Looking at 997.

My issue is that I do not know how to go about buying the car. I am not car savvy and I do not have the technical skills to evaluate a car myself. I am also often very busy and so going long distances to see cars is not possible although one trip out to pick up a car would be feasable
I also have found it difficult to arrange PPI's and between sellers reluctance to take the car and me not knowing who to take it to in a general area makes it hard.
Porsche dealerships seem to generally have nice cars but pricing is mostly ridiculous.
BAT is nice for helping to ferret out issues but again unless it is one of the more prolific sellers it is still only the sellers word. Also pricing can be very high when the emotion of the auction gets going.
Autotrader and car gurus us nice but again you are often dealing with budget dealers who might be sharks or sometimes just do not know enough about the cars to be able to provide a good car.
Rennlist and PCA like wise tend to run very high on pricing.

Does anyone have any advice for someone like me who is by no means lazy but at the same time does not have the time, knowledge and drive to search through hundreds of cars to find that diamond.

Thanks

 

I am sure that others with more expertise will have suggestions for you, but all I can tell you is what I did when I bought my 997.2. First decide what your basic desires are: a 997.1 or a 997.2; coupe, cabrio, or targa; base vs S vs turbo, etc.; what options are deal breakers, if any; what color, if you have a preference. A couple of hours spent on this forum can get you a whole lot of education and it is time well spent. Then, start looking online. I found that Autotrader and cargurus gave me a good idea of what is "out there", and a good idea of the price range. A PPI is a must (IMO) and the folks on this forum can hook you up with someone in your area that will do a decent job. If a seller will not allow a PPI, then I would walk away. I searched all over the country and found mine at a Volvo dealer 10 miles from my house. The PPI was done at a Porsche dealer down the street from the Volvo dealer, and the price was reasonable. Easy peasy. When I bought my Cayman, I was not so lucky with repect to convenience, but it was still pretty easy to work out the details. For me, the search was part of the fun. Good luck!

 

Thank you.

I am looking at a 997.1 as it offers the best price/performance ratio but I do worry a bit about bore encoring. 997.2 would be the safest option but price to performance ratio is high.
I think I am look at a C2. An S would be great but again I am want to keep it on the cheaper side and I also am not sure that for fun weekend driving that is somewhat legal that the S is needed.
It would be a good weather only car and so I do not need the 4.
I am open to cab or coupe

The right car I am not concerned about it is the process which seems so overwhelming.

What are thoughts about buying from a Porsche dealership. Do they generally have better cars? Are they willing to negotiate?

 

Right now is a good time to buy from a dealer. I suspect business has fallen off substantially and I’m sure some of them are hungry to move cars. I got a killer deal on a 991.2 a couple of years ago from a dealer because I timed it right. I find it’s easier to get a great buy from a dealer than it is from a private party because there are no emotions involved. From a dealer perspective it is just another car and strictly a financial transaction. Buying from a Porsche dealer does not remove the requirement to get a PPI. I have bought 2 x CPO 997s, and in both cases the PPI uncovered wear that wouldn’t have been covered under warranty.

 

I think above all else, when buying a 7.1 you want an invasive PPI. You want the oil pan dropped and the bores scoped and pictures taken. Period. If the seller/dealer won't allow that, then skip it and find another. Go watch Jake Raby, and the rennvision series on bore scoring and IMS issues to become educated.

These issues need to be understood, but should not, in my opinion, and wallet, think it should push away from purchasing a .1. I own one and love the hell out of it.

Cw

 

I just spent 6 months hunting one down and finalized in March 2020.

You have listed all the pros and cons of the common methods of researching. Time spent, condition, and price are the three attributes to finding a good car. It's going to be hard to nail all three.

I used cargurus, autotrader, and craigslist, spent time searching VINs to get info on the cars. Failed on a couple of deals due to bad PPIs or local traffic that walked in and bought it. Trust me, it was frustrating. I gave up a handful of times.

In the end, I agree that a reputable dealer is the good choice. Consignment was how I got mine. They don't have a personal stake. Get the PPI and find a dealer who is willing to let you put in the time. If you're paying for the inspection, you are at least moderately serious and those who deal in these cars know that is the standard and should not have a problem with it. It took 3 weeks from first call about the car to signing the paperwork. I was convinced someone would walk in and buy it from under me, for the 3rd time, but it worked out.

Be patient, keep looking, but don't let the process consume you.

 

https://rennlist.com/forums/997-foru...filiation.html

Also, the forum is your friend. There are people out there posting cars and getting real time feedback. Members may be willing to help.

 

I will also add this. When you find the "one" don't let it slip through your fingers for a few bucks. These cars are all a little different so when you find the right color and options combo that checks most of your boxes, commit. Get an invasive PPI. Join your local PCA, someone would be happy to help someone out. RL is awesome too. If a 997.1 is what your budget allows for, budget for an IMS replacement. You're in a cold climate so bore scoring is more likely.

