Build vs buy, which will make me less poor?

[tcoradeschi]

Looks like a pretty comprehensive list to me. Did the car come with any service records? Some of what you’re listing - oil & filter, for instance - would not make sense to spend time and energy on, if it was done recently.

[Nickanator8]

So I originally posted some pics but they were HUGE! Here is a link to the Imgur album instead: https://imgur.com/a/jTHw5pq

The car came with no service history, and honestly even if it had I would still want to do all of the basic fluid changes just to reset everything to a known date.

More updates are on their way!

[Nickanator8]

Ok guys, I've driven the car around a bit and I have some new issues that need to be addressed beyond what I've already mentioned.

Sometimes, the 4th gear light and drive light on the dashboard will flash in an alternating pattern. I've found another thread here that discusses the issue but I'm not quite sure what the best course of action is to address it, or if it is even an issue at all.

The fuel gauge only goes up to about half full. I bought it with a basically empty tank, put 14.5 gallons in, and the needle is only showing about half a tank. It's not a major issue as it clearly works fine on the part of the half that matters, but still something I would want to address.

On startup there seems to be a bit of white smoke that comes out of the exhaust. It only happens right at the beginning of starting up the car and dissipates quickly. I have not done any research on this issue yet but plan on doing so soon.

There seems to be an occasional fuel smell on startup or on shutoff, again, I haven't really dug into this issue much yet and it seems intermittent. I'm not seeing any obvious leaks under the car so that's nice.

Finally, I gave the car a wash and it actually looks really good for the age, and way better than I thought it would. It turns out that much of what I thought was hail damage, scratches, or scrapes was just dust and debris! The body is not free of issues though, as every single panel has some kind of paint damage. It's mostly rock chips and from 5-10 feet it looks fine, especially with a fresh coat of wax. Not a show car by any means, but I think the guy who sold it to me could have asked for more if it had just been clean.

Last little update, the MoF is warming up to the car quite a bit. She is still concerned about the fuel smell and some of the other issues but we went on a top-down cruise during the golden hour last night at a local wildlife refuge and it was wonderful. No photos because we were mostly doing it to warm up the car and hopefully identify the fuel smell issue but we both are thinking I got a pretty damn good deal.

[78F350]

Originally Posted by Nickanator8

...Sometimes, the 4th gear light and drive light on the dashboard will flash in an alternating pattern. I've found another thread here that discusses the issue but I'm not quite sure what the best course of action is to address it, or if it is even an issue at all. ...

I have not had a serious problem with a Tiptronic, so I have not gone deep into it. I have had the flashing D-4 ('limp mode') a couple times. Once was a shift lever that had been damaged and did not position correctly to the Drive position, the other was low voltage from a weak battery. Find out what is wrong before putting a lot of miles on.

I'd recommend using a code scanner that can read transmission codes on Porsche. I use an older Autel which I like because it works on a wide variety of cars and doesn't require a computer. Foxwell seems like a popular one now and Durametric is recommended by many. I don't have a recommendation other than making sure that it can read Porsche specific modules and that it provides information that YOU can understand and use.

[Nickanator8]

I took some pictures.







Enjoy!

[Nickanator8]

Ok guys, I've been driving the car quite a bit over the last few days and I've identified some issues I feel need to be worked out, and I'd love some input from the community veterans.

First off, the seats feel too narrow for both myself and my partner. Neither of us are big people, I weigh in at 160lbs and 5'11" and she is only about 100lbs and 5'4" and yet the seats still seem kind of narrow and uncomfortable.

There is a set of 987 seats for sale near me that I've considered buying to swap in, but I'm not sure if they would actually be any more comfortable. I think we are mostly looking at a slightly wider seat that still has some bolstering for the twisty corners we have enjoyed visiting. The only other requirement is that they must be heated because this car is going to see some winter driving and heated seats help a lot. So yeah, any seat recommendations?

Beyond that, the suspension is creaky and needs a bit of a refresh. I need some advice on what the best course of action might be for my ultimate goals with this car. I do not want to lower the car at all. There are a lot of speed bumps in my area, potholes, and generally poor road conditions. Because of this, basically all coilover setups are not really an option. With that in mind, what would be the best way to refresh the suspension? Should I buy new shocks and keep the old springs or is there another direction I should go?

Beyond that, the car seems to be running great! It's got fresh oil in the engine and other maintenance items are on the list. I'm really excited to get this car fully refreshed and healthy.