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All Things Porsche

135

Comments

  • visorvisor Member Posts: 8
    Looks like we are getting the price closer to $44k,however the dealer mentioned an interesting point that he cant swap the 18" on this one to say another set of 16" or 17" (as in the CPO in this case) as it is illegal for him to sell the other car later as it wont match what the car sticker came with. I dont know if this is a law or some story - any insights, or is this a WA law ?
    BTW, the tires that come with this car are summer tires, is that standard, since we dont have more than at the most couple of weeks of snow and may be a few more weeks of morning icy roads in some spots - any advice on what is the best way to deal with the issue of winter tires. I believe having all season tires instead of summer tires can pull down speed and mileage. We would need winter tires for no more than 3 months. Appreciate feedback on this too.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,188
    Well... since the other car is used, I'd think he could sell it with any kind of wheels.. But, maybe the certification is a problem there.. Or, he'd just rather not do it..

    Anyway, I'd rather have the 17" wheels, but I don't think I would base my entire decision on that...

    I have to believe that a winter tire/wheel set-up is going to be very expensive on a Boxster.. You are correct, you will notice a big dropoff in handling with all-season tires, but it won't affect mileage or speed (other than traction in stop-light racing).

    If you do get winter tires, you'll need a set of 17" wheels to put them on... You wouldn't want to get 18" winters and put them on your stock wheels.. (not sure winter tires would even be available in that size).

    Of course, the easiest solution is to leave your car home on bad days, but not everyone can do that.. You definitely don't want to be out on any ice or snow with performance summer tires..

    regards,
    kyfdx

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  • jwilson1jwilson1 Member Posts: 956
    I'm repeating but I want to emphasize it -- if you're going to drive the car when it's below 40-45 degrees, get winter tires. It's not just the snow, the colder temperature will make summer tires hard as the pavement they're trying to grip, and your grip will go ka-poof.

    And, yes, Porsches come with ultra-high performance Z-rater tires (i.e., summer tires). To understand why, check the speedometer. It really goes that fast .... it's not a Toyota.

    If you're going to drive a Porsche, you have to be willing to spend Porsche money. It will cost about $45 to get my daily car ready for summer; next week I'll spend close to a thousand prepping my 911 ... and it doesn't need repairs.

    If you try to cut corners, or to drive it like an all-weather looks-sporty Eclipse, you won't be happy with it.

    I agree, too, that if you are buying a used car, there is no reason the dealer needs to stick to the production list. But I wouldn't turn in those 18" wheels -- I'd keep those for summer driving. (You'll like them as the car's suspension is designed to handle them.) And then, over this summer, go to Rennlist in the classified section and buy a set of used 17" Boxster wheels ($1000 or less), mount your winter tires (another $800), and you're good to go next fall.

    JW
  • visorvisor Member Posts: 8
    hi jwilson & kyfdx,
    thanks guys, we drove out our boxster today. we did get them to swap the wheels to a 17" from 18" and were also able to get the price under 42k (pre-tax/licensing). the guys were very helpful, we actually got a home delivery from the dealership. man, this car is giving some sleepless nights ! we have a downtown apartment and the leaving the car in the basement parking lot is making me sleepless:)<BTW any tips on things to prevent accidental scratches on the doors when the adjacent parked cars open their doors?? we heard about this thin film you put on the front hood to prevent chiping- anything equivalent for the doors ??) this car is going to drive us into a home with garage very soon :). thanks once again for the helpful advice. just wanted to share this information.
  • designmandesignman Member Posts: 2,129
    Sounds like you have negotiating talents that are better than you led us to believe. Enjoy the honeymoon with one of the best sports cars around. Most Porsche owners are anal about scratches and such… no big deal, just sit on a piece of coal and voila&#151;you have a diamond!

    ;-)
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    It works but it isn't all that attractive.

    Think of your first chip or dent as the "chip of liberation"---once you get it, you'll stop waiting for it to happen.

    My car has all kinds of little battle scars--it's a badge of honor---it says "hey, I DRIVE a Porsche, not store it".

    Porsches are very tough automobiles and one of the very few prestige cars that actually look good with a few marks on them...kinda like a hunting dog or jumping horse.
  • visorvisor Member Posts: 8
    so the first disturbing thing i found in the new car is that when you bring the top up(to close), it doesnt fully stretch upto the latch, it needs a push to get it latched. so when i spoke to the dealership, they said, it needs some stretching and will be fine after about 5-8 times. is that a common problem with new cars lying in stock?

    also any tips on driving uphill with a stop n go traffic? normally in other stick shifts, i have played the clutch and accelerator to stay put however, i was told that porsche clutch is different and you are not supposed to do that. any insight?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    You're not supposed to do that with ANY clutch car. That's a bad habit you should try and break yourself out of, if you can.

