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Help Decide on a 997.2 (I have 6 Days)

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Old 11-16-2020, 06:19 PM
  #31  
doclouie
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Originally Posted by alwayswantedone
These are not rare cars, there are/will be many other opportunities. You're already disappointed after inspecting it yourself. My recommendation is to not succumb to FOMO...that often leads to regrets. You WILL find another one, or many, that better meet your expectations.

PS: I looked for a year I think...and that's not because I didn't come across a lot of very worthwhile cars - just took that long to find the one for me. I wouldn't rush it.
Rare totally depends on your definition of that word. He wants a 997.2 and if you compare the production numbers of 997.1 to 997.2 there is a stark difference. I looked for probably 4 months all over the US until I found mine 1700 miles away and I did not have a big list of requirements. Low mileage cars will become more and more rare as time goes on. I just rolled 108,000 and I bought it with 70,000 2.5 years ago.
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Old 11-16-2020, 06:42 PM
  #32  
thunder911
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I'm getting more feedback here vs. the Benz forum (re: Benz of course) and I appreciate ALL the comments. I thought I owe it to you guys as to where I'm coming from and an update (if interested).

About me: I had 2 chances in life to buy a 911 so far. Once after marriage (a 1973 911 - I could've made a lot of money as it was dirt cheap); once after kids were born (a 1988 SC blk blk - also cheap); and recently I was looking seriously for about 6 months. Sure I can wait more (regardless of this particular car), but I want to "enjoy" a manual again before I get leg cramps lol or worse. Before seriously looking, I did a lot of research on which 911 I should get. The only 911 I would buy (at this stage) is a 997.2 MT (non-s) w/ minimal options. Why? Because it still has the old school feel and its' fast enough without being scary fast. Also, I don't want all the fancy options and it's potential issues. And it's at a price point where I can have fun with it (i.e. not a garage queen). As far as mods, my plan is to only drop it with H&R springs (if that) and fit 19" oem rims (which this particular car comes with that, and it's nice with no curb rash - a plus). So, I'm set on looking for a 997.2 MT (non-s); for whatever it's worth, it has to be blk/blk. I won't reject an S, but only if the price is similar (which it won't be - S's are $50k+). And, the prices are not really dropping much for these 997.2 MT (s or non-s). Just to put it out there, I would not drop $100k+ for the newer 911s even if I had the money (not b/c they are bad cars, but I'm just looking for some old school fun without the hassled of a classic). So here I am.

For anyone that is interested in an update: I have a PPI scheduled this week. I spoke to the specialists who advised over the phone to check out some things prior to coming in - air filter box, coolant color, and leaks. The coolant is pink and air filter box is clean. I noticed no leaks *unless someone cleaned it up before the morning" lol. I asked about over revving issues and he said if there was a revving issue it should be somewhat apparent from my test drive depending on when it was over revved (e.g. not smooth?). Nonetheless, he will check that at the PPI. That said, I can't imagine doing more than that re: drivetrain until the PPI (or now known as an "extensive check up").

Non-drivetrain: I had the car washed before another visual inspection today. Most everything that is cosmetic that I listed I can DIY to make it look fresh for $1-2k in the future if it bothers me (as suggested by another member). I was surprised that Porsche parts are relatively reasonable coming from a Benz. After the wash, you can tell the brake calipers were gloss black but with some chips here and there, but filmed with grime or grease or oxidation (?). Wonder if I can clean these to a shine. If the brakes work mechanically fine, I guess I can always paint it if I bothers me (yellow would be my choice!). The paint pitting unfortunately I have to live with or respray. The tiny pitting is evident on the surfaces that hit the sun mostly, not the sides or bumpers. I had these on my black CLK parked outside, but that was coming from a new purchase; the Porsche is an adoption sort of speak. But, standing about a 3 feet away (lol) the paint is shiny and glossy. Lots of chips on the hood, but I know that's common in freeways as I get those too (I just don't like it). So if the PPI comes out good, the ultimate issue is whether to accept the pitting issue.

