csorrows

Thought I'd keep my eyes open for a nice Certified 997 as a "fun car" now that I (finally) got some bills paid off. But I'm having EXTREME difficulty finding the color I really want.

Here's the criteria I'm using:

- Certified Pre-Owned (I'm not buying a used car this expensive without a warranty behind it)
- Preferably an "S" model (if I'm going to be spending this much on a used 911, I'd prefer the "S")
- Manual transmission (this one's a must...I'm not buying an auto of any kind)
- Coupe or cab doesn't matter. I'm not really a top-down driver, I prefer coupes, but I wouldn't turn away a nice cab, either.
- $60,000 or less

Using Porsche's CPO search tool, I'd found 997's that match all that, except...

Most all of them seem to be silver, gray, or black. I don't like silver and gray on cars (especially the 911...no offense but I find it a boring color for this car), and I already have a black Jeep and don't want another black car.

My top three color combos are:

1. Red with tan interior (not Carmona Red, but Guards Red)
2. Yellow with black interior
3. White (undecided on interior color)

Red/tan is BY FAR my most desired color combo. I used to have a 1989 911 with this combo, and loved it.

I don't understand why SO MANY 997's were built in silver or gray. It's mind boggling. I mean...it really does seem like 90% of them are that color.

I've seen Red/tan ones on eBay, Autotrader, etc, but they're not Certified. I just can't bring myself to buy a used car that expensive and not be able to get a manufacturer's warranty of some kind on it. I know there's a lot of good used 997's out there. Even my old 1989 was way out of warranty, but it also didn't cost $60,000. For $60k, I want a warranty on it.

Anybody out there that did a search similar to mine? Did you finally find what you were looking for, or did you give up?

Thanks!

Alfaguy2

I must admit my search for my 997 only involved looking for a high spec C2S in good condition with a proven history. The colour simply had to be acceptable.

While I hate silver 997's too I find the grey colours great. My seal grey one always gets compliments on the colour but I would prefer slate grey.

My ultimate colour preference was black but I know this can be a difficult colour to keep looking good.

As regards interiors my natural preference is black which mine is.

You will probably have to compromise on some of your requirements. I took my chances without the warranty which are expensive to maintain. Your resale may be difficult if you choose non mainstream colours too.

Canyon56

I think what's happening is a lot of those silver and black are lease returns that came originally from the dealer's lot (i.e., they aren't cars that were ordered by customers to be kept for many years.) White shouldn't be too hard to find.

That said I think GT Silver isn't too bad. Silver is a classic Porsche color. Polar Silver was once really popular. I also personally like the gray metallic colors; they are neutral, don't attract attention (e.g., police or haters), and are simple to keep clean. According to dealers, red and yellow are a harder resale.

Why not look for a private sale of the color you want and then buy an extended warranty? Using Porsche's CPO search only is going to limit your choices.

1Carnut

Not sure how much you know about these cars or the car business but the colors you do not want are the colors the majority of buyers go with. Certain color combos are hot for awhile, but with 911's at least it has been silver, greys, and black for a lot of years. It is personal choice, but dealers when they bring cars in usually stick with those colors, because those are by percentage the easiest cars to sell. I've know some dealers to wholesale or send to auction unpopular colored cars, and that is why you will find a lot on them at non dealers. Dealers know what colors sell in their regions. Good luck to you

winkingchef

If you're on the fence about Slate Grey, let me know - I'd be happy to drive mine to work and show you at lunch (I work in San Jose).

I think it's the most stunning color, but in a more elegant way.
Seal Grey and Meteor Grey are also nice.

My next one will be white with natural brown leather interior. So classic and so beautiful.

Eric - Plug Guy

Stop looking at dealer sites....they tend to buy silver, gray and black for resale and rarely sit on Guards, Speed or other fun colors.

AutoTrader.com or cacars.com can show you some good examples too.

In Northern Cali, try Niello too - they have a pretty large inventory of CPO cars and often go outside the lines on color.

Good luck. Sold my Guards Red '04 last year, and yes, very fond of Guards/Tan (had 2).

If you are willing to go far from CA, check Champion in Pompano...this Guards Red beast is on their site:

http://champion.porschedealer.com/20...76477/info.php

alexb76

Gotto be patient... I was actually looking for 4S Grey, NAV, low miles specifically and it took MONTHS... I felt everything WAS BLACK, and made me frustrated... it takes time. However, as Eric said, look also at other sitres if you're looking for more unique colors.

LlBr

My two cents? Remain open to possibilities and GET THE CAR! Relax about your color combo requirements. You're looking for a pre-existing car for gosh sakes!

