High mileage 997.1...bad idea?
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
High mileage 997.1...bad idea?
Hi everyone,
Soon to be first time Porsche owner here with a roughly $30k budget. I've been on the hunt for a 987 for about a month now and have come across an unbelievable deal on a 997. It's an 05 C2S cab with 90k for only $27k. Clean carfax, 2 owners. Normally I would assume this is some sort of scam, but I found the car through USAA's car-buying service.
I know the "wise" decision is to go for a lower mileage Cayman but I can't stop thinking about what a great deal this 997 is. While this is my first Porsche, I currently own an E36 M3 so I am no stranger to German cars. Also, I work from home and don't drive much outside of grocery-getting and fun weekend drives, so maintenance costs are less of a concern for me.
Someone talk me out of this!
Thanks
Soon to be first time Porsche owner here with a roughly $30k budget. I've been on the hunt for a 987 for about a month now and have come across an unbelievable deal on a 997. It's an 05 C2S cab with 90k for only $27k. Clean carfax, 2 owners. Normally I would assume this is some sort of scam, but I found the car through USAA's car-buying service.
I know the "wise" decision is to go for a lower mileage Cayman but I can't stop thinking about what a great deal this 997 is. While this is my first Porsche, I currently own an E36 M3 so I am no stranger to German cars. Also, I work from home and don't drive much outside of grocery-getting and fun weekend drives, so maintenance costs are less of a concern for me.
Someone talk me out of this!
Thanks
Pro
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 627
Likes: 4
From: NoVA
There are some potential issues with an 05 that you might want to look into. I really don't know them specifically, i think they are related to misfires, but my mechanic says to avoid 05s.
You should go into this with open eyes that maintenance can be expensive and high mileage, no matter how well cared for can require some maintenance; budget accordingly.
This is coming from someone who bought a well-used 06S with some nice additions. But unexpected issues arose after about 4-5k miles and wiped out any real savings on the car vs. one with lower mileage. That's just luck of the draw as the same issues could have happened with a lower mileage car that cost $15k more.
You should go into this with open eyes that maintenance can be expensive and high mileage, no matter how well cared for can require some maintenance; budget accordingly.
This is coming from someone who bought a well-used 06S with some nice additions. But unexpected issues arose after about 4-5k miles and wiped out any real savings on the car vs. one with lower mileage. That's just luck of the draw as the same issues could have happened with a lower mileage car that cost $15k more.
Rennlist Member
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 349
Likes: 16
From: East Baynia
I just bought a "high mileage" 997 with 83,xxx miles on it and promptly drove it across the country... The mileage isn't a concern unless you're worried about resale value; the fact is, that you'll never get as much as a low mileage car. But, it's a car, it's meant to be used. Enjoy it.
Previous owner records are your friend as is a thorough PPI - well worth the investment. Parts like the water pump and reservoir are prone to failure, and if they haven't been replaced yet, it's probably worth your while to set aside some money to go ahead and replace them. The other concern on '05s is IMS/RMS - this has been discussed ad nauseam here, so I won't add my own opinion except to say, do your homework and come to your own conclusions. As for repairs, there's some similarity with other Germans, but generally the Porsche is more expensive to maintain than Bimmers, Mercs, and Audis.
If you get any whiff of any problems, run...it's just not worth your time or money. I looked for about 3 months before I got lucky finding mine; other guys have looked longer than that. The point being that there are plenty of 997s and 987s out there, so make sure you find the right one, not the first one.
Previous owner records are your friend as is a thorough PPI - well worth the investment. Parts like the water pump and reservoir are prone to failure, and if they haven't been replaced yet, it's probably worth your while to set aside some money to go ahead and replace them. The other concern on '05s is IMS/RMS - this has been discussed ad nauseam here, so I won't add my own opinion except to say, do your homework and come to your own conclusions. As for repairs, there's some similarity with other Germans, but generally the Porsche is more expensive to maintain than Bimmers, Mercs, and Audis.
If you get any whiff of any problems, run...it's just not worth your time or money. I looked for about 3 months before I got lucky finding mine; other guys have looked longer than that. The point being that there are plenty of 997s and 987s out there, so make sure you find the right one, not the first one.