    Dealer's response to the top problem is not acceptable but I suppose you could wait and see a week or so. Porsche does not normally build tops that "need stretching".
  • boyhooddreamboyhooddream Member Posts: 4
    First of all, I value the ideas and opinions of the members of this board. I need some feedback with regards to purchasing a pre-owned Boxter in my area. The car is a 1997 base boxster with 35,000 miles. The dealer is asking $18,900. I have ran a carfax report on it and came back clean. The body/paint is in excellent condition. There is some sun fade to the carpet, but the top is in excellent condition. I did notice that the floor mats are somewhat faded, but I can't tell if this is due to cleaning the mats or an indication of previous moisture.

    Is there anything that I should be concerned with before considering purchasing this vehicle? If purchased, this will be a daily driver. So I would like to know the pros and cons of this. Thanks in advance.
  • speeds2muchspeeds2much Member Posts: 164
    Here's some advice I picked up from the British School of Motoring before tackling the British driver's license test:

    Learn to use your handbrake.

    In the UK, it's actually the law. When you stop at a traffic light, etc. in a manual shift car, you must engage the handbrake in case you get rear-ended. Same thing after an emergency stop. This is on level pavement, too. On a hill, you engage the handbrake, put the car in neutral, and when you need to resume driving, you engage the clutch until it bites, then disengage the handbrake. This also prevents you from rolling backwards into the car behind you.

    Now this is second nature to me. So even in the States I have these British driving habits and I think it makes me a better driver overall. Granted this technique exists in the US, but it's hardly ever taught or passed down. Emphasis on automatic transmissions around here.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well base Boxsters are very plentiful and should not be paying the asking price. I'd shoot for $17K to $17.5K at the most.

    Carfax does not list all types of damage, so you should have the car inspected by an independent shop. You could have $10,000 body damage to that car and Carfax wouldn't know a thing about it unless it appears in public records.
  • speeds2muchspeeds2much Member Posts: 164
    designman et al...I was browsing dealer inventory today in order to check out color combinations and stumbled upon Ray Catena in Edison, NJ. Of all the dealers in NJ/PA, they apparently have by far the most inspiration in terms of color, so it was interesting checking out their inventory. Notably, given our recent discussion on Dark Olive, Catena has a stunning Dark Olive/Sand beige Boxster S in stock. Also have a Turbo S Cab in Olive/Natural Brown....Given the color limitations of browsers, I may have to cruise up Rt. 1 to check them out. :o))
  • designmandesignman Member Posts: 2,129
    Yeah definitely go there if you can and let me know your impressions, especially the Olive/Brown Turbo. I don't expect to see that combo too often if ever. It could be your only chance to see it.
  • indyeindye Member Posts: 2
    S2Much:
    The handbrake is essential for driving any manual auto. But I hardly ever hear of anyone promoting the use of the HB on level ground, or at stop lights.
    While my dad was in the airforce (stationed in Europe), he gained some good driving habits... namely using the HB in daily driving and that's the way he taught me to drive. You're right it's almost instinct now...even at stoplights. I wish they'd teach this method to kids at driver's school.
  • speeds2muchspeeds2much Member Posts: 164
    indye:

    It's great that you use your HB at stoplights. Can't say I'm consistent about it except on hills. Probably the biggest adjustment I had to make in order to earn a British driver's license was the importance of context, i.e. the rules of the road are not hard-and-fast, but instead depend upon the situation. So a give-way was a hybrid stop sign and yield sign, etc. Same thing applied to using a HB. At first I thought now that's a silly idea, after all don't you want your car to bounce instead of stay put when getting rear-ended, but he said you must consider the car in front of you. So you must take a hit for the next guy. Imagine teaching that kind of selflessness to SUV drivers! lol

    BTW, anyone checking out the new Panamera four-door? It's exactly what some of us were mulling over a year or so ago...a stetched 911 look, leveraging the sports car platform for a sedan that looks more like a coupe. I still wonder whether Porsche would have been better off doing this instead of the Cayenne, but so far I've been proven wrong in that the Cayenne has had some enduring success.
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,368
    the Cayenne has had some enduring success.

