kenlarsen Posted 28May, 2014 Report Share Posted 28May, 2014 Just joined this excellent forum and love the wealth of information. I have JUST been given the go-ahead from the boss (the one at home) to purchase my first 911 (<$100.000). I have read most of the discussions about 996, 997, 997.2 etc. and my budget is likely to see me with a 997. However, I was wondering how you go about actually buying the right car while avoiding major pitfalls. I am from Sydney and have been looking at carsales.com.au and the major Porsche dealers. I have a few potential candidates but the guides out there suggest things like getting a good warranty and a professional inspection. I am not a car expert by any means (so far motorbikes have been my motoring fun). Would you have any suggestions on where to get a good warranty or where to get an inspection done and if it is worth while. I see a few guys got their first P recently. How much did you check it out before finally deciding and did you get professional assistance? Is there a place where P enthusiasts exchange cars that are known to be ok? I'm also considering doing a cliff-to-coast to get a feel for a few different models. Sorry if this has been discussed many times before, but it seems that the more you read the more careful you get. But I REALLY want that first Porsche and I can barely wait :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveF Posted 28May, 2014 Report Share Posted 28May, 2014 Welcome Ken. This is the fun bit, searching for your first Porsche. I spent over a year working out what I wanted (and could afford!). I drove quite a few cars, joined this fabulous forum, talked to lots of people and learnt as much as I could about the cars - the good, the bad and the ugly. Then I knew the difference between a good and a bad car and the ongoing costs. I am not a car expert either but there is such a wealth of knowledge out there so just keep asking questions. You will find that we are all happy to talk about our cars. Once you have driven a few and found your car, you should do a pre purchase inspection (PPI). I did one at Autohaus Hamiltons on the Northern Beaches and another at Autowerks on the Central Coast. Both were fantastic and spent the time to go through the cars in detail and explain everything to me. Doing a PPI will give you peace of mind and help you avoid any potential money pits! You are more than welcome to come along to our next SMT to meet the Sydney crew. Good luck with your search. You won't regret buying one. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazzieman Posted 28May, 2014 Report Share Posted 28May, 2014 If you haven't already ; best of luck with your quest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hugh Posted 28May, 2014 Report Share Posted 28May, 2014 1. Find a 997 that you like 2. Take it for a drive 3. If you like it get a PPI (independent inspection). Based on the outcome of this you may walk away or renegotiate price 4. If you don't buy the car repeat steps 1-3 As above get in touch with Autohaus Hamilton for a PPI, they seem to be the go to guys for you Sydney siders. Best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pabloau Posted 28May, 2014 Report Share Posted 28May, 2014 + 1 on all of the above, Above all get a P.P.I - this is non-negotiable........ especially when the minister of War & Finance is involved..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tit Posted 28May, 2014 Report Share Posted 28May, 2014 If you're not wed to coolant, maybe check out 993s as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveT Posted 28May, 2014 Report Share Posted 28May, 2014 Yes don't rule out air cooled Porsches. There are a few if us on here that started with water cooled and are embracing air cooled in an evolutionary process of Porsche maturity. Check out good 964 and 993 if you can find one for sale. Might be worth the look, and the wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenlarsen Posted 28May, 2014 Author Report Share Posted 28May, 2014 Thank you very much for your advice! I will definitely get a PPI done once I find proper candidates. And, I will immediately stop discriminating against aircooled models :-) It seems the journey has just begun even though I finally got the go ahead. Going to a SMT would be great, although the guidelines do indicate that they are somewhat crowded by non-P drivers already. Not knowing anyone with a P (in Australia) I will resort to dealers, hire etc. for drives, which is fine. What a strange feeling - I want is NOW but it has to be the right one. Hmm, off to more '996 turbo vs. 997 S vs wait for 997.2 vs aircooled' procrastination ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michel Posted 28May, 2014 Report Share Posted 28May, 2014 Ken All good advice above , particularly aircooled If you find out when a local group to you, are going out tag a long and ride shotgun; some are likely to let you have a drive - good way to get a feel and meet some locals Cheers michel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterP Posted 28May, 2014 Report Share Posted 28May, 2014 Good luck with the search, all of the above is totally relevant......can't wait to see what you end up,with as I would love a 997 as well. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevMcRev Posted 28May, 2014 Report Share Posted 28May, 2014 Try to drive a 997, 996TT/996GT3 & 993 before deciding...you might be surprised! There are a number of things to consider beyond just the driving experience too... The more modern 997 comes with the IMS question mark and faster depreciating value. The 996TT and GT3 have NO IMS issue, and aren't really dropping much in value, not the GT3 anyway. The 993 will likely increase in value over time. But they are all great cars, and at the end of the day, the one that makes you feel best to drive, to sit in, even to look at in your garage...that is the right car for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavn Posted 28May, 2014 Report Share Posted 28May, 2014 Hi Ken Firstly - welcome to the world of Porsche ownership. Take your time & look and drive as many as you can before purchase. I'd add Cavaco's at Glebe for a PPI (a must) venue - I've been going there for about 10 years now and recently had 5 ppi's done there & can say they're quite thorough & will tell you exactly how it is. Another thing that no one has mentioned is a specialised paint inspection. I've found that having a paint expert go over the car can reveal exactly what's been done to the body work and to what standard. I'd recommend David at 'Reflect Effect' for this (they're based in Parramatta and are fantastic to work with). It's worth spending a few hundred extra & mechanics are not body specialists - regardless of what they might think or say. I've got a few cars that you might like to look at & you're welcome to come down and spend as much time as you like with them - & under no pressure to buy given they're not for sale. [you can crawl all over and poke around a 997S, 996C4S, 993 & an older C3.0 in exchange for a coffee]. We're about 50min south of Sydney should you be interested. Gavin Edit - I just read Michael's post above a little more carefully & think it's a great idea. You're welcome to come out & ride shotgun with me any time you like, which would give you a minimum experience of 3 out of the 5 cars we have, regardless of client numbers on the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenlarsen Posted 2June, 2014 Author Report Share Posted 2June, 2014 I wanted to thank you all again for great advice. And a special thank you to Gavin! This Sunday Gavin took me for a 6.5h ride around the spectacular winding roads, beaches and forests south of Wollongong. I had the privilege to drive his 993 Tiptronic, 996 4S manual and 997 S manual (all coupes). Having a couple of hours in each (we swapped cars and Gavin led the way) gave me a great idea of how they compare. At an intuitive level of course since I know little about Porsches. Driving in a way that I can only characterise as 'highly spirited' I got a good feel for the way the cars handled. Being a somewhat drizzly slippery day, with a few dry spells, we of course had to take the added 'excitement' into account. But in a way that accentuated the differences between the handling of the different models. Looking for my first Porsche, however, I have to say up front that owning any of these cars would be an absolute pleasure. The difference between these cars pales in comparison to not having one. A quick layman's summary: The 993 (1996) was my first drive with automatic + tiptronic gear. I was quite surprised how responsive the gear change was, and it quickly became second nature. The car felt and sounded awesome, had plenty of power and looked spectacular. After showing the photos at home this is my wife's favourite. The car did not feel dated at all, and the interior frankly was more than I expected. One thing that struck me was that in any of the cars the interior quickly disappears when you start moving. Then it is all about the driving. After the 993, the 996 in the 4S (turbo) livery has quite a luxurious interior and I felt very much at home. It also seems a bit more roomy than that of the 993. With a sports exhaust it promises a lot as soon as the key is turned. The growl really put a smile on my face (as well as the people around us). Twisty roads, hardly any traffic, spirited driving and 4S means serious G's and a great comfort zone. Even in slippery conditions with damp roads and leaves on the ground this car simply sticks to its business. Even when on the edge it is easy as pie to catch. Great stuff. Finally, the 997 was slightly different again. Not having the sports exhaust