Poseur
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Rennlist Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 17,745
Likes: 300
From: Santa Barbara, CA
You will wind up with a variety of answers to that question. Generally, a higher mileage car means that it was actually driven and not ignored in someone's garage for weeks and months on end. (Ckearly, northern tier state cars have a ready excuse for lower miles--winter). The infant mortality issues on that car have been probably sorted out. Being an S model you won't have the issue with the IMS which so many like to toss around. (It's more of a problem with the non-S cars and with lower mileage cars).
My only two cautions are as follows:
(1) MY05--was the first year of the 997. There are always bugs in a first year car.
(2) Remember, it was once a $100,000 car (unless the build sheet is terrible short). Thus, when something goes wrong on a $100K car it will be reasonably expensive to fix. Don't expect it to be like a Toyota.
I'm about to do a write-up on my 2006 cabriolet which is approaching 100,000 miles. It has been one of the least maintenance intensive cars I have ever owned. Most issues were covered by the factory warranty, while I did get one unscheduled surprise when I was out of the country with it--a surprise pressure plate premature failure.
Other than that, I simply change my own oil, filters, and brake fluid and call it a day. I'm still on my original brake pads as well. (PCCBs, of course).
You will no doubt have to clean up the interior. If it was a stripped car most of the interior is that rub-off slush finish instead of leather and you will have to give it a fair amount of attention to make it right again.
My only two cautions are as follows:
(1) MY05--was the first year of the 997. There are always bugs in a first year car.
(2) Remember, it was once a $100,000 car (unless the build sheet is terrible short). Thus, when something goes wrong on a $100K car it will be reasonably expensive to fix. Don't expect it to be like a Toyota.
I'm about to do a write-up on my 2006 cabriolet which is approaching 100,000 miles. It has been one of the least maintenance intensive cars I have ever owned. Most issues were covered by the factory warranty, while I did get one unscheduled surprise when I was out of the country with it--a surprise pressure plate premature failure.
Other than that, I simply change my own oil, filters, and brake fluid and call it a day. I'm still on my original brake pads as well. (PCCBs, of course).
You will no doubt have to clean up the interior. If it was a stripped car most of the interior is that rub-off slush finish instead of leather and you will have to give it a fair amount of attention to make it right again.
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Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
You will wind up with a variety of answers to that question. Generally, a higher mileage car means that it was actually driven and not ignored in someone's garage for weeks and months on end. (Ckearly, northern tier state cars have a ready excuse for lower miles--winter). The infant mortality issues on that car have been probably sorted out. Being an S model you won't have the issue with the IMS which so many like to toss around. (It's more of a problem with the non-S cars and with lower mileage cars).
My only two cautions are as follows:
(1) MY05--was the first year of the 997. There are always bugs in a first year car.
(2) Remember, it was once a $100,000 car (unless the build sheet is terrible short). Thus, when something goes wrong on a $100K car it will be reasonably expensive to fix. Don't expect it to be like a Toyota.
I'm about to do a write-up on my 2006 cabriolet which is approaching 100,000 miles. It has been one of the least maintenance intensive cars I have ever owned. Most issues were covered by the factory warranty, while I did get one unscheduled surprise when I was out of the country with it--a surprise pressure plate premature failure.
Other than that, I simply change my own oil, filters, and brake fluid and call it a day. I'm still on my original brake pads as well. (PCCBs, of course).
You will no doubt have to clean up the interior. If it was a stripped car most of the interior is that rub-off slush finish instead of leather and you will have to give it a fair amount of attention to make it right again.
My only two cautions are as follows:
(1) MY05--was the first year of the 997. There are always bugs in a first year car.
(2) Remember, it was once a $100,000 car (unless the build sheet is terrible short). Thus, when something goes wrong on a $100K car it will be reasonably expensive to fix. Don't expect it to be like a Toyota.
I'm about to do a write-up on my 2006 cabriolet which is approaching 100,000 miles. It has been one of the least maintenance intensive cars I have ever owned. Most issues were covered by the factory warranty, while I did get one unscheduled surprise when I was out of the country with it--a surprise pressure plate premature failure.
