I have never bought a car that was never inspected or driven by me. Well, I found a possible beauty in Florida. It's a 2010 GT3 and have spoken with the guy a few times and he seems like a nice guy. Now it's a big purchase, so I need a mechanic/technician to inspect it and report to me. Any ideas? How do people buy car from out of state?

 

1) A ppi as well as a Dme scan to detect engine over rev history is a good starting point.

2) Request all service records and (if possible) discuss the car with the technicians who worked on it .

3) There are three authorized Porsche dealerships in or near Pompano (Champion, The Collection, Braman) .

4) I would never buy any used car sight unseen .

Good luck.

 

I am assuming it is on eBay, I just bought a C4S on eBay two months ago. 10 years ago, I bought a E430 on eBay. Both were positive experiences.

When you buy from a dealer, you never know the car's history. The dealer may have, like they often say, taken it as a trade in. But what does that tell you about a car's history? Nothing. More often than not, the dealer probably picked the car up at an auction, sight unseen, with a third party having walked the car for them at the auction. Then it was shipped back, cleaned up and put on their lot.

I am comletely comfortable with buying on eBay if buying from a dealer with a high (100+) activity history and a perfect or near perfect rating. Because they want to maintain their strong rating, they have a strong interest in making sure you are happy with the transaction.

This allows you to be very proactive upfront and get the Seller to disclose everything to you via email before you buy. If any representations are incorrect, you have the ability to go back to have the Seller to make it right. Here is an approach to consider, via eBay email in a series of communications:

"I'm a nervous about buying a Porsche sight unseen on eBay, if i am the winning bidder, can I have my purchase conditional on a full PPI and DME scan?"

"Are their any leaks or fluid staining on the car/engine? Are their any additional chips or blemishes to the exterior or interior not disclosed? Can you send me close ups photos of them? Does everything work right on the car? Do you have all the accessories, navigation DVD and manuals that came with the car? Do you ave the service records from the owner, can you pull the service/warranty history from your computer? What is the shape of the tires, clutch and brakes?"

This way you have everything asked and you know the car before it is inspected and shipped. Likewise, with the PPI, ask for the service person's email address for communication because that is an easier way to communicate. Ask very direct questions covering the same questions you had for the seller (clutch, RMS leaks, brakes, tires, etc.). That way if anything comes up, you can negotiate a fix/price adjustment, before the car is shipped. Don't assume the PPI work will be done thoroughly, so communicate via email.

Almost always, the seller will out of laziness report the tires to be better than they are and be willing to adjust on that. The rear tires wear out twice as fast as the fronts and are more expensive.

Remember, the seller wants to maintain their rating, so if you are reasonable, you should be able to get any issues fixed/price adjusted. I had minor price adjustments on both vehicles and was happy with both. Don't ask for the moon, be realistic and appreciative, you aren't trying to screw anybody, but protect yourself.

For shipping find an expeditor who can call around the car carriers and see who is in the area with room on their truck. Let them know the lowest price you have from the eBay shipper and they will compete. I can get my expeditor's name and number if you want. The nice thing about an expiditor is they will typically have the car picked up at the dealer and dropped off at your home as opposed to a terminal location for the same price. My C4S was picked up in Oakland on a Sunday and delivered that Tuesday, on a covered carrier for the same price as an open carrier! The expeditor doesn't take weeks to deliver like the eBay carriers do.

I have been very pleased both times I bought in this manner.

As far as overrevs from the DME report, search under the 997 forum, I have a thread on over revs on there with a lot of comments and good advice. My car had over revs, but still bought it. Subsequently my local, Indy told me that with a rev limiter, most over revs are related to downshifting errors and don't mean a car has been beaten.

Good luck!! I hope it works out as well for you as it did for me!

Don

 

So now you will have a GT3 and TTS? WOW!

 

Contact our service department and set up a PPI (pre purchase inspection). Our dealership is IN Pompano Beach. That way you can make a decision with confidence.

Ask for service: 954-946-4020

 

I paid $180 for my PPI from an authorized Porsche dealership.

 

Have it PPI'd by these guys (Champion). They are f***ing awesome...always told me the true story, and I never felt like they were just telling me what I wanted to hear or something so they could just make more money

 

I just went through a similar process buying my gt3. I had a dealer perform a ppi which was 350? It was a very thorough inspection including paint depth, drive, dme scan, etc tests. I then had another car enthusiast take a look at the car for me and then bought the car sight unseen. This was the first time I went through this process and felt very comfortable throughout the entire process. I would recommend you speak with your seller at lengths to make sure you are comfortable dealing with him. My seller and dealer's SA were very attentive to all my needs and made me feel reassured. My only hiccup with the entire process was arranging for transport because all of intercity and reliable's trucks were at the barrett jackson auctions. I wish you the best of luck if you decide to go through with this.