winkingchef

Hi all:

(relatively new to the forum, but I did do some searching ahead of time, but was unable to find a satisfactory answer)

I've owned my C4S Cabrio for some time now and I'm starting to consider a replacement car. I've been cruising a lot of Autotrader, etc, and I've noticed there's a lot of GT3's with relatively low miles (2007-2010 with ~3k-5k miles).

I live in the Bay Area, so I'm thinking it might just be bored rich folks upgrading, but I wanted to check with the group to make sure.

Is there anything in particular I should be watching out for? I imagine track history will be pretty common, so a DME scan and overrevs will be important to check. Any other things to look out for?

This would be a weekend car for spirited driving along the Skyline/HWY1 routes near SF and perhaps some DE events. I am also considering a lightweight configuration of the Boxster Spyder.

Thanks very much in advance for any advice.
(perhaps) a future GT3 owner.

mooty

MANY reason.
wealthy got bored
less wealthy tightening up belt
bought the wrong car

i think too many ppl over worry about over rev's. you only need to worry about down shift over revs. these cars are very strong. i be much much more worried about accidents/body work than over rev or oil leaks.

i will never buy an used car unless i know every owner of that particular car. that's just me. i buy the owners, not the car.

set up a budget and start looking. the key is be ready to buy.
you missed larry cable's car. gorgeous and dirt cheap. my friend end up buhying it AFTER larry traded it in. could have saved 6-8000!

same story with the last 7gt3 i sold. way below mkt. i just wanted it gone THAT day.

michael stead, carlsen, stevens creek all have cars right now.
and you can post the spec you want on RL and there will be sellers contacting you!

good luck in your search. once you drive a GT3, it's very hard to go any where else.

Carrera GT

Indeed, as ever, the near new GT3 is a great bargain -- not that everyone considers an $80K used car in the context of "bargain." : )

In any case, these cars are strong and have no particular Achilles Heal other than the infamous "rear main seal" which is neither here nor there -- don't let it influence your choice of car. Just work on the assumption whatever car you get will have the leak.

You should of course make sure the owner and the service history are reasonable. Check the rotors and brake pads, assume the car needs tires (the Sport Cups barely last 5K.) So these minor items can save you $5K in the first few months if you track the car. Otherwise, take a close look at the cabin trim to spot any sub-par work in removing seats or a previous roll-bar installation. It depends how mechanically or technically minded you are as a DIY owner. You can look at the suspension and exhaust for "witness" marks of previous mods, but it's not much of an issue either way.

Advice is simple: get a CPO no matter what.

C.J. Ichiban

the main reason i'd say people sell them that quickly is because they realize they're better off with something more streetable, like a turbo. I've also sold a gt3 with low miles because my RS allocation came faster than I thought, and didn't need both...

but as these guys have said- try to feel out the owners- as that is the most important part of the equation. I was lucky enough to get my gt3 and both RS new...but I got my CGT locally from a guy I personally knew, and that was a huge help. Those things are nightmares in comparison to shop for!

GT3 is largely a bulletproof car and they evolve slowly- meaning the last gen is just as good as the new one, just with a bit less ponies and a few rock chips. If my budget was limited to a 2008 or whatever I wouldn't fret one bit- I'd go out and find the best one and LOVE IT.

these cars rule, assuming you're into the raw, brute nature of it.

YA911Fan

Doesn't that rule out private party sales? The ideal used Porsche comes from a conscientious original owner, imo.

Carrera GT

An accommodating dealer with pass through the deal for a small fee on top of the CPO product price.

No matter how conscientious the original owner, it's a $120K car with an $80K engine and transaxle. Even if you intend to keep the car only within the time and distance of the factory warranty, the CPO translates directly into resale value.

Porshapwr

As someone who's looking to get into a 997.1 GT3 next Spring - I welcome it with open arms. The more guys upgrading, the better for me.

savyboy

I have an RS and just took delivery of my Spyder. Night/Day difference. The Spyder has as much or more "presence" esthetically and big difference in ride and cabin noise. Spyder is much smoother/quieter and would be much easier to live with on daily basis.

