Compiling Questions for Used 911SC Buying
 

I am preparing to buy a 911 SC, and soon! I've found lots of posts for possible candidates, and am compiling a list of questions to send to each one. These cars are all out-of-state, so I am trying to get as much info as possible before I expend further resources in tracking these down.

I would appreciate any info on my proposed question list. Am I missing some key questions? Are some of my questions dumb? Thanks for your help!

Hello,
I saw your post on Craigslist for the <>. I've always wanted to buy a Porsche, and I am interested in this car. I live in Milwaukee, and before I put time and effort into seeing the car personally or having a local shop look at it, I would appreciate it if you can provide more information. I know this is a long list, but I am considering spending a lot of money, so I need your help to evaluate this possible purchase. Please forgive me if some of this has been mentioned in your posted information, I am trying to make a single comprehensive list. If you don't know about any of these, that's fine. I'm just trying to get as much info as possible.

How well does the car run? Is it strong under acceleration?
How are the brakes? Are the disks relatively clean? Is the brake pedal firm when pressed?
Does it always start easily? Does it start well in cold weather?
Have you been driving it frequently? If so, was it short distances or long?
Does it smoke or leak oil or other liquids?
When was the last oil change?
Is there rust or bubbling in the paint? What about in the doorjams and joints in the trunk?
How is the body? Has it ever been in an accident? Are there any dents or bumps? Are the fenders straight?
Has there ever been an engine rebuild or significant work on it?
Has there ever been a transmission rebuild or significant work?
There are a couple common issues that need to be fixed with this model year. Have the chain tensioners been replaced? Has a airbox popoff valve been installed?
Have the hoses such as oil or fuel lines ever been replaced?
How old are the tires? How is the tread? Do you know the tire model and type?
How well does it shift? Is there sticking or grinding? Any unusual noises in any gears?
What sort of service records do you have? How far back do they go?
How are the shocks? Is the ride steady? Does the car sit level?
How are the seats? Are they firm or getting lumpy with age?
Does the car have an alarm system? If so, is it fully operational?
How is the Targa top? Is it still water proof, or does it leak?
How is the sunroof? Is it waterproof? How is the ceiling liner fabric?
How is the radio and speakers? Are they original?
How is the car electrically? Do all the lights work?
How is the heater? Does the car have A/C? If so, how cold is the air? Can you run the A/C for 10+ minutes to see if it maintains its temperature?
How is the paint condition? Are there chips or scrapes? Is it faded or discoloured anywhere?
Has the car been stored outside or inside? Heated or unheated? Driven in snow? Do you know which states it has lived in?
Have there been aftermarket modifications to make the car non-stock? If so, what sorts? Do you know when they were done?
Can you please provide pictures of the car interior, engine, tires?
Is the dashboard stretched or cracked from exposure to sun?
Would you consider it safe for someone to drive 1000 miles right now?
Would you be willing to let me pay a shop local to you to do a pre-purchase inspection, at my expense?
Could I have a friend stop by to look at it? I am out of state and would like to get an opinion before paying a shop to do an inspection.
Would it be possible for you to take a video of the car with the engine running, possibly with some shots of the inside as well, and post it to youtube or email it to me?
Is there any significant or minor work you think the car requires?

If I got an email with that list of questions I would either ignore the email or possibly ask you to call me so I could more quickly answer your questions.

Many of your questions are subjective. Let's start at the top-

"How well does the car run?"

A sellers view may be different from your view. Very much open to interpretation.
What you really need are specific compression/leak down numbers.

You would be better off to narrow ot down to fewer, more specific questions-
Instead of "How is the tread?" the question should either ask for a specific tread depth number, or at least a percentage of tread remaining. With your question, any legal tire could be answered by "Good" and give you no real information.

Add some bad grammer, and sellers would think your list is part of a scam.

+1

I would use a subset of those questions to get an overall impression of what sort of owner this was. Like - "how old are the tires?" Tread depth doesn't matter much on a car that spends time in the garage. Tire age is more important.

"What lube is in the transmission, and when was the last time it was changed?"

That kind of thing - over the phone.

I like your list, to be used as an outline for yourself during a telephone interview. I agree, that if sent to a seller, it would be ignored as too much homework to be returned to you. Nobody will know if you have your list in front of you while asking questions about their car for sale. Well, Pelicans know now. :)

If I was selling my car and I received your email, I would automatically exclude you. I can sense trouble brewing..Got to be a better way...Get a local pelican to check out for you? Tim

WOW!!! I think the point that some are going to miss is that you are looking at cars you cannnot go and see, so, you are asking a myriad of questions. Since you asked, I think a better approach would be to ask for some pictures - including in the engine compartment, the bottom of the engine and the interior. I think that would answer a lot of your questions.

