Maverick1

Say you've looked and looked and found a GT3 you like.
You get the Carfax and it looks good, no accidents etc. then what?
Would you recommend getting a ppi from a Porsche dealer?
What is involved with a ppi?
Would a ppi reveal if the car has been abused or tracked a lot?
I've read that the Metzger engine is pretty bullet proof aside from the coolant pipes blowing out, usually on the race track.
Are there any areas of the car to be looked at more closly?
Car has around 24,000 miles on it.
Carfax does not show that any oil changes were made, but I was told that some Porsche dealers don't report to Carfax.

ranger22

Check to see if some jackhole installed dynamat on it.

ChrisF

Carfax is only a tool. Use it for what it's worth. Is not the be all, end all.
Definitely get a PPI, preferably from an independent shop with intimate knowledge of GT3's. Ask for referrals here.
PPI can run the gamut from cursory to thorough depending on who performs. I'd want to get a DME printout, fault code check, put on a rack to examine if any signs of damage, whether modified in any way, brake and rotor wear, tire wear for alignment check, test drive for steering, transmission, engine health; to name a few.
A GOOD PPI would give an indicator of whether the car was ridden hard and put away wet. Better to find a car with a solid owner history and as many say "buy the owner".
If a .2, examine the center lock hubs, wheels, nuts for wear and make sure the owner and servicing shops knew what the hell they were doing.
If the owner doesn't have the service records handy, that's already suspect. If the seller is a dealer, they can run the VIN history for warranty and service.

We need a sticky thread for this question since it comes up a lot.

bmwtye

There are plenty of ways around carfax, for example if a person pays cash for repairs, he can basically not have it reported.

Along with everything else thats been mentioned, I would bring a paint depth meter with me and check all the panels on the car. Paint on these cars is already pretty light, but this will give you a good indicator if the car has ever been resprayed.

ugotgrossed

^^^ where can one find/rent paint meter?

promocop

Goin thru the same thing (not to mention any names...but) There are SOME people selling GT3s will LIE about how many track miles on the car Rule of thumb. Every track mile is at least 10 times regular miles Buyer beware

bmwtye

See if whoever is doing the ppi has one. If not take the car by a well regarded detailer or body shop. If neither of those are options, spend the 250 bucks to buy one. It comes in handy when you polish your car so you know not to remove too much material

madmurdock

The paint depth gauge discussed here is a good buy!

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...-everyone.html

Maverick1

Thanks guys.
Good info.

Maverick1

Is it worth paying $4,000 extra to get a CPO GT3?
I guess this way you get 2 years or up to 100,000 miles to shake it down and find any problems.

DC640

If it helps u sleep at night yes. You should read all the fine prints of what CPO covers.

Sweeper

Buy it

Viperbob1

Question is, "what are you going to do with the car"? If you plan on tracking it yourself or modding you may be throwing any warranty out the window. But for sure a PPI and a readout of the over revs is essential. Also some simple investigation of buyer. Is he/she a Rennlist member? Search posts for info on car. Search local DE groups (Nasa, Chin, PCA, etc) list of track attendees. You would be surprised what shows up on cars these days...

audipwr1

You don't buy the car based on a ppi

You research all the past owners, look at maint records, where the car has been.

Most ppis are worthless most don't know the car well enough to tell you anything past the tires or brakes needing replacing

promocop

I would take all of the above info in its totality to make a decision. The PPI in addition to the obvious info will also get you a DME (CAN) printout of the cars 'brain' that you can analyze to determine IF the car was over reved etc.,etc. Just more info to make a educated decision. The ops comment about WHO owned the car and WHERE the car was run and IF it was tracked is very important. Many of these cars, I have been finding out were in fact..."road hard and put away wet"...Hard miles on a track are not very desirable!