I am looking to buy a 2007 997.1 Turbo coupe and have come across one that I was close to buying. Then I found out that it was involved in a slight accident. It was rear-ended at a stop light and apparently only had a few scratches (the bumper was not even replaced, just touched up). However, given that it was a more expensive car, a police report was filed and now it shows as being involved in an accident on the AutoCheck report. Even though the AutoCheck report shows an accident it still has a clean title and qualifies for the AutoCheck buyback protection.

While I want to believe the seller, there is no documentation to back up what he is claiming - no pictures, no repair bills, nothing proving it was a slight accident. The AutoCheck report provided a accident report number, so I have requested a copy of the police report that was filed and expect to receive it this week. Hopefully the police report corroborates what the seller is saying, but if it does not I may need to pass.

Either way, I may just have it checked out by the local Porsche dealer ($420 for a PPI).

Does anyone have an opinion on buying based on a guy's word and given the facts surrounding the AutoCheck?

I can get this car for $65k and it has 29k miles on it, but it is a 5-owner car (seems high). No mods, no known issues, 6-speed. Car has lived in SC, FL, KY, and TN.

Any recommendations are greatly appreciated.

 

If he has no records of the accident, either the damage was too minimal to take to a shop, or he is not providing you with the body shop information.

Get a paint meter, and check paint depth in the area damaged. There are paint meters designed for plastic bumpers. This should give you an idea of the number of panels involved in the crash. Your dealership PPI does not usually include this, but a competent body shop will be able to do this for you.

If you are not a qualified tech, or competent mechanic familiar with Porsches, and do not have access to PIWIS or Durametric, then you should be doing this. BTW, in my area, $420 is very steep for a PPI. You don't have to go to a dealership. A Porsche indy should be able to do a good job.

Nearly every 911 (except my 997TT) was purchased used. I trust no one. While these cars are fairly durable for their level of performance, a poorly maintained car can be very costly to repair.

More owners = more difficult to get history. This in turn makes PPIs and body inspection more important.

 

I would be suspicious. When I have had body work performed on my cars, I have always retained the work order to show to potential buyers (along with pics) so they can see the extent of the damage and scope of the repairs. Perhaps the seller can direct you to the shop the did the work and they can pull up the old repair order?

 

Thanks for the comments guys. Good info.

I have already asked for the shop that did the work or any other info, but the seller does not have any receipts/documents other than the manuals/books that come with the car - this is what has driven me away a bit and why I have paid to have the police report sent to me.

I will do the PPI regardless if I am going to pull the trigger, but good thought on doing it through an Indy shop - I was not sure if that was as reputable or as good of an idea, but I will look into it.

 

I'm not that picky about the cars past history but I would not touch this one. No documentation on the accident is a red flag because you do not know the extent of the damage and the seller could be hiding something. 5 owners is a lot in 6 years which is another red flag. If the PPI comes back clean and you still want it I would give a low price and see if he bites.

 

Since I often purchase preowned vehicles, I invested in a paint meter. If you decide to go to an independent shop, they may have one. It is impossible to replicate factory paint thickness with a typical body shop repair. You can get an idea of extent of damage with a quick check.

 

Another thought. You may want to consider a higher mileage 997tt that has complete records, clean PPI, less owners and no accidents. I'm sure you can find one in the same price range.

 

CPO warranty, carfax and make sure the car wasn't repainted

 

The PPI I got on my 997tt ended up being a valuable tool and it did help me negotiate a (what I thought at the time) fair price. The PPI showed an "air intake leak" and a bank 2 chain housing seal leak as well as 4 trashed tires. I was able to negotiate the price based on these findings.
LONG story short...replacing the chain housing and reassembling the car was just the begining.....turns out the car had TWO blown turbos and I now I am having both cams replalced due to the "cam sleeve shifting" and causing my variocam actuator to not function properly.
Soooo just a heads up. I absolutely love my "new" 997 but spending a lot of money on a PPI'd car and then dumping another $25k into it to get it "right" definately taught me a lesson. When it comes to what the owner, seller, and people who do the PPI say.....go with your gut....as I probably should have.

 

that sucks. buy a car and start "fixing" it. i'm doing the same now. not fun, unless by choice.

i would think that a 997.1 w 29k miles could easily be determined to be well looked after with a solid going over,.. or not. hell, it's barely broken in. perhaps the previous owners couldn't handle it

65k? i dunno though.. there may BE a *story* yet untold..

 

Bad news - did you ever get the car to Austin or is it still being worked on? Previous owner give you any insight as to why so many issues?

 

Yepper..the car finally made it to austin after 5 weeks w EVOMS. It ran excellent for just under a week until the P0021 CEL light which now has me replacing a set of (now being pinned by Protomotive) intake cams. Like I said...I really do love my new car but I had REALLY hoped all the Porsche - Metzger "bulletproofness" would hood true for me. Guess not....

 

Wow, this is a very sad tale. You mentioned the PPI found 4 trashed tires. That seems interesting that the tires wouldn't be clearly known even before the PPI.

My real question for everyone's benefit is, did anything tip you off in hindsight about the motor condition? How was the DME scan? Was the car tracked or otherwise evidence of hard use or abuse?

 

What paint meter are you using and do you recommend the one you have, or something else?

 

You bought a pretty modded car though, right?