Hi there,

Hoping I can get some feedback tonight to call the dealer tomorrow morning with any suggestions you might have!

Hopefully, I will be a new, 1st-time Porsche owner very soon. I have went and driven a car that I did like, and have a PPI set up for tomorrow. The car was a super clean 1999 911 coupe in great condition. It has 68k miles, and has a Carfax with a report of an incident in 2003 to "Front left damage." Other than that, the records looked good and looked like it had been maintained well. Driving the car, it seemed to be in great mechanical and cosmetic condition. One thing I wanted to ask and get some feedback on:

I called 2 different Porsche dealerships, and one's PPI rate was $250 and the other was $118. Does that seem off? One is Porsche of Birmingham, AL and the other is Porsche of Huntsville. With both places being actual Porsche dealerships, would they be required to check all of the same things? Trying to figure out if there is a big price difference because Birmingham is a more popular area (i.e. more expensive everything).

Thank you so much in advance for your time and responses!

Swaff

Hoping I can get some people to chime in tonight so I can call the dealer in the morning with any questions.

 

I hope it works out for you. Remember when you get a PPI that even though you don't own the car yet, you're paying for the PPI. You are the customer, not the prior owner. A typical PPI is $250 - $350. If it costs less, I'd ask the dealer what is included in the PPI. If they cut corners or skimp, you're the one who might be stuck with the bill. A PPI is for your protection, not the seller's protection.

Good luck.

 

Thanks, Dennis. I scheduled the PPI and realize I will be the one paying for it. I do know that a CarFax is not included, because I asked them that. I have already ran my own CarFax though, and that was only $40. Perhaps that is one piece of the puzzle, but I can't see that making a $130 difference...surely the markup isn't that high.

Swaff

 

+996. Best of luck.

 

I would visit the shops and get your own comfort feeling, and know exactly what they are looking at, and especially, having a tech that really knows the 996. Porsche normally has a standard check list for PPI's, but again, it is the tech checking the car and how complete/**** he can be. Most PPI's can take over 2 hours, so would not be be looking for lowest cost (not that you are). Any Porsche is not cheap to repair so it is best now to spend for proper PPI, and know the service history of the car.

If the body damage from CARFAX is a question, I would also take car to a body shop that also knows these cars. Not to scare you, you never know if the frame was bent and one side is slightly shorter than another. That said, I put little confidence in a CARFAX, and only use it as part of the data.

There are lots of fine 996's out there, so take your time, and find the right Porsche for you. If like me, may be rather easy to purchase on impluse. Good luck with the process.

 

The cost is dependent on what they do and how much. Just doing XXX point inspection may not tell you anything. You want them to go through the car thoroughly top to bottom and especially since an incident was reported really check that side.
I think I paid $250.00 for mine.

Jim

 

On some things, you get what you pay for but in this case it's really dependent on the knowledge of the shop and how good the technician who is doing the ppi. I have a independent shop here that charges $150 and I would trust them over any dealer. From my understanding is that dealers have couple of master mechanic and a whole lot of apprentices. I would suggest you find a good indy, one that has been in business for some time and a reputation to back it up.

 

I'd get a detailed list of what they'll check. For example, do they both run a computer check (DME scan)? I'd be worried that the cheaper PPI might be more like an extended tech inspection for the track -- which is more safety oriented.

BTW -- given where you are, you should check out the Porsche Sport Driving School out at Barber. It's on my near term to-do list!

 

Had the PPI done this morning. It seemed to be a pretty thorough inspection. There was a road test, and also the following things came up (estimates on fixing them were given by the dealer):

FOUND THE FOLLOWING OF NOTE:
-TIRES MISMATCHED FRONT TO REAR, BUT NEARLY NEW IN CONDITION.

-FRONT BRAKE PADS AROUND 40% TOTAL PAD LEFT, WHILE REAR IS MAYBE 30% TOTAL PAD LEFT (THE BRAKE PAD WARNING LIGHT WILL COME ON MUCH SOONER.)