    The Cayenne has been successful, at the price of the factory racing programs. It remains to be seen whether It will have done more good for Porsche than racing did. It's to soon to call the Big Pepper an "enduring" success.

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • highenderhighender Member Posts: 1,358
    HI speeds2much:

    , but he said you must consider the car in front of you. So you must take a hit for the next guy. Imagine teaching that kind of selflessness to SUV drivers! lol

    Hey, SUV drivers don't need to use the handbrake...cause the car would be less likely to move when rear-ended. If one does hit the front car when rear ended...then the driver who hit the front car, and the first driver that hit that car...would be responsible.

    I take offense at that :-( ..... ;-)

    ....I drive a suburban and a cayenne.... and show much courtesy to other drivers. We give to a wide range of charities...and gave over 5 figures in monetary contributions last year, not counting volunteer time nor Salvation Army contributions. To say SUV drivers are selfish is like saying sports car drivers are selfish hogs of the road....which is not true.

    BTW, anyone checking out the new Panamera four-door? It's exactly what some of us were mulling over a year or so ago...a stetched 911 look, leveraging the sports car platform for a sedan that looks more like a coupe.

    Yes...I remember us talking about it. I would like to see a V8 GT sedan....ala 928....that would really fulfill alot of needs of the baby boomers. The boxster and 911 is just too small for us with families. The 4 door sedan would be great...better than the Maserati sedan , IMO.



    I still wonder whether Porsche would have been better off doing this instead of the Cayenne, but so far I've been proven wrong in that the Cayenne has had some enduring success.

    yes.( offf topic) ...Cayenne has proven naysayers wrong...it was relatively a hit. (though how long this lasts will be iffy, with gas prices going up) . THe numbers sold has increased....while all other models had decreased. Weideking called this one correctly, though the naysayers caused the Porsche company to do much soul searching, thus wasting all that time...and let the X5 , XC90, FX45, RR, Lexus , etc...steal much market share... IMO, Porsche came to the SUV market too late; they should have come in 5 years ago....not in 2003, but 2000, at the latest. The SUV will decrease in popularity...due to gas prices, end of baby boom
    let generation, and style and political correctness. The baby boomlet generation has kids who are now going to grade school and many have college or older kids...so the need for SUVs will decrease as these kids emptinest out....

    Now Porsche can remain independent, the stock has gone up.....and the company now has $ 2 billion plus in CASH....they will not even need to go to the bankers for their next project...they can self finance it....!!!

    All they need to do is to solve some minor glitches in the cayenne, then move on to the sedanGT, and use the cayenne engine ,( which is a work of art) .......and get back into racing.

    Leave the cayenne cash tree to produce the money that Porsche needs.....

    Porsche will not decide on the 4th model line, if at all, until late this year or early next year....

    they did read one thing correctly, IMO...(and I know this will grate on many Porsche enthusiasts) and that is to go into HYBRIDS.

    Porsche was thinking about having a hybrid example for each model...with emphasis on performance...nothing less.

    It was thinking about teaming up with GM or DaimlerChrysler...but it did not go thru....

    hope they find a partner ....

    let the complaints begin... ;-)
  • speeds2muchspeeds2much Member Posts: 164
    To say SUV drivers are selfish is like saying sports car drivers are selfish hogs of the road...which is not true.

    Oops, s'pose I placed my foot in my mouth. I was using SUV as a metaphor only because of comments I've heard from owners in the past, i.e. their safety vs. the fate of anyone they hit. But certainly that's not to say all SUV owners are selfish, or even the majority. Most folks I'm sure need the winter or towing capabilities, etc. I'd actually consider buying one as a winter vehicle (always loved my father's QX4).

    ...but wouldn't a 997 with winter tires make a fine winter car? ;)

    Looked at Porsches today as planned, and walked away thinking black/black. Besides the fact that this configuration is "free," I thought the brushed aluminum interior looked best against black. Dark olive was a fine color, a subtle variation of black with an extra metallic sparkle and a hint of green. It's so close to black, however, that where money's an issue, it's probably not worth the extra $$.

    I also sat in an adaptive sport seat and think it has to be the best car seat I've ever found. Amazing. But it seems from the Car Configurator that it requires a leather package for black interiors, so all-in the option's about $5k. I need to research this more.

    I was also disappointed to see the extra buttons and port for a phone and SIM card, only to learn that it's GSM-based and not available in the US.

