Would you buy 997.2

[tuden1]

Hello Pelican! First post, I am researching my first P car purchase!

Would you buy?

2009 997.2, 46k miles. Has very nice bolt in roll bar and 5 point harnesses. Dealer has no answers on DE or track history.

DME report shows: 428 in range 1, 0 in range 2-6. Total operating hours at 1450, hours in range 1 at 1270. I am not an expert but was this thing flogged, or driven in a spirited manner?

Another curiosity I was not able to find in any research online: The following field "M120_Misfire counter for every ignition" shows a reading of 3404. Can anyone tell me what this means?

Dealer is asking $47k but obviously would work down from there. Opinions on price if this is not a walk-away based on the above?

Thanks in advance I love the educated opinions and advice in these forums!

[Dmitry at Pelican Parts]

Welcome to the forum! - you'll be able to find a ton of useful knowledge from our members and our site's tech articles. - I would be very cautious with this car. A roll cage and 5 point harness screams track car. Make sure to get a full PPI report at a different, non bias Porsche dealer/mechanic and only consider it if it passes with flying colors. If you want me to be honest, I would look elsewhere for your first one; a used track car maybe isn't the one. I'm sure other members will chime in on this one. Best of luck and please post some pics when you finally get one


-Dmitry

[tuden1]

Thanks Dmitry!

[jmitro]

I wouldn't avoid a car just b/c it has a roll bar and harness. If the owner was enough gearhead to track it, he was likely also fastidious about mechanical maintenance. Also, modifications can usually be bought for pennies on the dollar in a car already prepped for the track

[Schwarzeritter]

There are always a catch 22 when purchasing a used car. You can only gauge things up to a certain point. Diligence regarding investigating service records, having the vehicle inspected by a dealership or a very qualified Porsche Specialist "can" but not always avoid heartbreak-road. Simply having performance bits alone do not disqualify a vehicle from a potential purchase. In general, what you are looking for cars of this nature is consistency with service intervals. It's also partly a gut instinct, the 997 in a good platform overall.

I would say that heavily modified vehicle or vehicles that have gone through intense overhauls or restoration need an experienced eye. A roll bar and harness are sublet things and the vehicle sounds to be basically a factory car. I would say that heavily modified vehicles of any type and in particular vehicles in the Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini etc class are usually not the first car you want if it is your first say "Porsche." I think you'll be happy, never rush and find the car that meets the total criterion on your list.

Happy Holidays -