A newbie, 996 and eBay

[boxster bill]

Folks,

I'm embarking on research to make a purchase of a lifetime... My very first 911. I have been in love with this car since I was 16, and have finally decided life is too short... The 911 will primarily be a weekend car, and in an effort to let my wife share in the fun, it needs to be tiptronic. I've narrowed my focus to a 1999 - 2001 model, with a budget around 35K. Ideally I'd like to find something under 45K miles, as I'm worried higher miles will spell more repair costs sooner than later. With that, I've searched high and low locally (I'm in NJ) and have not found anything that’s a match. I've been browsing eBay, and indeed have seen some nice (or so they seem to be) 996 models listed. Notably from dealers in St Louis and Florida. Now I must admit, buying a car sight-unseen off eBay scares the hell out of me, and I'm curious if any members have purchased a Porsche this way? if so, does anyone know of a reputable on-line dealer to work with? Or in NJ for that matter... I realize a PPI is a must, but not sure how to arrange such a thing and the costs associated. Advice on that would be awesome. Also, what are the gotchas I should look for in a 1999-2002 996 model? Any advice on helping a newbie out with his first 911 purchase would be very appreciated!

Regards,

Bill

[PeterC4]

My first Porsche was a 2000 911 C4 6spd with 54,000 kms. I had looked for a brief while and then, as these things usually go, I saw one I liked at a dealer. Bought it the next day. There are good advantages to buying a car from a dealer with a Porsche approved pre-owned warranty. Based on my experience and others, its a smart move for a first time purchase. In my case, the dealer showed me what had been done to the car, which was extensive. Things like, new rear main seal, new clutch, new windshield, tires, brakes, shock absorber, power window regulator, etc. I received a 2 year limited warranty, and a few things were fixed under that warranty including the upper control arms. The car turned out to be a great car, no problems, with regular maintenance and I had to replace the tires. I owned it for three years, and traded it with 88,000 kms. Depreciation was about 45% over the three years. Mileage is important, to a degree, but at the price you're thinking about you won't have to worry too much about a big resale number. Consider one from a dealer that has a good reputation that is pre-approved and the mileage issue is less important. You might pay a little more but it is well worth it. Good luck!

BTW, my second car is a 2004 C4S Cab.... Tiptronic. which my wife now shares with me.

Edited July 29, 2007 by PeterC4

[nsegative]

I bought a 996 C4 on e bay, the car is coming this week I'll tell you how it goes! (the transport from utah to ny is 925$)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-911...1QQcmdZViewItem

and heres the dealer that sold me the car, if you call them ask for Ian (awesome guy, very helpful)

http://luxuryimportsonline.com/

[boxster bill]

Thanks guys... I check out the CPO section at Porsche.com. Last I looked, I didn't have much luck finding a CPO 911 with tip in my price range, but doesn't hurt to look again!

BTW nsegative - AWESOME looking car. Best of luck with it!

[sfarris]

Folks,

I'm embarking on research to make a purchase of a lifetime... My very first 911. I have been in love with this car since I was 16, and have finally decided life is too short... The 911 will primarily be a weekend car, and in an effort to let my wife share in the fun, it needs to be tiptronic. I've narrowed my focus to a 1999 - 2001 model, with a budget around 35K. Ideally I'd like to find something under 45K miles, as I'm worried higher miles will spell more repair costs sooner than later. With that, I've searched high and low locally (I'm in NJ) and have not found anything that’s a match. I've been browsing eBay, and indeed have seen some nice (or so they seem to be) 996 models listed. Notably from dealers in St Louis and Florida. Now I must admit, buying a car sight-unseen off eBay scares the hell out of me, and I'm curious if any members have purchased a Porsche this way? if so, does anyone know of a reputable on-line dealer to work with? Or in NJ for that matter... I realize a PPI is a must, but not sure how to arrange such a thing and the costs associated. Advice on that would be awesome. Also, what are the gotchas I should look for in a 1999-2002 996 model? Any advice on helping a newbie out with his first 911 purchase would be very appreciated!

Regards,

Bill

I just bought a 911 from ebay. Went to my friends at the local dealership, and got some great advice: get the car checked out locally. Either have it taken to a local Porsche dealership for a check out, or use Magoos.net. magoos checked my car, and it was just as they said it was when i showed up to pick it up.

