jaimster

hey guys,

so I have shopping around for a 911 so happened found few this last weekend - one I m really interested 2012 911 S 93k miles
should I relay on my DIY ( currently have a 2001 boxster done lots of work to it suspension , AOS , vacuum lines other basic maintenance ) have currently a I carsoft POR III diagnostics tool
AND what are the things should be looking at , DON'T

think bore scoring and IMS failure DOES NOT applies here or am I wrong ??
list of things I should be looking at ? if I decide to do it my self ??
OR

a professional PPI need a referral for Houston area in TX , dealer does NOT want me to drive the car to an inspection , they wellcome a mechanic coming over to do the inspection thought
should I do the oil analysis too its a 48k investment on the Car too in case forgot to mention !!

HELP PLEASE ...SOS

Frank 993 C4S

Subject to a deal on the car (and possibly a deposit), simply have it picked up (at your expense) and taken to a reputable shop for the PPI (at your expense). If it all checks out, complete the deal while the car is at the PPI shop and you pick it up from there. How good are you with checking for accident damage and body repairs? If the car hasn't been driven in a while an oil analysis might be useless and a seller might not want to wait long enough for you to get the results.

Are there ANY maintenance records?

ATX_Native

This to me is a non-starter.

I’d personally pass and find a car in the Classifieds here or on PCA Mart.

You’re less likely to get the run around on a PPI AND a private seller is less likely to sell you a basket case without disclosure.

I searched for ~4 months for my 997.2 Manual, I had to look nationwide.

After PPI’ing two cars and having a car sold out from under me on a third, I found my car on PCA Mart and had the most painless process buying a car.

Plus I didn’t have to make the boat payment for the owner of a dealer.

groovzilla

Agree buying from Dealer is difficult when it comes to PPI/Bore Scope Inspection. You will aslo pay 10-20%% over market.
Because 997.2's are showing signs of scoring a simple thru the spark plug holes BS Inspection should be recommended for peace of mind. Only adds $250 to PPI cost.
There is a great Indy shop in Houston area (Einar's Garage) that I used several years ago to have 2007 C4S PPI's prior to purchase - Flew down after, test drove gave it a good looking over and purchased it/drove it home.

**Highly recommend Einar's Garage in Houston - Excellent honest Porsche Specialist!!

jaimster

I have yet to find a 12' 911 s for less than 60's ! .there are a few nationwide around 49k , 51 k's this is the lowest I m seeing and if its good car is probably the one !!
47k its the lowest I have seen in a while from a big dealership PPI is what I m debating !!

I will be looking for Einars garage in Houston 250 sounds like a reasonable fee thanks a bunch Groovezilla.

groovzilla

I used EInar's garage about 7 years ago - Excellent experience on full PPI. He didn't Bore Scope Insp the engine because at that time, Bore Scoring wasn't prominent or even discussed at all when purchasing
It's about a 1.5-2 hour job to Bore Scope Inspect from Spark Plugs so about $250-$300 added to cost of PPI which should run about $250 or so. So total of approx $500-$600 for both and well worth the peace of mind.
*At 93K miles Bore Scope throught Spark Plugs holes is good plan because if there is any scoring it will certainly show.
**Make sure you get photos of ALL cylinders for your review and records for future sale!! (Like I did on my current 107K C4 )

Good luck and keep us posted.

jaimster

I m having second thoughts about doing business with AUTONATIO houston .. Spoke to a sales "clown "by the name of julian - he seems to be reluctant on breaking down the fees
I did explained to him ,, It will be a cash transaction 47,997 plus tax and license - Still have NOT been able to get an exact OTD total

I got another email from another sales clown MIkael STILL NO ANSWER on that !! could it be there IS NOT much of an incentive or Commision for these clowns to get ??? !!