    Looking forward to Cayman info and photos, but seems the 997 remains the better choice as an only car for the traction and jump seats. The classic styling is nice, too. Car in black was drop-dead beautiful.
  • speeds2muchspeeds2much Member Posts: 164
    The question of opportunity cost is an interesting one.

    Besides the issue of lost racing exposure and experience, I wonder whether the cost of developing a new platform would have been allocated more efficiently by stretching an AWD 996 platform for a sedan and updating the 996/986.
  • highenderhighender Member Posts: 1,358
    Hi...lol...you are forgiven... :-)

    I do have to say the 997 is a great car...and I liked the 928 and still am thinking about one...dreaming, actually.

    had a boxster...but I think in a few years my wife will let me get a used 997...

    cheers !
  • starmanstarman Member Posts: 6
    Im looking at buying this car. It has 56,000 original miles. The engine is an Andial 2.8 Stroker motor with cam, K-26 turbo and only 6,000 miles on the engine. Appox. 300HP. They are asking $11,995. Is it worth it? Should I move on. What about reliability?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Ah, this is a tough one. I'm not too keen on people who think they are smarter than Porsche engineers. The problem is that very very VERY few people are going to want this car should it be troublesome and you want to bail on it.

    Porsche bottom ends are virtually indestructible but depending on how they did the turbo engineering you could end up with a hand grenade.

    Sounds like a bit of a beast. The stock 944 turbo is pretty quick with a top speed of 150 mph and 0-60 in 6 seconds and the quarter mile in 14.6 @ 98 mph. Why do you need more than that anyway?
  • starmanstarman Member Posts: 6
    Thanks for the info. The engine was done by Andial and my brief research has found that Andial once had Porsche's blessings to build all its race engines. It seems these guys know what they are doing. Have you ever heard of them? Apparently they are based in southern California.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Oh, it has nothing to do with the competence of the builder. Andial is well-known but you must remember that every bit of extra HP you put in costs you something. Race engines are made to win a race, not last forever--that's the compromise. If it blows up after 20 laps but wins the race, the engine is a success.

    I just don't see this as a very practical or reliable street car. And where do you take it if it breaks? You think a regular Porsche shop is going to touch an Andial motor?

    You might contact Andial and ask them if they have a record of the motor and what they think they built it for. Is it tractable for street? What's boost on it? Any specially fabricated parts? What's a rebuild cost?

    www.andial.com
  • 944t944t Member Posts: 1
    I have a 944 Turbo and the headlights are pointing down at a bad angle. How do I adjust them to point straight out like normal? Strangely when I turn the lights on they pop up and for about 1 second are in the right position and then quickly point down almost as if they were adjusting themselves to point in this direction. Anyway how can I adjust?
  • tempusertempuser Member Posts: 1
    go to this link
    http://www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/body-05.htm
    and search the page for 'headlights too low'
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I need an intervention. I just saw a pristine 1980 911SC Targa for sale, light blue metallic, blue leather, a/c....arggghhh! Unfortunately, at $12,000 it is exactly twice the price of my 1980 Porsche 928s blue book value.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,188
    Just think about what a pain those Targa seals are going to be... and how you would really rather have a coupe...

    Not working, huh?

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  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,368
    He don't need no stinking Targa seals, he lives in California, he can just leave it off.

    Can you really get a serviceable 911 of any vintage for $12K? If so, I say go fer it.

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    No, the targa seal argument didn't work. I have the California counter-argument and also the garage counter-counter argument.

    Oh sure you can get good 911s for $12,000. Some models even cheaper, like some of the plain jane older 2.2s or the not so great 2.7s.

    You must remember that most run of the mill 911s are not really "collectibles" as they are very plentiful. The 911SC coupe + targa total well over 60,000 cars, 1978-83. This is not exactly "rare".

    Also, the $12K reflects a bit high miles, although Porsche engines for this vintage are good for 300K--by then the guides and rings are shot---but the bottom end is probably good for another 100K after that.

    People claim that German engines go over 500K but I think that is rather blue-sky anecdotal. Most piston engines have pretty much reached their limits at 400K, and most never get close to that on original bottom end. I guess if your 911 engine cases hold up you can rebuild 'em until doomsday, or even longer.

    I checked this car out. It is a sound as a dollar....er...Euro......

    Could use brake pads in 5K, got one broken stud on the exhaust manifold (gorilla mechanic no doubt) and that's about it. Runs like a scorched cat.

