Buying a boxster - Walk me through the PPI process

[maytag]

my opinion? (since you asked for opinions, haha)

I can't understand why anyone would pay for a PPI on a 20-yr-old car worth $6k. it makes no sense to me.

talk to the owner, see what he knows. See if you think you can trust him. Ask him to facetime with ya and show you everything marginal on the car, first making sure he knows you don't expect the car to be perfect.

Be trustworthy, and you'll find most people are the same. rarely has this proved to be untrue for me. (though yes, it has happened that someone took advantage of me. On this forum, no less!)

I've bought a lot of cars & Motorcycles in my day (I think the latest acquisition is # 78?) and I still have yet to ever ask for a PPI, or to see a service-history on a car.

If I were selling a $6k car and someone asked me to send it for a PPI, I'd probably have a laugh at their expense. Sure, I'd do it if they paid for it, I guess. But they're going to learn a hell of a lot more from talking to me about the car than they will from some poor schmuck who you're paying $300 to nit-pick at a 20-yr-old car worth $6k. (see the theme here?)

But that's just my $0.02. And it's probably only worth half that. haha. :dance:

[Qingdao]

Originally Posted by maytag

my opinion? (since you asked for opinions, haha)

I can't understand why anyone would pay for a PPI on a 20-yr-old car worth $6k. it makes no sense to me.

talk to the owner, see what he knows. See if you think you can trust him. Ask him to facetime with ya and show you everything marginal on the car, first making sure he knows you don't expect the car to be perfect.

Be trustworthy, and you'll find most people are the same. rarely has this proved to be untrue for me. (though yes, it has happened that someone took advantage of me. On this forum, no less!)

I've bought a lot of cars & Motorcycles in my day (I think the latest acquisition is # 78?) and I still have yet to ever ask for a PPI, or to see a service-history on a car.

If I were selling a $6k car and someone asked me to send it for a PPI, I'd probably have a laugh at their expense. Sure, I'd do it if they paid for it, I guess. But they're going to learn a hell of a lot more from talking to me about the car than they will from some poor schmuck who you're paying $300 to nit-pick at a 20-yr-old car worth $6k. (see the theme here?)

But that's just my $0.02. And it's probably only worth half that. haha. :dance:

I agree, I guess I'd draw the line at a $40 000 used car. Can't imagine what car I'd get into used at 40k.


Most (I mean all) shops are for profit businesses. Other than keeping a good reputation as a reliable shop, what profit will they see in diagnosing a bunch of stuff with a car that has 0 possibility of buying ANYTHING? No motivation their. So from a business perspective they are going to do a subpar job. Not because the shop is crooked or evil, but rather the business world is motivated by incentive and there is none here.

[maytag]

Originally Posted by Qingdao

I agree, I guess I'd draw the line at a $40 000 used car. Can't imagine what car I'd get into used at 40k.

I've purchased (3) used cars over that mark (including the.... ahem.... F-car ;-) ) and still did not ask for a ppi.

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[78F350]

Getting a PPI really depends on who you are and your expectations of the car. Maytag and I like to buy things hoping that we can find some work to do to make them better. ...then Maytag will break it again anyway just to have more fun. Many people don't have the desire to find these special gifts. They buy a car and want it to work as it was designed, or at least know what needs to be fixed before the buy the car.

[maytag]

Originally Posted by 78F350

Maytag and I like to buy things hoping that we can find some work to do to make them better. ...then Maytag will break it again anyway just to have more fun.

Somebody gets me! haha

[thstone]

Originally Posted by 78F350

...then Maytag will break it again anyway just to have more fun.

Best thing that I've read in a month!

[Qingdao]

Not gonna lie, I generally buy stuff right before it hits the junkyard. So I guess PPI isn't in my bag. I should bow out of this topic.


There was one time I literally bought a junkyard (at least everything in it). A Honda shop was closing down and I got their junkyard. No PPI I was pretty sure it was all junk LOL