HATE DELEARS .. if I m having such a hard time getting a straight answer on the total OTD - They are not going to be very open on the PPI

forget it .. i will keep looking somewhere else ...

groovzilla

Even though it is hard, best advice is relax and take your time. Lots of great cars out there for sale.
Find a private party 997 - Easier to get PPI done & grind price down
Check RL Marketplace & PCA Mart https://mart.pca.org/

jaimster

I know.. have been looking for a while last 3 months ...
private parties seem to want a lot more !! can not pay more than 55k cash total for my dream car ..

appreciate it groovzilla
I felt like that piranha earlier !! lol blood pressure probably rose too... its funny now

Bruce In Philly

2009 C2S 192K miles

I purchased mine used from an out-of-state Volvo dealer... they had no problem taking the car to a Porsche speed shop for a PPI... they drove it over and picked it up!! I would never buy any car, particularly an expensive one without a PPI. Bore scoping a 997.2 is less important (still would do it) than other items such as looking for damage, modifications from stock, and other items. BTW, a .2 can't be scoped from the underside without removing some major components in there... so only from the top.

Peace
Bruce in Philly (now Atlanta)

groovzilla

I don't mean to throw a curveball but in most cases, it is always better to increase your budget a little more to buy a more well serviced/better example.
Higher miles no issue if car has all services up to date - As a matter af fact I prefer a 80K-110K Porsche that has been garaged/serviced properly and up to date. This combo will usually result in much lower sell price and you get a lot of car.
Mercedes Benz same deal. I have always had a MB Diesel SUV and MB Diesel sedan for my wife. Both have higher miles and services all up to date and are stellar examples.
Enjoy the hunt!

Floyd540

Buy the car. .2 cars have little to nothing to go wrong and being a '12, it is still new. You are familiar with these type of cars, so use your eyes and good judgement. You can hate the dealer all you want. He did not own the car or drove it , so he is just an agent. You are buying a car. If the price is OK with you, then go. PPi's are for older cars with known problems and buyers who know little or nothing about taking a car apart. 997.2 stick shift cars are hard to find and getting one with a price that fits you is difficult or near impossible. What will a PPI turn up? Old battery, weak motor mounts, dirty filters, etc. At most the issues will be no more than a few hundred dollars which is nothing. If the car looks good, runs good, sounds good and has no bad codes and no history of accidents etc, just get it. I am an owner iof a 2011 .2 stick shift car and I did not do a PPI. It was a private sale so the price was very good. The car is better than perfect.
How long do you want to look around? Fire up you instincts , sleep on it and go for it. I have never heard of a .2 stick shift deal that went bad, given s Savey buyer.

jaimster

I can't go pass 55k unfortunately however I agree on high mileage cars. depending on maintaining them I have 3 cars

01 boxster 115k miles only issue vacuum leak process of fixing that ( upgraded oem suspension front/rear OAS ,
13' Q5 3.0 T supercharge 110 k miles LOVE it its been great done critical work soon after I got it from the dealer ( work PCV , injectors , new plugs , water pump , coolant )
07 volvo 2.5 T 167k miles daily drive GREAT too again T-belt injectors cleaned
use european OIL on all them

I can appreciate that too Floyd540 - most of the time I use my instinct , judgement, gut feeling its just a big investment !!!!
I will take take your advise at heart too ..thanks

Floyd540

"High milage" means nothing in these cars other than maybe more wear on the driver side seat bolster. My car has 102,000 miles and is perfect and will be. the items that will need attention will be coil paks at 100,000 miles ($300) , small deal. My German cars have all run 300 to well over 400K miles with no trouble. The people who have never taken a german engine apart are scared of anything over 50,000 miles. You know better. Yes it is a lot of money. I get that. You will not lose money on the most desirable water cooled Porsche 911 ever made.
This opinion applies only to late 997.2 stick shift coupes. You know more than you think!

groovzilla

Intersting statement considering more and more 997.2 engines are showing signs of Bore Scoring.
My 997.1 107K C4 has no Bore Scoring, no wear on seat bolsters and Full Leather interior is like new.
You can find extremely cared for examples if you take your time and have some patience.
Due dilligence on PPI & Bore Scope Inspection