PDX_911

Hey community, long time lurker, first post.

Hoping some of you experts can weigh-in and provide some guidance on this local 2007 997 C2S I found in Portland (I'm going to test drive it tonight).

After chatting with the dealer this morning, I learned that there's no maintenance history, aside from what comes up on Carfax. In other words, Carfax shows a fair amount of maintenance, but I was hoping for an envelope with paper copies from previous owners (I've seen this a few times for some cars)...is that an unrealistic expectation?

They're fine with me doing a 3rd party PPI, but the lack of maintenance records seems a bit strange to me, and perhaps a little concerning (the dealer says the cars was a trade-in from a PCA member).

1. Should I be concerned about the lack of records?
2. The hood and front bumper have been touched up (previously). Is this normal for a 75K-mile 911?
3. Does the asking price of $39K seem reasonable (it appears to be, according to kbb.com, but not sure how reliable that is)
4. Are IMS bearings still questionable on the 2007s? (I've read enough to know they were a big problem on 996, and not at all after 2009, but it's a bit unclear in between)

Thanks for your recommendations!

alexb76

1. Well, if Carfax shows a lot of maintenance, then it's fine no?
2. Absolutely normal, most bumpers by now are fully repainted
3. Seems fine, BUT note the color is specific. In resale it may go slower than a more neutral color
4. IMS not an issue in 2007, it was upgraded mid-2006

DO a PPI, that's more important than ALL of your 4 points.

PDX_911

Thanks for your thoughts!

I'll definitely get a PPI, pending tonight's test drive.

Re, color: Originally, I wasn't a fan of this color, but it's grown on me a bit. Having said that, I would want to avoid any color that would make it significantly harder to sell the car some day. Do people agree that this is a color to avoid for that reason?

Balr14

Hell no, it's a great color. Every one I've looked at is black, silver or white and something with some real color would be welcome.

ilovemaui

In my experience dealers generally don’t have maintenance docs. It really depends on how they acquire the car. When someone does a trade they may not want the new owner having their information. I purchased my car from that dealer and I did not receive docs. I didn’t do a ppi on it either. I drove it couple times and found everything in order. Not that I recommend Not getting a ppi. The first thing I did after purchase was take it to Porsche service and they confirmed my feelings about the car. That was a year and a half ago and the car has been great. I think they are straight shooters, specialize in Porsche and don’t want to tarnish their reputation as such. I’d buy there again. Doesn’t mean you’ll have the same results.

PDX_911

Thanks, good to know!

Re, price: Assuming this car checks out, and the PPI checks out, how are you all feeling about what I should offer for this car?

Balr14

I'd offer $35k. All they can do is say no.

Floyd540

These are my opinions.
The car is a California car , this is a big plus.
It really had only 2 owners that used it for a period of time. The first two don't really count as the low mileage and it was under warranty anyway
The car car serviced at the dealer - big plus as they would have taken any service bulletin issues.
It is a stick!
Great color combo.
It is near the end of the 997.1 series, so the issues that may have been in the design have been addressed.
75,000 miles is very good. Not so low as garage queens which have real problems and enough that it has proven itself on the road under use. My 997.2 (new to me) has 92,000 miles
It is an S as some people think that is a big deal.
It has both keys and looks like the original books. This means few owners and not been an orphan. That means it has been cared for.
The only none plus items are:
Lack of service records- the owner may have done his own work. Also there is not much that goes wrong with these cars. Oli service, tires and brakes and a few silly electrical problems. Not a big deal.
The oil service shown on the carfax indicates 15,000 mile interval which is a bit long even though the factory and dealer spec is 20,000 miles for 997.. The dealer who did change it would have used the factory fill long life oil. This is OK.
I think the car looks like a good one. Go see it and have a PPI done if you are not comfortable doing it yourself.
Again this is my opinion. Welcome to the club!

SFZ GT3

One other thought on negotiating, how about a 3 month, 3K mile warranty. The car looks nice and I like the color and the combo with the interior. Nice options too. One of my favorite Pcars was a 2007 C2S Coupe. Good luck, hope it works out.

doclouie

One of my favorite color combinations. Let us know what happens.

mjposner

PPI a good idea, but alot of dealers will not agree to this (liability issue).
Price seems high. I paid 40k for a 2007s Cab w/more options and 55K miles last October.
Most people do not give dealer paperwork when trading in, plus privacy issues.
I usually call serving dealer from Carfax and ask about the car.
Color is acquired taste (but I like yellow, so)

Balr14

That car has been in CarGurus for 109 days, 40 at that dealership. They also raised the price by $1000 in July. Reviews of dealership look bogus.

voiceprint1

read the yelp, save your self a headache

sandwedge

1: As someone else said, a lot of owners don't turn over their maint. records to the dealer when they trade. Between the Carfax records and a third party PPI you should be ok.
2: Bumper resprays front and rear are non-issues as long as they're done right. Porsche will CPO cars with resprayed bumpers.
3: I think I would want to be closer to $35K but you'll get a lot of opinions on this.
4: The IMS was addressed somewhere around mid to late 2005 with a larger more reliable bearing than the previous smaller one. So late build 2005 through 2008 cars have the larger bearing. Much less prone to failure than the smaller one it replaced but still not fail proof. There are documented IMS failures of 2006, 2007 and 2008 cars but they are rare.

Ripking

I researched for a long time before buying my car. I knew to look for extensive maintenance records etc. the car I ended up buying had no maintenance record other than an invoice from some work performed at sharkwerks. The car passed a PPI with flying colors at a shop I knew well and respected and I decided to take the plunge. Purchased from a well respected dealer in my area that is well known for selling Porsche’s. Have been quite pleased but everyone can assess their risks. A PPI will give you a lot of clarity on what real red flags exist. If full records is a must then there will always be another one.