it produces a more subtle growl. But that is deceiving. Absolutely massive low end power changes into a mighty roar around 5K and above (windows down of course). I can understand if some would feel that it has maybe too much power for ones own good. But it is great fun (!) and actually quite manageable after some practice. The interior is the most luxurious of the 3, but it really is not a big deal IMO. The sound system may be better and there is a screen for GPS etc. But I really could not hear the subtle differences of the sound systems since all 3 cars had serious background 'noise'. Apart form the obvious engine music, the cars actually have lots of wind and other driving noise. Great for feedback. Not so great if you want to be a stereo critic. So, thanks to Gavin's great lead I got to experience Porsches for the first time and under great conditions. Now I am even more set on getting one. I got a lot of feedback from Gavin's experience with buying the 5 he has in his stable. My preference would probably be the 997 S (I have not tried the 996TT yet), but I suspect I will grab the first one that has 'Ken' written on it. On the way home in my 4 wheel drive with the works it struck me that I did not have to change gears, or turn the lights on, or the wipers, or anything. I could not really tell what speed I was going either. The Porsches let me do something I had not done in a long time and that I used to love - drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveT Posted 2June, 2014 Report Share Posted 2June, 2014 Lucky that you are a PFA member and got to drive those awesome cars! Top marks to Gavin for sharing also. I sold my last car, a BMW, because I didn't feel I was driving the car. Auto everything. Like yourself on the way home in the 4X4 with everything automatic, it's like playing PlayStation compared to driving a Porsche with manual transmission and no auto wipers or headlights. Proper driving. For people who like to drive a car not the other way around. Good luck with the search, keep us informed as to how it's progressing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Harold Posted 3June, 2014 Report Share Posted 3June, 2014 Different people like different things in cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevMcRev Posted 3June, 2014 Report Share Posted 3June, 2014 What a great introduction! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveT Posted 3June, 2014 Report Share Posted 3June, 2014 Different people like different things in cars. We sure do! Lots of choices these days too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion03 Posted 4June, 2014 Report Share Posted 4June, 2014 +1 Gavin you are a great guy. And Ken, I got the 997 because I wanted the modern ABS and Traction control, after years of driving an Elise (14 years) I came to realise that I needed the driving aids due to lack of driver skill. i.e. if you are tired and just bumming along home and someone pulled out in front of you the modern ABS etc might just save your skin. Anyway that's my 2 cents. Looks like you had a great time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike D'Silva Posted 19July, 2014 Report Share Posted 19July, 2014 such a cool thread.. great experience.. well done. Can't wait to see your new purchase which surely cannot be that far away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
14adrnln Posted 19July, 2014 Report Share Posted 19July, 2014 Hi Ken. As a newbie to Porsche ownership, I really appreciate and understand every comment in this thread. As you may have read in prior threads, I ended up opting for a 997.2S. Like yourself I started with a budget <$100k and wanted something not too outdated so looked seriouly at 997's and a manual stock 2005 was my first test drive and I absolutely loved it and thought it was breathtaking...... until (just to be sure) I decided to maybe take a test drive in a 997.2 S and I can't put into words how different these 2 cars were. Admitedly the later was another $35k over my budget but the differences/advantages were worth every cent to me personally. The actual cockpit comfort and car feedback was a big part of it and I have never sat in a car and after some minor electric seat adjustments it felt like the car fitted me like the most comfortable glove. 3 weeks later and 3000km's, it still feels amazingly comfortable. At the end of the day, I wanted to walk into my garage and see the most inviting ride sitting there that I could practically afford. I also didn't want to get to a situation of wishing "if only" in a year or two time by settling for second best. I have no regret at the extra expenditure. Totally agree with the inspection comments...body and mechanical a must. Good luck and can't wait to see the dream. Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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