Buying a car on the internet

[FleetsidePaul]

I'm about to do something stupid. (Not my first rodeo).

Car prices seem low right now and I've always wanted a 911 Porsche. The big thing is that there are none around here. There's nothing around here. So I need to go to the net. Which involves shipping and all that. But I think it's a buyers market with all this craziness going on. So I have to think. Do I roll the dice. Take a shot. I've already got the green light from my wife. I think she just wants me to shut up about it.

A little history. I tried to buy a beautiful black 911 when I was about 20 for a whopping $6000. But I didn't have the credit. I had a good job. I was making good money. I could have paid for it easily. But I hadn't established any credit yet. I was only 20 years old. I asked my dad to co-sign for me.

He flat turned me down and told me to buy a new car. Not some old car. That was one of the few, if only the one time that we really locked horns. He didn't get my perspective and I didn't see his. I always got along with my dad. And I couldn't believe it when he shut me down when I had it covered.

Fast forward many decades. I'm going to try and get one again. I guess it's been chewing at me all these years. But I won't see it until it shows up and I've already paid for it. That kind of scares me. It's an expensive car. It gives me cold feet. I guess I'm just afraid to jump in to the deep end of the pool.

It's funny. I met my wife on the internet. I bought my houses on the net. And those worked out extremely well. But this one scares me. I like to kick the tires. And I do not travel well. So I'm not going anywhere. It get's delivered.

I just have to figure out where to park it. I'm out of room. Like I said I'm not too bright.

[Killer Bee]

dibs on the Corvette!

[4u2nv]

If everything is as good as the outside of it looks , don't think you can go wrong , how many miles on it ????
Nice looking car .
Your nerves will be on edge till it lands in the laneway for sure .

[WyattTX]

As long as the seller provides decent pictures of every angle and underneath the car, I'm fine with it. There are a lot of people that will purposely take low quality pictures to hide imperfections. They may also hope you don't ask to view underneath the car, otherwise you may see the rust bucket that it truly is.

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by Killer Bee

dibs on the Corvette!

That Corvette isn't going anywhere anytime soon. They're going to bury me in that thing. I love that car.

This Porsche has 92K Which seems like a lot. But it's a 2003 So that's not too bad. And it just had a major service. Since I've retired I put something in the neighborhood of 1000 miles a year between all my cars. And I have 7 cars already. So it wont see a lot of action. It just seems like the time to move right now. The 996 model is the most hated model of 911's therefore it keeps the prices down. But the reviews of owners are great.
Seems like a deal to me. Now the devil is in the details. I just hope I can close the deal.

If not...They made a lot of them. I'll find another. I've waited 40+ years. already.

[Boog]

My employer's son once had an earlier 911 for a couple of years. It was yellow with the wide stance. Yellow is not my favorite color but that car was cool. I offered to baby sit for him. He said you'd watch my kids? I said heck NO. But I'd watch that yellow baby for sure. He never called..

[mongocanfly]

I bought a few trucks sight unseen...but I always went and picked them up with cash in hand...that gave me a way out if it wasn't as advertised...you could have it inspected if your concerned..

[Richard2112]

I couldn't say one way or the other on the purchase. My brother recently bought an El Camino and had it shipped here. It was sort of as described and he is working on it as a project vehicle so it is not a disappointment though there is some room for improvement. He's happy providing a certain amount of sweat equity to give a personal appeal and bring it up to par.
I would imagine it depends largely on what your expectations are, the value you place upon the vehicle personally and if you're generally more satisfied just driving it or knowing you have made edits and given it your own signature.

[Sheepdip]

If you google Auto Appraisers for wherever that Porsche is located, they charge a small fee to look and give you an opinion on it's value.
When you're investing big $ money this is small $ well spent.

[67C10Step]

Maintenance records? I would want to see those before I considered laying out that money. Even the small stuff costs more on the Porsche and the money and headaches you will pay out and have is usually caused by the precious owner.
I’ve always liked the 911 styling.

[old51sedan]

You didn't say as to wether it was in the US or not. My brother has always been a Porsche guy, has had over 20 of them in the last 30 years, just bought a new convertible last year. He has bought them all over the country and over seas also and never had a problem. I have bought a few cars, a VW for my wife out of NY and I'm driving a Buick Enclave that I bought in WV a few years back. That being said it would be nice if you could find someone in that area to check it out for you as you always hear horrible stories. If this is a private owner, I might ask him to send me a picture of the title and/or registration with his name, address and numbers of the car on it also. That being said be careful.
I bought that Buick from a dealer in WV and I overnighted a check to him and he overnight the title and paperwork back to me. I had shipping prices to ship, but ended up using his shipper and they shipped it to me and I had a tracking number on it also. Hope this helps.

[FleetsidePaul]

It's at a dealer right here in California. I checked the Carfax on it. It looked good. No accidents, service records look good, and it's been in California it's whole life. This dealer is right by my old house in Claremont. I bought a car from him years ago when I lived there. I had no problems. The guy was on the level. But that was different. I had cash in hand and I was there. This time I'm going to have to have to go through the bank and do it all online.

