PPI (pre-purchase inspection) experience at Parkhaus1 in Miami
04-12-2019, 05:47 PM
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PPI (pre-purchase inspection) experience at Parkhaus1 in Miami
Hi all. I recently purchase a 1996 Porsche 911 Turbo from a Miami dealer, and in the process I conducted a PPI, and wanted to share my experience. I chose the vendor by posts on Rennlist and so wanted to give back to the discussion for the reference of future members.
I bought the car without viewing it in person so I wanted a PPI to make sure all was good. Parkhaus was suggested in a forum, they agreed to do it and charged my $395. They were very friendly and easy to deal with.
The car has 83K miles so some work is to be expected.
I question, however, the value of what I got. Maybe it's just a problem with a PPI as you can't see everything.
They identified that the shocks were probably in need of replacement but otherwise said it's a great car, get it. And I am glad I got it.
On arrival, I had a tire failure (though I don't hold them for this) and immediately ended up at S-Car-Go, a very highly reputed porsche mechanic in San Rafael, CA. I believe their reputation is as good as any Porsche specialist in the country (though I am not an expert).
They gave the car a quick inspection -- put it up on a rack, and took it for a drive. Based on this they report to me:
* Rear diff not working, needs replacement
* Front wheels not being driven
* Front sway bars need replacement
* Rear tow links both bent, need replacement
* Shocks indeed gone, need replacement
I had also noticed several issues not noted on the report, that I felt if I saw in them in the first 5 minutes, would like to have noted:
* Washer light on -- if added, goes off, and back on in minutes, likely a leak
* The LCD display in center gauge is not lit -- works but nearly impossible to read
* Right rear lug nut cracked and not removable, thankfully not the wheel the blew out
Overall, $10K of work, approx. I am still glad I bought the car, it's rad. I feel like if S-Car-Go can diagnose this in 10 minutes, it should have been found on a $395 report. I would have still bought it but I might have used this information to negotiate on price.
I sent a nice note to Parkhaus to hear their side. I did not ask for some kind of full or partial refund, though it would likely have made me feel better, but it's fine. I will append their response below so you get full info -- they are very nice but say "I am sorry you feel this way" as if missing ~$8K of problems was just a feeling I was having and it would be nice if that feeling didn't trouble me!
The trip to the mechanic here occurred <20 miles use after arrival. The transport, as I watched unload, seemed very professional and conscientious but of course some of it could have happened en route to me -- tow links being the obvious possibility.
So, FWIW, if it helps future rennlisters!
Josh
Response from Parkhaus1:
Good afternoon Josh-This is [X] from Parkhaus1, we spoke a few times before purchasing the 993 Turbo.I was out a few days and only received your email now.I am sorry you feel this way. I have attached the PPI again for your viewing to go over it. When a vehicle comes in for a PPI, we perform a visual inspection of all components, perform paint meter test, take multiple photos throughout, top off fluids, set tire pressures and perform a final test drive.-I would assume the leak from the washer tank is probably a slow one and this is why it was not noticed. This is something we have seen before and happens because the tank gets brittle over time. -During the PPI we also inspect all lights for proper operation and it was noted all lights are working. I spoke to my technician and he states at the time he performed the inspection the light was working. not sure what happened after. -The tires get visually inspected during our PPI and every one has a photo attached to it along with date codes in the notes. They all look pretty good and as you mentioned, they are not THAT old; I am not sure what happened but glad you are safe and nothing serious occurred. We also do not remove wheels or re-torque lug nuts so if one of them were fractured it could not have been noted in the PPI. In regards to your visit at - S Car Go Racing, they most definitely are a highly respected Porsche Shop. We have only heard great things about them here on the East Coast. To address the issues 1) The rear diff only turning one wheel would be because it is not a "220 Locking Diff" package car. If you look at the option sticker under the hood you can see it is not a factory installed option. 2) I am not sure how the AWD was tested and has been determined to be gone. During my technicians inspection and test drive, he did not notice a lack of power or warning lights coming on. 3) Shocks are gone - we noted this.4) Not sure why the front sway bars require replacing. Everything looked to be within wear tolerance for the age of the vehicle. 5) During the inspection rear tow links did not seem to be bent. Again, I apologize you feel this way. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to call me or email anytime. Best,
I bought the car without viewing it in person so I wanted a PPI to make sure all was good. Parkhaus was suggested in a forum, they agreed to do it and charged my $395. They were very friendly and easy to deal with.
The car has 83K miles so some work is to be expected.
I question, however, the value of what I got. Maybe it's just a problem with a PPI as you can't see everything.
They identified that the shocks were probably in need of replacement but otherwise said it's a great car, get it. And I am glad I got it.
On arrival, I had a tire failure (though I don't hold them for this) and immediately ended up at S-Car-Go, a very highly reputed porsche mechanic in San Rafael, CA. I believe their reputation is as good as any Porsche specialist in the country (though I am not an expert).