You could also use a Car Broker to take care of many of the details. Like finding the car, getting it inspected and transporting if it's far away. I've talked to this guy before.
https://mycarguy-sf.com/

 

Take your time. Find your seller and pay for quality.

My seller owned seven Porsches. Everything from 914-6 to 993tt and a new Cayenne and 991. I paid more than I planned but got way more car than I was looking for, from an enthusiast who loved the car and could give me detailed history.

 

Having purchased many Porsche's over the past 38 years, I've become very good at finding nice cars.
Just in the past 14 years I have probably purchased (16) 993/996/997's. I buy for fun, drive the car for a year sometimes less and sell and move on to next car.
My current 2007 997S happens to be an excellent example - No accidents, beautiful condition and nice minimal mods.

I always try and find a Porsche on Rennlist. RL owners are usually very good with service records and most understand a good example.
I also have no issues with Craigslist as long as you can make sure seller is not a scam and this sometimes enables you to find a car closer to your home.

So there are decisions to be made and I always suggest private party purchase - Dealers know little about their used cars and many soursed from auctions/etc with little to no service history:
1. What type of car you looking for? long time ownership, just own it for a year or less? Auto/Manual? Narrow body/S/Widebody C4S?
I'd say the longer you want to keep it the longer you should spend time looking for nicer example w/lower mileage(sub 70K) and try to find accident free example.
2. Once you locate a car you like, ask the right questions: DO you have the title? Is it free and clear? How long have you owned it? How far back do the service records go? Study the photos ask away with questions and go see it in person if possible. Do test drive and get a good sense of the condition of the car by inspecting all areas.
If the car is in another state, do the same due diligence and get as many answers to your questions. Whether you buy local or far away a PPI is a must. Good PPI shops will help in determining the condition. Some shops won't. I also recommend the car REMAIN at PPI shop once the PPI is performed.
Talk with the shop prior to PPI and explain if the car checks out ok you would like to have it remain at shop and offer to pay storage for up to a week so it can be picked up from shipper.
PPI will enable you to get professional feedback and then you can grind down the asking price if the car needs items like brakes/any oil leaks/etc.

DO NOT send or pay any deposit until fter the PPI has been performed. I also recommend and I have done this many many times is ask seller for his drivers license, copy of title, copy of loan info and Bank if Title has a lien, also sellers home address must match his drivers license especially out of state cars. This is a no brainer buying form someone you don't know - Almost every car I have purchased out of state I have requested this info and received it no questions asked.
If seller hesitates fvck it and move on to another car.

There are so many variables to buying a car I understand it can be a tough thing to do when unaware and have no experience with these cars.
Ask away on the Forum and post any questions to us. We are here to help. There are lots of owners here to help you out with any questions/concerns.

 

I agree with those who suggest you buy from a Porsche dealer given your concerns and maybe a little bit of apprehension. Most Porsche dealers will not put trashed cars on their lot but just send those to auction. As with everything else there are exceptions though which is one of several reasons you must have a PPI done.

Due to the obvious conflict of interest I would not have the dealer you're buying the car from do the PPI though. I'm sure they'll offer but I would politely decline and find an independent third party to do it. If the dealer is honest and has nothing to hide they should have no problem with this and should be glad to help getting this done. Been there and done it.

 

Get a PPI done independently. Use PCarshops.com to find a good indy close to where the car you're interested is. Make sure bore-scoping is part of it.

Have a budget for doing the IMS/RMS on a 997.1 if not already documented history of having it done.

If possible, buy from an enthusiast as it likely will be well taken care of. Got mine from a pilot upgrading to a GT3.... suffice it to say, well taken care of.

 

I went over the topic of PPI and the seller/ buyer adventure in my Renncast recording last night. The show will drop on Friday, subscribe to Rennvision on YouTube to listen in.
In short, sellers don't trust buyers to have the car inspected, and buyers don't trust that sellers are adequately representing the car. To add more fuel to the fire, who do you choose to perform the invasive PPI? These are some topics that I go over.
At the end of the day, a seller could have owed a hundred Porsche cars, and be a great owner, doing everything he is supposed to do, and more. He could also be driving, and selling a car that has bore scoring at early onset, and not even know it.

What is truly the definition of a car that is "well maintained"? It certainly isn't a car that had only the service, and service interval that is set forth in the owner's manual, which has proven to be inadequate.

 

Read Post #1 in this thread - you'll learn a lot.
https://rennlist.com/forums/997-foru...ers-guide.html

 

Thank you all. Glad to see I am not the only one that finds this a little overwhelming
As to the sticky guide to buying a 997 I did read it which was partly why I had so many questions.
For the most part it suggests the need to be very heavily involved in the process and my questioned stemmed from the fact that I do not have the time to be as involved as the post stated.
That being said I am understanding that there are certain things that I just cannot get away without doing, such as a PPI, and that if I am not going to be able to invest the time that is needed to search out the perfect car with the perfect specks at the perfect price I will have to likely pay a little more, from a slightly more trustworthy source, with the specs that they have available and confirmed by a PPI.