I'm looking at a 996TT and I got the carfax (thanks Marksi!) and everything checked out. I also called the previous owner and he's getting me whatever info he has.

Can someone who has access (works there?) help me run the VIN on the porsche service database to give me the detail of what service it went through? If anyone can do that, please pm me. Thanks!

****Update*****

Can anyone recommend a shop near the Burlingame, CA area? I'm not too familiar with California so I'm not sure where that's near.

Edwin

 

If no one and probably no one will do it publically.... just go to tha dealership....ask them to do it...

 

Couldn't the prior owner get that at the dealership where he had the work done?

Also, a bit of a chit chat with your 'soon to be best buddy SA at your local P dealer' can help.... it they think you may be a new client they might be more inclined.

 

i think the dealer wont have a problem running that info and showing it to you...but they may not let you keep it.

 

You did get a PPI right?

 

I'll ask him to do that and see what he can find. I'll prob also call the dealer myself.

I am planning on it but the seller recently purchased another warranty after his CPO'd expired (1/08) and he said the dealership did some type of inspection before they sold him the warranty. I orignially thought that it was a CPO warranty but after getting a copy, it appears to be an aftermarket warranty (sold by Fidelity Warranty Services, Inc.)

How much does a PPI cost anyway?

Edwin

 

Do not think of buying this car without a PPI !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Around 400.00 and worth every penny.

 

Thanks Tommy. It's a small cost for a huge peice of mind. Do you have any recommendations for PPI's in the Burlingame, CA area? Should I go with a dealer or will an independent shop do just as good a job?

Edwin

 

All things being equal, go to an independent shop - take it from someone who knows. If the dealer sold this car to the prior owner and/or he had it serviced there, and/or he plans on buying his next car there, etc, you never know if they'll be biased.

Take it someone you trust who knows these cars, but has never seen this particular one and who doesn't know the prior owner and has no incentive to see you close the deal.

 

That's a good point... although I would think that the dealership would have more of a liability issue and thus be more honest with their inspections...imo. Does anyone have any recommendations for a PPI in the Burlingame, CA area?

Edwin

 

You would think so, wouldn't you? That's why a sued the dealer whose certified Porsche tech failed to find the 2nd gear popout issue on my car even though the prior owner notified HIM of it because it didn't popout for him during the 10 minute test drive, but more likely because he didn't look for it. See the site in my sig for full details if you're interested.

I'm sure each dealer is independently operated and not all our bad, so your mileage may vary. Hindsight is 20-20 and in hindsight I would have been better off having an indy who didn't know either of us give me his honest opinion on the car. Would have saved me $6k and a lawsuit.

 

Ouch... I just read through your website. I"m sorry to hear that you had to go through that. Is encore exotic a Porsche dealership or a independent used car dealer? From the looks of it, it appears to be the latter. So whatever happened at the end? Were you able to recoup any costs?


If I get a PPI done, it will be at a Porsche dealership just to be on the safe side.

Edwin

 

your PPI plus a plug-in (stage 1 and 2 over-revs) should be a no-brainer. it's hard to hurt these cars with ZERO over-revs. clutches and tires are going to happen, the rest is largely avoidable.

 

Encore Exotics is an exotic car dealership. The car was inspected by Baker Motor Company in Charleston which is a Porsche dealer. I'm not from Charleston and what I didn't know was that the owner of the car and the porsche dealership were friends. In my opinion the porsche dealer did only a cursory evaluation of the car.. they did thing like note that the tires "showed normal wear" what an independent guy would have written would have been "bald" or "2mm tread depth" rather than the ambiguous "normal wear". I know, shame on me for not asking a follow up question, but I feel an indy would have been more blunt about the condition of the tires.

And since you're on this board, you'll know enough to that the 2nd gear issue be looked for! I failed to do my homework and educate myself about that issue before buying so the OP is already ahead of the curve.

 

+10 on the PPI no matter what, and get it from the Porsche Dealership. I did mine at Beverly Hills Porsche, it was $320, can't imagine it costing more in your area. Even if it was CPO'd a week, 2 weeks, 1 month ago, how do you know it's still ok? Sucks to have to be that paranoid but you never know and you have to save your own skin, it covers your bones