21k miles on an '06 C2S i'm considering buying....good or bad idea?
 

As the title states, I'm looking at an '06 C2S tomorrow with only 21k miles.

Typically a low mileage car is very appealing, but I know Porsche engines like to be driven often.

I'll be getting a PPI lined up with with an independent Porsche shop, but should I be wary of buying such a low-mileage Porsche?

What's semi-frustrating is I have to go through a broker to look at and buy the car, so I can't get an accurate picture on whether the car has been sitting for extensive periods of time or what.

If you're bored and interested in helping a prospect P-Car buyer, here's the ad:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto/4592577221.html

And it looks like the current owner bought it from a dealer in 2010:
http://www.usedcarsfsbo.com/asp/Item...12%2F17%2F2010

Thoughts or opinions would be greatly appreciated!

Based on the link you provided, the car only had 7,800 miles in 2010. Now it has 21K, so the car has been driven pretty regularly in recent years. Any issues from the car sitting most likely would have been sorted out by now. If you can get ahold of the maintenance records, look for regular oil changes and brake fluid flushes (every 2 years). If it has good service history, I think she's a nice car. The PPI will verify if this is the case.

That said, I honestly don't understand the recent dialogue on these forums regarding low mileage cars. It seems to be the "flavor of the month" among the fear mongers. What exactly constitutes low mileage, and where's the technical data to back it up? 21K miles for an '06 is not that low in my opinion, especially for a weekend driver. Now if the car had 2,100 miles and was an '06, that would be a different story because you know the car was sitting around for extensive periods.

I know a lot of people use their 997's as daily drivers, so it seems perfectly reasonable for their cars to be at 80K+ miles by now (for the 997.1s). However there are just as many who use their cars as weekend cruisers, so it is perfectly reasonable for those cars to have mileage in the high teens to low 20K's. If the low mileage thing bothers you, look for a daily driver with good service history, but expect some more wear and tear in the cosmetics department.

When I was shopping for my 997, I wanted a car that had an extensive maintenance history with good mileage for a weekend driver. I ended up getting an '06 C4S with 17K miles, and that was 6 months ago. So far, it's on its 8th oil change, second drive belt and spark plugs, 3rd brake flush . . . you get the idea. Is this car any better/worse than one with 80K miles? To me it was an easy decision, but that's just me.

Sean

I d take the low mileage over a high mileage car all things being equal. A good inspection needed.

looks like a good deal...

Spot on Sean. I'm amazed at how broad a brush people often paint with on this forum. I have a 2006 C2S with 16.5k miles and she's wonderful. Oil changes-a-plenty and two brake flushes. That said, I've yet to change the drive belt or plugs... I didn't really feel the need to. Food for thought.

No issue with low mileage here, I think it great to have a good low mileage car that well maintain. Sound like you need a professional detail and new windshield, just factor that into your future repair cost. Oh and PPI AND DME of course.

I change the oil more frequently than is required and i've had a brake flush shortly after purchase since dealer couldn't give me an exact time, but I'm really at a loss as to why it needs it so often if not tracking a car. Most cars go their entire lifespan only getting it done(if then) at 30-50k intervals. Why so often on a porsche.

This is the way I understand it . . .

Brake fluid is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs water. On a microscopic level over time, the brake fluid absorbs water from ambient air that passes through the flexible brake lines and through the plastic walls of the fluid reservoir (I am not sure I totally buy that, but that's what I've read). Continuing on, brake fluid boils at around 400 degrees F while water boils at 212 degrees. If water gets to the calipers, it will boil first and release water vapor bubbles upon repeated brake applications. Unlike the brake fluid, the water vapor compresses which then alters the effectiveness of the brakes. This is especially true with cars that experience repeated hard braking, such as those used on a track. Since Porsche designs cars to be used in such conditions, they call for fresh fluid every 2 years to minimize the chance of any braking issues.

Some would say every 2-years is too often, but that's a debate I'll leave for another day. I am still running the original brake fluid in my Chevy Z-71 pick-up truck that is 7 years old, but the miles are low. It's definitely due for a change, as the miles are irrelevant . . . it's time that's the issue. That said, I do change my brake fluid religiously on my P-car since it is so easy to do (and turning wrenches on my car is my hobby).

PS. If you ever wondered why you shouldn't use a previously opened bottle of brake fluid that's been sitting on a shelf for a long time -- it's because of the hygroscopic properties of the fluid. Brake fluid that is not sealed will absorb water from the air that's left in the bottle.

Sean

I change my motul 600 race brake fluid annually. 45 min job or less with a power bleeder from the comforts of my garage.

Looks fine to me. If you check it out and it looks fine, just send it in for an inspection before you buy it. Low miles are good. Better than buying a car with 100k+ miles. It's an 8-9 year old car. Stuff will break, just fix it.

I bought my 08s with 170k daily winter and summer drive, now already a 185k in a year same type of driving plus track. Engin run like a baby no overheat after session. Just make sure to look in small corner where rust can hide ( if applying to you ) on my part high mileage prove me that porsche is GOOD :)

WOW :eek:

Got a PPI done and came back with a clean bill of health. So I pulled the trigger and bought it! Brake fluid was replaced 3 years ago, 10k miles, so I'll get around to doing that in the next couple of months. Otherwise it's barely been driven as the miles suggest.


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.6sp...744a056b31.jpg

I will probably take it to Fister this weekend to get the muffler modded since it doesn't have the Porsche Sport Exhaust

It looks awesome dude! Congrats! Those wheels look great! You must be so stoked!

What drives are you plotting to celebrate?

I got the Fister D mufflers about 2 weeks ago, and love them. (Mines a cab) I suspect in a coupe the FD volume sounds just a click above how the stock exhaust sounds in a cab with the top down, but where the Fister D mufflers shine is in the depth of the growl, the magical burble between gears and off throttle, and the WOT roar under bridges and bouncing off the California canyon walls - it's a symphony that the stock mufflers were unable to play.

Leaving work today a colleague was sitting outside as I drove away, and he texted a few minutes later:

"That was easily the highlight of my day! Is that the stock exhaust? It sounds amazing!"



So, that's a pretty good testimonial!

Tell us what you like best about the car so far, and please post up some more pics soon-

Congrats again- that's awesome!

Please post a photo of that mileage, or start a "real" high miles thread with pix- that's awesome! I'm only at 72k today, but 185 is amazing. People would LOVE to see a photo for sure!