There are some realities though that I think you need to be prepared for. The tone of your post tells me you are looking for a car that has everything working and needs very little. Well, good luck with that. Finding clean SC's with fully functioning AC and cruise control........that is not easy. Most of us are looking for sound engines, gearboxes and rust free bodies. I got my car with a fully rebuilt engine and a near mint interior with a good paint job and I paid in the mid teens for it. But, the AC, though all there, does not function and the cruise control is not hooked up and the parts for it are not all there. Bottom line is that if you want a clean car with everything functioning - they are all $20000 cars. If I spent 3000 on my car, it could have AC and functioning cruise control and be a complete SC in above average overall condition with about $20000 in it. So, the real question is, what condition do you want to buy your car in....and what do you want to do with it after you buy it.

One thing though, please don't be one of those folks that expects to get a perfect 30 year old Porsche for $10000. It is not going to happen.........Just my 2 cents, and I am not sure it is even worth that!!

Ray

Using this for a telephone interview does sound a lot better. I think I'll pare it down to a few basics, and try to get on the phone with the owner for more info.

Having a local pelican check out the car is a great plan. If my initial telephone call comes off well, I'll see if I can have one of you guys check on it before I shell out for a PPI.

Yeah, my tone isn't really conveying what I mean. I'm really interested in the car being safe, not expensive to keep driving, and rust-free. Everything else is negotiable.

Here's my new and improved short list.

Is the car body rust-free?
Do you think its safe to drive 1000 miles right now?
Could you send me pictures of the wheels, engine, interior, and if possible, underbody?
When is a good time to call you to ask general questions and get more info?

Much better. Then arrange to have a PPI (Pre-Purchase Inspection) done by a professional.

The Pre-Purchase Inspection by Peter Zimmermann - Rennlist Discussion Forums

Thanks for the link. I bought your book a couple months ago and its been a great resource as well.

I've sent out some inquiries via email. I can't wait for responses! So excited!

If I got a list like that, I'd delete it immediately.

Yeah, I cut it down to:

Is the car body rust-free? I'd probably fly out and drive it home, do
you think its safe to drive a few hundred miles? Could you send me
pictures of the wheels, engine, interior, and if possible, underbody?

I'm not looking for a perfect car, but I need it to be safe,
rust-free, and not in need of major work.

If I like what I get back, I'll give them a call. From there I'll see if I can find someone local (a Pelican?) to check it out. If that's good, then PPI. But I won't hit them with a wall of text in my first message.

I think you are on the right track now and like no other car out there - the PPI is critical with old 911's. My opinion, the only thing not perfect about the late 70's and all the 80's Porsche 911's is the cost to rebuild the engine and tranni - you need to know what you are getting yourself into.

Good luck with your search and please let us know when you buy one - and remember - WE LOVE PICTURES :-)

Ray

Good call. Be diligent and patient and you'll find a good car, there are lots out there.

Don't buy the first one you see (like I did) :cool:

Sent you a personal msg.


Thor

I bought the first one I saw...

Due diligence is essential and so is enthusiasm--you're buying a 911 so you need both! But, I've noticed that when I have to sell a car these days, more people rely on email or texting to ask questions. One person even emailed me their number and then said don't call, only text. (Seriously?) I end up spending more time responding "digitally" than I would have making a simple phone call.

There's a lot to be said for picking up the phone and using your ears to get a good "read" on a car. And you won't waste time exchanging a bunch of emails!

Wes

Thanks for the info, I'll be sure to verify my PPI'er is watching out for that.

So I sent out 9 emails/PMs yesterday, already have some contacts back!

I'm hoping to drive a relatively short distance to lay eyes on one possible car sometime this weekend. That car is at the top end of my budget, but seeing as I shan't be able to see any of my current other options in person before I take delivery, I figured it was worth checking out.

I suspect I'll be trolling for some friendly eyes in far away cities within a week or two, in order to get some pre-PPI thoughts from pelicans. What is the best way to motivate someone for that? Obviously if I end up buying the car, its worth a beer or such.

Unless you have a verifiable invoice for cylinder head stud replacement, your PPI must include exhaust valve cover removal and inspection for broken head studs. If the covers come off plan on spending $500-600 for a PPI. If you have that repair invoice, plan on $300. I don't ever recommend a "walk-around inspection" unless it's done by an expert who can identify incorrect collision damage repairs, etc. A casual inspection might verify that the car has Carrera timing chain tensioners, or matching brand tires, or a damaged headliner. The meat & potatoes of the car are another thing entirely.

Yes on a PPI!! My recent experience looking out of state at a 911 was asking LOTS of questions with pretty general answers given - ex. - Has the suspension received any attention or upgrades? Answer - "No, but this is the best handling Porsche I've ever owned!"
First comment made over the phone to me during inspection - "Well, it has mismatched tires and one is in the wrong rotation. And they're about 8 years old..."

While we can ask away on questions and in some cases we may just get the answers we are looking for. Especially on C'list. "No Rust!" can mean no rust 'seen'' or no rust looked for... as was my case when a lift of the carpet revealed siliconed in patches. Seller mentioned something about not having 'seen' that and must've been the previous owner...