The world works in mysterious ways when you try to force things. You might miss a car with an engine that will last 200K as opposed to the perfect color combo with an engine destined to fall apart after the warranty ends.

BTW, I HAD to have painted seat backs. Now? I don't even notice them. When I do notice them I wondered why I HAD to have them.

Same thing happens with colors I bet.

Good luck!

VGM911

+1

Edgy01

Everything you state indicates that you should have ordered a car. Otherwise, be prepared to wait a long time without a car. Today's Porsche orderers are conservative in their color choices. Dealers are also highly conservative in their orders, seeking a color that sells well, and can be resold well. Silver colored cars are the easiest to unload and move multiple times. They are quite boring and reflect a boring culture, but that's the economics of modern day 911 buying. Even in Germany, where they used to order some pretty wild colors they have toned it down because it's not politically correct to be seen driving a "look at me" color. Many Porsche buyers in Germany continue to replace their past 911s with the same color they had before to avoid the neighbors noticing that Hans has a new car.

You should have bought in 2008, when Porsche couldn't give any cars away, and they were offering significant deals (20% off!) on new cars. Now they are back up again.

But since you insist upon a used car, you can only choose from what is available. Those that have ordered paint to sample cars generally keep them longer--they don't lease.

SevenCostanza

Or maybe people buy silver because it is a beautiful color on the 911, and they wouldn't be caught dead driving a Skittle-colored car that would look right at home in front of Barbie's mansion

Seriously Dan, I love your posts and you're a tremendous asset to the board, but every fourth post of yours is nothing more than self-justification of why you got a "unique" color, natural leather seats, the finest factory wheels ever made, etc. It gets old.

Again, no offense. But stop and think before you pontificate on other people's reasoning for doing whatever they want with their hard-earned cash.

Taxi?

I agree with LlBr about remaining open to possibilities and with Alexb76 about being patient. I felt exactly the same way you do about the abundance of silver and grey models on the market when I was looking earlier this year. I also wanted red, but would have taken black. As I continued to look online, I started to notice other colors that looked good, as well as options that I wasn't previously aware of. What I finally realized is that because I was looking for a pre-owned model, I had to be open to more choices on some things in order to get something else I wanted. In other words, instead of looking for individual things I wanted in a car, I started to look at each car as a package. I think as you continue your search, you'll know when the right car comes along, even if it's not red/tan. Good luck.

CamsPorsche

Wow...$66,900 for that Carrera and it doesn't even have Xenons!

csorrows

Thanks for all the replies, everybody (I love these forums!)

Some comments:

@Canyon56...yep, I had a Porsche sales guy tell me the same. When I showed up to see what he had in stock, and told him I wanted red, yellow, or white he remarked, "The three colors we never see!" Regarding doing a private sale (and I have seen some nice private cars out there that meet my criteria) and doing a warranty, who would I get the warranty through? Does Porsche sell warranties for 3rd-party sales (I thought it was only CPO sales)? If not, what seems to be the most recommended 3rd-party warranty provider for used Porsches?

@winkingchef...thanks for the offer to show me the gray you have! I appreciate it, but I've visited a few Porsche dealers in the area, plus also Specialty Sales, and have seen all the grays, silvers, Carmona Red (which is a nice color, just not my thing), etc, in person. But the grays just do nothing for me. I like black with tan interior, but have driven a black Jeep for the past 5 years and don't want another black car.

@Eric - Plug Guy...Thanks for the sites. I've looked at eBay and Autotrader, but the others are nice to know about. That's a nice Guards Red you posted, I'll have to check it out.

@LlBr...My Jeep is a purely utilitarian car, and I was just looking for something that fit the bill when I bought it, the color didn't matter. But for me, a 911 would be a "fun car" and an emotional purchase. Therefore, the color has to "excite" me, and silver/gray doesn't. I can't pay $60k for a sports car that doesn't excite me.

@Edgy01...I'd love to order my own new 911, but can't for two reasons: 1) They're simply too expensive for me as new cars, I couldn't afford the payments; 2) I want to let some other sucker take the hit for the depreciation the first couple years One of these days, I'd love to spec out and order my own very custom (with custom color and options) 911, but for now, budgeting around $60k for a used one is the best I can do.

The private sale + warranty is looking like my only option. As I posted previously, I have seen cars listed that met my criteria, they just weren't CPO cars.

If anybody could recommend good 3rd-party warranty providers for used 911's, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!

yemenmocha

Atlas Grey really isn't a traditional grey at all, so I would consider that if you're open to a darker color.

A lot of 997 buyers are a bit older, and not as many mature buyers want some of the more youthful colors.