How to arrange PPI

[BoxerBill]

At some point, I expect I will be traveling to some distant city to look at a car. I will want to get a PPI for that car.
Assuming I knock on seller’s door; look at the car; and then say “I’d like to get a PPI”.
Can anybody layout the logistics as to how a PPI should be arranged, both with the seller and with the mechanic?
I assume it should be a mechanic of my choosing (not his). But how does one set this up?
Relevant questions?
Does the car owner drive the car to my chosen mechanic?
If so, how far distance is reasonable.
How is scheduling done? Upon my contacting a mechanic, will he just say “come on by whenever you are ready”? Or do I need to make an appointment.
How do you ’normally’ arrange doing this between two strangers? (me and the seller)
Any description of how you did it yourself would be greatly appreciated, along with any other instructions and advice..

Thanks.

[amg463]

If it’s a good car at a good price it will be sold before you arrive, let alone have a PPI done.

[racer]

All negotiable.

How familiar are you with the car in question? How much of a "PPI" can you do on your own when you come look at a car. I always keep this in mind and "bulk up" before hand. Bring a magnet, magnifying glass, flashlight, latex gloves, paint gauge etc.

Sometimes there are no shops near a buyer.. sometimes there are several.. Some shops are shying away from PPIs as buyers want to treat them as some perfect warranty vs the realization is that you are buying a used car. Not everything will be caught.

How complete are the records of the car you are buying. If pretty complete and detailed, I might skip a PPI. If a carfax history with 5 owners, I might want a second set of eyes.

If I was buying a 986/996 for instance, I'd want someone to pull the oil filter and cut it open looking for loose metal shavings. If I was buying a 944 I might ask when the clutch was done. If its 10+ years old I might be worried about old rubber fuel lines, brake, gas lines, belts, tires, Suspension bushings etc.

All that said.. Once you and a seller come to some agreements.. "price contingent upon PPI" or "I'll give you $1K to hold it pending a PPI.. " etc.

As mentioned, if its already a good car at a good price, sometimes you just have to be ready to buy and worry about typical "used car issues" later..

I've used the sellers shop on occasion.. I've offered to a buyer 2-3 local shops I would be willing to drive my car to and have them inspect it etc. It can be very fluid depending on how the seller and buyer are getting along.. If the seller has had 10 people come look but no one calls back and they just want it gone. Others may even mention as a seller they've had a PPI done and shop noticed items x,y and Z that will need attention soon.

[Vaive]

With the exception of a car I bout for $2500, I have always had a PPI on used cars. Even CPOs. It's $200 to save potentially thousand in repairs. Or of there is a warranty, like in the case of a CPO, save time and headaches.

Conversely, when I've sold cars, I always say right upfront, I will be happy to arrange a PPI and work to make that happen.

I never get why some people are so opposed to them.

Having said that will a PPI find every single little issue? Probably not. But it will tell a buyer whether it's a good car or a "run and never look back" car. And for someone like me, who loves go drive cars, but is not at all mechanically inclined, it's the only way to give me that answer. I could bring all the magnets and magnifying glasses I can find and I stil won't really know what I'm looking at

To the OP: in my experience, the good mechanics are booked well in advance and don't usually have a spot open last minute. A good thorough PPI will take several hours. I'd say call around a few and ask for their schedule. Maybe set some tentative appointments, you can always cancel.

[racer]

While not Porsche specific, it does hit on the issues (Thats you, OP) might be struggling with:

https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/how-do-you-get-pre-purchase-inspection-buying-used-257963

Hey Doug (and Marvin):

I've noticed that in many of your stories of purchasing vehicles, you've mentioned having inspections done pre-purchase of vehicles that have been located a distance away. How do you find someone to do those inspections? Can any of those random companies I find when I search "vehicle pre-purchase inspection" with websites filled with stock pictures of cars be trusted?

Sammy, you've asked an excellent question, and it gives me a chance to cover one of the most interesting parts of buying a car, especially one that's located far away. But, before I do, I'd like to draw everyone's attention to the fact that Sammy didn't just address this email to me but also to Marvin, my stuffed anteater. This shows that Sammy is a true fan, although I must announce, in the interests of full disclosure, that Marvin cannot personally respond, because he's a stuffed anteater.

Anyway, onto the question.

