Slightly off-topic.

I've found a 997.2 out of state that I want to buy. It's been inspected by a well-known independent and I've agreed a price.

I'm a bit nervous on how to close the transaction. Given the weather, I can't drive it back home to Chicago so would need to transport it.

Am I safest flying out to the seller and exchanging cash for title then organizing transport? It's a heck of a day-trip to Seattle.

What have others done in this situation?

 

is this a private seller, or a dealer?

have you seen pics of the service manual, dealer serviced?

 

I've purchased both of my Porsches out of state. My 997 was transported from San Diego to Denver in an enclosed truck. I flew out to San Diego to check it out, test drive it, and arranged for payment. The dealer arranged transportation and they contact me for payment. My second Porsche, I flew out, check it out, test drive, pay, and drove back.

 

I found one in New York, had the nearby Porsche dealer do the PPI, then bought a one way ticket and flew there with a big fat check. I drove the car a few blocks, confirmed I wanted it, and drove 640 miles that day to bring it home. It was a wonderful bonding experience :-)
Since winter is a problem, I would fly there to be sure I wanted to buy it and then ship it home.

 

Yea, me too. Drove it home , 1500 miles.... Fla to upstate NY.

 

Options 1 and 2 don’t sound safe at all for you or the seller if this is a private party car. If dealing with a private party, it is best to close the deal in person and easiest if they actually have the car paid off and title in hand. It’s also a good idea to see what you are buying.

Best to talk with your bank and local DMV ahead of time as policies may vary, but I have had some experience buying and selling cars outright in my particular state. You should be able to get your bank to issue you a cashier’s check for the agreed upon purchase price (even if you are getting a loan). You can go to the sellers bank during normal hours and they will want to call your bank to verify they issued the check before they accept it. I would check if his bank provides notary services. Print out a generic bill of sale on-line if the seller hasn’t already and have both parties sign it in front of notary before he deposits the funds. You can have him sign over the title to you or your lein holder in front of the notary once an agreement has been signed and funds have been verified. Then everyone should feel safe.

Also, if you ship a 911, have it aligned once you receive it. I shipped my 911 across the country (via Carmax) and it had horrible bump steer until I got it aligned at a P-car dealer. During transport, they frequently tie down by the wheels and it tends to knock things out of spec.

Good luck.

 

If you are going to transport then I would fly out, inspect car, meet owner, do paperwork and then have the transport pre arranged so when you fly home the car is safe with the transport company or at least sitting at a safe secure location and try to have someone oversee when its get loaded. Pick a good transporter too. Maybe get a hotel and don t try and get it all done in one day? See if the state will issue a out of state temp tag. Still easier to drive home. I drove mine in winter and timed the weather right on the way home, LOL.Good luck.

 

There is nothing like peace of mind when spending this kind of money. If you can find an inexpensive way to fly out, inspect, test drive and finalize paper work then you will sleep peacefully knowing it is taken care of to your standards.

I drove from Los Angeles to Vegas to pick mine up. The night before I almost puked from all my nerves and holding a big fat cashiers check I was about to hand over. BUT, I have to say, after a 4 hour nerve racking drive to Vegas and seeing the car for the 1st time in person I instantly knew it was the right one. I could not hand over my money fast enough! Had a great drive home with a big smile on my face. Slept like a baby that night.

So, you have a much farther trip and can not really drive it back, but I would recommend flying out to inspect personally and then finalize the deal. Some times buying out of state is necessary because you can not find the right one with the right options close by. Nerve racking for sure. Best of luck on your decision and you will know if its the right one for you once you see it!

 

When I sold the 993 the buyer came to Chicago from New Hampshire with a cashiers check, we exchanged title and money and he jumped in and drove off, it was still fall though and weather was permitting. Given your circumstances I would take check, have transport arranged, inspect, drive, then go to Chicago and wait for your car.

 

OP: Is this still an open question, or have you bought the car?

I've bought and sold several cars long distance, but I'm not going to waste my time answering a thread that has no purpose.

 

Do a PPI, that shows interest. Once you agree on a price, Have seller sign a purchase agreement and fax back to you. Then wire a size-able down payment. Have seller Fed Ex the title and signed Purchace agreement along with Photocopy of DL etc. Once you have the title/ purchase agreement, wire funds to seller with shipping instructions.

Ive used dealers for PPI's combined with an 'oil change' to build some sort of report. They acted as a middle man to let me know if the car has left the dealership and used them for shipper pick up etc. This was the least amount of exposure and guaranteed that the car was as advertised, safe and sound until transport.

 

I voted for option 3, but my real choice wasn't available. I would (and did) fly to the seller, exchange cash (via account to account transfer at the same bank) for title and then drive the car home on a nice road trip. I had a PPI done remotely and negotiated with the seller again once the results of the PPI were received, before I made the trip.

One thing to consider is that you need to deal with the sales tax issue and understand how that impacts your ability to title the car in your home state. When I bought my 996, it was sold to me in California and I lived in Indiana. I had to pay $15 in California for a title transfer, then I paid sales tax in Indiana when I registered the car.

 

I pulled the trigger by doing essentially what captainbaker suggested. I had a PPI done, agreed a price, sent a deposit, seller signed sale agreement, I wired the money, he sent the title and one set of keys via courier, and I'm now waiting for the shipping company to pick up.

Dennis C - that would have been my preferred option to drive back after doing everything face-to-face, but winter weather and driving across the Rockies this time of year didn't sound like a smart idea.

beemer_guy - no need to waste your time answering - I've made my decision. :-)

 

Congrats!

 

Looking forward to pics and the story of how it all went...