Found a 2008 997.1 C4S at a dealers lot that looks like it could be a lot of fun. It's a manual with sport chrono and just under 50k miles. I've just started doing some research on the .1 c4s thanks to this forum and wanted to see if there were anything specific I should inquire and/or look out for.

So far all I've gotten was a vin number when asking about the history and owner/service records.. But will likely go in person again next week to get more details, just want to be sure to ask the right questions.

I read that the 60k mile service is a big one, any info on what that typically entails and costs?

I am curious, since it's at a Porsche dealer, if I were to move forward and request a PPI would it be sufficient to have them do it or is it imperative to bring it elsewhere?

Also the car is 7 years old... I'm guess they can't CPO it at this point?

Thanks all!

 

I think a dealer can CPO the car if it's less than 8yrs old.

60k mile service isn't that big of a deal, it's just some fluid changes and spark plugs. I would get prices just for the service items instead of asking for a 60k service because it would include a bunch of visual checks.

I would change the spark plugs, the coil packs, serpentine belt then for fluid oil, transmission,differential and brake.

If you don't know anything about cars like checking brakes, then I would hire a mechanic to do a full 60k service.

 

I would have the dealer do a complete cpo inspection , get a car fax, look at all the porsche service history. then make a decision. Youre going to find out everything it needs. But, the dealer is not stupid. They have already looked the car over, they know everything it needs. It needs too much for them to try to sell it as a cpo warranteed car. So if you tell them what you need them to do before youll buy it, maybe they will go ahead and tell you whats up or maybe they will stone wall you and dismiss you and try to sell it to someone who is less knowledgeable .

 

Thanks!

I will for sure ask about getting it CPO. Looked it up and you can get it as long as the vehicle is less than 8 years old and under 100k mi, so this would fall within those guidelines. That would give me much more confidence. http://www.porsche.com/usa/approvedused/porscheapproved/

I am awaiting copies of the service history.

 

I'm guessing if I ask for it to be cpo'd any costs of doing that inspection would be paid for by me? If so anyone know how much that typically runs?

 

If I wanted the car, I would ask that as part of the deal that it be CPO'd by the dealer. There is a cost involved, but it should be covered by the dealer. If the dealer does not want to CPO it, which involves a detailed inspection and requirement it meet certain standards, then you must decide if you want it without a warranty. I personally would not pay separately to have it CPO'd! Typically that cost is included in the dealer's asking price.

 

But to avoid confusion, the CPO may include new tires, brakes, wiper blades, ... adding these to the car and attaching a warranty will increase the asking price. IMHO, with a 7 year old car the lack of a CPO doesn't imply problems, it implies the dealer didn't want to mark the cat up higher than it already is. Still, go in with eyes wide open. Good luck.

 

a cpo inspection is about 2 hr labor, $200-250. you pay for a inspection if you want it. If you want the car to be cpo warranteed, its probibly $2000 up depending on what it needs. And its a 1 yr warrantee. So this dealer already knows what the condition is. He knows its going to cost several thousand to make it warranteed. More than anybody would want to pay. But what would you want to buy a car for if you know it needs thousands in maintenance already.
Beside this car, I would recommend going to a 09 S 997.2 which is a big improvement and much more updated and spend your money you would put fixing this older car in to a better car

 

IMHO, a 997.2 CPO would be my preference! I bought a '10 C4S with 8k that was being offered as CPO. In looking at the paperwork associated with the CPO process, looks like the cost was $2500 plus the cost of 2 tires, an alignment and a new battery. While I am sure that cost was factored into the original asking price, it gave me a full factory warranty for 2 years/100k plus what appeared to be a pretty comprehensive inspection. In talking with Porsche service folks, not every CPO process is thorough, not sure how you could verify that prior to purchase. The key point is you are buying a vehicle with a warranty!

 

Depending on the price point of this car, it may be worth getting this 997.1 C4S with a ~$5k aftermarket warranty for 4-5 years, instead of a 997.1 or 997.2 with a CPO that only gives 1 year of warranty. Basically extended warranties (INCLUDING the Porsche CPO warranty) are all the same concept -- it's insurance. You may never end up using it, or you may get your money's worth, it all depends.

I would, however, recommend getting a PPI from a third party. The dealer has a vested interest in giving you a "good" PPI for the car, and although I'm not saying they'll lie to you, it's just peace of mind to get a second opinion from a reliable and trustworthy independent shop.

 

CPO inspection can require a major service to be performed (if due), certain components replaced if not meeting requirements (tires, brake pads, etc), anything else required to be brought up to snuff as well. It is not a 1 year warranty (it should be 2 years / 50k miles). The warranty will be much different from most aftermarket warranties.

As for what the CPO vs. non-CPO status may mean... the CPO process will "cost" around $2.5k if the car is not already CPO. Obviously you can try and get them to eat some of this cost. The lack of a CPO on a .1 car does not necessarily indicated anything wrong with the car, just the price point they want to target with it vs. engaging in that process. I imagine the dealers are charged by Porsche to provide the CPO since the service on the CPO is not dealer specific, and so more like a Porsche warranty / insurance structure by the corporation. This means it will always "cost" the dealer something to CPO a vehicle, regardless of condition. Nice thing about CPO is that it usually indicates some minimum standard is met (if not, you should have legal claims against the dealer / Porsche). Some people have had rough luck with that however.

Aside from the above, I'm a big fan of getting the .2. That said, the .1 cars are great too!

Good luck.

 

Misinformation spreads quickly but unless I'm really absent minded... CPO is 2 years of warranty coverage (once the original warranty runs out... if you buy a CPO vehicle that still has factory warranty it is actually much longer).

The warranties are not all the same. Most third party extended warranties you will find at a decent price will have more exceptions and you MAY find them harder to "collect" on vs. the CPO. The CPO is much more desirable than any third party / aftermarket warranty IMHO. When my CPO expires I "may" go for an aftermarket warranty but only because I have no choice. In fact, given the reliability of my car (knock on wood it continues) I may opt to just go warrantyless once the CPO expires.

 

I'd say the biggest stumbling block to a CPO would be:
- All work has been performed by Porsche trained technicians
- Only Genuine Porsche parts have been used

These might not be verifiable.

 

This got me thinking. I was at the local Audi dealer getting the Q5 serviced and next door is a Porsche dealer. I saw a Cpo'd 2008 cabrio carrera s with 10k miles. How does the cpo work in this case? My understanding of cpo is 2 add'l years and 50k added to the original right? Assuming the original warranty was 4yrs/50k (I'm guessing here), you basically have a 2yr warranty up to 100k miles right?

 

I have a 2007 C4S with sports chromo plus. I have 53K miles on it now, had 43K when I bought it. I really have enjoyed driving and modding it. Not CPO so I bought a fidelity engine and power train 3 year 36K mile warranty when I for the car. No issues and no problems, but I dpi at times get the hot start issue. At some point I'll have rthe cable and new starter installed.