Other than that, I simply change my own oil, filters, and brake fluid and call it a day. I'm still on my original brake pads as well. (PCCBs, of course).
You will no doubt have to clean up the interior. If it was a stripped car most of the interior is that rub-off slush finish instead of leather and you will have to give it a fair amount of attention to make it right again.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 1,178
Likes: 27
From: Phoenix
I agree with the others... If you have mint history and ppi, it could be a good buy.
But, as someone who bought a 60k+ mile 997 last year, I realize that a few grand of repair bills (not to mention tires) could pop up at anytime, you have to plan for the worst and hope for the best.
But, as someone who bought a 60k+ mile 997 last year, I realize that a few grand of repair bills (not to mention tires) could pop up at anytime, you have to plan for the worst and hope for the best.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 290
Likes: 0
From: South Korea
If the car has 90K miles on it, unlikely IMS is going to fail or it has been replaced in the past.
Described numerous times in other posts; check for bore scoring. An overhauled engine cost you at least 20K, with a tight budget the fun could be quickly over if it would happen.
Check all maintenance records, get a PPI including bore scoring (on the passenger side of the engine only as there it would be suspected) Based on that, if all turns out well, go for it and drive as much as you can.
Described numerous times in other posts; check for bore scoring. An overhauled engine cost you at least 20K, with a tight budget the fun could be quickly over if it would happen.
Check all maintenance records, get a PPI including bore scoring (on the passenger side of the engine only as there it would be suspected) Based on that, if all turns out well, go for it and drive as much as you can.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 880
Likes: 324
From: NYC
Rennlist Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 5,970
Likes: 114
From: Vancouver, BC
You will wind up with a variety of answers to that question. Generally, a higher mileage car means that it was actually driven and not ignored in someone's garage for weeks and months on end. (Ckearly, northern tier state cars have a ready excuse for lower miles--winter). The infant mortality issues on that car have been probably sorted out. Being an S model you won't have the issue with the IMS which so many like to toss around. (It's more of a problem with the non-S cars and with lower mileage cars).
My only two cautions are as follows:
(1) MY05--was the first year of the 997. There are always bugs in a first year car.
(2) Remember, it was once a $100,000 car (unless the build sheet is terrible short). Thus, when something goes wrong on a $100K car it will be reasonably expensive to fix. Don't expect it to be like a Toyota.
I'm about to do a write-up on my 2006 cabriolet which is approaching 100,000 miles. It has been one of the least maintenance intensive cars I have ever owned. Most issues were covered by the factory warranty, while I did get one unscheduled surprise when I was out of the country with it--a surprise pressure plate premature failure.
Other than that, I simply change my own oil, filters, and brake fluid and call it a day. I'm still on my original brake pads as well. (PCCBs, of course).
You will no doubt have to clean up the interior. If it was a stripped car most of the interior is that rub-off slush finish instead of leather and you will have to give it a fair amount of attention to make it right again.
My only two cautions are as follows:
(1) MY05--was the first year of the 997. There are always bugs in a first year car.
(2) Remember, it was once a $100,000 car (unless the build sheet is terrible short). Thus, when something goes wrong on a $100K car it will be reasonably expensive to fix. Don't expect it to be like a Toyota.
I'm about to do a write-up on my 2006 cabriolet which is approaching 100,000 miles. It has been one of the least maintenance intensive cars I have ever owned. Most issues were covered by the factory warranty, while I did get one unscheduled surprise when I was out of the country with it--a surprise pressure plate premature failure.
Other than that, I simply change my own oil, filters, and brake fluid and call it a day. I'm still on my original brake pads as well. (PCCBs, of course).
You will no doubt have to clean up the interior. If it was a stripped car most of the interior is that rub-off slush finish instead of leather and you will have to give it a fair amount of attention to make it right again.
997 is a RELIABLE luxury/sports CAR! I've owned various German cars from VW to Audi to BMW to Mini. 997 is one of the most reliable cars I've owned. BUT, that does NOT mean it's cheap to repair... every little thing like Oil change, tire replacement, basic maintenance costs a lot... so, to OP, while you maybe able to afford this 997, and it maybe a great car and reliable you need to really budget for regular maintenance as it is definitely not cheap to maintain.