Compromising on purchasing a used car... where do you draw the line?
08-02-2016, 12:19 PM
#16
Rennlist Member
Tip has, I think according to the Porsche manual, about a .2 sec or so faster to 60 time. Keeps the revs up and the boost on. Not that I care.
My first priority used would be condition and maintenance records.
Also, Tip is bullet proof and less maintenance $$$ than clutch replacements. Not my opinion, but an indy shop owner with about 35 years Porsche experience.
As already opined above, drive one for an hour and decide.
My first priority used would be condition and maintenance records.
Also, Tip is bullet proof and less maintenance $$$ than clutch replacements. Not my opinion, but an indy shop owner with about 35 years Porsche experience.
As already opined above, drive one for an hour and decide.
08-02-2016, 03:09 PM
#17
Instructor
Well, I would have preferred a white/brown combo and I didn't care whether it was MT or tip. What was important to me as I made my decision was the condition of the car, mileage, and service history. I ended up with a black/black cab with tip that had a conservative tune, headers and exhaust and I couldn't be happier. There are some times that I miss rowing through the gears but I am surprised that 99% of the time I don't miss it. I guess I don't look at this purchase as if I'm getting married - if I drive this car a while and decide that I want something different, I'll sell it and buy the next car. The only deal-breaker for me would have been bad PPI results or a color combo or mods that I hated.
08-02-2016, 10:17 PM
#18
Rennlist Member
Well, I would have preferred a white/brown combo and I didn't care whether it was MT or tip. What was important to me as I made my decision was the condition of the car, mileage, and service history. I ended up with a black/black cab with tip that had a conservative tune, headers and exhaust and I couldn't be happier. There are some times that I miss rowing through the gears but I am surprised that 99% of the time I don't miss it. I guess I don't look at this purchase as if I'm getting married - if I drive this car a while and decide that I want something different, I'll sell it and buy the next car. The only deal-breaker for me would have been bad PPI results or a color combo or mods that I hated.
08-03-2016, 01:52 AM
#19
Rennlist Member
This is an interesting thread. It brings up the question of new vs used and would you be happy with someones elses, often a dealers, choice of options. I have purchased 3 used Porsches and 1 new one that I optioned from the factory.
First off, not all Porsches, and in this case 997.1 TT's, were created equal. Some are very plain-jane, having the bare bones for options and others, well, the sky was the limit. My 08 TT, in Arctic Silver over full Carrera Red, MRSP'd at >$206k CND as there was everythng ticked that made it a great one. It was striking. Now yes, someone else specked that car, but i enjoyed it emensely. Don't ever believe anyone telling you that options don,t make a diffrerence in the re-sale. They do. Even my first Porsche, my 06 C2S, my full blue leather, an MT, with yellow PCCBs. Again, striking and i enjoyed, without a second thought, all the options. Were there options on both I would have liked? Yes, but nothing to make a deal breaker. They had the important ones such as a MT, nice colour, full leather, creasts in seats etc...
Now roll ahead to my optioning a brand new Macan GTS. I laboured over this car for months, agonizing about ths and that, to finally pull the trigger, wait two months for manufacture and delivery, to recieve the car and not be 100% satisfied! Sounds crazy? Sure, but the bottom line is what I thought i wanted in the end wasn't quite there. I regreted spending all the extra money in the end and not getting a sweet deal on a lightly used car. I love getting cars off of 3-year leases as a big chunk of the depreciation has already been taken by the original owner.
So back to issue at hand, and from my expereiences, i would recommend the following:
1. Make a primarly list of must have options like a MT, color, seats you like, brakes etc... Dont make this too long as you will narrow your search down too much to find anything.
My primary list would be
- lower mileage
- good maintenace history
- MT (few hills where i am but a friend of mine in Seartle, WA with LOTS of hlls downtown, has a Tip and LOVES it. Also, the Tips are very robust, can be fitted with flappy-paddles etc...)
- Cab (the TT cabs are exceptional)
- Adaptive Sport Seats
- a nice full leather interior
- somethng diffreent that makes the car, that makes it pop
2. Have a secondary list of nice-to-haves but not deal breakers, many off them can be added later
- extra leather
- creast in seats
- PCCBs
- Limited slip
- extra pieces of painted exterior
- illuminated door sills
- other wheels
- other coloured seat belts
- carbon fiber bits
- optional steering wheel...
