Problem is someone else will buy it without them having to go through the exercise, so there's really no incentive for them to try and work with you on this.

At 16 hours, they must be factoring in curing time for the sealant to reseal the sump plate after reinstallation, which is actually a valid point as long as you're not paying for 16 hours of labor . I let mine sit a full 24 hours after reinstalling before putting oil back in.

 

Honestly not many sellers will let you scope from the sump because it is quite invasive. Scoping from the top will produce plenty of evidence if bore scoring is present in my experience.

 

16 hrs seems excessive. No?
I dont recall seeing anything to remove before the pan.
I guess drain the oil, then change it after the scope & pan replace. 5 hrs? removing all the plugs seems more involved than dropping the pan.
As previously stated maybe they are charging by the hour as son as you drive on the lot.

At any rate . . . no scope, no buy (for me).

 

Agreed, but the dealership should certainly be able to drop the pan competently.

They just want to sell it w/o the risk of finding something that would decrease to value.

 

For sure, it’s not in their interest at all. I recently looked at a 997.1, had it scoped and it turned out to have significant scoring. That was a complete surprise for the seller who subsequently withdrew the car from the market completely.

 

Plus... having your only car with barely a back seat I would say in not practical. Your money do what you want, but i just sold a 2020 S4 and it was a phenomenal car, even an S3 is loads of fun. You could lease a M240 for less money and get a warranty. Theres a lot of options besides a 20-year-old Carrera, and I've been in love with Porsche since i was born. Theres faster cars with less of a headache for cheaper IMO. A bottle of sealant getting payed like a human mechanic labor wise is insane. I'd scorch the earth finding a shop that doesn't charge like that.

 

I spent $45K for the car at 52,000 miles in 2017.
After adding 75,000 miles to it, in 2023, I spent $10K rebuilding the engine myself.
Back in 2017, I was not convinced that bore-scoring was prevalent among the 997S, but now I am. Three out of six 997S in my circle some signs of scoring. The two 997S with high miles (>120k miles) absolutely are done and only one got rebuilt.

 

Lots of stuff going on in this thread...

Bottom line is if the dealer says no then there's really nothing you can do about it. All the stuff about 16 hours and sealant curing may be complete nonsense (though there's some truth there), but it's irrelevant. That's their position, and if you don't buy the car then someone else will.

And dropping the pan though is a pretty invasive task on the 997.1, I wouldn't allow it without a buyer having skin in the game such as a conditional purchase agreement.

The bigger issue though (as several people have brought up) is that buying a 20-year old, expensive to repair/maintain, sports car as your very first car is not wise. It's pretty easy for your "dream" to turn into a nightmare unless you know what you are doing. Porsche dealerships are legalized thievery when it comes to service, and many indies are following suit. Being your first car, you probably have no experience at wrenching, diagnosing, and fixing stuff on the cheap. Learning those skills on an old Porsche can be expensive.

Plus, have you looked into the cost of insurance on these cars? If you have a loan you'll be required to have collision and it is costly because body work on these cars is very expensive (particularly if you are a young driver). Plus it'll be your primary mode of transportation, what happens when something breaks? Stuff on twenty-year old cars breaks pretty often, even minor stiff like hoses springing a leak. You don't have a place to work on it, and you won't have transportation. You'll be stuck so out of desperation you'll have it towed to the closest shop where they will rake you over the coals. Do you have cash set aside for that or will it require you to go further in debt? This stuff can snowball in a hurry.

I'm not trying to kill your dream but just advising you to go about it the right way. For your first car buy something that's affordable, reliable transportation, not a twenty year old 911. Get a place with a garage before you buy the car, so you have somewhere to work on it. Get experienced in wrenching if you aren't already. Save up so you can put down a large down payment so you don't end up $10k (or more) upside down on a severely broken car. Better yet, save up enough to pay cash.

I know you probably won't listen because I was your age once and did all sorts of foolish things myself. You didn't come here asking for life advice advice and lectures, so feel free to ignore me or tell me to get bent. But at least I tried.

 

2009 C2S 206K miles

What PV997 said. +1.

If you are hell bent on buying this or any other 997.1 car (up to and including 2008), be prudent and assume a $25K rebuild... and to be without the car for three months. If you can swing the $25K, I say pay that forward and buy a 997.2 car as they way more reliable. Why do I feel this way? I had two of those engine-designs blow... yes two. I can't in all good conscience, recommend them to someone who is stretching for this car... borescope or not.

Peace
Bruce in Philly (now Atlanta)

 

If I wasn't recovering from cancer surgery I'd be more than happy to help you.
I'm gonna be going real slow for the next couple of months.

....**But happy to help you with any purchase questions - Just shoot me a PM.
**I would suggest finding a California 997. I've always been extremely happy w/cars from Calif.
6 of my 8 997's have been from northern and southern Californa

 

I had no clue groov wish you all the best and hope the recovery goes well and quite fast for you.

 

Me too Groove- wish you the best and speedy recovery. Hopefully, whatever it was, was the least.

 

Ditto to the above two posts. Hang in there.

 

Example of why it's important to take your time and have full and thorough PPI and Bore Scope Inspection. Also shop for a car that has complete service history and pampered/garaged.
My last 4 997 purchases were stellar using this practice.
My previous 2006 C4 is now owned by fellow member TRINITONY when I sold it to buy back my 1959 356.
When I was ready to buy my 8th 997 last November, TRINITONY found my current 2006 C4 w/80K miles & full leather in California. Great Bore Scope results and full PPI at top end southern Calif Porsche shop found frink switch and door handle needed replacement.
Shop was great and offered to store the car inside for 5 days until shipper picked it up - I had 3 pizzas and sodas delivered to the service dept which they appreciated. It's nice when you have a good relationship with a shop even if you are 1200 miles away.
I've dealt with great shops on west coast and Texas/Az
Really nice example

 

Just curious — why buy eight 997s in a row? Why not keep the first one?