951 with 250K miles?

[moazam]

Hi all, what do you folks think of buying a 951 with 250K miles on it? It seems to have all records. I have not test-driven the car yet (wanted to see if it's worth the effort at 250k+ miles).

The price is somewhere in the $4k range, but again, with 250K miles I'm not sure if that's a 'deal'..., what do you folks think?

[ae1969]

Uhmmm ..... they will last a long time...

but things to note.
- when is the clutch do to be replaced $$$
- have the rod bearings been replaced (at this mileage they should be)
- has the turbo been replaced (if not it will probably need to be soon)

For 4K I would buy it....... if compression was good. But I would probably plan to spend another 2-3K on it.

[nize]

waterpump last replaced? timing belt last replaced? documentation for all of the above to prove it?

clean title? what year is the car?

has it ever been repainted? (they should never need to be repainted).

for 4k, it's pretty darn cheap though. as long as it's running okay it sounds like a good deal.

[thedge]

Make sure a compression and leakdown test is done at the PPI.

[AaronM]

If it's solid, and has a good service history, buy it for $4K, put in new rod bearings, a clutch and do a front-of-engine service and you'll have an excellent $9K 951.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally posted by nize
waterpump last replaced? timing belt last replaced? documentation for all of the above to prove it?

clean title? what year is the car?

has it ever been repainted? (they should never need to be repainted).

for 4k, it's pretty darn cheap though. as long as it's running okay it sounds like a good deal.

Other than the repainting thing I agree. These cars are built like diesel tanks, however 20-year-old paint is 20-year-old paint. Particularly on a higher-mileage car, it's going to chip, fade, crack, peel, etc. A respray alone is not a bad thing (the way I look at it, fairly fresh paint of a more "modern" composition is a helluva lot better than old paint of more primative composition).

A cheap respray I'd be wary of - usually a sign of an unscrupulous "flipper" that is trying to pass off problems. A decent-quality respray that's been done carefully and with the intention of keeping the car looking good for a long time I'd consider to be an asset, not a liability.

[carolinatrophy]

It's a tough question to answer, because there are so many variables, but I bought mine last year with 209,000 miles on it, and it now has about 230,000 (hard) miles on it, and the car still has good compression and leakdowns, doesn't smoke, and runs quick and smooth.

It leaks oil, and it has all sorts of little niggly problems, but the fundamental health of the engine is fine, and it runs and drives wonderfully.

If the car has been taken care of and not abused, the engines really do last a long, long, long time. Besides, good used engines with under 125k miles can be found from time to time under $4k. Heck, rebuilt long blocks can be bought for under $6k. So if you can get the car for somewhere in the threes, then you have a big cushion, money-wise, to replace the engine without getting in too deep.

[nize]

have you gotten this car yet? if not, i have a friend who's interested.