    Sooooooo pretty in that color.

    I'm not so hot on targas---I wouldn't mind having one, but I would never pay more than for a coupe, nor should anyone. The coupes are more rigid chassis.
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,368
    What's a 1969-70 911S go for, I think that's been my favorite Porsche since I saw the opening sequence of LeMans?

    image

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well the "S" is a very special car, so you're going to have to pay DOUBLE the price of a 911E or 911T.

    Figure a nice, NICE totally genuine 911S, local show quality but not pebble beach---maybe $20,000-$23,000 or so.

    But that would be a car without needs or excuses. A stand up car.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,188
    My '84 911 was a Targa.. I love the convertible aspect of it, but it was a royal pain.... in the wallet, also... I would much rather have a sunroof coupe, if I ever do it again.

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  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    That's why I like the SC, I think they were better cars. The problem with sunroofs in Porsches is that you might have a headroom problem, which can be as annoying as a couple drips now and then from a targa.I think an old 911 with canvas sunroof would be very cool

    With a used 911, you have to start off with a very good car, and then just take it in to Dieter and Hans in the spring and fall for servicing and it'll run forever and won't cost you a lot. But to pay for the previous owner's neglect, that's tough. Sometimes I think so-called Porsche "mechanics" screw them up worse than when they come in for repairs. I have seen some real butchery on these cars.

    Aside from my famous case of seeing vice grip marks on the connecting rods nuts on one car, just last week I saw an '86 come in with tinfoil stuck in the exhaust header flanges at the cylinder head. Or the one with 12 EXTRA quarts of oil in the dry sump over and above the usual capacity. All this came out of "porsche specialists" of some self-proclaimed sort.

    Unfortunately, in the USA you don't need any kind of license or credential to work on cars other than a business license.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,188
    I agree... finding Dieter and Hans is tough around here, though..

    That was one reason I sold the car... It was new enough to try the dealer a couple of times, but I never felt satisfied that they really knew what they were doing.. I tried three different independents that were recommended by other Porsche owners, but none of them were too swift..

    I had some weekend guy at "Porsches R Us" do a clutch/flywheel job, which turned out pretty well, but he was kind of shady, and I never felt comfortable leaving my car with him for days at a time..

    Really... It is kind of sad... I ended up selling the car because I couldn't find a competent mechanic that I could trust.. In a german-heritage city like Cincinnati, no less...

    regards,
    kyfdx

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  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    It's not that easy to find a competent Porsche indie even in the Bay Area. I can count 'em on one hand.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I drove that '80 targa I was interested in, but you know, the car just felt "loose" to me. It was beautiful to look at, but with the high miles I think a certain toll has been taken on the targa body. This reminds me to follow my own advice sometimes and really stick to sunroof coupes on older Porsches. The targa body just gets fatigued with 25 years of use I guess. I'm sure the car can be tightened up to some extent (sway bars, new suspension parts, shock brace, bushings, all new weatherstrip, etc.) but really I wasn't counting on a restoration here. Guy wants $10K, really I couldn't offer more than $6K for it. So, stalemate.

    Saw a nice automatic 928. God, these cars are SO CHEAP! Car was beautiful, tight, ran great, everything worked, for $4,900. Ridiculous. My stickshift 928 is more fun even though you can't shift a 928 very quickly---between the twin disk clutch and those wide transmisson gears, no way.
  • seryiseryi Member Posts: 1
    I have PCM problem on my Cayenne S 2005. It is not possible to use the unit because the key buttons do not work. I can&#146;t even switch it of! The first idea was that the PCM is broken and the guys from the local shop have changed it but the problem persists. I can use PCM only via string wheel&#146;s control keys. The local shop sent the request about the problem to Porsche but they did not replay with any ideas. I think this can be the problem with car security system because the PCM started every time I unlock the car. Anyone has the same trouble? Any idea how to deal with it?
  • tom_sitzmanntom_sitzmann Member Posts: 1
    Hi
    I have a 1987 Carrera in Granite Green metallic:

    http://www.onedesignnorth.com/DSCN0524.JPG

    LOVE the color...it changes with the amount of light.........

    -Tom
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,188
    That looks great.. My '84 Carrera was Slate Blue metallic... I liked that it wasn't black, red or white like 99% of the other Carreras...

