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The car seems like it's in pretty good shape for the year, the big red flag is the rebuilt engine. I would want to see complete records of the work, and would for sure have a PPI done by an independent shop (not the one the services the car) . The price seems fair if the rest of the car checks out, but insist on that inspection.
The car seems like it's in pretty good shape for the year, the big red flag is the rebuilt engine. I would want to see complete records of the work, and would for sure have a PPI done by an independent shop (not the one the services the car) . The price seems fair if the rest of the car checks out, but insist on that inspection.
I agree, I feel there are too many of these out there to deal with that. Unless he has complete records of the rebuild I would pass. IF you ever want or need to sell, its going to be a headache. My assumption is there is no records of it because it is unknown if the IMS is done. Don't be afraid to travel a little in your search and you will find a nice sample for that price range.
A rebuild from a Porsche dealer isn’t a deal breaker for me. Check out the reciepts, look up the part numbers to see what rebuild means in this context. Just guessing, but from a dealer, it’s likely either a factory short or long block. Either way, done by a dealer, it is not a bad thing (to some people).
The rebuilt engine has been running for about 45K miles - obviously it was done right. Install a new IMSB or the Solution and drive it for many more miles.
Interesting how the car in question stirs up debate amongst even the “experts” here. While I agree that details from the engine rebuild would be invaluable in terms of making me feel better about the purchase and the ability to resale, the fact is it was supposedly done by Porsche and has made it 5-6 years without issue. Personally a recent rebuild by Porsche would sit well in my mind and would be a plus, obviously a lot more so if some details were obtainable. Anyone that knows these cars should feel the same, but when you go to sell, you’ll be dealing with all sorts, not just m96 officianados.
Beyond that, I’d give the seller a call and feel em out. When buying a used car, your not just buying the car, but the previous owners ethos towards maintenance and care. If you get the vibe he’s speaking open, honestly and pationately; that would make me more likely to purchase. -if he was willing to hook you up with the shop that maintains it and they have good things to say, even more so.
And yes, a few hundo for a PPI is a small price to pay to get a good picture of what the car needs and potentially give you some bargaining power should needs be revealed.
Thanks everyone for the help. I went to see it and the seller showed me the record for the rebuild as well as lots of other service records. I test drove it and didn't really see anything out of the norm except a check engine light that had something to do with a valve he was going to get fixed at the local Porsche shop (pretty well known in the area) before selling the car. I think I'm gonna get a PPI done at the same shop he takes it to just to save time while it gets worked on.
as far as the rebuilt engine goes, apparently an IMS fail is pretty bad and the Porsche dealer did a complete rebuild. It didn't specify whether a LN engineering IMS was used or a factory remake was used but when I looked up the vin on the LN records (http://imsretrofit.com/ims-check/#participants-list-2) it didn't come up. Oh well.
I'll see what the Porsche mechanic says at the PPI and make a decision from there.
02-22-2019, 10:43 PM
Help with checking out a potential buy
