Rick-A-Shay

Most cars we ever bought were daily drivers and all depreciated as soon as they rolled off the dealer lot. So if your RS depreciates because you are enjoying it as you like, what's the difference. Just buy one, drive it and don't look back........ if it appears out of your budget buy a "non" RS and drive the crap out of it and not worry about collectability/investment. I don't track but drove mine from SF-LA and back in December and am doing the same in April. (Don't tell he CHP)

Mr. Adair

Everything they say is spot on. I was in your shoes last year after selling my 991GT3 for the 997RS. 160k-220K and anywhere in between. You absolutely get what you pay for. Nobody is stealing anything from anybody in an RS. I settled for a car that had 13K for miles and was a 8 out of 10. Now it's almost a 10. That's the fun of it, making it yours.

michicago

Mooty and turbofree know their stuff... as do a lot of others that have stopped by this thread to help. The whole reason I started this thread was to 'consult the experts' so I'm reading and digesting every word of it.

I'm still confident I'll find the car I'm after - I just need to learn the market a bit as well, and this thread has been incredibly helpful. Good point on the owners, too. At least for private sales. The one RS I've seen in person was at a dealership... they had no documentation for the car and weren't familiar with the model. A couple other dealerships I talked to on the phone weren't any better off, and one was a Porsche dealer. There's one listed in Colorado Springs Porsche with an odometer discrepancy on Carfax, but the person in sales had no idea why and didn't want to put the effort into looking into it.

Maybe it's because all we can do is read messages here, or because nobody here knows me, or a combination of the two, but when I say I'm looking for a 'deal' what I really mean is a smart buy. Honestly, if the car loses some value because I'm enjoying it, then it's serving it's primary purpose and I'm getting what I paid for. But if there are two RS's available and I'll depreciate one by $60K by driving it vs. another one by $40K, then shame on me for not being more diligent and buying the 'right' car.

I'm looking forward to the day I pull the trigger and make one mine, too! I'd love to hear about the buying process and when you knew you found the right one, if you're up for sharing. And I couldn't agree more with the "make it yours" comments. I've always felt something isn't really mine until you've taken it apart, fixed/modified something, and put it back together. That's when you really get to KNOW your car/truck/motorcycle/boat whatever the case may be.

I still drive my 2005 Nissan Titan with 238,000 miles on it every day. And tow a 9,000lb race trailer through the mountains with it without giving it a second though. Because I know every inch of that truck electrically and mechanically... and because I take care of it. Just last fall someone asked me how I was enjoying my new truck... but it was just about to become a teenager, lol.

When I find my RS, it'll get the same treatment. I just want to make sure what I'm buying is the 'right' one. For me.

turbofreeFLAT6

Although I want to drive my RS 4.0 hard on great roads and do some track days I am a perfectionist and criterion 1 was near-perfect condition and low km to minimise the amount that it might have been driven badly. Criterion 2 was a list of colours and options essential to me. One was PCCB for ultimate suspension and steering response - and less brake dust on white wheels! Another was front axle lift, which someone here mentioned as source of problems but I find it avoids a huge amount of stress in driving a GT3 on the road.

Then I checked the ads (in Europe) every day for three months. One of interest had 7km and been trailered to the local OPC for a service each year but the ownership was a mystery I couldn't unravel and I discovered that if you import a car with less than 6,000 km from one EU country to another you pay the ~20% VAT again. Another candidate turned out to be jointly owned and one half didn't want to sell. Just as I was beginning to despair, one with my favourite spec that I have ever seen appeared and it was owned by the head of an OPC who is a serious collector, which was reassuring. I had plotted a chart with the km and price of every car on the market and which ones had been sold since I began looking and used that to justify my offer below the asking price (subject to inspection), which after a few emails backwards and forwards was accepted. After flying the length of Europe to inspect it it proved to be a dream come true!

michicago

That's great, thanks for posting that! Excel sheets with price, mileage, and options sounds all-too-familiar!

Thanks to everyone that posted in this thread!! Like turbofree above, I found the car I think is right for me recently. I put a deposit on it last night and I'm going to see it soon... with great hopes to see it in my garage soon after! Right now I keep going back and forth between excited beyond words and feeling like I'm going to throw up thinking "holy *#&@ is this really happening?! I just bought a car worth more than the house I grew up in!" But mostly the former.

turbofreeFLAT6

Please tell us about it if you do the deal.

thxbuff2001

Congrats in advance, fingers crossed.
When i bought my car, I bought it top dollar because I want the best sample out there. They dont make them like they used too and some have stories. Mine looked showroom condition and until now, I will park it besides BNEW cars with pride. I drive it and clean it myself.

I am a proud owner of an RS forever.

turbofreeFLAT6

Well put, I know the feeling!

Yes, I don't see myself ever selling so worth getting the best. The 991 GT3 RS, although a great car, feels a bit big and bland by comparison and does not offer as intense an experience. The 997s really are classics being the last RS with the Mezger, manual gearbox, mechanical diff, hydraulic steering and a really connected nuggety ride.

michicago

Ugh, it kills me the way this is turning. I have been waiting too long for this for it to go poorly! Attaining a dream should be a more enjoyable experience than it has been so far.

https://rennlist.com/forums/general-...nightmare.html

I haven't given up on it yet though. Fingers crossed for a happy ending! ha

Mr. Adair

Sorry to hear this...

The learning curve is steep when buying these cars. It sucks. Combine that with the need to sometimes feel like you need to act NOW on a car it can be a huge downer. I have always said, this process is supposed to be fun. About half the time it's not. Maybe you should take the route of only working with one or two people to help you find a car? A broker like Merit Partners or Doug at Switchcars? It may cost you a little bit of money but I can assure you the process will be better...

michicago

Thank you for posting that, I think you might be right. Apparently I have a connection of a connection that knows someone at Swithcars - and at this point paying a little more for the experience not to feel like I'm getting pushed around would be money well spent.

Speedster911

The lousy feeling you have today will quickly go away when you are in sport mode and hear that glorious sound. above 3K rpm. You will have a very special car., there is a reason everyone posts they will never sell their .2RS or wish they had not sold..... go for it.
I paid more than I wanted to pay for my RS, kicked myself over and over for doing so, until the car arrived..........I was such a dummy, best car purchase I have ever made.

Mr. Adair

You sound a lot like myself in the beginning. The players on these cars are always connected and will generally be favored to get a car when all else is equal and sometimes because of logistics/demographics you just can't get a car PPi'd, seen and bought in time. I bought my car from Doug at Switchcars, talk to him directly. Give him some options on what RS you are looking for color, spec etc. be patient. All his cars are good. He is connected and won't try to screw you. Be patient, it's the number one quality to have. You will know when the right car/situation comes around...

Mr. Adair

This is so spot on!

michicago

Not gonna lie, reading that put a smile on my face. I can't imagine what it'll be like when I unload it from the trailer at home and actually get to drive it!

The reality I'll have such a machine at home in a few days really hasn't set in, it still seems completely surreal... and the distraction of all this drama with the dealership (there was more before the pricing issue) has pulled my focus away from that vision even more.
It's comforting to know I'm not the only one that feels like I'm out of my element buying this car... it compounds an already nerve-racking situation quickly!