2001 986 for $5,500 good or bad?

[Racer Boy]

I paid $4500 for my 144K mile '02, with an unknown history. The car is basically in very good shape cosmetically (and has never been wrecked), but the suspension needed a rebuild (very noisy, with lots of banging, squeaking, and groaning). I'm in the process of doing the suspension right now (over $3K in parts with shocks!), but I found that some of the parts have been replaced at least once, like the shocks, CV joints/axles, and a recent brake job. By the time I replace the tires with good quality ones, and replace the dead key remote and some other small stuff, I'll be into the car for over $10,000. I probably should have just found a lower mileage one that didn't need as much stuff done, but I knew what I was getting into.

So to sum it all up - if you want your car to be a nice one, it's going to cost you the same whether you fix one up, or buy a really nice one to begin with. And these are expensive cars to keep going, so expect that as well.

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by Racer Boy

....I probably should have just found a lower mileage one that didn't need as much stuff done...

If I had a dollar for every time someone said this....

The thing you have to realize about modern Porsches is that the stuff you will need to address has almost no value if the engine isn't solid. These cars are worth shockingly little without a running engine. You are basically buying an engine and the seller just tossed in four wheels,two seats and a steering wheel. If you look at it from that vantage point, a Porsche engine with high mileage should be at the bottom of your list because it's likely that not only will the engine need attention, but so will everything else. It's a double whammy when your cash could have been spent on acquiring a lower mileage engine (with a car tossed in).

Now if you're talking air-cooled Carreras, the mileage or condition of the body really does not matter anymore. Even rusted out heaps from the 1960's and 70's missing an engine will still get $10K. You will end up spending a lot of money but if that air-cooled 911 car is wrecked by a distracted driver busy texting his Dominos pizza order, the insurance company will write a decent size check. If you wreck your water-cooled Porsche Boxster/Cayman or Carrera that you dumped thousands into, prepare for the ice bucket challenge dumped on your head.

[VGM911]

The OP should read this thread:

http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/60880-1998-w-135k-%246100-steal.html