The advice I need really is: That said, if anyone who knows the market somewhat for 997.2 MT, I appreciate if you can tell me if I'm getting a good deal (as the gen 2 MTs are in the seller's market sort of speak). The KKBs and Edmunds used car prices really don't reflect the market price in my research. One member pointed out a car I also saw too online, a '09 997.2 MT base which has 48k miles (4k less), 1 owner (vs 3 owner), basalt blk/blk (vs. blk/blk), but base 18" wheels (vs. 19" oems), and asking $46K (vs. $42k). Even if they accept $45k, is that a better deal vs. car in question being $3k less? These are the things that would help me a lot right now if possible. If the car in question is a "good" deal, I can live with the pitting and save some $.

Thanks to all...!

Last edited by thunder911; 11-16-2020 at 06:51 PM.
Old 11-16-2020, 06:43 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by doclouie
Rare totally depends on your definition of that word. He wants a 997.2 and if you compare the production numbers of 997.1 to 997.2 there is a stark difference. I looked for probably 4 months all over the US until I found mine 1700 miles away and I did not have a big list of requirements. Low mileage cars will become more and more rare as time goes on. I just rolled 108,000 and I bought it with 70,000 2.5 years ago.
How much did you pay if I may ask?

Last edited by thunder911; 11-16-2020 at 07:09 PM.
Old 11-16-2020, 06:44 PM
  #34  
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I'd say right now that if it checks your boxes, go for it.

The fact is that it's a sellers market right now, and that's not likely to change for the next six months to a year. This isn't the market from a year ago, or even four months ago. This is the market that results from a shorter supply of new cars, pushing folks to the used market. More competition for fewer cars.

And this is true of other desirable car models right now, too, as well as trucks.

Last edited by Porschejam; 11-16-2020 at 06:47 PM.
Old 11-16-2020, 07:28 PM
  #35  
Wayne Smith
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I think you've hit the sweet 911 spot with the 997.2 MT. This model appeared when the market was down. Not a lot were sold. A lot of these were delivered as PDKs. There has been a lot of discussion on this Forum regarding rarity and availability of MT cars.

You're planning on using the car so you need to accept that with the low hood you will develop a patina. Why pay for good paint in a car where that will be temporary?

The brake rotors have indented dimples around the edges. If the dimple is gone you need new rotors. At the mileage and with three owners this may be your first DIY. You can paint the calipers at the same time (see other posts on this Forum). And flush the fluid while you're at it.

Three owners isn't unusual for many of these cars. Some know what they have and hold onto them. Often the cars for sale have cycled through dricers who don't care, become bored quickly, or are always seeing greener grass elsewhere.

More important to me is location. I don't like cars that have lived in cold country. I specified a California car in my search.

It sounds like the car you are looking at ticks most or all of your boxes. Wait for the PPI. Post the over rev report here for expert analysis. Then post pictures or it never happened!!!

Good luck.
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Old 11-16-2020, 07:48 PM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by Wayne Smith
I think you've hit the sweet 911 spot with the 997.2 MT. This model appeared when the market was down. Not a lot were sold. A lot of these were delivered as PDKs. There has been a lot of discussion on this Forum regarding rarity and availability of MT cars.

You're planning on using the car so you need to accept that with the low hood you will develop a patina. Why pay for good paint in a car where that will be temporary?

The brake rotors have indented dimples around the edges. If the dimple is gone you need new rotors. At the mileage and with three owners this may be your first DIY. You can paint the calipers at the same time (see other posts on this Forum). And flush the fluid while you're at it.

Three owners isn't unusual for many of these cars. Some know what they have and hold onto them. Often the cars for sale have cycled through dricers who don't care, become bored quickly, or are always seeing greener grass elsewhere.

More important to me is location. I don't like cars that have lived in cold country. I specified a California car in my search.

It sounds like the car you are looking at ticks most or all of your boxes. Wait for the PPI. Post the over rev report here for expert analysis. Then post pictures or it never happened!!!

