99711mike82

Hey all,

Pursuant to my previous post, I took possession of an '06 C4S, manual, black on beige, 39K miles, sport chrono, navi, all the bells and whistles this past weekend to get a PPI. Long story short, my Indy really pissed me off this morning before I dropped the car off for him to check it out, basically telling me he wasn't going to do a full inspection for all the main issues (IMS, bore scoring, DME, rev range, etc). He told me that all that stuff "comes with the territory of buying a used Porsche 911, and to be prepared for pricey maintenance, etc". Nonetheless, He wont be getting my business any longer, but he is still doing an "inspection" right now. I contacted another reputable Indy in the area who i will be taking the car in to later today for the full PPI, hopefully.

My question to you all, is other than what I mentioned above, are there any other specifics I should tell the new Indy to check for me?? Ive done my homework with everything, but what else should I look out for? I know the whole "rev range" rule of thumb is to walk away from anything higher than a 3? Also, car blows a little smoke upon startup on driver side, but it runs very well... Bore scoring risk should be minimal as it is a warm climate car... (prior owner from Arizona, now in So Cal).... Ive heard that these cars do normally burn a bit of oil and can be a bit smokey on the driver side, as is normal, but that the passenger side smoke is when to be concerned? Car is very powerful, took it on some spirited driving over the weekend. The power the gears and RPMs is VERY responsive, strong, and linear. Car has PASM and is amazing thru curves along with the all wheel drive.... Truly breathtaking drive. Being older now though, I learned not to become smitten with a beautiful car like this if it doesn't check out to be mechanically sound... And i don't mind spending a couple hundred bucks before buying it to ensure it has a clean bill of health...

Any other tips would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks all

-Mike in So Cal

rickdogg82

The main issues (things the normal guy can't check for) are the reason for the PPI in the first place. What exactly is he going to inspect? A DME reports is as basic as it gets so if is won't (can't?) run that I wouldn't trust the inspection.

99711mike82

Thanks rick...

Yes I agree... However, he is a family friend and regularly services my daily driver (BMW) and ive had no issues with him..... As for the PPI, he is doing it for me free of charge, so i am anxious to see exactly what he is going to check and what he tells me later today when he is done. Either way, im taking the car in to another indy who will dont the full porsche ppi (that i will pay for), so we will see.

I'll keep you posted on the results.

Thanks.

nk215

If he’s doing it for free then you can’t really push for much. I would start with leaks (RMS leak is obvious), test he battery, if possible check alternator.

Check belts, coils for crack. Pull a plug or 2 and see how things are. When he gets this far, he may as well stick a camera in there to get the bore scope but he may not have the equipment.

Make sure the AC is working correctly.

Drop the under body covers and look around for leaks. Check the gear shift cable. See how much brake pads you have left. Check tire for wear pattern. If he can, check alignment numbers.

Few of the above checks will indicate mechanical issues. They are mostly can give you an indication of how much you’ll spend in the near future for wear and tear items.

Realistically speaking, for a 06 with 40K miles, if you can’t get a DME and bore scoring check, don’t even bother with a PPI. If that’s your only PPI option and you really want the car, go in blind. The risks are not that big. Beside from IMS (non-issue for 06) and bore scoring, everything else is wear and tear. You’ll pay for replacement eventually. It’s just how soon.

hollywood1053

He has summed in up quite well...

OKB

is there a reason you arenot taking it to a porsche dealer and having them do a inspection