And on adding options later on to make a ride even better is easy. For example, I recently ponied up (not easy on my pocket book mind you) and dropped in GT2 carbon fiber seats into my 2011 Boxster Spyder. It is now almost complete. So don't be afraid to pick up a good basic car and add your secondaries later on.
Have fun on your search as it really is the fun part. Many of us here will buy a car and keep looking at others. It's really quite mad but a fun process.
Cheers
First off, not all Porsches, and in this case 997.1 TT's, were created equal. Some are very plain-jane, having the bare bones for options and others, well, the sky was the limit. My 08 TT, in Arctic Silver over full Carrera Red, MRSP'd at >$206k CND as there was everythng ticked that made it a great one. It was striking. Now yes, someone else specked that car, but i enjoyed it emensely. Don't ever believe anyone telling you that options don,t make a diffrerence in the re-sale. They do. Even my first Porsche, my 06 C2S, my full blue leather, an MT, with yellow PCCBs. Again, striking and i enjoyed, without a second thought, all the options. Were there options on both I would have liked? Yes, but nothing to make a deal breaker. They had the important ones such as a MT, nice colour, full leather, creasts in seats etc...
Now roll ahead to my optioning a brand new Macan GTS. I laboured over this car for months, agonizing about ths and that, to finally pull the trigger, wait two months for manufacture and delivery, to recieve the car and not be 100% satisfied! Sounds crazy? Sure, but the bottom line is what I thought i wanted in the end wasn't quite there. I regreted spending all the extra money in the end and not getting a sweet deal on a lightly used car. I love getting cars off of 3-year leases as a big chunk of the depreciation has already been taken by the original owner.
So back to issue at hand, and from my expereiences, i would recommend the following:
1. Make a primarly list of must have options like a MT, color, seats you like, brakes etc... Dont make this too long as you will narrow your search down too much to find anything.
My primary list would be
- lower mileage
- good maintenace history
- MT (few hills where i am but a friend of mine in Seartle, WA with LOTS of hlls downtown, has a Tip and LOVES it. Also, the Tips are very robust, can be fitted with flappy-paddles etc...)
- Cab (the TT cabs are exceptional)
- Adaptive Sport Seats
- a nice full leather interior
- somethng diffreent that makes the car, that makes it pop
2. Have a secondary list of nice-to-haves but not deal breakers, many off them can be added later
- extra leather
- creast in seats
- PCCBs
- Limited slip
- extra pieces of painted exterior
- illuminated door sills
- other wheels
- other coloured seat belts
- carbon fiber bits
- optional steering wheel...
And on adding options later on to make a ride even better is easy. For example, I recently ponied up (not easy on my pocket book mind you) and dropped in GT2 carbon fiber seats into my 2011 Boxster Spyder. It is now almost complete. So don't be afraid to pick up a good basic car and add your secondaries later on.
Have fun on your search as it really is the fun part. Many of us here will buy a car and keep looking at others. It's really quite mad but a fun process.
Cheers
Last edited by Zeus993; 08-03-2016 at 02:07 AM.
08-03-2016, 10:23 AM
#20
Rocky Mountain High
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
You make some good points about adding equipment or options after purchasing a car. I've added several things since I purchased my 997.1 TT cabriolet, including:
- OE red tail lights
- Rear center console painted to match the exterior of my vehicle
- Assorted leather trim pieces (console lid with "turbo" logo, ignition key surround, shifter surround, head light switch surround, mirror attachment point finishers, etc.)
- OE Floor mats in Cocoa Brown to provide more contrast in my interior
- Mobridge to provide Bluetooth streaming audio and telephone connectivity to the PCM unit
It would certainly be easy to add a new steering wheel, short shift kit or other optional equipment.
- OE red tail lights
- Rear center console painted to match the exterior of my vehicle
- Assorted leather trim pieces (console lid with "turbo" logo, ignition key surround, shifter surround, head light switch surround, mirror attachment point finishers, etc.)
- OE Floor mats in Cocoa Brown to provide more contrast in my interior
- Mobridge to provide Bluetooth streaming audio and telephone connectivity to the PCM unit
It would certainly be easy to add a new steering wheel, short shift kit or other optional equipment.