Raw/visceral points go to RS. Purer steering feel and pointability (turn-in sharpness) go to RS. My Spyder cockpit feels several magnitudes more detailed and higher quality than RS. You have to see to understand.

I will post a more detailed comparison after I drive the Spyder a bit.

Both cars are phenomenal. GL with your decision!

MM3.9GT3

A few reasons:

It appeals to the lunatic fringe, and yes, we are the lunatic fringe. Normal people have realized that this is not the right car for them.

Some people want the newest model, and thus the availability of 997.1 GT3's.

Early 2007 GT3's are nearing the end of the warranty, and people are selling prior to warranty expiration.

Larry Cable

As mooty pointed out, a lot of cars are coming onto the market as a result of the lunatic fringe (such as myself) upgrading to a 3.8L .2 ...

I would not worry too much about the overrev situation, although it is important to get a DME code readout ...

A lot of these cars are not daily drivers, so for example my '07 did 2400mi in
it's 1st 10 days in Europe, 400mi from LA to SF in 8/07 and then a further
2500-3000 over the intervening years ... and sat under a car cover in the
garage with a trickle charger on it for the rest of the time, popping out
occasionally for it's yearly service ...

another reason why these cars reappear on the market is as someone else
said because they are sometimes "mistaken" for a regular 911.

My '04 GT3 was purchased with 800mi on it because the previous owner and his wife did not like the ride ...

There are a reasonable number of cars out there, many owned by people on this list ... so you can get an honest deal ...

one closing piece of advice, if you are considering a private sale, be reasonable!

One reason I traded my car for $78k was that I was not prepared to be nickel and dimed over the price ... I would have sold it for mid 80's ...

The dealer took that same car, CPO'ed it and listed in for 96k ...

You can give your money to a dealer, or you can give less money to the previous owner ... and save yourself 10k+ ... do the math and the deal!

85Gold

Mooty has the best deals Just wait a few months and he will be selling, buying, selling, buying etc. You get the picture. His cars also sell quickly as the are priced more than fairly.

Peter

I got a ride in the Boxster Spyder @ Mid Ohio with Rich from Porsche Driving School. It was a hoot and we were sideways in every corner. If they had had 1 for sale there I would have been sorely tempted.

NJ-GT

Test drive one first. Given the car you drive (C4S Cab) and the other car you're considering (Boxster), a GT3 is a radical change. You should consider an used 07 Turbo, or the new 9A1 911s as well.

The GT3 is a great car, but not for everyone, it is stiff, loud, low, and not the ideal canyon spirited driving car (its limits are too high). For DE is a great car, but so is every other current Porsche.

07/08 are coming out of leases, and some owners (GT3 loyal owners) are upgrading to the next model. Also, if they don't sell today for mid 70s, they will take another hit in depreciation as the 10/11 GT3 and RS start flooding the used market, while new ones stay frozen on dealer's showrooms.

mooty

i think you and i both learn the same now.
when buyers buy privately, they nickel and dime you.
when they goto dealer, the sit and get reamed while smile all the way out.
strange.
both of my last cars were sold to dealer. i agreed to sell it at that price to the private buyer, but they didn't think it was good enough. guess what. they ended up buying my car from the dealer at 8k more than i agreed to sell it to them for AND it was still not CPO'd.....

i will refer to myself as mooty motorcar sales now. i am an UNOFFICIAL dealer. i charge a premium. and i have machines to ream you GOOD.

micahbones

And what is your "CPO" policy?

FFaust

Is that the centre-lock wheel alignment tool you just bought?

Anyway, just wanted to chime in to thank you guys for the great and SPECIFIC advice expressed above. I am heading in the GT3 direction too and will make it happen as soon as the pricing and purchasing power curves intersect, so this just adds to the toolbox.