Gino230

I just found the car I've been looking for. '07 C2S, Manual trans, sport chrono package,etc.

No X 51 but it's the best I could do

If I give the vin number to my Pcar dealer, will they give me the service history? The car has only 15K miles, it was a trade in to a Mercedes dealer. Carfax is clean, which I think would show RMS or IMS issues.

Also it has an option I've never seen before, a porsche mobile phone? It's the handset type with a cord and all, next to the passenger's knee. Strange?

Thoughts?

Jay H

You won't be able to get a print out of any service records (privacy concerns/laws) if the dealership you inquire at actually has a service history on the car. However, most service advisors will read off what has been done at their dealership to you.

Porsche does not yet have a national database of service records searchable on the VIN (at least that was what I was told this fall when I bought my 997). However, if you obtain the car fax and see there is a service record at a particular dealership, call that dealership's service department and they may read off what has been done in their shop. Keep in mind that records only go back 2-4 years, so you may not be able to get back all the way to when the car was new.

If you dig enough, you can find stuff out... I was able to get quite a bit of service detail for my 997 just by using the Car Fax and calling the various dealerships that serviced the car.

Also, CarFax won't necessarily indicate if there has been a new RMS installed or if there was an IMS issue unless you see stuff like "transmission removal" or other large clues that may be part of those repairs.

Macster

AFAIK the dealer can only give you the service history of what service it performed in the car. The dealers do not have a linked service database.

PCNA customer service can tell you if the car qualifies for any recalls and maybe what recalls it has had applied.

PCNA can tell you to which dealer the car was sold and you can call this dealer and ask what servicing the car had.

Now I avoid trying to ask anything about previous owners because my experience is dealers clam up. You want to know about the car's service history.

If this original dealer didn't sell the car to a customer and you can't learn to which dealer the car ended up and was sold then you'll have to get a CarFax report. The idea is the report will help you identify where the car spent some time. You can call dealers in these areas and with the VIN see if you can learn of any servicing history.

Oh, RMS or IMS may not show up on CarFax. There have been reports of even more serious things not making the databases CarFax and other similar services have access to so the absence of RMS/IMS on the CarFax is not proof the car never had these issues addressed.

In this case your best bet is to locate the dealer or dealers which serviced the car and if it had anything done inside or outside of normal servicing they'll share this with you.

Sincerely,

Macster.

David in Talent

New seals/bearings were fitted to all 997's beginning in My 2006 so I doubt that you will have any IMS or RMS issues. I researched this before I bought my '07 C4S in 2009. During 2007 the Porsche Carrera was rated NO. 1 amongst the J.D. Powers quality survey.

Gino230

OK, I called PCNA with the VIN, the car's warranty ended last week Carfax was off by 30 days. Carfax did show the originating dealer and three or 4 returns for service to the same dealer, about once a year. The only notes were "maintenance inspection completed" and "recommended maintenance performed" and "tires balanced" I have a call in to the dealer to try and glean a little more info.

Again it's an '07 C2S, sport chrono, full leather. It has a "sport" button and "PSM off"... does that mean it has PASM? 15K miles, one owne. Very clean except for a few minor things which I would bet a good detailing would handle. New tires.

I drove it tonight, beautiful car, I don't like the cell phone option that has the handset where the passenger's knee should go (My girlfriend has long legs, too...) but other than that it's pretty much the car I've been looking for- My last 911 was an '02 turbo so this felt a bit slow, the turbo hits so hard...but that's another story. I wonder can the cell phone be removed?

I offered $49K and they said NO.

It's not a P-car dealer so they can't offer to CPO it- so no bargaining chip there. They said they would sell the car at $55. Which is basically a hair under $56 once you throw in dealer fees (not taxes or tag).

The car is very clean with a nice history, $55 is probably a deal but just like most of us, I don't HAVE to have the thing...I walked out and told them I needed to sleep on it. Yeah, I might lose it, but this is south Florida, there are 911's everywhere and I'm not afraid of that. The last several 911's that I watched on ebay did not sell, and did not sell when relisted. So the market is not hot right now.

I'm going to wait until monday to see what they say. $49 is a lowball but I would walk out with the car at $51K.

Thoughts?

Thanks again for the replies.

mgordon18

Hey Gino,

PASM is standard on 997Ss, so yes - that car has it.

I'm in the same boat - looking for a solid, low mileage late-06 or later S for as close to $50K as I can get. I just missed an '06 arctic silver beauty in Balltimore where the ask was $49.9K. Like you, I'm not too worried. One will come along eventually. The key is to not get emotional about any one car that might come on your radar. I'm seeing VERY few Ss under $55K ask right now. Most have big miles and I don't want to go above 35K miles for extended warranty cost purposes.

To be IMS-safe I'm only looking at end-of-MY06 cars or newer. I'm looking for production dates after 1/06. That date somehow puts my mind at ease for IMS issues, but you never know. You just have t play the odds. In my research I haven't found anyone who definitively knows when the IMS changeover happened. Some say ALL MY06 cars have the updated design. Others say it happened midway through the '06 production cycle.

Good luck with your buy. Let us know if they come down to your price. I need all the negotiation ammo I can get!

- Mike

Henrik964

Does anyone have enginenumbers on the 997:s when they changed "New seals/bearings were fitted to all 997's beginning in My 2006" I'm a 964 guy with more than one 964 thinking of getting a 997 s or 4 s instead of one of my 964:s to get to drive more all year around...

DHC

Suggest you get a PPI done at a Porsche dealer or independent. That will tell you what, if anything, needs to be done to the car ... they'll obviously go over the RMS and IMS with fine tooth combs.

At that point, if everything checks out, I'd suggest $55k is a pretty good deal given the low mileage. You could always throw out a $52 or $53 which allows you both to claim a 'win' but price negotiations are a fluid thing ... heavily dependent on the personalities involved. Either way, the dealer stands to make their profit and you can rest easy knowing you paid a fair price.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

gota911

If you can swing it, consider a 997.2 2009+. The new 9A1 engine, introduced in MY 2009, does not have an Intermediate Shaft, so no IMS issues. That is the main reason I got a 997.2.

Mumbles

^ + 1.

A lot less engine parts too !

Gino230

^ Good advice, but that puts me close to GT3 territory......

pissedpuppy

GT3 - FTW!

Gino230

Well, I got the car!

Ended up paying $53.5, it needs a good detailing but it really does look like new.

I was looking for GT3's, my dealer friends keep telling me they can be had in the $65 range but I didn't see any that were any lower than $75 wholesale. A bit too much of a jump. I also looked at an '06 C2S with X51 power kit, but it had 43,000 on the clock and I wanted a newer looking car.

The only thing I can't stand is that the front license plate bracket (now removed) was drilled into the bumper? I mean WTF, this was a $100K car when new! My Boxster at least had the two square holes so bumper plugs was an easy fix.....But 4 holes? come on! Oh well, I have a good paint and body guy so at some point I'll probably have to have the front bumper cover painted.

Once we get a sunny day I'll post some pics.

Oh, I also sprung for an extended warranty. Non Porsche dealer so CPO wasn't an option. Protective / Western General Dealer Services. It's refundable and transferrable....so no IMS worries for now.....

Mumbles

Good for you Gino. Congratulations