Any concerns about purchasing a low mileage 997.1?
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I recently sold my 08 targa 4 tiptronic and I have the itch to replace it. I found a pristine 2007 C2 manual transmission coupe in cobalt blue with only 15k miles. The car was traded at a local Lexus dealer so there is no service history outside of what I can see on the carfax. Are there any concerns about buying a 997 with such low miles? I.E. Oil leaks etc I should worry about? The IMS bearing doesn't concern me since I'm fairly familiar with these cars. I know there has been some debate on this forum before about low vs high miles but I'd like to make this car a daily driver. Thoughts?
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Obviously I would get a PPI, but I would not have any issues buying a low-mileage 997.1 if it had the options I wanted. I LOVE cobalt blue - my favorite 911 color..
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Aside a drying up rms and the leaking, I'd only be concern that bad parts didn't have time to fail. This wouldn't deter me though. I'd get the dme and inspection and changing all the fluids after purchase.
Good luck.
Good luck.
#5
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I recently sold my 08 targa 4 tiptronic and I have the itch to replace it. I found a pristine 2007 C2 manual transmission coupe in cobalt blue with only 15k miles. The car was traded at a local Lexus dealer so there is no service history outside of what I can see on the carfax. Are there any concerns about buying a 997 with such low miles? I.E. Oil leaks etc I should worry about? The IMS bearing doesn't concern me since I'm fairly familiar with these cars. I know there has been some debate on this forum before about low vs high miles but I'd like to make this car a daily driver. Thoughts?
One concern is even though the car has some years on it, based on miles it is still a "new" car and it can still develop new car problems as one adds miles.
This risk can be mitigated by if one can get the car with a warranty. However, if one doesn't use the car much the warranty isn't much good as problems appear from miles driven not years accumulated, that is unless the years really have accumulated.
Another concern is often a low miles car has a premium price. What this means to the buyer is he pays a premium for the low miles but the premium value of the car drops as he adds miles. The 2nd or subsequent owner then suffers from the car depreciating more dramatically than it would have with more miles to begin with.
Yet another concern is with so few miles and the number of years there can be leaks. What happens is lack of use allows seals to dry and shrink. POA oil is not real seal friendly to begin with but has additives to address this shortcoming. These additives work well provided the car/engine is used frequently. (My 2002 Boxster is oil tight even after nearly 300K miles of use.)
But lack of use and time will have the seals shrink and one they shrink they can't be restored to size so leaks can develop.
One buys a low miles used and "old" car and the thing develops leaks. Not the end of the world but if one has paid a premium for a low miles car it can grate a bit I think.
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I bought a 9K mile 2006S 1 year ago. No regrets. I anticipated and have taken care of a few items like the serpentine belt, bleeding the brakes, replacing coolant fluid and a full service. I also replaced the oem tires that were 8 years old. I took care of a few cosmetics including radio *****, HVAC ***** and deteriorated soft touch paint (I touched some up and eventually replaced most with Carbon Fiber). My only surprises were clogged drainage lines for the AC and the roof, and the small LCD screen in the instrument cluster went haywire a few days after buying the car. The AC vents spewed brittle foam for a while at first too. I took care of all these details just after buying the car and it has been a reliable ride.
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#8
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I love off brands on OEM dealer lots. Often they are a great deal.
15ooo miles. Really that should be three oil changes for millage. Though one would hope, it was once a year. I'd snoop around the local Porsche dealer with the vin number. See if you can find some service records. At the same time, do be careful. It is also a wonderful dumping ground for a trouble car. The lexus dealer is not going to know about shifting problem, or coil packs, or IMS issues. Do your reasearch. Go all CSI, and report back. Don't give any location. Don't want another Rennlister swooping in ....
And where are the photo's?
15ooo miles. Really that should be three oil changes for millage. Though one would hope, it was once a year. I'd snoop around the local Porsche dealer with the vin number. See if you can find some service records. At the same time, do be careful. It is also a wonderful dumping ground for a trouble car. The lexus dealer is not going to know about shifting problem, or coil packs, or IMS issues. Do your reasearch. Go all CSI, and report back. Don't give any location. Don't want another Rennlister swooping in ....
And where are the photo's?
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I went back to look at it today. The car seems to be in great shape. That being said I noticed the tps light is on and wouldn't relearn when prompted during a 30 min drive. The service light is also on. I'm still very much on the fence. Here is a pic.
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TPS is probably the batteries in the sensors.. On an 08 they would be about dead by now.. Dealer will charge you almost 1K to replace all four.. but they can be had for much less from other sources..
Love the color, and as I stated before, the next step would be a PPI..
Love the color, and as I stated before, the next step would be a PPI..
#11
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Don't let the TPmS sensor problems deter you. It is an awesome car. Go to an independent guy and have the TPMS sensors replaced. The batteries die after 5-8 years.
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In all of your opinions what would be a fair price for this car? 2007 C2 with 15k miles. Has full leather, power seats, Bose and Nav, manual trans as well.
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Price..my guess is its listed mid to high 40's. I would try to get to high 30's or 40. Thats just from my history trying to buy one so I could be off, but I'm factoring in its a non S model, plus winter is coming.... Good looking car with nice options and low miles.
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FWIW, I got my 08 C2 with 15k miles (1-owner, partial leather, 12-way seats, Bose, no nav, manual trans) for about $45k a year ago. This was in the San Francisco bay area, which is notorious for having higher than median prices.
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I purchased my 07 c2 cab with 25k miles in April 2015 from a dealer for $38k. Good condition. No issues, just did tires and fluids I purchased a 1999 c2 cab with 15k miles in August. Mint condition. No issues so far, car runs like a new car. I did fluids when I get it.
IMO. Low 40s would be a great price for a low mileage mint car.
IMO. Low 40s would be a great price for a low mileage mint car.