Out of Region Purchasing Assistance?
 

Is it common to have a member of the forum that is close proximity to a 986 you're interested in buying go check it out for you prior to incurring the travel expense to go see a car that isn't worth buying?

I'm getting geared up to make a purchase in the next couple of months but being in Maine all the good looking options are significantly far away. It would be nice to have a sympathetic person that is close to a car give it a quick once over to see if it's worth the money for the PPI.

a) Is this a common occurrence?
b) Does anyone have any experience with this?
c) I offer myself up for such services in the Southern Maine / Portsmouth, NH area.

I'm sure people do it occasionally. I would, it'd be fun. Where is the car?

The preferred method is to hire a local company near the cars location that specializes in PPI's to do a remote inspection. You can find a professional in most reasonably sized cities. I have done this several times with great success.

For $300 or so, they are cheap enough that you can do 3-4 on various cars before buying. And why travel to go see it? I have bought several cars solely based on a professional PPI and had them shipped to me. The first time that I saw the car was when it rolled off the transporter at my house.

If you can't hire a professional, then having someone else look at the car is a good idea but realize that they are simply doing you a favor and the quality of the inspection may vary - something that isn't an issue to me might be a deal breaker for you if I happen to not mention it.

I think it would be fun as well. I'd welcome the opportunity to go check out a sweet ride for someone in say, Texas or Kentucky.

I don't have anything zeroed in on yet but I'm starting to plan seriously. It's taken me years to decide on a 2003 Boxster S. I'm a bit of a planner in these regards.

thstone's suggestion of spending $300 three or four times, while certainly a safer way to make a good decision, isn't something that I'm willing to do, though I DO plan to do a PPI before buying. I would just like to do one on a car that I'm pretty confident is worth the money on.

This is commonly requested and done for fellow members on Rennlist, they refer to it as a "Rennfax". No doubt nearly as in depth as a PPI but a good reference point as to whether or not a particular car is worth further pursuing. Good Checklist:

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I've had it done for me, done it for another. The inspection is not a PPI. All it is is a visual confirmation of the apparent condition of the car. Though on mine, I drove the car just to be able to report that there was nothing obviously wrong. The report on the one I was interested in buying caused me not to buy it.

The PPI is paid for, up-in-the-air, done by a mechanic with specific Porsche experience and can include tests. It is also paid for.

The owner to owner is just a fun excuse to drive another Porsche and part of the shared interest experience owning one of these cars becomes.


Post where the car is and see if someone wants to volunteer. It never hurts to ask. OTOH, don't ask for a dozen. Settle on a car you are serious about. Be sure and thank the person that does it.

Thanks for the advice Mike. I think this is exactly what I will do. Hopefully sooner rather than later!

Do what I did......take a month-long vacation in Florida, then scan cars.com, autotrader and craigslist and here, and spend your time checking them out personally, then once you found one, get a local PPI done. A working man's holiday, but it worked out for me.

I have checked cars out for other people who aren't close. If you find a car that needs to be shipped, I am a Agent /Broker in the vehicle transport business and would love the opportunity to take care of your transport needs.

Thanks for the input everybody. I'm getting much closer and might go check out one of the next couple of weeks over in the Buffalo area.

Thanks anthy. I'll keep you in mind in the future if a local one doesn't work out that is drivable distance for me.

I'm with Wallace River on that one! I flew to California with a list in my pocket. PPI'd and drove mine back to Montreal. Good excuse for a road trip! :)

Lots of great Porsche's in California and Arizona. Both great places to take a "working man's" vacation, especially this time of the year. If your into baseball spring training gets started this week here in Phoenix.