I’m late to the discussion and most of the key points have been hit. One question to consider Paul, if you start getting into car and finding parts that need replacement (and you will) is your friend going to reimburse you? Even if you DIY the parts will add up quickly. Something to consider at least.

If it were me I would replace the battery, do a full major service, I would be willing to bet tires, and then see where things are at. Make sure you check the tire date codes, most Porsches have ancient tires with good tread because they are rarely driven. It would probably be wise to have a mechanical PPI check done including a leak down check. These cars are solid overall but there’s always a chance, best to eliminate that concern.

With regards to value, the cab always takes a big backseat to the coupe in the 911 world. It would be helpful to know options or at least have some interior pics to start figuring out what it has on it. The 997 was offered with a lot of options which can make a big difference in value.

Mike and OWP, thanks.

Steve and I are very honest with each other. He will pay for all parts and service. My time is free.

I have been very upfront with him about the condition of the car. He can’t drive it or sell it as is. I’ll be involved whether I buy it or not.

That really is the reason I have suggestioned bringing it to the farm: get some insight, baseline it, buy it or sell it. I am not hard over on the car at all.

If was a Targa, however...;)

Treats cars poorly is all relative. I think I would rather a car that maybe has it's oil changed a little bit longer than it should than a car that is used as a drag car on the street. I would recommend a PPI. Before even doing that, as mentioned check the tail pipes for soot, listening for ticking after running a minute or two, check the water pump for leakage or play and if possible, get a durametric on it and check the cam deviations (don't know what it means, but there is a range it should fall into). When running, pull the oil cap. Should come off freely, if not due to pressure; could be a failing AOS. These are just the easy things to check before a PPI. I wouldn't bother with scoping the cylinders if he car passes the above.



I am on my second M96 motor now with two separate cars. They have both run flawlessly.

Damn near every car on the planet will have carbon on the tailpipes unless they have been diligently cleaned with steel wool or a similar abrasive. That’s not really indicative of anything.

So, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware or DC folks, any recommendations on a PPI purveyor, a thorough look at what needs to be done?

It is clear to me that I simply do not have the knowledge. This one would be on me.

Thanks in advance.

Unless it's got rust or is burning oil, a Porsche is probably the best car to handle being treated poorly.

I would not let the body work and paint scare me off. I would take it into account in terms of reduced value, but someone who would enjoy the car from behind the wheel will not enjoy it any less due to wear or neglect. It's really all about finding the right owner for the car, and the job is done.

No advice, but good on you for taking care of your friend.

I’m sure he appreciates it.

Maybe Rick will chime in, I know he lived in NOVA. I graduated in McLean and my folks are there but I am pretty sure my dad still uses the stealership for his BMW's but I can ask him tomorrow.

Here, let me google that for you:

https://rennlist.com/forums/991/1065778-best-indy-porsche-service-shops-in-nova-area.html

Looks like pretty horrible choices, to be honest. I wouldn't even bother...the car is what it is. Why spend a ton of $$ on diagnostics and take it 100 miles away when you can just put a battery in it, check the oil on the dipstick and drive it?

No need to rush a PPI in your situation. Like OWP says, just clean it up, fresh gas, service, tires and drive it for a while being chauffeur. A PPI would be useful if you had to decide on buying the car on the spot from a person you don't know. I wouldn't bother with a PPI if it runs well for you for significant miles and doesn't burn oil. Maybe take it on a road trip or two once you gain confidence.

G

I agree Aigel and Denis.

Denis, sorry for not calling...been nuts!

If it was a 4S cab, I'd ask Paul for 1st right of refusal when/if he passes.

N.B. There is no physical dipstick. It is an electronic one which shows the oil level on the dash.

IMHO, a PPI would get a base knowledge of what needs to be addressed now. An oil analysis would also be helpful as well to determine the state of the engine. At the very least do an oil change and split open the oil filter to see if any metallic particles can be seen. Might be indicative of a failing IMS bearing. Also check for radiator fluid leaks around the overflow bottle and location of the water pump. The overflow bottle is a known weak point and is susceptible to failure. Some consider a water pump replacement to be a PM matter for higher mileage cars.

Guess it all depends on how comfortable one is in managing possible risks with an unknown state of the car. Perhaps the 997.1 has a bad rep, but like stated before, there are plenty of 997.1's being abused that are robust and giving their owners plenty of smiles. For me, it'd be nice to get some solid data before deciding how to approach the refreshing of the car.

I used to use RPM in Lorton, Near Ft Belvoir and Mt. Vernon. (I've moved to Freedom so don't use them anymore)

Family owned, father / son. Good guys.

My .02... make sure the hydraulic rams and other parts of the soft top are not leaking.
That gets expensive very fast. The rams can be obtained aftermarket but when replaced it requires syncing everything so the top goes up/down in the correct planes and closes. I bet I spent over 4K fixing mine. No joke

Edit:
Just saw Denis' post above. From the Rennlist link: I've also used Autobahn. Its over near Fairfax outside of 495. They did good work on my 911E with good price. It was just not a great location so when you pick up at end of day you are in the middle of the worst traffic area.

When I was selling my E, a potential buyer sent me to Intersport Performance near Tysons for PPI. They found so many flaws, to the point I was skeptical about driving the car home. My take was they were not into daily drivers and as such my car wasn't worth gracing their shop.

Everything I have seen on bore scoring mentions checking the tailpipe.. Always talking about this on the 996 reenlist board. Agree, tail pipes get dirty.

Flat Six Innovation Symptoms of Bore Scoring:

One tailpipe more sooty than the other(this is often thought to be related the the failure occurrence, but it actually is a symptom of the equation that creates this failure!)
Sooty tailpipes are more common on the driver’s side of 996/997 cars, but can happen on either side if the issue is limited to one bank of cylinders. In situations

and
Sooty tailpipes are more common on the driver’s side of 996/997 cars, but can happen on either side if the issue is limited to one bank of cylinders. In situations where both cylinder banks have one or more failing cylinders, both tailpipes, or even the bumper may have signs of soot deposits.

Seriously, thank you all. You have all been very kind with your advice and council.

The battery has been a constant source of pain for over a year. My plan is to get a battery or have the battery looked at by AutoZone (they do a great job on my farm equipment batteries - I now have 8 battery tenders working full time in the winter:cool:) and get the thing here. I have nice, concreted barn space to do the work.

Clean it up, then start the mechanical and electrical systems checks. As a former operational flight test guy in the Navy, I'll document everything on the major systems, including the top.

I'll also drive it once the right fluids are changed. I had a great chat with Speeder this morning and have an idea of what needs to be done in addition to all the great input above.

As I have written, I am not in lust with this car. If it was a different color I'd just help him sell it and be done. But I like it and if I can do a few months of eval followed by a detailed PPI should I decide to buy it, I'll feel good either way: buy from, or sell for, Steve.

The other thing, important, is that at my age no one can accuse me of having a "mid-life" crisis with a convertible...that car has left the station :D

Any additional inputs, I am all ears.

I would bite the bullet and replace the battery Paul. A weak or failing battery will create all sorts of weird issues on these cars. Shouldn’t be too expensive at Autozone or another auto parts stores.

Batteries are crazy expensive these days, double what they were 2 years ago. The rational thing to do is have the battery charged and tested, replace if it fails a load test. Batteries are simple things.

Batteries either take a charge and pass a simple test or they do not. There is no in-between.

Keep in mind that Raby made a lot of money scaring people about the IMS and bore issues.

Put a battery in it and drive it hard. They dont like to be babied. Denis knows whats up