[truckster]

I bought my wife's Highlander Hybrid on the internet because everything local was way above blue book. We flew to Texas and drove it back. She's loved that car, and it gave us a nice little getaway.

I would check reviews for the dealer's reputation, and if that's good I would go for it.

[Thealien]

I have been burned twice in my 59 years, never again. Have an appraiser that knows the type of vehicle, someone local from a Porsche forum, or if nothing else have someone from here go look at it.

I will never buy another sight unseen vehicle, not even a new one.

Good luck I hope it works out for you!

[1976gmc20]

It's funny. I met my wife on the internet. I bought my houses on the net. And those worked out extremely well. But this one scares me. I like to kick the tires. And I do not travel well. So I'm not going anywhere. It get's delivered.

Well, it's good to know you that didn't kick your future wife's tires

[mongocanfly]

I was searching for aliens experience and couldnt find it quick enough..
what he went thru should convince anyone to at least have someone look at it

[Killer Bee]

rats! thought I had a lock on a cheap vette.. I could already see the ad - "need room for new car, has to go"

coincidentally, I've been to the Porsche factory in Stuttgart, pretty cool tour!

my buddy, the one I bought a boat with drunk one night, and building the $130k 6 feature pool I posted in facetruck, just bought this last year..



he's done some work to it, wheels and tires, etc.. STOOOPID fast! took me for a ride up past cook's corner in trubuco canyon, holy smokes was that fun


good luck with your new toy, please be careful!

[LS short box]

My brother has a 2003 911. One off the things that can go wrong bad is the IMS bearing. If it goes out it ruins the back of the engine block. Costs about $5000 to pull the original bearing and replace it an aftermarket kit. I'm not saying don't buy it but I would to see if has been replaced. If you search the Wheel Dealer episodes Ed did the repair on a 911.

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by Killer Bee

rats! thought I had a lock on a cheap vette.. I could already see the ad - "need room for new car, has to go"

coincidentally, I've been to the Porsche factory in Stuttgart, pretty cool tour!

my buddy, the one I bought a boat with drunk one night, and building the $130k 6 feature pool I posted in facetruck, just bought this last year..



he's done some work to it, wheels and tires, etc.. STOOOPID fast! took me for a ride up past cook's corner in trubuco canyon, holy smokes was that fun


good luck with your new toy, please be careful!

I've driven Trabuco canyon road many times on my way home to Simi Valley when the 405 was really trashed, but only in my econoboxes, sad to say.

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by Killer Bee

STOOOPID fast! took me for a ride up past cook's corner in trubuco canyon, holy smokes was that fun


good luck with your new toy, please be careful!

I know what you mean. My buddy and I took his 911 out once and he got on it. Dang that thing was fast. Check your underwear fast.

The way I drive I'll probably never get this thing out of second gear. I have fast cars but drive slow. Although I did get in a street race. (Don't tell the cops) This guy in a Mustang was trying to race me in my wife's little Abarth. Revving his motor and such. It was annoying me. We finally hit an open stretch of road and I opened up a can of whoop azz on him. That little tiny car can fly when the turbo kicks in. Bye bye. I took him to school. Don't mess with an old man in a little car. You just might get a surprise. But you know how those guys that own Mustangs are.

I know all about the IMS thing. It worries me. But I'm going to take my chances on that one. It wouldn't be the first time that a car took a giant dump on me. Fingers crossed.

[FleetsidePaul]

It's on its way...

[rsavage]

Great! Congrats. More photos when you get it home.

[dajn]

Originally Posted by FleetsidePaul

It's on its way...

Nice one. Get that happiness.

[davischevy]

Congratulations, I think, and hope.

But I'm a little hurt that you didn't come to us for approval on the last wife.

[joedoh]

I love porsches, I wanted one forever but had daughters instead. maybe they will rally and buy me one, but I am not holding my breath. 996 are very good cars! they hold up well mechanically and even if the values will (in my cruddy opinion) never approach that of the air cooled cars, that only matters to the snooty "cognoscenti". I like the boxster chassis better myself of that era cars, but again, the snooty cognoscenti...

Originally Posted by LS short box

My brother has a 2003 911. One off the things that can go wrong bad is the IMS bearing. If it goes out it ruins the back of the engine block. Costs about $5000 to pull the original bearing and replace it an aftermarket kit. I'm not saying don't buy it but I would to see if has been replaced. If you search the Wheel Dealer episodes Ed did the repair on a 911.

yes, this is a very real concern and your new purchase is right in the years and mileage that it happens. and dont drive it gingerly to prevent it from happening, short shifting and not revving the engine is thought to exacerbate the failure, lugging it at low rpms puts stress on the engine. decide on two outcomes, either you wont have the problem or you will, and get fully in that camp like LS short box says. either pony up for the upgrade, or drive it like you stole it and do the upgrade to your second engine, if you have a problem.