If you've never purchased a car from a faraway seller before, you might wonder how you go about setting up a pre-purchase inspection. It's very difficult. In fact, I consider this to be the single most difficult part of purchasing a used car out of state, unless of course, you buy it from one of those sellers who named the vehicle and wants a picture of your garage to make sure it's "going to a good home."

Here's how it usually works, Sammy. First, you call the seller and determine you really like the car in question. Fine. That part's easy. I really like most cars in question, unless they're the original Audi Allroad.

Next, you assess the seller's location and the car's proximity to a mechanic you trust or one who's recommended to you by a local owner of a similar car. For example, if you're buying a Ferrari in Utah and you live in California, go on the Ferrari forums and ask for a mechanic recommendation in Utah. If you're buying an original Audi Allroad in Connecticut and you live in Virginia, go on the Audi Allroad forums and ask for a mechanic recommendation in all the major cities between Connecticut and Virginia. You get the idea.

Next, you begin a game of telephone that doesn't end until your brain becomes so worn out it develops the same consistency as a throw pillow.

Here's what you do: You call the seller and announce you want the car inspected. Then, you call the mechanic and announce you have a car you need inspected. Next, you must attempt to coordinate the schedules of these two entities: a seller, who doesn't want to be bothered to take the car to a mechanic, and a mechanic, who would rather work on cars and make money than talk to some idiot on the phone, located 2,000 miles away, who will never again provide him with repeat business. If you're lucky, they'll talk to each other and figure out a time they can both get together. You're rarely lucky.

Next, you have to convince the seller to actually bring the car to the mechanic. I once tried to buy a Ferrari in Tucson, Arizona, and I got the first part taken care of. The mechanic and the seller set a time, and after 37 back-and-forth phone calls and I thought the whole thing was done, the seller refused to actually transport the car 4 miles to the mechanic's facility. I'm serious. This actually happened. He told me: You want the inspection, you transport the car. Meanwhile, I was sitting in my living room in Atlanta, wondering if I would actually have to fly across the country to drive a car 4 miles.

Hopefully, by some amazing, incredible, insane stroke of luck, you can actually persuade the seller and mechanic to agree on a date and convince the seller to bring the car to the mechanic for an inspection. Finally, you have the mechanic call you when the inspection is over and give you the results. You pay with a credit card over the phone.

Interestingly, even if you do all this legwork, you'll sometimes find that the inspection didn't catch everything. I once had a Porsche 911 Turbo inspected by a well-respected dealership in Florida, which gave it a relatively clean bill of health. I flew down to Florida, bought the car and discovered it needed a new clutch for $5,000. With that said, I've also had the opposite experience. Greenwood Hummer in Youngstown, Ohio, inspected my Hummer before I bought it and easily found all the trouble spots, so I knew exactly what to expect.

However, this is all a lot of work. Here's what I usually do, Sammy. I don't bother with a pre-purchase inspection. I didn't get one on my Viper, I didn't get one on my S-Cargo, I didn't get one on my Skyline and I didn't get one on my Ferrari. Instead, I have a different tactic now: I only buy cars from people I trust. I usually ask the seller an enormous amount of questions to really figure out why the car's being sold, what issues have come up during ownership and how it's been maintained. Ask the right questions, and you'll start to feel better about the whole thing, and my Viper, Ferrari, Skyline and S-Cargo didn't have any unseen issues.

I wish I'd used this strategy with the guy selling that Ferrari in Tucson. Instead of going with my gut (the kind of guy who won't drive his car 4 miles isn't the kind of guy you should buy a car from), I paid for the pre-purchase inspection. The car needed $12,000 in immediate repair work. I passed on the car, and then, the seller had to do the unthinkable: drive it 4 miles back home.

And remember, unless the car in question is your "unicorn", there is always another car out there if things just cant be worked out.

[racer]

An OP, considering you are out here on Pelican, there just might be another Pelican near you willing to help out - see the car first for you, give you local shop recomendations etc.

[BoxerBill]

Lots of good thoughts on this weird, balancing act issue. (as always from Pelicaners).
Thanks, to all.
Racer; Yeah, that artical really does nail the situation.

[pingpong]

all of the above, but boy when you arrive and fall in love with the car most/all fly out of the window. And you struggle to control yourself, good or bad i never learned to say, thanks and appreciated showing your car and your time but i think about it overnight.