Advice needed - Buying a 997 Turbo as first Porsche

[Shake]

Hi All

Been lurking as a guest for a while. I’ve wanted a 997 Turbo for years. Now in a position to own one.

Need advice on what to look out for. Carsales prices for a 997.1 Turbo vary wildly from $140k to $200k+ for seemingly similar cars with similar kms. The cars at the $150k level have been for sale for a while now (maybe ~2+ months), is that a red flag?

Redbook says a 2007 997.1 Turbo should cost ~$110k. Are they way off, or should I expect to be able to negotiate the carsales price down considerably?

Bang for buck, what is your opinion on appropriate spend vs. kms? What else should I be worried about?

 Thanks for your help!

[Dreamr]

Welcome ...

You certainly have chosen a hell of a Porsche as your first one! ...

The 997 Turbos you see for sale at the $150k levels are generally Automatics .. nice cars but the least desirable.

Red-book couldn’t be more wrong ... a 997 Turbo with low k’s and a manual transmission will easily run around the $200k mark ..
 

Good luck in your search ...

[CapnHyaku]

 

Echo'ing dreamr slighty: General rule I have found when I was researching 996/997 is you pay about 20% more for a coupe and another 20% for a manual.

23 hours ago, Dreamr said:

Red-book couldn’t be more wrong

Couldn't agree more.  I swear there is something fishy going on between the insurance industry and Redbook.  Make sure you get agreed value on your insurance policy!

[Shake]

Thank you both for the input!

[Goon]

Way to venture into the deep in on your first Porsche!

Redbook is an inaccurate way to estimate a cars value, especially when it comes to sports cars. Values for cars like Porsches vary wildly depending on the colour spec/trim/drive/transmission. Speaking in regards to 911s as a whole - the majority of the lower priced ones are usually first gen automatic and in conservative colours (silver, grey, black or variation thereof) usually more popular with lawyer-types, whilst the more expensive ones are usually end-of-the line ones with more exciting combinations, and appeal to the Porsche-nuts who will want the deviated stitching, the loud colour with the bells and whistle options, and as such they command more.

Work out your budget, find something that speaks to you, get a PPI and go for it!

 

In terms of what to look for - as long as the KMs aren't ridiculously high, you should be more concerned about an example that has a good service history, the fact that you're buying an relatively recent enthusiast Porsche usually means that most of them will have a good documented service history, just be wary of the identifiable known issues (I can't speak for the 997 as 987s are more my bag). Research is king, good luck!

[Shake]

5 hours ago, Goon said:

Way to venture into the deep in on your first Porsche!

Redbook is an inaccurate way to estimate a cars value, especially when it comes to sports cars. Values for cars like Porsches vary wildly depending on the colour spec/trim/drive/transmission. Speaking in regards to 911s as a whole - the majority of the lower priced ones are usually first gen automatic and in conservative colours (silver, grey, black or variation thereof) usually more popular with lawyer-types, whilst the more expensive ones are usually end-of-the line ones with more exciting combinations, and appeal to the Porsche-nuts who will want the deviated stitching, the loud colour with the bells and whistle options, and as such they command more.

Work out your budget, find something that speaks to you, get a PPI and go for it!

 

In terms of what to look for - as long as the KMs aren't ridiculously high, you should be more concerned about an example that has a good service history, the fact that you're buying an relatively recent enthusiast Porsche usually means that most of them will have a good documented service history, just be wary of the identifiable known issues (I can't speak for the 997 as 987s are more my bag). Research is king, good luck!

I appreciate the detailed, thank you.

Any tips on where to get a PPI for a purchase such as this? Should it be a Porsche specialist?

For a 2007 built car, what would you consider to be an appropriate km range (you said “not ridiculously high”)? I will be lucky to put 5000/yr on it (it’ll be my daily, I just don’t do many kms). 

[tomo]

Have you driven a turbo yet, Thats the first  thing i would be doing

[Goon]

5 hours ago, Shake said:

I appreciate the detailed, thank you.

Any tips on where to get a PPI for a purchase such as this? Should it be a Porsche specialist?

For a 2007 built car, what would you consider to be an appropriate km range (you said “not ridiculously high”)? I will be lucky to put 5000/yr on it (it’ll be my daily, I just don’t do many kms). 

The great thing about Porsche is they are fantastic daily drivers, in fact there is a school of thought that its the lower KM ones and weekenders that get the most problems. The car is made to be enjoyed! Anything over 150,000km I would have a good amount set aside for the inevitable replacement of bushings, rubbers, parts, just due to being worn out (always a good safety measure to have one anyway!)

Regarding PPI, depends where you are located. If you're around the Sydney North Shore, Autohaus Hamilton are a great mob, so is PR Tech on the northern beaches. That's the scope of my personal experience.

[Thommo66]

Good luck finding a 997 T manual for anything under 200K.   Have you considered a 996 T manual instead for less $ ?    They are both amazing cars to drive with the 997 clearly commanding a premium.  

Totally agree with with @tomo has said ... ie. go drive one first if you are sure that's what you want.  I would drive both the 996 and 997 if you can and see if it's worth the delta and within your budget.  

[Shake]

On 02/12/2020 at 20:43, Thommo66 said:

Good luck finding a 997 T manual for anything under 200K.   Have you considered a 996 T manual instead for less $ ?    They are both amazing cars to drive with the 997 clearly commanding a premium.  

Totally agree with with @tomo has said ... ie. go drive one first if you are sure that's what you want.  I would drive both the 996 and 997 if you can and see if it's worth the delta and within your budget.  

A manual is out of my price range, unfortunately! 997 T Autos seem to run for ~$140k with 80k-100k kms on the clock at the moment, which is a lot but more palatable. 

I considered the 996, but I just have an affinity for the 997. I might take your advice on test driving both though.

Cheers!

[DavidW•GT3•]

I drove a 997.1 Turbo as my second Porsche ownership experience.  Great car.  Reliable.  Super fast.  Cruise when you want,  maniac in disguise if you feel like some fun.  A real best of both worlds experience.  

Prices on red book are a load of bollocks.  Advice above re pricing accurate.  Manuals go for a premium though as they are rarer and more sought after.  

Best of luck with the search, purchase and future driving experience!  

[smit2100]

1 hour ago, DavidW•GT3• said:

I drove a 997.1 Turbo as my second Porsche ownership experience.  Great car.  Reliable.  Super fast.  Cruise when you want,  maniac in disguise if you feel like some fun.  A real best of both worlds experience.  

Prices on red book are a load of bollocks.  Advice above re pricing accurate.  Manuals go for a premium though as they are rarer and more sought after.  

Best of luck with the search, purchase and future driving experience!  

Easy up on red book prices.  They are useful, just depends on  what end of the transaction you are looking at.  So you would use car sales pricing for stamp duty / fbt valuations instead of  red book if buying privately.