Good luck.
Appreciate that! It's a CAL car. Will do on the photos and report. At this time, I'm hoping the PPI report is good and I move forward with the sale and my life - lol. If PPI is bad, I walk. Thanks.
Old 11-16-2020, 07:50 PM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by thunder911

The advice I need really is: That said, if anyone who knows the market somewhat for 997.2 MT, I appreciate if you can tell me if I'm getting a good deal (as the gen 2 MTs are in the seller's market sort of speak). The KKBs and Edmunds used car prices really don't reflect the market price in my research. One member pointed out a car I also saw too online, a '09 997.2 MT base which has 48k miles (4k less), 1 owner (vs 3 owner), basalt blk/blk (vs. blk/blk), but base 18" wheels (vs. 19" oems), and asking $46K (vs. $42k). Even if they accept $45k, is that a better deal vs. car in question being $3k less? These are the things that would help me a lot right now if possible. If the car in question is a "good" deal, I can live with the pitting and save some $.

Thanks to all...!
Ok here is my take trying to go directly to your question. 3 owners is not a problem at all. Most of the issues you posted are not that big of an individual issue and can be corrected. However when you put all of them together you get a car that has most likely sat outside most of its life, not been properly maintained and treated as a Honda Civic rather than a 911. The price of 42k for a car same mileage and build but has been treated properly by its former owners would be a very good price. But for this car I would say its not a good price and you should move on to a better example. The other car with 46k is a good price if the condition of the car is up to the proper standards. Wheels are not a big deal and can easily be replaced if you don't like them. My car which took me 2 years to find also came with the 18" Carrera IV wheels and I had planned on replacing them since the rest of the car was perfect. However after lowering my car with Eibach springs, the Carrera IV wheels looked much better and really grew on me. I ended up keeping them and putting on spacers and wider tires to improve the stance. Now I love them and get compliments all the time. This is not an expensive mod in the big picture. I personally think you should find a car that has under 50k miles and after you inspect it and get a PPI then you say to yourself, I have to have this car and its perfect for me. Don't settle for less because the hunt for the car can also be fun and then when you find your car you will know it and there will be no doubt or buyers remorse. Good luck with your hunt.
Old 11-16-2020, 07:58 PM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by street rod
Ok here is my take trying to go directly to your question. 3 owners is not a problem at all. Most of the issues you posted are not that big of an individual issue and can be corrected. However when you put all of them together you get a car that has most likely sat outside most of its life, not been properly maintained and treated as a Honda Civic rather than a 911. The price of 42k for a car same mileage and build but has been treated properly by its former owners would be a very good price. But for this car I would say its not a good price and you should move on to a better example. The other car with 46k is a good price if the condition of the car is up to the proper standards. Wheels are not a big deal and can easily be replaced if you don't like them. My car which took me 2 years to find also came with the 18" Carrera IV wheels and I had planned on replacing them since the rest of the car was perfect. However after lowering my car with Eibach springs, the Carrera IV wheels looked much better and really grew on me. I ended up keeping them and putting on spacers and wider tires to improve the stance. Now I love them and get compliments all the time. This is not an expensive mod in the big picture. I personally think you should find a car that has under 50k miles and after you inspect it and get a PPI then you say to yourself, I have to have this car and its perfect for me. Don't settle for less because the hunt for the car can also be fun and then when you find your car you will know it and there will be no doubt or buyers remorse. Good luck with your hunt.
Thanks for the comment! All good feedback. To the prior owners' credit, all 3 did maintenance at a Porsche dealership until the last reported mileage of 46k. But, yeah it's evidence that it sat outside for a lot of time.

How much did you pay for yours? And, how much mileage did it have?
Old 11-16-2020, 08:05 PM
  #39  
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The very nice manual coupes are going up in value. You may need to up your budget to 50-55K to find a nice one unless high mileage is not an issue.

