mihink

I had a Cayman S that was unfortunately totaled in a head on with Bambie...so now in the market for a Carrera

Found an '06 C2 with 19" wheels/Bose/heated seats/bi-xenon/6MT/autodim mirrors/wheel spacers/stainless steel exhaust/CD cahnger/a bunch of other little stuff with 35K miles, No Navi or power seats (which I don't care about). Got him down to $41000. 2 owner car. No OEM warranty left.

Does that sound like a good deal? Going for PPI at local dealer this week. What should I ask the Porsche dealer to look for? he is charging me $200 for the inspection stating it's the same as the "CPO" inspection and very thorough including DME scan.

The car has a quite a few paint chips on the lower front bumper based on the pics..but according to the seller- no accidents, clean CARFAX/Autocheck for whatever that is worth. Should I be concerned about the chips..or is it common for Porsche paint to be "soft" leading to more chips.

Also...anyone recommend an extended warranty company out there?
If all goes well....should have the car next week
Please help if you can! TIA.

force4rmr

Price is in the ball park, cost for PPI seems reasonable, and I wouldn't worry about rock chips on the front bumper. Respraying the front bumper if you choose is not a big deal or expense. Definately pay attention to the PPI results and DME read out. Maybe someone in your area can offer advice on aftermarket warranty options. Good luck .

dianic

Do a search on DME read out so you know how to read it and what to expect. This is crucial to your decision.

At Law

Price appears to be in the ballpark.

Pay attention to the PPI results and DME readout and if all is in line and you like the color, etc., become a proud 997 owner.

billh1963

Price is reasonable. PPI should be your your deciding factor.

dc88

The paint chips is good evidence of no recent front end accidents.

mihink

Thanks for all the replies...fortunately the seller had no problems with me getting a PPI, actually encouraged it, has "nothing to hide"...we'll see what the PPI says. Anyone have experience at the service dept. at Motor Werks in Barrington, IL (Chicagoland)...that's where the car is going for the PPI.
TIA.

force4rmr

No experience with that dealer, but they should give you a written report, about 4-5 pages I think, if they do the CPO inspection for your PPI. Go over the report with the service manager if possible and ask for his feedback .

mihink

Just got a call from the P-car dealer, PPI done. Here is the result:

THE BAD:
1. Front bumper(both sides), left quarter panel, hood have been repainted or replaced.
2. Front brakes only 20%, rears 30% - need replaced
3. Brake fluid - black, needs flushed
4. Headlight washers not working with leaks under the car - needs replaced or connections checked, requires removal of front bumper to do
5. All 4 tires at 4-5mm, will need replacement soon (about 3-4K miles left)
6. All 4 wheels have been refinished
7. Cigarette lighter not working, possibly bad fuse
8. Lots of paint chips on front bumper

THE GOOD:
1. DME report notes no revs in 4,5,6 only a few in 3, rest are in 2
2. RMS dry - no leaks
3. Car structurally fine - no signs of frame damage
4. All electronics work
5. Service records indicate recent service including oil change/spark plugs at 32K miles
6. Test drive good - no pulling to the sides, no abnormal noise, clutch is tight

Dealer estimates approx. $4000 which includes new tires all around to bring it back to spec or CPO condition

What should I do??? Talked to seller who was 'shocked' at all the needs, states he can have his 'local' mechanic do it cheaper...that worries me, how can I prove it was done correctly?

That was the best $225 I spent for a car, great piece of mind before dropping major coin on someone else's problem...especially for one that looks mint in pics, but has underlying problems.

Selling price before PPI was $41K...it is even worth going after this car or too much of a headache Should I bargain the seller down to $38K (which I doudt he will agree to) for all the upcoming costs??

force4rmr

That's a tough one....not sure if I'd continue with this car myself because of the amount of body/paintwork. Sounds like the seller didn't know or didn't divulge the real history on the car. As far as the repair's go, it's basic work to do new brakes and a flush, and to fix the headlight washers. Overall, this car would be considered average at best and there are lots of fish in the sea.

islandtrader

IMO not worth the trouble, there are many more 911s out there. Granted this is a descent price it seems you have about 6-7k of repairs here to make the car some what flawless. I bought a car like this once(good price but in need of repairs) and I regretted it later on plus selling a vehicle with this type of history is harder in general. Motowerks in Barrington is a pretty good Porsche dealership, I have been there and treat you right. They have some good deals on 911s there, try them out.

USMC_DS1

Depending on how DIY capable you are and how badly you want this p-car... try offering $37K(41K-4K in p-dealer service) to see what happens... most sellers don't like the idea of throwing more $$$ into an existing car in hope that it will sell afterward... how long has he had it for sale? That leaves you with $4K to play with for brake pads and brake fluid flush(cheap parts and an easy DIY) and tires($1200-$1800) from tirerack. Just be ready to walk and let him chase you afterward... and find some other p-cars that fit your needs and DIY capabilities.
I just went thru this myself. Started my search in DEC and finally found the "one" in March. Lots of fun test drives followed by bouts of doubt and anxiety over this car or that at certain price points... Made over a dozen offers to individuals and dealers until I narrowed it down to 2 p-cars then did the PPI and DME on the "one." Ended up saving $$$K+ over the p-dealers asking price... in fact, paid below trade-in value and got a CPO car. Deals are out there if you're patient and have time to hunt. Have fun with it. I always make my offers in writing via email so they know I'm serious(with some caveats like clean PPI/DME and test drive) but moved on w/o any heart ache if they're unresponsive. In hind sight, it was a fun hunt and I'm glad it took me a few months... allowed me time to research, read numerous postings on RL, and ask my indy enough questions to satisfy my curiosity.

dianic

move on... why get a car that has even light accident history, which was not divulged in the first place? There should be plenty others around, unless its a unique color combo...

cbzzoom

These are the two things in the list that would concern me. #1 because some kind of accident was covered up, and #6 because it maybe hiding flaws (also there's some indication that refinishing wheels weakens them if not done right).

The rest are pretty typical for a used car. I also find that the Porsche dealers are overly nitpicky about the state of the brakes and tires. My PPI said rear brakes were "almost done" and "should be replaced", but here I am 8000 miles later and they're still just fine.

And yeah, Porsche paint is soft, anything without a clear bra is going to have lots of chips.

MagnusB

Yep, if it doesn't have a clear bra you need one, after repainting that is