Hi


I am looking at a Porsche Carrera 4 2007 with 135K miles and has the original 1 owner. The owner has stated that they had the following major service issues taken care of:


1. Changed the clutch at 103K miles
2. Changed tension roller at 105K miles
3. Changed rotors and brakes at 125K miles.


The oil is changed every 10K.


The car was involved in a little mishap at around 83K miles, there was some frontal damage to the car with the driver airbag deployed. The car was repaired to 'show room' condition.


I have not seen the car but he has assured me it is in excellent condition both body and mechanically.


Now what I need is opinions as to should I buy this car as a daily driver? Can I assume that since this is a 1 owner car and allegedly been looked after (by non Porsche dealer mechanic) for past 7 years and 135K miles maybe this is a good one and that it will last as long as I keep changing oil :-)


What am I letting myself into if I was to purchase this car for < $25K.


Thx for your opinions in advance.

 

Well, like all these questions the issue involves determining just what kind of accident the car suffered and to whose showroom condition the car was restored.

I can assure you if an airbag deployed the mishap wasn't "little". I have had a couple fender, make that bumper benders with my Boxster and the air bag never deployed. With my Turbo I hit a mule deer at around 40mph and the air bag didn't deploy but the damage still required over $25000 to repair.

The only time I have had airbags deploy -- driver and passenger -- was in my 2008 Cayman S which was totaled from a side impact to the car at the driver's side front wheel. My car was stationary and the other car's speed was no more than 35mph.

Without any pictures to show the extent of the damage, with no detailed repair invoice to see just what was done my advice is to keep looking for a car, one with no "little mishap" on its history report.

 

Sometimes when I see this question looking for a bargain-basement Porsche I worry that the person asking may not understand the ongoing costs of Porsche ownership. Please excuse me if these comments don't apply to you. I just hate it to see someone accidentally get in over their head. I know on my F-150 a lot of things have had to be fixed/replaced after it got over 120k miles (suspension bushings, coils, sensors, alternator, AC parts, etc.).

This isn't as big a deal if you are a do-it-yourself person. These aren't cars that you want to take to JiffyLube or a normal repair place.

A few examples that I've run into:

• The dealer typically wants around $275 for an oil change, non-dealer Porsche specialists are cheaper at around $150-200. (Labor rates often run in the $100-$160/hr range). A do-it-yourselfer can do it for less than $80 (9 quarts of top-grade synthetic + filter + crush ring).
• Porsche parts are much more expensive. I just changed all 8 coils on my F150 for around $50. Each coil on an 911 is more than that.
• The dealer wanted $300 for a brake flush. I just did my own for the cost of the fluid (around $30 I think).
• A replacement for a broken 997.1 Xenon headlight cost $1450 (new part).
• A replacement non-S engine, if things go really bad, can cost at least $15k rebuilt to more than $20k new ($25k+ for an S).

There are many other examples people here can share, but just expect to pay a lot more than you are normally used to for maintenance and repairs. Please don't let me scare you off, it is a great car and well worth the money if you are comfortable with the potential costs. Make sure you are a well-informed buyer (as you suggest you want to be by posting your question!)

 

offer him 21k!!

 

Good thread.


I have bought in the past, more performance orientated cars in the $20k range to use as an all around car... one in particular... a 4 year old 2004 Audi S4 in 2008 with 90k miles on it.


Like storm rune suggests, it becomes a lot more doable or sensible to buy a higher mileage car if you are inclined to do some of your own maintenance... in which I did with the S4. It to this day was probably one of my all time favorite cars....and I drove it faithfully for 5.5 years and it had 165K on it when I sold it.


I would not be afraid of the miles on this car or any car/truck as long as you understand of the maintenance history, and yes...that front impact?


How does the car drive? how does it track?


I like the list of recent maintenance and I like the AWD factor making it a good candidate for DD status...I drive my 08 4S all seasons with zero issues.


if your a cash buyer, it would seem you may be able to get a better price.


Keep us posted. But, go see the car and drive it. stop teasing us.

 

Macster -- thank you for your comments. I did ask the owner for pics but looks like he does not have any...he did however share the estimate invoice and I did see it come to approx $11K in repair costs. This included approx $7K in parts. I did not see any radical to alert me to some serious damage but again as mentioned here Porsche parts are expensive :-(

 

Advise well taken re maintenance costs - thank you

 

oh did I mention it has a TUBI exhaust and 20" wheels :-)

 

I'd spend closer to 30k and find one with half the mileage and no accident history. Plus, I'd want to see more frequent oil changes than every 10k.

 

Sound Advice

 

how does the owner not have pics? that rite there is a deal breaker

 

Well he posted like 3 pics with the ad. I asked for additional inc video and he has not sent them yet.


I spoke to a local Porsche mechanic and he says its like shooting a dart in the dark. It could be a golden car or it could be a waste of money. Hard to tell without a thorough eval.

 

 

11K is not that much money to be honest on one of these cars. Front bumper, headlight assembly, driving light, radiator or two possibly a hood and paint is probably 11K.
That being said that slight gap at the hood leading edge seems bigger than it should be. Could be the picture or the fact that it's a white car but something looks a bit off.

Seems a bit rich for my tastes with the mileage and the accident.
For low 30's you could pick up a decent car with less miles and less history
Good luck

 

For that amount of coin, I would definitely hold out for something with a little less mileage. Actually, a lotta less mileage.

If you are just looking for a 997 for a DD, then you ca definitely get something a bit less vague.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst...851613520.html

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv...852282155.html

I know, not in your area.. but just wanted to give a couple of examples.