-COOLANT FLUSH AND REFILL WITH PORSCHE LIFETIME COOLANT IS CALLED FOR. ($400)

-BRAKE FLUID LOOKS CLEAN, BUT SHOULD BE FLUSHED EVERY TWO YEARS (CHECK SERVICE HISTORY).

-OIL PAN LEAKING.

-60K SERVICE MAY BE DUE OR PAST DUE, DEPENDING ON SERVICE HISTORY.

-HIGH PITCH HORN NOT FUNCTIONING.

-WIPER BLADES STREAKING.

-CENTER ARM REST HINGE BROKEN.

-ALIGNMENT APPEARS TO BE SET UP TO PROMOTE TIRE LIFE, AS OPPOSED TO GOOD HANDLING.

-IGNITION LOCK IS WORN AND SHOULD BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE IT LEAVES CUSTOMER STRANDED. ($600)

-ANY PREVIOUS DAMAGE APPEARS TO BE MINIMAL, AND NOT STRUCTURAL IN NATURE.

-VEHICLE HAS THE VAGUE APPEARANCE OF BEING "SELF SERVICED", AS OPPOSED TO PORSCHE DEALER SERVICED.

-OVERALL, APPEARS TO BE A FAIRLY SOLID CAR, WORTHY OF PURCHASE.

I talked with the mechanic and he didn't seem to think the oil pan leaking was a huge issue to be concerned over and said that is just characteristic of a car that old. Thoughts, anyone? With the above notes, I don't feel really worried about anything, but I would like some of your expert opinions. BTW, I would be moving from a 1989 Trans Am with 289k miles on it to this car. Something to keep in mind as far as where I am and where I would be going.

Thanks,

Swaff

 

Any note if the water pump/coolant tank has been replaced? RMS/AOS/IMSB still original?
Will the seller work with you on the asking price vs. the PPI findings?
P.S. Please do not take this the wrong way but have you already fully evaluated the cost to BUY vs. cost to OWN an older 996 (e.g. are you able/willing to DIY routine stuff?)

 

When I bought my '99, I didn't know anything about Porsche's and didn't have a PPI. I got lucky with mine, nothing wrong with it except a worn drivers seat and the high tone horn was out. From your above list, seems most of what's wrong is basically normal wear and tear on a 14 yr old car but I would replace the ignition lock. If you're a DIY kind of person, brake pads (fr/rr) will set you back about $350 if you replace them yourself and depending on the condition of the rotors. For horn replacement you're going to have to remove the front bumper to access them but there is a youtube video that shows you how to remove the bumper. (And...it's done on a '99) I've removed my front bumper to clean the radiators and it's a piece of cake. I'm the DIY "self service" kind of guy but I do keep record of what is performed and I keep receipts for parts.

 

Just as an update: Water pump hasn't been replaced. The dealer made the recommendation about flushing the coolant because the Lifetime coolant was introduced in 03 and this car did not appear to have that kind of coolant in it.

The "oil leak" turns out to not actually be a drip, but just some oil residue around the pan, so they said it is not a major concern to be worried about.

Kromdom, I have done a ton of research and looked into the costs of buying and owning/upkeeping an older 911. I am willing to do some of the upkeep myself and purchase parts from somewhere like Pelican instead of going to a dealer. Some things I will want to go to the dealer for, though, just to have a good record of maintenance in case I ever do go to sell. I've also looked into the insurance, title registration, and cost to register the car under the new GA car tax law (private sales no longer are exempt from tax). The seller has already worked with me to get to a price I am comfortable with contingent upon the PPI not showing anything major (which it looks like it hasn't).

Looks like I will be going with this 911 soon and will post another thread with some pictures of "my first Porsche." Thanks for all the help, everyone. Looking forward to joining the club!

Swaff

 

Pors-Vette,

Very cool user-name by the way! Thanks for the great tips about the horn, pads, and ignition lock. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. I'm going to look up the video now.

Swaff