They gave the car a quick inspection -- put it up on a rack, and took it for a drive. Based on this they report to me:
* Rear diff not working, needs replacement
* Front wheels not being driven
* Front sway bars need replacement
* Rear tow links both bent, need replacement
* Shocks indeed gone, need replacement
I had also noticed several issues not noted on the report, that I felt if I saw in them in the first 5 minutes, would like to have noted:
* Washer light on -- if added, goes off, and back on in minutes, likely a leak
* The LCD display in center gauge is not lit -- works but nearly impossible to read
* Right rear lug nut cracked and not removable, thankfully not the wheel the blew out
Overall, $10K of work, approx. I am still glad I bought the car, it's rad. I feel like if S-Car-Go can diagnose this in 10 minutes, it should have been found on a $395 report. I would have still bought it but I might have used this information to negotiate on price.
I sent a nice note to Parkhaus to hear their side. I did not ask for some kind of full or partial refund, though it would likely have made me feel better, but it's fine. I will append their response below so you get full info -- they are very nice but say "I am sorry you feel this way" as if missing ~$8K of problems was just a feeling I was having and it would be nice if that feeling didn't trouble me!
The trip to the mechanic here occurred <20 miles use after arrival. The transport, as I watched unload, seemed very professional and conscientious but of course some of it could have happened en route to me -- tow links being the obvious possibility.
So, FWIW, if it helps future rennlisters!
Josh
Response from Parkhaus1:
Good afternoon Josh-This is [X] from Parkhaus1, we spoke a few times before purchasing the 993 Turbo.I was out a few days and only received your email now.I am sorry you feel this way. I have attached the PPI again for your viewing to go over it. When a vehicle comes in for a PPI, we perform a visual inspection of all components, perform paint meter test, take multiple photos throughout, top off fluids, set tire pressures and perform a final test drive.-I would assume the leak from the washer tank is probably a slow one and this is why it was not noticed. This is something we have seen before and happens because the tank gets brittle over time. -During the PPI we also inspect all lights for proper operation and it was noted all lights are working. I spoke to my technician and he states at the time he performed the inspection the light was working. not sure what happened after. -The tires get visually inspected during our PPI and every one has a photo attached to it along with date codes in the notes. They all look pretty good and as you mentioned, they are not THAT old; I am not sure what happened but glad you are safe and nothing serious occurred. We also do not remove wheels or re-torque lug nuts so if one of them were fractured it could not have been noted in the PPI. In regards to your visit at - S Car Go Racing, they most definitely are a highly respected Porsche Shop. We have only heard great things about them here on the East Coast. To address the issues 1) The rear diff only turning one wheel would be because it is not a "220 Locking Diff" package car. If you look at the option sticker under the hood you can see it is not a factory installed option. 2) I am not sure how the AWD was tested and has been determined to be gone. During my technicians inspection and test drive, he did not notice a lack of power or warning lights coming on. 3) Shocks are gone - we noted this.4) Not sure why the front sway bars require replacing. Everything looked to be within wear tolerance for the age of the vehicle. 5) During the inspection rear tow links did not seem to be bent. Again, I apologize you feel this way. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to call me or email anytime. Best,
04-16-2019, 01:39 PM
#2
Rennlist Member
Sadly, not a huge surprise
Too many indys are all talk and no torque
(by the way guys, yeah, we do notice when you get slick & reset the trip odometer to zero and hope we don't notice the new scratches)
Too many indys are all talk and no torque
(by the way guys, yeah, we do notice when you get slick & reset the trip odometer to zero and hope we don't notice the new scratches)
Last edited by porschedog; 05-06-2019 at 01:43 PM.
04-17-2019, 03:08 PM
#3
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I have been bitten by the PPI situation before. Answer I got was, "we will return your fee, sorry" and I got shafted with a very large repair (>$20K).
Hard to pick major issues after a rather quick and relatively inexpensive inspection.
Sorry to hear you are going through this.
Hard to pick major issues after a rather quick and relatively inexpensive inspection.
Sorry to hear you are going through this.
04-17-2019, 03:50 PM
#4
Cruisin'
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Thanks
Thanks for the kind words.
It is life. I knew it was the risk and you can't say 100% there is fault here. It's possible that things happened in transit (hard to see except maybe tow links). The surprising part is I paid parkhaus two hours of labor and scargo found these issues in half an hour.
And in my case no refund was offered.
So be it. Can't say for sure but personally would go elsewhere.
And is a bit more money but stoked for the car, when I actually get it!
It is life. I knew it was the risk and you can't say 100% there is fault here. It's possible that things happened in transit (hard to see except maybe tow links). The surprising part is I paid parkhaus two hours of labor and scargo found these issues in half an hour.
And in my case no refund was offered.
So be it. Can't say for sure but personally would go elsewhere.
And is a bit more money but stoked for the car, when I actually get it!
04-18-2019, 11:19 AM
#5
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In my case it was a nationally very well known shop with celebrity clients and "celebrity cars". One line I loved on their letter to me (it was an actual letter) "old cars will always have issues, consider a new car next time". I think they had a chuckle at my expense then.