On a side note, the two dealers here in St. Louis are both first rate, and I would think either would give you a straight answer on a car you are checking! Good luck.

[boxster bill]

Folks,

I'm embarking on research to make a purchase of a lifetime... My very first 911. I have been in love with this car since I was 16, and have finally decided life is too short... The 911 will primarily be a weekend car, and in an effort to let my wife share in the fun, it needs to be tiptronic. I've narrowed my focus to a 1999 - 2001 model, with a budget around 35K. Ideally I'd like to find something under 45K miles, as I'm worried higher miles will spell more repair costs sooner than later. With that, I've searched high and low locally (I'm in NJ) and have not found anything that’s a match. I've been browsing eBay, and indeed have seen some nice (or so they seem to be) 996 models listed. Notably from dealers in St Louis and Florida. Now I must admit, buying a car sight-unseen off eBay scares the hell out of me, and I'm curious if any members have purchased a Porsche this way? if so, does anyone know of a reputable on-line dealer to work with? Or in NJ for that matter... I realize a PPI is a must, but not sure how to arrange such a thing and the costs associated. Advice on that would be awesome. Also, what are the gotchas I should look for in a 1999-2002 996 model? Any advice on helping a newbie out with his first 911 purchase would be very appreciated!

Regards,

Bill

I just bought a 911 from ebay. Went to my friends at the local dealership, and got some great advice: get the car checked out locally. Either have it taken to a local Porsche dealership for a check out, or use Magoos.net. magoos checked my car, and it was just as they said it was when i showed up to pick it up.

On a side note, the two dealers here in St. Louis are both first rate, and I would think either would give you a straight answer on a car you are checking! Good luck.

Thanks. Any thoughts on Daniel Schmitt & Company? They seem to have a fair amount of 911's (993 and 996) available. They have one right now that I'm interested in. They are in St Louis as far as I can tell. Thanks again for any feedback on them in particular.

[Chuck Jones]

I bought mine off an eBay add....but it was from a broker who really just uses eBay as a method of reaching a lot of potential buyers. You'll find that quite a few of the brokers/dealers do this. If you track the auctions, you'll see a lot of times that the cars don't reach their reserve....but like in my case, I followed up with the broker and entered into a series of back and forth emails and phone calls. I ended up with an 18K mile 99 996 in the color I loved....with a few problems (advertised as "mint" but 2 wheels had slight rash...two bad coils) that the broker took care of very professionally. He paid for the shipping and repairs on this end without hesitation, and ended up forking out about $2500 for doo-dads that needed fixing to my satisfaction. Before he shipped it (part of the negotiations) he also changed out ALL the fluids...brake fluid, coolant, transmission....and put in new plugs as part of the deal and sent me the invoice from the Porsche dealership as proof of work done.

My best advice is to check with the guys here and on Rennlist before you go into final negotiations with any particular dealer. There is a lot of good advice and personal knowledge here. Use it to your advantage. You can find some good deals, but you need to exercise caution and good common sense. Don't get emotional about ANY car you see a picture of....pictures are decieving, usually focus on bling.... and don't give an inkling of what's under the hood. In spite of all the advice you'll get....most of the guys (me included) end up getting a bit emotional about that special car we've been looking all over for. BTW.....PPI are a MUST!!!

[Izzy]

I have purchased 3 cars on ebay, 2 996 Porsches and a BMW 740. It does require more guts than brains at first, but with some homework you can do okay. After my experiences, I would only buy from a dealer, preferably a dealer of the same car manufacturer. My last 996 got from Ira Porsche outside of Boston. The car did not sell on ebay, so I contact the dealer sales manager directly and we negotiated a prices for a Certified car. That way I felt better about managing the risk of buying at a distance, without seeing the car first.

Every instance was great, regardless. Take your time and if you see issues with a seller on feedback, steer clear.

[Larold]

I bought a 2002 996 on Ebay. Car is beautiful BUT*** There is one thing I didn't know. When I had my car shipped, they tied belts around the steering arms. THAT IS NOT THE WAY TO TOW A PORSCHE ONTO A SHIPPING TRUCK. They have to use the large eyelet thing stuck into the bumpers, otherwise the arms will be bent.

