Ascend

Hi Guys,

Planning to buy a 997 GT3 RS.

I know there are few on the dealer lot but I am not knowledgable enough to buy a car on spot or to know if a car is overpriced/underpriced.

Do you guys have any recommended PPI inspector? Or is DMI report with CPO suffice?

Also, what's the going value for 10000~20000 mile 997.2 gt3 rs in these days? (Of course non-PTS car)? I know exotic car market has softened a little but would like to know if it holds the same for 997 RS's.

Thank you in advance

Md88guy

Good luck. Great car.
When I was soft shopping, I saw 189 to 200 for 10Kish miles. For 20K miles, I wouldn't pay over 170K. That's me.
Pinned coolant lines is a nice plus. It's an engine out job, and you will want them pinned.

joejenie

You should plan to spend $170-190k for a 10-20k mile car. I would definitely do a PPI and would recommend budgeting to do pinned coolant lines if not done. I would also consider a SMFW and guards LSD if you are planning to track it. I just went though all of this a few months ago. Bought mine about 6 months ago.

smq42

nwGTS

I believe pinned can still fail, just not catastrophically. And possible to do with engine in car. Welding is permanent and needs a dropped engine.
One solution video example.

good discussion https://rennlist.com/forums/996-turb...ant-lines.html
good luck in your search, op. i'm still hunting myself.. very hard to find 'the one'

Ascend

Is this a problem with all 997 gens?

Yeah, I gotta agree that finding the right one is very difficult. I've contacted few sellers but cars I liked are all sold already. I think there's virgin one (with 40 miles methinks) at 230k. Quite steep for 997.2 gt3 rs, especially in this market.

Md88guy

40 miles?? Idk, 230K doesn't sound too far off the mark. The problem is, unless you plan on keeping it a garage queen, you are going to take a bath once the miles come on. This car has essentially been assigned collector status now, unless someone has $$$ to burn and doesn't care. I do think the 997.2 RS will be the RS to have in 10 to 15 years. Between the stick, Mezger, smaller body style, hydraulic steering, and relatively more raw drive (no rw steering) it's going to be one of the classics. Like the 993 turbos today. Through the roof. You should do well with any one you buy if you hang on to it.

MKIVdan

All 997 GT3 Gens have the potential for the coolant problem. I know the 997.1 Turbos had the problem as it had the mezger motor as well. I am unsure of the 997.2 Turbo/S having this problem as they switched to the DFI engine.

MJSpeed

Have a local reputable shop perform a PPI. It's money well spent.

lflouie

As a first time buyer there is a lot more to a real inspection than a PPI, IMO. PPI will certainly identify observable items such as leaks, brakes, tires, clutch, etc and maybe able to check past service histories as well as over rev report and codes. In my experience most PPI don't look for evidence of possible problems. For example, on a turbo model (not a GT3), if the tail pipes are drooping or one side is drooping that usually is an indicator of bad motor mount(s). If both or one side is raised it signals a bad transmission mount. If both trans and engine mounts are bad it usually droops. I've rarely seen a PPI replace a knowledgeable Porsche enthusiast or mechanic ability to detect these types of issues. I'd strongly suggest 2 sets of eyes, and one being a knowledgeable Porsche mechanic or owner, to thoroughly visually evaluate a car in addition to the PPI.