Soon-to-be owner from Essex

[Niall]

Hi all, 

 

I’ve been pointed in this direction by a very friendly 987 R owner on Pistonheads so just wanted to introduce myself and hopefully benefit from some of the amazing Cayman knowledge that seems to be knocking around here!

 

I’ve wanted a Porsche ever since I was a kid and (fingers crossed) this is the year I’ll be making it happen, hopefully to coincide nicely with my 30th birthday AND a trip to Le Mans... I have a few ‘logistical’ hurdles to jump in between now and getting the keys - such as selling an aged Z4 that’s currently on the drive - but the goal is to purchase around May, just in time for my maiden trip across on the euro tunnel to watch lots of fast cars and drink lots of cheap beer!

 

I’m looking for a 987 and am focussed on either a really good 2.7 Gen 1 or - if I can find a good one within my £20k budget - a Gen 2 2.9. Trying to keep my desired spec list relatively flexible and unfussy as the market looks very small for these cars as it is, however the basics are: manual (a must), 17” wheels, I like the half leather/half alcantara seats, a subdued colour would be nice.

 

As mentioned, I’ve found the market of good looking 2.7 and 2.9 cars in the UK to be very small and prices to vary quite heavily. I’ve done my homework (quite comprehensively), but would really welcome any feedback from the people who’ve got a tonne of real-world experience with these. A few questions then: 

 

1. aside from here, pistonheads, autotrader and eBay(?)… where should I be keeping an eye out for cars?

2. What is the best place to purchase from in your opinion? I’ll be a cash buyer and am relatively clued up on common watch-outs but would still love the idea of purchasing from a specialist who’ve prepped the car. Is their surcharge worth it or would you suggest a good prodding and proper inspection with a private seller enough to reduce any risks with the benefit of a better price?

3. How do you *actually* go about taking test drives? I know people will say “try lots of cars… get a feel for what’s good and what’s not…” but in reality, am I going to come across as a time waster if I start doing that now whilst not being in a position to buy for another few months? I’m keen to get underway with what I see as phase 2 of my research - going and seeing cars in the flesh - but don’t want to be considered a timewaster… am I overthinking this?

 

thanks for reading - I’m beyond excited to get my first Porsche and hugely appreciate any words of advice and experience of this forum. 
 

PS: I was told to look out for Windy Millar’s gen 2 that will be going up for sale in May. Absolutely lovely car but I fear a bit out of my price range frustratingly!

[Hunter]

1. You might give Car and Classic a go, but otherwise Autotrader seems to reflect most other sites. List fees compared to the value of the cars are low enough, so I can't imagine many sellers don't list there.

 

2. There are buyer's rights when buying from a trader (garage, dealer) rather than an individual, which can be helpful if something does go wrong. Many also offer a warranty of some kind. For private sellers, you are normally buying "as-seen" and so, unless you have been deceived (you can prove the seller hid something from you), you normally have little recourse.

 

That said, as you mentioned, the market is small enough that you might not find the "perfect" spec from a dealer. More than that, dealer-sold does not necessarily mean well cared for or prepared. I'd personally worry more about the individual car (and inspecting it carefully) than insisting on dealer vs private. If you go private, think about pocketing the "difference" to look after anything unexpected which pops up.

 

3. This is one benefit of dealers: most are fairly relaxed about testing. Private sellers might understandably worry over test drives (and you'd need to sort out insurance).

 

My suggestion is to find a few dealer-sold cars you like (and therefore might genuinely buy), give them each a test, and venture into private sellers if they don't do it for you.

 

Personally, I don't have the time in my week to test "lots" of cars, so I only tested 2 cars and merely sat in the third (which I bought). I felt like I'd seen enough and, retrospectively, I had.

[Windymiller]

Welcome Niall to the affectionately, if unfortunately, acronymed COC 😉👍🏻
 

some sage advice from Hunter above. 
 

personally, until you’re in a position to actually buy (ie ‘logistics’ sorted) I wouldn’t test drive or you are wasting peoples (including your own) time. What if you find ‘the one’, but are unable to buy it there & then? You’d possibly be gutted… 🤷‍♂️
 

once you’re in a position to buy go and see and drive as many as you need to to assure yourself of the spec you want (eg manual, 2.7 or 2.9 etc) and until you find ‘the one’. 
 

you’ll know when you find her 😉

 

with Porkers you’ll hopefully find many of them have been / are owned by people that truly love the brand, the cars, and driving and with that you’ll find many private sellers who will have lavished their cars with every shred of care and attention they’d ever need. 
 

if you find a private one with a full, documented service history and the seller can answer all your Qs, and doesn’t mind you ‘crawling’ all over the car then there’s a good chance the car will be a great car 👍🏻
 

it’s a big decision and an equally big moment acquiring your first one after years of dreaming it from childhood (similar story for me too ☺️). I bought my 2010 987.2S manual in 2017 (incidentally planning to sell her in May next year if you were able to extend your budget 😉) and have not regretted a single mile driven in her. 

Edited January 13, 2022 by Windymiller
Correcting fat-fingered typos…

[Windymiller]

I think I looked at 8 and drove 6 (S and non-S, PDK and manual). The one I bought was the penultimate one that I’d seen eventually. 

[and.rs1800]

I’m averse to buying cars from the trade,I’d much rather buy private,especially from an enthusiast.A quick phone call will tell you a lot about the owner ,and how knowledgeable they are about their car.

I do however think it’s very unfair to test vehicles for sale privately if you have no intention of buying at that time.

I actually bought the first one I looked at,simply because I liked it.I spoke in depth to the owner on the phone ,we got on well,and the whole thing was a very pleasant experience.

 I can’t stand the trade and their “extended warranties” that aren’t worth the paper they’re written on.

good luck 👍

[Andy]

8 hours ago, and.rs1800 said:

I’m averse to buying cars from the trade,I’d much rather buy private,especially from an enthusiast.A quick phone call will tell you a lot about the owner ,and how knowledgeable they are about their car.

I do however think it’s very unfair to test vehicles for sale privately if you have no intention of buying at that time.

I actually bought the first one I looked at,simply because I liked it.I spoke in depth to the owner on the phone ,we got on well,and the whole thing was a very pleasant experience.

 I can’t stand the trade and their “extended warranties” that aren’t worth the paper they’re written on.

good luck 👍

Whilst it is nice to buy from private sales, there are some trade garages out there that will hide many issues and not really know the car they are trying to sell a person. 

That said, the flipside of that situation is also just as bad, with private sellers trying to get rid of a car they know any dealer wouldn't touch and themselves hiding all of the issues to an unsuspecting buyer... and with a private sale you have hardly any legal standing other that private cases to try and fight anything which cost a small fortune. 

As far as I would be concerned, anyone regardless of private or trade sales should expect any prospective buyer to do their due diligence and have the car looked at by a third party if they aren't sure of the pit falls themselves.