Last edited by street rod; 11-30-2020 at 06:59 PM.
Old 11-16-2020, 08:05 PM
  #40  
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OK boys and girls, the picture is getting a little clearer for us and more importantly for "thunder911". The specs for this car checks all of his boxes. In fact it IS the color, model and options that he wants! The condition is acceptable to him and the price is good with him and cost is very important. His big question to us is this a reasonable price. Also the car is near him as he has gone to see it and drive it. That is a big plus compared to looking at something across the country.
My comments-
The car actually meets all your requirements for cost and what the car is. The price is certainly within todays market and the car is local and available to you. Following a successful PPI (they will run the rev report) and the fact you have seen and driven the car more than once makes me think you should go for it. There is no downside. On the upside, you will be pleasantly surprised how the paint will come out after a really good compounding and polishing with the new materials and equipment. You may want to entertain having a pro do this for no other reason than their nerves are made of steel and they will go much farther than you ever will. Amateur's always stop too soon on jobs like this.
My questions for this round:
What part of the country are you in? (The weather that the car has lived in is the real question)
Was the HPFP (high pressure fuel pump) replaced?( Most of these were replaced by Porsche as some early ones had failures) This is the only possible issue on an otherwise bullet proof car. The coolant bottle is $117 item and DIY when needed some day..
Discuss with the PPI person about his thoughts on the seat belt hooks and frunk plastic trim items. Just a curiosity
Buy the car
Don't buy the yellow paint.
Old 11-16-2020, 08:09 PM
  #41  
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bought base 2009 Carrera 4 years ago from Circle Porsche (shameless plug) for $48,000 & 39,466 miles on odometer. 1 owner CPO with following options:
267 - Self Dimming Mirrors; 342 - Heated Seats; 480 - Manual transmission; 619 - Bluetooth Interface for Mobile Phone; 640 - Sport Chrono Package Plus (pretty much useless for my purposes); 680 - BOSE High End Sound Package; 686 - XM Radio (which I don't use/subscribe to); 693 - 6-Disc CD/DVD Changer; AN - Black Standard Leather. Previous owner put on Victor Zehn 19" rims (see avatar).

Used car as daily driver until I retired 2 years ago. My initial thoughts were I wanted, but couldn't afford, a 997.2S (nearly 10k$ differential at the time). Looking back, I'm more than satisfied with the base 997.2 (with the caveat that I would have liked to have PAM—a rare option on a non-S Carrera).

Regarding the OP's concerns, a PPI should alleviate his concern. The price of 42k$ and mileage indicates that it isn't a bargain. I suspect that if the OP is willing want a few months, a similar car will appear (with better service documentation and less minor repairs needed), albeit costing a few k$ more.
There has been at least one major service issue with the 2009's (high pressure fuel pump which my CPO covered). I check to see if that has been addressed. If not, plan on another 2+k$ in future repair bills.
Knowing what I know now, I'd probably pass. However, if the PPI comes back strong (and the fuel pump has been replaced), it might be worth pulling the trigger, taking into account Porschejam' post (#34) comments on market trends.
Old 11-16-2020, 08:30 PM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by Floyd540
OK boys and girls, the picture is getting a little clearer for us and more importantly for "thunder911". The specs for this car checks all of his boxes. In fact it IS the color, model and options that he wants! The condition is acceptable to him and the price is good with him and cost is very important. His big question to us is this a reasonable price. Also the car is near him as he has gone to see it and drive it. That is a big plus compared to looking at something across the country.
My comments-
The car actually meets all your requirements for cost and what the car is. The price is certainly within todays market and the car is local and available to you. Following a successful PPI (they will run the rev report) and the fact you have seen and driven the car more than once makes me think you should go for it. There is no downside. On the upside, you will be pleasantly surprised how the paint will come out after a really good compounding and polishing with the new materials and equipment. You may want to entertain having a pro do this for no other reason than their nerves are made of steel and they will go much farther than you ever will. Amateur's always stop too soon on jobs like this.
My questions for this round:
What part of the country are you in? (The weather that the car has lived in is the real question)
Was the HPFP (high pressure fuel pump) replaced?( Most of these were replaced by Porsche as some early ones had failures) This is the only possible issue on an otherwise bullet proof car. The coolant bottle is $117 item and DIY when needed some day..
Discuss with the PPI person about his thoughts on the seat belt hooks and frunk plastic trim items. Just a curiosity
Buy the car
Don't buy the yellow paint.
I like your straight shooter style lol. It's a CA car all its life as stated on the carfax. Not sure on the HPFP (although it has been serviced at a dealership from day 1 to 46k miles as reported by carfax - but those reports tend to be very vague as you know). I'll ask the PPI tech. He mentioned I may need a water pump as a preventive measure in the future if everything checks out as these do go out (?). From what I gathered online, the seat belt hooks can get cracked due to heat/sun exposure (guess he/she left it outside a lot) but can be replaced. A friend's theory was the hot sun/heat/black color combo may have unseated the velcros making the trims loose and the center piece brittle. Factory velcro trimming in a car is a first for me. I checked underneath the trims to see if there were any collision repairs but just found a lot of dust and the metal to be original in nature after brushing some off - a plus. But, hopefully the pro will check and confirm this.

