Sam Minnitti

Hi,

Starting what will likely be a long process of getting into a 997.

Would like a manual, cab, and budget is probably somewhere in the 2006 model year.

One question to start....lots of 2006 997's on sale on cars.com, mileage between 40,000-70,000....prices around $40,000. But I'm noticing the sellers are these generic, almost auction style dealers...is this to be avoided? I know PPI is necessary, but not even sure I should be looking at these places.... A few are even off brand dealers (Honda, Toyota, etc) but most are small generic dealers that probably got the vehicles at auction.. Should I not even consider these places? Where's the best place to start...this forum? Cars and Coffee? PCA? Ebay, Craigslist? Where'd ya'll get your 911's!

tbrom

Stay away from small little dealerships and you're right they get em at auctions and very doubtful they have any records or history not to mention they are not CPO cars!

Redline911

There's nothing inheriently wrong with smaller high line used dealerships. Yes, the cars are likely purchased through auction but that doesn't automatically make it a bad car. Mine was found at a place like this. Was dealer serviced its entire life then traded at a BMW dealer who sent it to auction. I did a full PPI and contacted original dealer who confirmed the service history. Car checked out as solid and I've had zero issues in 19 months since purchase. Just do your homework and invest in a thorough PPI.

ATLDiver

I contacted Porsche dealers within a 300 mile radius and had them setup a BOLO for what I was looking for. As some said, I wouldn't avoid non Porsche dealers but plan on a full PPI no matter where you find a candidate.

danspach

I have been considering a consolidation play and turning my e30M3 and Audi S6 into a 997. In looking, I've come across a Porsche-specific dealer called Polar Porsche who sells a lot of 997's and does things like the IMS and RMS before he sells the cars. His site isn't always up to date with current inventory but he was responsive when I emailed him and I've read some nice things about them.

I mention it as they're in NJ and I see you're local to me. I also scour Craigslist for well-maintained private sales. Between NJ, CT and NY, you have options.

Also, you have several shops near you for a PPI. Depending on where you are in Westchester, Rennwerke is in Elmsford.

Sam Minnitti

Great info, thank you danspach and everyone.

3Series

From my experience, tthere's nothing wrong with small highline dealers if you go with the expectation that they don't care about the car or you. They just want to make a sale. They don't check the cars out, they just buy them and sell them. The car can be good or bad.

P-Dealers also buy cars from "public" auctions for inventory. Public meaning ,dealers, not manufacturer specific, like Manheim.

kcheves

I'm in the process of closing the deal on my first 911. Here's what I learned:

- Autotrader.com and Cars.com have the most listings. Both allow you to set up multiple custom searches, and I used these to look for specific unusual options that often mark special cars - Adaptive Sport Seats, Sport Seats, Sport Bucket Seats, Bi-Color interior, Paint to sample, Aerokit, Natural Brown, etc... I ultimately found the car I'm buying because it had adaptive sport seats mentioned in the ad.

- If you use searches to find specific options, consider using the Porsche option codes as keywords as these will often be used in dealer ads. For example, P77, P01, and P03 are the option codes for Sport Seats, Adaptive Sport Seats, and Sport bucket seats, respectively.

- The Autotrader feature for looking for ads posted in a specific time frame (new since last search, new today, etc..) is unreliable. If your saved search is for all 2005-2012 911's, you end up looking at the same cars over and over. Cars.com has the ability to sort the ads based on the posting date, which makes the new ads easy to identify

- Cars.com generally has better photos of the cars than Autotrader.com. Photos open in a separate window at full size.

- I've only ever seen one quality car on my local craigslist. Mostly non-Porsche dealers selling high mileage cars above market. YMMV.

- Clear all obstacles from your life so when the right car comes along you can move quickly. I looked casually for a year and let several great cars get away. Then I sold my Cayman, got serious, and found a car 2 months later.

- Know what your deal breakers are, but be flexible where possible.

- Treat sellers with respect, and don't jump immediately to what their bottom line is. Unless you are buying long distance, look at the car before you negotiate.

- Look outside your immediate area. My car was 2000 miles away.

- If you are a PCA member, post a WTB add on www.pca.org and on your local chapter's website

- The classifieds here and on the "other site" often have nice cars at fair prices, but they go quickly.

- As others have noted, put a BOLO out with your dealer. Make sure they know your price range. A 2006 with 40K-70K miles taken on trade may not be a car they want on the lot, so you might be able to intercept it before it is sent to Auction.

- If you see a car you really like, don't be afraid to call the owner and speak to him about it. Be honest if the car is out of your price range, and if the seller is motivated to make a deal you might be able to get a car at a great price.

- It's hard to believe, but when the right car comes along you will know it.