Learn from my mistakes here.

Best of luck. It's the best car I've ever had, and that includes many BMW's, a Ferrari, and a '66 Vette.

[bigbotate]

I have purchased 3 cars on the web. All from the u..S. (I am in montreal). Twice privately and once from a dealer.Last car purchased (privately) in new jersey 6 weeks age. Its a 2004 c4s cabriolet. When I buy a car privately I always buy with at least 9 months of manuf. Warranty. I only buy from the original owner and I won't buy a leased car ( if you don't own it-you don't respect it). If the original owner ( or dealer) doesn't have the servicing booklet or says they don't have the original purchase papers-i stay away.

I give a $5000 deposit-have it checked out by an independant dealership and then fly down-hand over my hard earned money-take the keys -put the roof down-and hit the road. I have never been disappointed!

Edited August 5, 2007 by Loren
Removed ALL CAPS - please do not post in ALL CAPS

[Sky_King]

I purchased a 2001 996 coupe off eBay a couple of years ago. I live in Akron, OH and flew into NYC and met Peter Kern to examine the car and sign the papers. It had 34K miles on it and I drove it home that day. He's one of the owners of Highline Imports who are from NJ. The experience was a good one except for picking it up in midtown Manhattan and trying to get the hell out of the city on a Friday afternoon..... nearly 2 1/2 hours to traverse 8 miles with a stick wasn't any fun thanks mainly to the crazy cabbies who don't care what kind of car they nose in front of. I sure didn't want fender bender there to start out my new ownership. The car was in very good shape, well maintained, and the paperwork went smooth. I purchased an extended warranty from AutoSource from him as well. You might give him a call and ask if he has any leads on a tiptronic 996. For you that should be a no--brainer already living in NJ.

From their website profile a cut and paste:

Highline Imports is a referral-based business specializing in the acquisition and resale of late model high-line cars at substantial savings. Although our focus is primarily on 2001 and newer German and Asian vehicles, we serve our customer base with any desired make and model. We even have ready access to like new 2005 and 2006 models.

We only deal with high quality inventory. Our cars are not salvage titles, flood damaged, recovered theft, or manufacturer buy-backs unless they are disclosed as such in the description. We do our best to photo document or include in text shortfalls that we notice, and have never had a buyer surprised by undisclosed issues upon delivery. Highline will save you thousands of dollars due to extremely low operating costs, and

our willingness to pass these savings on to you.

In addition to our top quality on-hand inventory, Highline offers buyers a personalized Buying Service. This unique service allows the retail buyer direct access to literally tens of thousands of cars offered only to licensed automobile dealers each week.

You will find that Peter and his staff are car enthusiasts committed to serving car enthusiasts, and are in this business for the sheer enjoyment of it. Highline was conceived by life-long automobile enthusiasts involved in various aspects of motor sports activities ranging from club road racing and driver education events, road rallies, auto shows, to the modification and resale of fine automobiles.

Highline's warehouse is conveniently located at Perryville Centre, 78 Route 173, Hampton, New Jersey 08827, (one minute from Exit 12 off Interstate 78). Out-of town clients can fly into Newark Airport, Allentown, Pennsylvania, or one of several other major airports. Our hours are by appointment only, so please give us a call at 908-391-3471 to set a time for a no obligation look at some of the area's finest pre-owned inventory

I would do it again, the price was right and so was the car. :D

Joe Hale

Akron, OH

Edited August 5, 2007 by Sky_King

[boxster bill]

Thanks guys! Very helpful stuff. I have my eye on a 2000 C4 Cabriolet with about 17K miles on it. However, I'm not married to have a cab, and like the coupe a little more actually....

[Kim]

Now I must admit, buying a car sight-unseen off eBay scares the hell out of me, and I'm curious if any members have purchased a Porsche this way? ... I realize a PPI is a must, but not sure how to arrange such a thing and the costs associated. Advice on that would be awesome.

Bill,

I searched on autotrader.com. You can put in desired features, colors, geographic radius, etc. I wanted a black Cab with gray interior & Tip. There were exactly 2 in the database at the time. Since you can fly for free (other post id'd you as a 777 button pusher), you can do it as I did.