Well see after the PPI....thanks!
Old 11-16-2020, 08:33 PM
  #43  
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Do not just think you will tell it is overreved by driving it. That just lets you know if it will fall apart a week after you buy it. Make sure the PPI includes a rev report. Any 4, 5 or 6 should be looked at. If it has been awhile, 100-200 hours, you may be fine yet depends on how bad. If it was recently, under 100 hours, it would be best to walk away. Search for a sample 997.2 rev report. It is not the same as a 997.1 report.
Old 11-16-2020, 08:38 PM
  #44  
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Originally Posted by cringely
bought base 2009 Carrera 4 years ago from Circle Porsche (shameless plug) for $48,000 & 39,466 miles on odometer. 1 owner CPO with following options:
267 - Self Dimming Mirrors; 342 - Heated Seats; 480 - Manual transmission; 619 - Bluetooth Interface for Mobile Phone; 640 - Sport Chrono Package Plus (pretty much useless for my purposes); 680 - BOSE High End Sound Package; 686 - XM Radio (which I don't use/subscribe to); 693 - 6-Disc CD/DVD Changer; AN - Black Standard Leather. Previous owner put on Victor Zehn 19" rims (see avatar).

Used car as daily driver until I retired 2 years ago. My initial thoughts were I wanted, but couldn't afford, a 997.2S (nearly 10k$ differential at the time). Looking back, I'm more than satisfied with the base 997.2 (with the caveat that I would have liked to have PAM—a rare option on a non-S Carrera).

Regarding the OP's concerns, a PPI should alleviate his concern. The price of 42k$ and mileage indicates that it isn't a bargain. I suspect that if the OP is willing want a few months, a similar car will appear (with better service documentation and less minor repairs needed), albeit costing a few k$ more.
There has been at least one major service issue with the 2009's (high pressure fuel pump which my CPO covered). I check to see if that has been addressed. If not, plan on another 2+k$ in future repair bills.
Knowing what I know now, I'd probably pass. However, if the PPI comes back strong (and the fuel pump has been replaced), it might be worth pulling the trigger, taking into account Porschejam' post (#34) comments on market trends.
Hey thanks for your input! Have a couple of follow up questions if you don't mind.

What price (in your opinion) would you consider this particular car being a "bargain" price? Like $40k?

And, at what mileage did you have to replace the HPFP?

Thanks in advance!

Old 11-16-2020, 08:42 PM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by doclouie
Do not just think you will tell it is overreved by driving it. That just lets you know if it will fall apart a week after you buy it. Make sure the PPI includes a rev report. Any 4, 5 or 6 should be looked at. If it has been awhile, 100-200 hours, you may be fine yet depends on how bad. If it was recently, under 100 hours, it would be best to walk away. Search for a sample 997.2 rev report. It is not the same as a 997.1 report.
That's very informative and thanks. Anything else you can think of for me to be on the lookout at the PPI? Appreciate in advance!


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