My previous air-cooled Pcar only left me stranded once. I could always limp to, or make the drive to the dealer (and eventually my chosen indy shop) to get whatever I needed done.

I am still working towards a TT purchase and want to buy a CPO gen. 1 model. I have read numerous posts about their v.g. reliability, but on occasion I know issues may arise (some more serious than others). Do you think owning a TT and being 3-6 hrs away from the nearest dealership is problematic? Appreciate everyone's .02 worth!

 

[quote=DLJ;2760694]My previous air-cooled Pcar only left me stranded once. I could always limp to, or make the drive to the dealer (and eventually my chosen indy shop) to get whatever I needed done.

I am still working towards a TT purchase and want to buy a CPO gen. 1 model. I have read numerous posts about their v.g. reliability, but on occasion I know issues may arise (some more serious than others). Do you think owning a TT and being 3-6 hrs away from the nearest dealership is problematic? Appreciate everyone's .02 worth![/quote


Hi DLJ,
Where are you located in BC ? Any US dealers near by at where you are. I am from Abbotsford, and i found it easier to deal with the dealership in Bellingham than MCL in Vancouver. Border guys here are pretty cool too.

For me 3 hours drive to the dealership is not too big of a deal, but 6 hours would be a bit much.

 

Hi,
I'm in Creston in the Kootenays region. Yes, I have considered that the closest dealer is actually in the US. It's 3hrs to Spokane Washington which is the closest. Otherwise I have previously used South Centre in Calgary Alberta which is 5-6 hrs away. (MCL Vancouver is 9-10 hrs min.!) I never had a problem with an occasional drive of 6 hrs as a "road trip" to get work done, but I suppose the real issue is not being able to actually drive the car there due to a particular warning msg. and the flatbed trip is more than just a short trip away...
So, are the warning msgs. that necessitate a flatbed trip few an far between on say an under 30K mile TT? When I finally pull the trigger, I am planning for an under 10K miles CPO '09 coupe, but have to consider what the consequences may be a couple yrs. out from the purchase and then w/higher mileage.
Given the worst case scenario, the idea of flatbedding a car thru border each way (if that became necessary) to get necessary work sounds like it may be a bit of a pain in the ##s?

All indications are that I would never have to do the flatbed trip what with the reliability of the cars, mileage, etc.. but just contemplating the worst case scenarios and seeing if they are acceptable to me. Wonder what other's have experienced?

 

Lee,

In my opinion your worst case scenario is not worth thinking about. As you said these cars are extremely reliable and unless you abuse it really badly it will always get you where you need to go.

There are plenty of older, high mileage Porsche's still running like they came from the showroom last week.

It's worth taking that very small risk that something might happen for all the fun and good feelings you'll get from having the car.

 

I agree. My old SC had significant mileage, with obviously more risk of breakdown, and still it kept on ticking. Even with some reliability concerns, I would not have traded the fun I had with it for any other sports car in the same price range at the time. Besides, even though I like and appreciate a lot of different types of cars, Porsches, especially 911's, have always risen to the top of the list. Thanks for the perspective - tons of fun vs. very small risk"!

 

The most likely flatbed experience will be necessitated by a flat tire, because of the no spare tire decision made by the manufacturers. Of course this problem isn't exclusive to Porsche. I found by experience the tire sealant and air pump provided by both Porsche and BMW is nearly useless. (Don't ask me how I know!) In our part of the world the local tire shops don't stock tires for these cars and in many cases don't have the proper equipment to mount and dismount these tires.

Best advice I can give is get AAA or Canadian equivalent roadside coverage.

 

As an aside, tell the flatbed driver to bring 16 pieces of 2X6 X 18" long lumber to make it possible to get your car onto the flatbed without damage to the front spoiler and rear skirt and muffler.

 

Now that is some good advice!

 

Yup, we have CAA (Canadian Auto Assoc.) here and I have carried for several years. Seems like living where I do is somewhat like taking a road trip and taking the backroads to avoid all the freeway driving. LOL. I wouldn't trust a local tire shop or mechanic to touch any Porsche, let alone a TT here. And, if I was on a road trip anywhere away from major centres and had a problem needing urgent attention or a blowout, I guess it's just the long haul on a flatbed to where a dealer can handle the task.

 

I can just imagine the "huh?" on the other end of the phone when they hear this request.
Maybe standard equipment should be a small teardrop trailer with a spare tire,rim and blocks,etc. (Just to enhance the appearance of your TT of course!)

 

With regards to needing to get towed to the dealer for a flat: could you have a full size extra tire or spare (like they have in South America) at home? You would likely be closer to home then your dealer and could have a loved one bring it to you if needed. Just a thought.

 

That sounds like good advice for all the short runs in the region. Even being a couple of hours or more away, this would be a good option. Any info on the S.American spare option?

 

For flat tire support you'd need both a front and a rear wheel/tire plus a floor jack. (a scissors jack can't get under the car that has a flat.) In one of my flat tire experiences I had to have a friend bring one of his winter wheel/tires about 150 miles to a tire shop that I was able to limp into. I had to stop at 3 gas stations to pump up the tire to about 60lbs to get there. I was able to get the wheel/tire onto the car so that it was possible to get it on the flatbed. On the advice of Porsche I did not attempt to drive home on my friends tire due to the disparity in tire size and tread depth, which would have potentially caused damage to the AWD (very expensive).

BTW the tire shop would have had to order a tire to replace the flat, which was toast. They were quoted 1 week delivery. When I got home it took the dealer 2 weeks to get 4 new tires (tread depth disparity issues again) shipped from Germany. I don't believe that's the case anymore, because Porsche should be stocking tires in Atlanta and metropolitan dealers should also have them in stock.

Bottom line - Flat tires suck! I also suggest you all read the instructions on how to use your fix-a-flat goo (its got a self life) and the air pump. I especially like the instruction which says after you've repaired the tire drive the car for 20 miles and then check for leakage. If the tire is still leaking air, they say take it to your Porsche dealer, which ain't to handy if your 25 miles past "Resume Speed" outside of Dry Gulch, Montana!

 

Might as well get some new HRE's and rubber right away when purchasing the TT and stow the OEM's in the garage for spares. Seems like a good excuse anyway...

Wow, you've become somewhat of an expert - the hard way.