Too few miles?
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From: Boston
Too few miles?
Starting to think about a 997.2, as one of many considerations, how many miles/year would be a red flag as “sat too long”? Thinking 3,000-4,000? Or does it not matter, get a low miles with a good ppi and be ready for some “this part is just old” maintenance.
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just my humble opinion but if you’re worried about too few miles, you’re overthinking it. Just go find the best one you can afford that scratches the itch and don’t look back.
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From: Boston
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While there is a risk of issues that may arise from not driving the car, I’d be more concerned about paying a hefty premium for such a low mileage car if you’re intending to actually drive the thing. Plenty of clean cars out there with more miles.
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I think car storage and weather is something to consider as well. I have wondered about cars being in winter storage for 6 months in freezing temps and not being started or run at all. Does this allow rubber seals and other rubber parts to become brittle and dry out prematurely? Also something to consider, were those miles put on during longer road trips, but a lot of sitting still in between?
The reason I mention any of this is because the idea is that you want the car to be lubricated and warmed up on a regular basis. Because of covid and working from home, my annual mileage dropped dramatically, but I still make sure to take out my car a few times a week to get it warmed and lubed up properly. This will keep a lot of the seals and rubber parts of the engine from drying out and becoming brittle. As well as keep the internals lubricated so that cold starts are not so harsh on the metal parts.
with that said..I do agree that you should get the best example you can afford. Whether it has low miles or lots of miles, each example will have it's own set of maintenance issues... maintenance is unavoidable at some point, so just be prepared and have a rainy day fund set aside just in case. 997 are 10-15 years old now... so take that in to consideration with your expectations.
The reason I mention any of this is because the idea is that you want the car to be lubricated and warmed up on a regular basis. Because of covid and working from home, my annual mileage dropped dramatically, but I still make sure to take out my car a few times a week to get it warmed and lubed up properly. This will keep a lot of the seals and rubber parts of the engine from drying out and becoming brittle. As well as keep the internals lubricated so that cold starts are not so harsh on the metal parts.
with that said..I do agree that you should get the best example you can afford. Whether it has low miles or lots of miles, each example will have it's own set of maintenance issues... maintenance is unavoidable at some point, so just be prepared and have a rainy day fund set aside just in case. 997 are 10-15 years old now... so take that in to consideration with your expectations.
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From: Atlanta
2009 C2S 174K miles
I stored a Datsun 280 ZX Turbo for seven years deep in an old cement mine (converted to a storage facility)... had about 60K miles on it IIRC. Unbelievably, the car started right up! New battery of course. I had the plugs changed and a tune up, put new tires on it, and it really ran great for 30 days. Then the problems started... I had to dump the car as I could not trust it. Broke my heart. The lesson I learned was to be prepared for work.... If it were me, today with my means, I would buy the lowest mileage car I could find and then be prepared to start spending in the hope that once I knocked the bugs out, it would then last a long time.
Peace
Bruce in Philly (now Atlanta)
I stored a Datsun 280 ZX Turbo for seven years deep in an old cement mine (converted to a storage facility)... had about 60K miles on it IIRC. Unbelievably, the car started right up! New battery of course. I had the plugs changed and a tune up, put new tires on it, and it really ran great for 30 days. Then the problems started... I had to dump the car as I could not trust it. Broke my heart. The lesson I learned was to be prepared for work.... If it were me, today with my means, I would buy the lowest mileage car I could find and then be prepared to start spending in the hope that once I knocked the bugs out, it would then last a long time.
Peace
Bruce in Philly (now Atlanta)
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bought my first .1 C2S when it was 3 years old with 45k miles. CPO covered lots of things thankfully, but there were wear issues. O2 sensors, clutch felt a little tired, rattles, minor cosmetic issues galore. Got rid of it before the warranty expired.
Next one was 6yrs old with 5k miles. Put 16k miles on it in 6.5 years. Gas, tires and oil plus one major service based on time alone. No issues.
Second and current .2 base coupe bought at 8 yrs old with 18k miles. 2 years and 5k miles later, same story: gas, tires and oil plus a major. I’d expect waaay more time and money spent on either of they had more miles on them.
