Well...I have found 2 interesting cars and will be buying one this week: one in Vegas and one in San Diego.

Here are the options (both are 2002):
1. $29K...30K miles...not my preferred exterior color, but very unique interior and sport seats with full leather.
2. $28K...40K miles...my preferred exterior color and sport package, but not full leather and no sport seats (leaning this direction).

Please weigh in for advice if you like, but really what I'm after is:
1. PPI at dealer or Indy...is one better over the other?
2. About how much should I expect to pay?
3. Are there specific things I should ask them to inspect beside RMS/IMS?
4. If Indy...can you suggest one in either area?

Many thanks...

 

Find a P-car in your desired color with the options you want. It's out there. Nonetheless, your call. Good luck.

1) PPI at independent. Independents think in terms of return visits; dealers think in terms of emptying your wallet.
2) $200 - $300.
3) RMS/IMS, tires, brakes, suspension, motor mounts, transmission mounts, coolant system, ECU codes, interior electricals,
4) Google: independent porsche repair. Then read reviews.

 

Answering your questions:

1. You may get a bit more objective/thorough inspection for your money from an independent specialist Porsche mechanic. Having said that, a reputable dealer should give you a good PPI (they will see your visit as possible future visits) plus the dealer should be able to pull the car's complete history of any service performed by a Porsche dealer--an Indy can't normally do that.

2. $250, plus or minus

3. rrrruben mentioned the key ones. When getting the ECU codes, also get a readout of the info permanently held in the computer such as redline/overrev (number of times, duration, last occurrence).

4. Make contact with the local Porsche Owner's clubs in San Diego and Lost Wages and ask them for Indy recommendations. POCs help folks from outside their regions, especially if they're already POC members.

Lastly...the prices for the '02s you quoted seem a bit on the high side if you're buying from a private seller. I landed my '02 cab about a year ago from a dealer at the price points you're showing; low miles, full service history (including RMS upgrade), clean Carfax, always Texas owned so no rust at all. Do some checking on Kelly Blue Book and Edmunds to get comparative prices.

Good luck.

 

Interesting take on pricing...makes me wonder if prices are going back up. If you do a search for 02 less than 40K miles and under $30K, only 3 or 4 cars in the country show up. Most cars with these features and miles are low to mid 30's. Believe me...been looking for months now. I've talked to dozens of sellers that list their cars in low to mid 30s in effort to negotiate to $27-$28. I have probably made 10 offers on cars over past several months...

BTW, one of these are from a dealer and one from a private seller.

 

Which one is which? If your preferred car is from the dealer, I would try to negotiate an extended warranty out of it and get it PPI'd from an independent to boot.

 

I'm assuming you're looking for a car to drive, rather than a garage queen(?)

Ultra-low mileage may seem like a plus, but in my experience a car needs a certain regularity of use, otherwise repair and maintenance costs increase. Personally, I would be looking for a car with 5~6K miles per year. There even seems to be anecdotal evidence that the IMS failure occurs more often in ultra-low mileage vehicles.

 

The higher price car is at a small dealer...I've been attempting to talk him down a bit for weeks...he won't budge. He has one of the best valued 996s in the country right now and he knows it. Moreover, his car is extremely unique with a full cinnamon leather.

Not exactly garage queen...5-6K mileage forecast per year...I've heard that about "babied cars."