I'm actually a little sad that the search is over. My wife does not share this sentiment!


Good luck.

John in Bismarck

We bought our 997 two years ago from Weissach Autohaus, a broker in CT, and our car came from a private owner in your area of NY. Phil seemed like a real nice guy, and we were delighted with our car, which we bought sight unseen. We picked it up in Florida and drove it back to North Dakota. PCA also has some great classifieds. They seem to be clean, well-maintained cars, from private owners, priced accordingly. We also looked at some cars at Porsche dealers. It came down to our 06 Carrera, an 04 Carrera from a P dealer in PA, and a 993 cabrio from a private owner in SC, listed on PCA. I couldn't be happier with the car we ended up with. Good luck with the search.

rickdogg82

I'm in the same boat - just starting my search. The Porsche USA dealer search is a pretty good if you are trying to find a car at a Porsche dealer. If you are looking for a CPO car this is the way to go. There are several cabs listed, some under 40k and a CPO S cab for 43k.

BIG smoke

I have seen lots of off brands on dealer lots. I found a fantastic C63 on my GM dealers lot. $10,000 less than at the MB dealership. They also had an R Jag. Vehicles could have been traded, or bought at auction. A higher mileage, over age example would most likely be sent off to auction.
And especially sent out are off brands from corporate dealerships. Trade an Acura at a BMW dealership, off to auction. BMW at a Porsche dealership? off to auction. In Canada, I have found the dealers to give you extra terrible offers on your trade, if an non OEM brand. That really forces you to sell your car privately.
To me buying at "the auction" is difficult. You have to make a call as it goes over the block. A vehicle landed at a dealer that was bought at auction? You have time to do you search, and history, and time to do an inspection. Research can save you a ton of dough. Remember a CARFAX can take some time to catch up to a VIN#, especially out of state or province. If your scooby senses are tingling, step away.

Perk10

I searched high and low for mine. Ended up buying it right off of this forum lol.

You'll find yours sooner than you think

RJT

We've bought and sold some of our Porsches right here on Rennlist.....excellent buyers and sellers!

That being said, our '06 997S is for sale!!

NephroC4S

I used a small high end local dealer who specifically looks for low mileage examples of vehicles. Mine was a one owner garage queen. An '08 with only 3600 miles on it! I've already doubled the miles on it in the last 6 months and have tracked it as well. This car will be driven!

I would just take your time and be patient. You will know when the "right" car comes along. Good luck with your search.

sy308

I have purchased 4 Porsche cars over the internet in the last 10 years. I bought all of them sight unseen. I used PCA twice and EBay twice to find the cars. All the cars were delivered at or below retail pricing. The best time of the year for this is in the Fall, not Spring by the way. I took between 6 weeks and 6 months to find the cars. Two were wholesale finds. I purchased only from individuals and did not look at any dealer cars (in order to save money). I live on the East Coast and looked for cars from New England West to Michigan and South to Florida. This saved transportation costs. One was resold at a $6K profit 4 years later. Another was sold within 2 months of delivery off a lot with a $2K profit split by me and the shop. I still have the other two. One was sold by an individual who hired a dealer to setup the entire deal, including transportation. That was a sweet deal. In general, I recommend purchasing a car where they are plentiful and sell it in a market where the cars are scarce (like I did). The best deals came from cities where Porsche is common. One of the cars (2005) came with a fresh engine. Almost all were exactly as the seller advertised but I did spend an average of about $1500 in service and/or repairs on each one when it arrived. I had them checked over, fluid, filter, tires, etc. What ever they needed got done and no expense was spared. They all went right to my shop and I did not drive them but around the block with dealer plates and my own insurance. All were purchased cash and are not my primary cars. I have never had a warranty on any of them. On the average, I put about 3000-4000 miles a year on them. I mostly drive to shows and work daily. There have been little reliability problems, but 2 needed clutches and a third definitely has a clutch issue but none of my advisers or mechanics can agree on what needs to be done with it. I say this because you are looking at manual transmission cars and based on my experience you should plan for clutch work and budget accordingly. I hope this helps. I have never regretted any of the cars I purchased. The sellers were quite honest and agreeable to get the deals done. Cashier checks were used and the title was sent FedEx on receipt. I insured them prior to transport, in case of any mishap during transportation. I hope this information helps and gives you some guidance. I think this will work for just about any car. I am most familiar with Porsche but would have to study weak spots or repair problems by year for other marques if I was going to repeat this for another brand. There are lots of books on Porsche and you can learn quite a bit off the boards by reading and assimilating facts in order to base your questions. CarFax is also going to be helpful as you may run into a rebuild or salvage or insurance loss car. Be sure to check for a clean title. Three of my cars were clean and it made the deals easier, much easier when no bank involved. Good luck.