Good morning folks, Just found this place by a referral from a friend. I am probably pulling the trigger today on a 2005 Coupe.

Going to test drive it and have a PPI done by the local dealer. I have been on the fence about getting one for a year or so but wanted a 911 since I was probably 10. I have been doing some reading here of course and this car is the standard 997 but has the chrono sport package and 19' wheels. From what I understand it allows the suspension to be adjusted with a button, etc..

Anyway, i'm sure I will learn to discuss the terms better as time goes on. Is there anything in particular I should be looking for the be wary of in this model? I am having the main seal checked as part of the PPI since a friend mentioned that being a possible concern but would like those more knowledgeable than I to give some pointers before I jump...

Thanks, great forum here!

 

Welcome!

A thorough PPI done by a reputable shop + Carfax + visual inspection and driving + reviewing all service records + running the warranty history through a Porsche dealer should be sufficient. I'd bring your friend to the test drive & ask him to review the docs as well, since he seems to have some knowledge of the 997.

Only consideration other then the above is whether you want a warranty or not. Although you'll pay more for a 2006/2007 Certified Pre-Owned vehicle, it may give you a greater sense of security.

On the other hand, if you find a very clean, very solid 2005, you should only have modest maintenance to perform barring any unusual event.

Good luck, have fun!

 

Thanks for the thoughts. I went to the local dealership today and saw a 2005 similar to what I want but I cant see 7k more for less features and wrong leather color just to save 2 years warranty and 30k less miles.

Going to test drive the one I want in the morning and hopefully make a deal. She wants me to take her home, I'm sure of it

 

It sounds like you are sold on this particular car but you ought to know a few general things about these cars.

1) 30K extra miles plus a CPO is a bigger deal (on an 05 Porsche) than the leather color.

2) I peeked at both cars on auto trader to get an idea of what you are describing . Even the lower mile car had two owners .

3) Some may debate me on this but ANY car that crosses 50K miles takes ahuge hit in depreciation -- especially a porsche.

4) You are shopping in a difficult price range . They all look pretty on the used car lot but what you want to try and avoid is repairs --because no car is fun when its in the shop.

5) It's better to buy no car than the wrong car.

6) 2005 cars have been known to have a higher incidence of IMS . I realize you are testing for RMS but IMS is different --even though they can be related.

7) I feel the most reliable play in your price range is a cayman S OR to REALLY look for a long time ... and expand the search to heavily populated Porsche regions like the Northeast, California, Florida --if you can't find it closer to home.

8) Get a DME scan to detect engine over rev history .

9) Whatever you decide --Good Luck .

 

Thanks for the info. IMS is the thing I worry about, not too concerned about previous owners as long as service records are in order.

Will definitely be having the DME scan done. As far as a Cayman S thats the only other car I would look at but so far can't find one I want. I would gladly wait versus getting one with the wrong interior color. I've been looking for a while and it either has to be a 997 or the Cayman S

Will see what today brings I guess

 

Keep us posted and hope the car works out.

 

Personally,

I would wait for 06' C2S myself with less than 15K miles(remove IMS/RMS issues)...preferably with CPO, no history, fully loaded...bet you could buy this car for low 50's later this yr...people were buying loaded and clean 06' C4S's with less than 10K miles for mid 50's 6 months ago as a reference.

For me, I would want sports chrono, sports exhaust, full leather and NAV(sport seats a bonus)...look for cars with ungraded exhaust, wheels, coilovers/springs/sways as you end up buying it for 25 cents on dollar and these are things many enthusiasts end up swapping on their own anyway...better if someone else eats cost of this....

1. carfax
2. PPI(paint meter, mech inspection, etc) and DME scan
3. review previous warranty work
4. ask seller why he is selling

 

*update*

So I met the private seller at the local dealership (Hennessy in Roswell, Ga) for a test ride and PPI. First thing I notice is the leather has much wear. The driver seat is rubbed down to leather where the previous owner slid in a good bit. Several bad scuffs here and there, finish worn on the center console and door. Needless to say I was pissed, not because a 5 year old car has issues but because of the 20 pics he sent and 6 calls we had he never showed those flaws or disclosed it. I mean c'mon, ya know a buyer is going to see it right?

I went ahead with a ride and it ran well but I couldn't agree to his price and lowballed an offer based on condition. We ended up being a few thousand apart. I was skeptical anyway because of what I consider questionable tactics for a fine sports car.

I walked away.. then I walked inside the dealership and spoke to Scott whom I met yesterday when I stopped by, and he was great to deal with. They had an 05 Carrera in the same Carmon red metallic but with gray interior and a few less options (no chrono sport or leather dash) BUT it did have the premium bose (I know some hate it)

Anyway, I ended up haggling a bit and got it with 34k miles and 2 year CPO warranty for $42k plus tax which essentially gave me the CPO for the price they were asking just for the car. I put a good but down and financed with my credit union so it was pretty smooth since I had already arranged financing before hand. Ended up spending several hours at the place working out details but i'm very satisfied overall.

I will end up changing the PCM to a pioneer down the road so that will take care of the lack of nav and bluetooth.

I LOVE THIS CAR...

 

good score for sure!

 

You picked the better car and it sounds like this worked out for you . when I saw 60+K miles on the other car I cringed. At least with this car you have the warranty and a closeby dealership to maintain it . Congrats and best wishes!!

 

Good car for a great price! Weel done, it is exactly how smart buy gets done.

 

Very smart consumerism. Building a relationship with a dealer that you can trust will prove to be invaluable...mine certainly has, and I haven't had my car for a terribly long time. Best of luck, killer car!

-Alex

 

Awesome! Congrats on the new car. Sounds like you made the right moves. Enjoy it!

J

 

You cropped out the best part on the left of the pic....

 

After a few spirited rides i've decided that it might be a good use of funds to get a detector. Valentine-1 looks to be the one to get so I took the leap.

Hope it saves my butt some day