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  • skankskank Member Posts: 1
    I want to replace my current (1997) Boxster wheel caps with the colored crest wheel caps. Any suggestions on the best way to get the old caps off?
    Thanks
  • scott1256scott1256 Member Posts: 531
    Jerry Flint says in the current issue of Forbes that Porsche is the world's best car company. There is a discussion about this article in 'News and Views' and a link.

    It is the most positive article about a car company I have ever read.
  • habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    Porsche is indeed one of the best car companies in the world from a financial perspective. Very high profit margins.

    Unfortunately, that means that the 911 S Cabriolet priced at $100,000 has approximately $15,000 in dealer mark-up and hold back, as well as about $20,000 in gross margin for Porsche AG. If Porsche were as mismanaged and befudled as GM/Ford, they would be selling it at $70,000. So, good for Porsche shareholders, bad for wannabe customers like me.
  • r66r66 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1999 c2 cab.I have 90,000 kms on it and on my temperature gauge the light has been flashing sometimes.it has not overheated though .
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,145
    A reporter is interested in speaking with some current Porsche 911 owners. If you're excited about owning your Porsche 911 and would be willing to speak with the reporter, please send your name and daytime phone number to Pam Krebs, Edmunds.com PR, at pkrebs@edmunds.com by Friday, July 1. Thank you.

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  • polbitpolbit Member Posts: 2
    Ok, I got an opportunity to buy a 1983 Porsche 911SC, with 52,000 miles, for dirt cheap. However, the problem is that it has been sitting in a garage for almost 3 years. I would imagine that all the seals, ruber hoses, etc. would have to be replaced, as well as all the fluids of course. Can someone tell me how expensive would that be, and is it worth it? Also, could there be other problems because of the car sitting for so long?

    Otherwise, the car is in great condition, no rust, paint looks like new, interior is great, etc...
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    It depends entirely on what you are paying and what you think "dirt cheap" is. These are not terribly expensive cars.

    Best thing to do is "back it up" in terms of expense.

    You can buy a nice clean 1983 911 SC for about $12,500--$13,000. This presumes a clean driver, no problems at all, but not a show car.

    Now if the car ran well when parked and only needs to be re-vived, figure a new set of tires + a HUGE major service, so maybe $1,500--$2,000 bucks should square you away.

    Now here's the scary part----remember, this is a FLAT engine and doesn't like to sit because any moisture that was in that garage is going to settle on the bottom side of the cylinder bore---like a damp puddle on the basement floor. This can corrode the cylinder wall, or even rust the piston to the wall. Should the wall get corroded, your car will burn oil and not run very well as you can imagine.

    Pulling apart a 911 SC engine is going to be very expensive----

    Personally I would not buy the car unless it could be started up or at least until a compression test can be done. If you have to "buy it blind", consider the worst case scenario when you bid your price.

    As the car sits, even in great condition, I'd hedge my bets and offer no more than maybe $4,000--$5,000 tops for it. That way, even if you need a clutch and brake calipers (which you may as Porsche brakes do NOT like to sit there), you're okay.

    Just keep in mind that your value for a nice 911 SC is about $13,000. If you are paying like $10K for this one, you might want to just go out and buy a nice running one that you can have checked out.

    Maybe your seller will consent to having the car checked out at YOUR expense...if you don't buy it, you eat the fees, if you do buy it, maybe he knocks it off the price.

    If the engine is frozen, the car is basically worthless BTW, as a thoroughly rebuilt 911 SC engine is $10,000 or more.....
  • ClairesClaires Member Posts: 1,222
    New article at Edmunds.com:

    First Drive: 2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S

    MODERATOR

    Need help getting around? claires@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.

    Tell everyone about your buying experience: Write a Dealer Review

  • polbitpolbit Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the answer, actually the price we were talking about is about $5,000. I'm going to look it over carefully next weekend, and was planing on changing the oil and gas, and trying to start it. If it starts and I can get it to a dealership, I'll have them do an inspection, and only then haggle about the price... If I can't get it started, then I think I'm too scared to buy it...

    btw, the brakes were supposedly done at 50,000, right before it was garaged, and tires were put on at 45,000.
  • porsche_satporsche_sat Member Posts: 1
    Hi Lopez,

    I saw this thread about convertible window being broken and dealer telling to replace the whole top. I have the same issue.

    However, I could not find any further discussion on this forum.

    Can someone tell what was the resolution - that is, is there a way to fix the window (some local guy) and how much it cost etc.

    Thanks
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