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Such as…? I’m open to being wrong, but I’ve never really subscribed to that idea on a car that’s still relatively young. Aside from consumables that have a finite lifespan that would have failed anyway probably regardless of miles, I don’t know what would make me lose sleep on a low miler over something with more use.
bought my first .1 C2S when it was 3 years old with 45k miles. CPO covered lots of things thankfully, but there were wear issues. O2 sensors, clutch felt a little tired, rattles, minor cosmetic issues galore. Got rid of it before the warranty expired.
Next one was 6yrs old with 5k miles. Put 16k miles on it in 6.5 years. Gas, tires and oil plus one major service based on time alone. No issues.
Second and current .2 base coupe bought at 8 yrs old with 18k miles. 2 years and 5k miles later, same story: gas, tires and oil plus a major. I’d expect waaay more time and money spent on either of they had more miles on them.
bought my first .1 C2S when it was 3 years old with 45k miles. CPO covered lots of things thankfully, but there were wear issues. O2 sensors, clutch felt a little tired, rattles, minor cosmetic issues galore. Got rid of it before the warranty expired.
Next one was 6yrs old with 5k miles. Put 16k miles on it in 6.5 years. Gas, tires and oil plus one major service based on time alone. No issues.
Second and current .2 base coupe bought at 8 yrs old with 18k miles. 2 years and 5k miles later, same story: gas, tires and oil plus a major. I’d expect waaay more time and money spent on either of they had more miles on them.
Also, something to be said psychologically if you buy a car with some miles on it...you won't fret every time you take it out, park it, etc.
Last edited by JamesBaxter; Aug 25, 2021 at 06:56 PM.
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You'll be fine I imagine, rarely do we see 4 digit mileage numbers anyway. Esp on non GT and Turbo models. I know I personally haven't seen more than like 1-2 in the last year or so. Porsche people like driving and the mileage shows. If that is the case, I imagine the seller has all the documented service records and a good PPI puts you in the clear. Good Luck the hunt is fun.
Would a fidelity warranty be fairly cheap on a 5K mile car vs the same age with 40k miles?
Would a fidelity warranty be fairly cheap on a 5K mile car vs the same age with 40k miles?
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From: Destin, Nashville, In a 458 Challenge
Low miles is not thing to worry about provided cars are still serviced and maintained. Some just worry about and find fault in anything. Starting to realize more and more just conditioning and US way of life to worry/complain. Has zilch to do with the cars.
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The market gets a premium for low mileage cars for a reason. So long as the car has been driven at least once a week with water and oil brought to operating temperature, low mileage cars are highly desirable. However, Cars that are low mileage because they have been in storage and have not been driven for extended periods are not.
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From: Edmonton, Alberta
The market gets a premium for low mileage cars for a reason. So long as the car has been driven at least once a week with water and oil brought to operating temperature, low mileage cars are highly desirable. However, Cars that are low mileage because they have been in storage and have not been driven for extended periods are not.
New cars are not like old cars where seals would leak if they weren't driven for long periods of time. I've stored multiple cars over winters for a long time and never had a single leak. Fresh oil, full gas tank with stabilizer, and a battery tender and everything is fine.
Last edited by Jaws1; Aug 26, 2021 at 12:25 PM.
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Not as desirable as a car with equal mileage and in equal condition that is driven to operating temperatures at least once a week. As between the two, I know which one I would buy. Allowing any ICE to sit unused for five months at a time is not ideal. I have the same issues with my motorcycle, chainsaw, pressure washer and home generator which often sit unused for extended periods. However, I try to drive my motor vehicles to operating temperature at least once a week. See posts # 5 and 8 above.
Last edited by Fullyield; Aug 26, 2021 at 12:27 PM.
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From: Clemson, SC
That's more desirable than driving it on brine treated roads - I can guarantee you that as someone who has worked on both Northern region cars and Southern region cars with rusted fasteners, salt rot, etc. I would 10 times out of 10 buy a car from the North that's parked for half the year over one that's driven year round.