Buying issues and looking for advice
 

I have been trying to buy my first Porsche and would love that to be a 997 but the last 3 deals fell through due to seller either changing their mind on selling or just selling to a higher bidder while I was trying to arrange the PPI after the seller agreed to sell to me. Wondering if I am approaching this whole buying process the wrong way and looking for constructive advice.

I am trying to do what I believe is right way of buying these types of cars by completing a PPI first which unfortunately most reputable Porsche shops are booked for days or weeks ahead and while I am waiting for the PPI to take place the sellers I have been dealing with accepts another offer. Should I be getting a sale agreement as soon as the seller accepts my offer and including a deposit or what do you guys recommend?

The problem for me has been there are so many people who in the name of being "smart" or "responsible" turn out to be annoying nitpickers on a used car. When desirable cars at reasonable prices come to market, they sell. My advice: 1) Mindset - accept that the car will not be perfect it will need a few things 2) Have cash ready and be ready to buy 3) Have an extra 10% ready for tires, brakes, a tie rod or two etc... Assuming you are not buying a salvages/previous wrecked car with a blown engine or trashed suspension, you'll do fine.

I've said this a lot here and don't mean for it to sound pretentious. If you can't handle an extra $5-10K to make the car right (or in the worse case $30K for an engine), they I don't think you should buy the car. It's just simple math and probability. I can't afford repairs on a $1M boat. So, I won't buy one.

Minimize risk by purchasing from a reputable dealer. You'll pay a little more. If you're trying to save a bucks at a corner lot or on Facebook Marketplace, I think you're being foolish.

I bought my 997.2 C4S 6MT Coupe from Ryan Friedman https://www.ryanfriedmanmotorcars.com/inventory/ and could not have been happier with the experience. I bought it site unseen and no PPI. Silly? maybe but I've purchased expensive watches that way too from 1916 Company. Could have a PPI picked up that it would have needed a suspension refresh and a t-stat over the almost 4 years i've owned it? IDK. Do I care? Not at all. It's just normal stuff.

If you buy from reputable places, you'll pay a little more and not get a POS. Just don't stretch financially to do it or your whole ownership experience will be frustrating.

^ This sums it up nicely.

If you find a 997 that checks the boxes, be prepared to pay more than you think it is worth.

"It's cheaper to pay"
"No one screws you like yourself"
"It costs a lot to be rich"
My words of wisdom for just about anything .

Werd. I love this.

I have a similar mindset while starting my own search. Hopefully this advice will help me get 'over the hump' and be decisive.

I refuse to buy from dealers (cars history unknown, service unknown/cut corners as they need to make money etc) and prefer to buy from an individual.
I always buy it on my terms and If I am not satisfied, I walk away.

All dealers regardless of how high end they are, they are still a used car salesmen and they only have one goal, make the most money they can and screw the customer.
The last 997 TT I bought, I made sure the owner was patient and willing to work with me.
Besides the usual PPI, I had an engine oil, transmission and differential oil analysis done by Black stone Laboratories prior to my purchase

The differential had metal flakes and the owner (in Porsche sales), agreed on getting the repair done ($4400) or else I would have paid way more than that.

Stick to your values and never get too over whelmed by the dealer or the owner.

Good Luck the hunt, you would learn a lot in the process.

2009 C2S 208K

I've sold expensive stuff (not cars), from my other hobbies, and learned to avoid too-picky buyers. No, I am not trying to hide something nor rip anyone off... I think I am overly open. But there is a buyer-type out there that is just not worth dealing with. Are they unreasonable? No... it is just not worth my time and trouble and boy can they be troubling... and even after bending over backwards, pushing off other inquiries, they have a high-probability of walking away... all at my expense. So I try not to deal with them. Am I right and are they wrong?

So are you too picky or troublesome? Its your money and time... do what you think is right. But just keep in mind, there are sellers who will not want to deal with you. That is not your fault, nor are they unreasonable. Just move on. Buying something expensive with an emotional component is going to take time and be frustrating.... it is what it is.

Peace
Bruce in Philly (now Atlanta)

Many dealers are not great. Although, the high end independent dealers I do business with (Holt Motorsports and Ryan Friedman) have been in business for decades and will not sell low quality cars. They often have considerable service history and make sure the car's service is up to date and it is in excellent condition.

Just put down a deposit contingent on PPI/Bore Scope resuts - Thats the only way to secure it.
.....Talk and promises are fairy tales.

And also, you have to realize this is a sellers' market now. Most of us bought our cars when it was a buyers' market and they didn't have the "last analog 911" designation to them. No one wanted a 5- or ten-year-old 911 so the sellers had to be a bit more flexible when hashing out a deal as far as buyer's requests to get it sold.

It's a whole different market now. you're the one that has to be flexible. If not, the next guy buys it and the seller doesn't care. I wanted a yellow one with all the carbon...after getting sick of searching and realizing it didn't exist I came back to one of the first cars i seen six months later, bought it and couldn't be happier. Find something that's 80 percent there and take care of the rest yourself. It just is what it is.

If you're looking for the new car or even outstanding used car experience it isn't there at your price point. Either the search continues or it's going to cost a few more bucks. And I bet in 6 months or even a year the prices will be higher depending on what it is unless the market goes haywire or something. It's nothing money and maintenance can't solve. Theres always great cars here in the marketplace and most of the owners have threads about their repairs and upgrades, I think that's better than a random service receipt from a dealer who's out to mark it up as high as possible with no skin in the game. Just my 2 cents...

As the recent B@T thread over a (previously, in my mind anyway) well regarded seller shows the number of truly honest / quality dealers are very rare. Especially in the high end markets, of most any kind. Spend more than you want to, buy the seller as much as the car, bring or hire someone knowledgeable in the 997 field… and always remember the cheapest car can become the most expensive rather quickly. Finally, be brutally honest with yourself as to what you really can afford and at what sacrifices…

My 996 sold in 1 day on PCA Mart last month.

Cars move if they are priced appropriately and advertised honestly.

It sounds like you're doing all the right things, but as 63Mercedes says, it's very much a sellers market right now.
Asking for a PPI certainly isn't being too picky. One idea would be to offer to share the complete PPI results with the seller at no cost to them.
That way if you don't follow through with the purchase, the seller can then use your PPI as a sales tool going forward. Other than that, placing a deposit
and communicating clearly are about all you can do.

Patience is certainly a key at this point. Hopefully you find a seller that you "connect" with and they are motivated to select you as the next caretaker
to their valued 997.

Good luck with your ongoing search.
Bill