eviligloo

So I'm drifting between getting a 997.1 and a 997.2 (07-09 essentially). Don't worry...this is not one of those threads.

Condition of the cars being equal...is there an optimal number of miles to shoot for when looking for a 997?

Is there a sweet spot? Say...40k miles provided that they've already had the 4yr 40k major service done? Something else?

Blu311

Most of the answers I've seen on this will say something along the lines of lowest mileage possible but at least 4-5k mi a year to make sure the car was driven regularly.

So with a 2007 you would probably want at least 30k mi. But in the end, how the car is maintained will matter more. Get a ppi and review maint records and try to be less concerned with the actual mileage.

eviligloo

Oh yeah....PPI is a definite.

I'm not concerned with the mileage in general but thought that maybe if I bought right around 40k then i'd be over some of the first major $ hurdles for service and maintenance (brakes, 40k major, spark plugs, maybe tires).

MJBird993

Brakes really aren't that expensive, and their condition will vary depending on how the car was driven. Tires on these cars go fast, so you might have a car with 32K that needs tires and a car with 40K that just got a new set. It's going to depend.

Of the 5 911s that I've owned, my 993 got the least miles per year (3K) and my 991 (current) is going to have the most. I would concur with Blu311 that 4-5K/year is a good sweet spot for something that hasn't sat too much but doesn't have too many miles.

Spark plugs aren't very expensive either.

If you are a first-time Porsche buyer, I'd suggest that you make sure that you can afford it. These cars are generally very reliable and well built, but when something does go bad, it can be very expensive. Go price a set of Pirelli tires in 19" for a 2009 911 and see if that's something that you can handle. You'll be replacing the rears about every 12K and the fronts about every 20K.

eviligloo

Thanks for the tips! I just dropped $1800 on a set of PS2's for my other car so I'm ready for the expense. I'll cross my fingers that I get a good one. If you have any more tips keep them coming.

L.A.P.

I personally would go with the lowest available... Get a PPI done like others have said.

40K may be over the first hurdle but the 60K service is $$$ depending on which model/year you buy

USMC_DS1

It depends on the condition of the car, how long you intend to keep it, and your ability to execute maintenance type DIY projects. If you're a hands on type of owner and like to DIY then 40K or 60K miles may be the sweet spot especially as other buyers are trying to avoid paying for those service intervals. Parts are fairly inexpensive, sweat equity is educational and enjoyable to some who DIY, and there are right ups on RL help to guide you through those maintenance projects. https://rennlist.com/forums/997-foru...ech-index.html


In my case 40K+ miles was the sweet spot three years ago... I purchased my '08 C2S with 45K miles on the clock plus 1.5 yrs of original warranty and 2 yrs of CPO left. Final negotiated price from a p-dealer in SoCal was less than 50% of the retail sticker for a p-car with 3.5 yrs of total warranty left. As this was my 1st p-car I liked the fact that it included a warranty up to 100K miles or 3.5 yrs. I also liked the fact that the p-dealer had all the service records as the car was purchased at their dealership originally and serviced there as well. The PO traded it in for a newer model. The higher miles though brought the price down quite a bit. FWIW, the higher miles were actually comforting as any infant mortality issues would have likely been serviced in those initial 45K miles. Inversely an extremely low mileage car that is out of warranty would have left me paying for any issues which haven't shown up due to insufficient miles. Also consider that Porsche recommends a minimum of 6K miles/yr to properly maintain these vehicle. The PO used my car as a DD to drive 45K miles in 2.25 yrs so another one in the plus column... mostly highway miles. I performed/DIY'ed all the necessary service items after purchase which the CPO did not already address. I recall spending a few hundred in parts to save over $10K-$15K in p-dealer pricing for similar vehicles with 25K miles instead of 45K miles. Since then I've done much more in terms of preventative maintenance. Most of which the p-dealer would not covered under warranty as they tend to wait for something to break before servicing... ie. I preemptively replaced the water pump($250 part) before it potentially failed. Still with all the preventative R&R projects my parts/material cost over the past 3+ yrs and 20K+ miles has been ~$1K+. The car now has 65K miles and I intend to keep it up to 100K+ miles before selling or gifting it to one of my sons. In my case, 45K miles was the sweet spot for my 1st p-car. For my next p-car... I would have no issues considering a p-car with 60K+ miles provided it was well maintained/serviced and priced appropriately. GL.

RobC4sX51

Not mentioned yet per se is the amount of depreciation that occurs w mileage, not just years. If you are looking for a deal, a car w a few more than 4-5k/year will cost less. Case in point, I bought a '10 C2s PDK last Jul for $67k but it had 33k miles (about 9k/yr). The car sold new for about $120k plus tax. As mentioned,mid it checks out PPi, and has been well maintained, save some $ and use it to get an extended after market warranty or CPO car.

usmm1234

I own 3 p-Cars. Just bought a 2009 997.2 with 4600 miles on it. I go for the lowest mileage I can find on a used one. My 1990 964 C2 has 37,000 on it. It had 6000 when I bought it 16 yr ago.To me the sun and the elements are far worse then the car sitting idle in a garage under a cover. On the 997.2 I threw a bottle of gumout in with 94 octane fuel in and my wife and I drove the 500 miles home from TN. The car was running like a top by the second tank of fuel, and the tires rounded out after the first 100 miles. I stopped several times to look for any leaks and checked the oil level at 300 miles. My wife's been driving the car every day since with out a hitch. Parts don't wear out when sitting idle. You might have to replace an oxygen sensor or something like that, but your not going to have major components that are worn out. I bought my Cayenne with 38,000 mies on it. But Porsche had just put a brand new full dress crate engine in it. The timing chain broke, 3 months before the warranty went out. Got the Pig for 30% below book because of the car fax on blown motor. The resale is also much better on low miles.