1. contact the seller (in my case, premium used car dealer in DFW suburbs

2. ascertain the car is still available, get details left out of ad; Carfax it

3. arrange a visit/test drive .... fly in and let them pick you up, or use a local friend

4. like the car? .... put down refundable deposit, arrange for PPI at local dealer. (if no dealer handy, check with PCA region for recommendations

5. PPI OK? fly back in with check; they bring car to airport .... you drive it home.

I got a great deal. Car has done nothing to disappoint in 3 years / 40K miles.

[brimwin]

Here is a link for a nice 991 in your price range. I looked at the car in Boise and it is very nice, the dealer is fantastic, but I was looking for a manual transmission.

http://lylepearson.dealermade.com/vehicle_...0AA2994YS621482

[boxster bill]

Here is a link for a nice 991 in your price range. I looked at the car in Boise and it is very nice, the dealer is fantastic, but I was looking for a manual transmission.

http://lylepearson.dealermade.com/vehicle_...0AA2994YS621482

Thanks for the link. Looks like the car was sold, as I don't see any 911's listed other than the 2007.

Cheers,

[woodenewe]

I recently went through the process of buying my dream car, after 40 years of waiting. I guess I did "OK", but not great. Yes, I tracked the ads, read all I could, got various check lists of things to look for, and had a PPI done by a shop recommended by this forum. I ended up with a '99 C4 with 82+K miles, which was all I could afford. Seems I do have a problem with cam shaft timing; it is not a question if it will kill the engine, but when. If I take care of it and don't abuse the engine, I should be able to get some miles on it before it will dhow the dreaded check engine light and likely need a new engine.

One possible recommendation from me would be to buy the Durametric Diagnostic software and cable for the car type you are interested in, learn how to use it and what the numbers tell you (in general). Yes, a PPI shop should have a tester, but not all have the fully capable one (PST-2, I believe). And if they do run a test they may not read beyond the proverbial first page. Especially important are the number of hours on the engine, number of times redlined, and number or over rev's. My car was "clean"; no fault codes. But had they looked at the details (maybe they did but did not tell me?) they would have seen and told me about a fair number of red-line hits, one over rev, and a large "camshaft position 1 deviation". OK, you and I don't know what all the numbers means, but the good folks on this forum might be able to tell us what are the top 10 things to look for. If nothing else, it will keep an honest seller honest, and maybe give you a better negotiating position. The cost of $255 (for testing up to 3 cars) could be money well spent, besides you can impress your friends and neighbors with you new P-car in the driveway with the engine running, your laptop plugged into it and displaying the real-time measurements. Now if it came with a book telling you what all the numbers meant...

[boxster bill]

I recently went through the process of buying my dream car, after 40 years of waiting. I guess I did "OK", but not great. Yes, I tracked the ads, read all I could, got various check lists of things to look for, and had a PPI done by a shop recommended by this forum. I ended up with a '99 C4 with 82+K miles, which was all I could afford. Seems I do have a problem with cam shaft timing; it is not a question if it will kill the engine, but when. If I take care of it and don't abuse the engine, I should be able to get some miles on it before it will dhow the dreaded check engine light and likely need a new engine.

One possible recommendation from me would be to buy the Durametric Diagnostic software and cable for the car type you are interested in, learn how to use it and what the numbers tell you (in general). Yes, a PPI shop should have a tester, but not all have the fully capable one (PST-2, I believe). And if they do run a test they may not read beyond the proverbial first page. Especially important are the number of hours on the engine, number of times redlined, and number or over rev's. My car was "clean"; no fault codes. But had they looked at the details (maybe they did but did not tell me?) they would have seen and told me about a fair number of red-line hits, one over rev, and a large "camshaft position 1 deviation". OK, you and I don't know what all the numbers means, but the good folks on this forum might be able to tell us what are the top 10 things to look for. If nothing else, it will keep an honest seller honest, and maybe give you a better negotiating position. The cost of $255 (for testing up to 3 cars) could be money well spent, besides you can impress your friends and neighbors with you new P-car in the driveway with the engine running, your laptop plugged into it and displaying the real-time measurements. Now if it came with a book telling you what all the numbers meant...

Sorry to hear about your engine woes! I do apreciate the suggestion, and may actually purchase one of these units. I need to do some more research. Good luck with your car!