) will be for 997.1 owners with the M9X engine. A 997.2 (9A1 engine) PPI video can be produced if we receive enough requests.

 

Nice. This will be a great resource for the community.

My comments:

- I love how you are customer focused and asking for feedback
- However I would keep it simple. Is it really worth cutting different versions at different prices. it would likely cost you less to just cut one version at one price.
- Price seem reasonable
- Re your engine build series, I think that's amazing. Would love to watch for enjoyment but couldn't justify the ~$650 price tag unless I was elbow deep in a rebuild project. I think you should offer a rental option like above where you can watch it once or for a set period of time. Guys in a rebuild need to watch/pause/rewatch every step so you can likely segment it out.
- I would also suggest doing a video series on the primary DIY maintenance and repair projects: oil chance, expansion tank replacement, starter/alternator cable, belt/tensioner service, brake/rotor replacement, gearbox oil change, etc. I would gladly pay $59-79 for each of those videos before I start every project.

Keep up the great work.

 

There's no other way to produce what people really need :-)

No, we've never planned on doing more than one version. What we needed help with was determining if people wanted that version to be more, or less detailed, or more or less costly. We have decided to only do the higher detailed version.

It looks like we priced it too cheaply, for the detail that people are really looking for after the messages we have received, and posts here.

This rebuild video series is an educational series. It is designed only for the guy who is elbows deep in his engine, and currently assembling it while he hits "play" and "pause" going step by step through assembly. We never had a focus of this being for entertainment. It has massive detail, and the explanations are very in- depth as assembly progresses. Due this this, the rental of this video series currently isn't an option. Some people have bought the series to learn how the engine works, and have no plans to build their own. This is where it also retains the "educational" status, because after viewing this video, you'll know the names of all components, and see what the assembly order is.

Thanks, lots of those are on the table now, and will be knocked out one at a time. A couple of these are already available free at www.rennvision.tv

 

Will this section of the video show how to use a borescope to view the IMS cover nut without separating the engine and transmission? Perhaps this nut size discovery snippet is already available (I looked but couldn't find on rennvision)?

 

This video has yet to be produced. 100% of the video focus has been on bringing the M9X Engine Rebuild Video Series to market. With the series being released on 1.20.20, time will be freed up.
We will likely include this with the 997.1 PPI video, and not offer it as a free Rennvision video.

 

I suppose it depends on who your customer is. If its a shop owner then yes, you could say that a $60+ investment will be spread over multiple PPI and maybe your price is to low. If your targeting me, or people like me then anything more then $50 makes no sense as my intent is to have one of these performed.

 

We don’t believe that shops will purchase these videos. Honestly, at the end of the day this sort of detail doesn’t allow a shop to make any money on the PPI due to the time it takes.

I am including some ways to test for potential bore scoring using one single tool. If the engine fails that test, then its more probable, and you may need to carry out the bore scope evaluation.

The rest of the PPI can be done by the buyer of the car, with only a couple of tools necessary.

We’ve pretty much decided on a 49.95 price tag for the higher detailed video.

 

That number sounds reasonable. I could even see enthusiasts like my self purchasing it to get more familiar with the car.

 

This is a great idea.

I just wanted to thank you for your support of the enthusiast/joe owner. I've been lurking here for some time and I have my first 997 on the way, a decision made in great part thanks to you and other great contributors on this forum.

While I have no doubt as to the accuracy of the technical aspect, since you are targeting/addressing a wide audience, have you worked with an educator on pedagogy and presentation? You are instructing - or attempting to - a wide variety of learning styles, languages, and educational levels. Will it be close-captioned? I come at this as someone who has been writing syllabi and curriculum for many years, all of it aimed at the adult learner (I'm a college professor).

Thanks for taking this on.

 

Hi, this is Bobby - lead producer for The Knowledge Gruppe and Rennvision. Love to see the word "pedagogy". That's my background. I studied it in graduate school and got my Masters in Instructional Technology. Loved the classes on pedagogy and learning theory. Since joining the Flat 6 Innovations team, I've been consulting Jake Raby on multi-sensory learning and learning theories like Constructionism (i.e. "learn by design") and Problem Based Learning which can be appropriately applied to his type of subject matter.

Normally, I'm used to crafting technology to be implemented into face-to-face instruction where specific learning goals have been identified. The Rennvision videos are designed similar to traditional educational television and follow an apprenticeship form of education where the host is the teacher/facilitator and the viewer is the student/apprentice. While we understand most people come to learn something from Jake Raby, the videos have to be entertaining at some level even though the main purpose behind our videos is not solely entertainment like what you'd find on modern car shows. We'll continue to improve our content as long as there is demand for what we do, and welcome any advice you would like to share.


All videos that are sent to Amazon Prime Direct and DVD replication are professionally closed captioned. For the current Focus On: M9X Engine Assembly educational series, we are also creating a textbook. This was my idea because I'm a firm believer that people learn different ways, not just from a lecture or demonstration.


Great! I've worked with university professors for most of my career. I've heard many times that one of the biggest challenges is creating effective curriculum for a program of study. I wish you all the best!

 

Most excellent!

The bolded is very similar to what we do as well. I teach Culinary Arts and spent many years teaching professionals, not beginners. They can be a challenging bunch as I imagine Porsche owners can be (did I just say that out loud?).

Looking forward to it!