Porsche Owners Thread - If you own one or just like or hate them! :)
- Thread starter Gibbo
- Start date
Hi chaps, what are 997 prices likely to do? If I bought one would they fall through the floor? They seem a little more expensive than when I last looked.
Ideally I'd be after a regular CS.
What are they like to like with? Mine would be pretty much weekend use only and a short 7 or so mile journey to work now and then when I can't be bothered to cycle. Then the occasional longer trip.
Ideally I'd be after a regular CS.
What are they like to like with? Mine would be pretty much weekend use only and a short 7 or so mile journey to work now and then when I can't be bothered to cycle. Then the occasional longer trip.
Having just bought one (and extensively researched the market) I'll have a go:
What specifically are you looking for? Are you after a Gen 1 or 2? 4WD, S, Manual/auto, options etc etc.
At the moment all 996/997 911 prices are on the up regardless of model when compared to 1-2 years ago. At very worst the tatty high milers are holding steady and there are very few true bottom end 911 bargains around anymore (i.e. <£10k 996). Any low mileage, low owner 911 will hold its value. If you want to spend less than £30k there are plenty of options, but IMO these are likely to fall long term rather than hold steady. There's a pretty stark contrast between cars >50k mileage and >4 owners and those with less than this. Even so, there is definitely a floor price which is on the up regardless of model due to general brand residuals and image doing very well. We can thank the ridiculous pricing of the RS cars for that! In terms of whether you should spend less, that depends on what you want to do with the car. Is this a keeper/dream car or are you likely to want/need to change or upgrade in the future? Are you after a bit of a project? Would you modify etc? The 996 and gen 1 997s are either at or approaching the bottom of their depreciation curve, so even if you lose money, you won't lose it quickly with normal use. If you're keeping the car long term, residuals become less important anyway. In terms of price, I think the gen 1 and gen 2 997s will slowly start to converge in price as the low mileage examples and the high mileage examples sort themselves out over time. Gen 2 will always be more expensive due to the fact that it'll be a newer car. Will the price fall through the floor - unlikely. Any car can suffer depreciation if lots of miles are put on it or it's involved in an accident.
When you're looking, be as open as possible to all cars regardless of colour of specification. This will broaden your search and get you a better overall car. If you're after a yellow manual 4S with electric sports seats and ceramic brakes you need to be prepared to wait and might be waiting forever! My criteria was pretty much any 997 which I could afford which was a manual convertible with less than 50,000 miles. Much as I would have liked a gen 2, my budget wouldn't stretch. The difference in outlay is the cost of a full engine rebuild at the moment, so I couldn't justify finance or other creative accounting at this stage. I got a pre purchase inspection and I would do it again were I to buy another. If you're looking at a gen 1 there are engine issues, but whether you'll be affected and whether this justifies spending more on a gen 2 at the start is up to you. Having a low mileage example gives me peace of mind with regard to residual value and also general component wear. This has been validated by my trip to Center Gravity (more on that later) which has returned a glowing report for the car (apart from a £40 inner rod end).
Living with the car is (in my short experience) excellent. It's easy to drive and a real occasion to do so. Servicing is fixed price at most specialists and parts aren't crazy expensive for consumables. If you're used to running a high performance car then it shouldn't be too much of a shock, it's definitely not in the realm of exotica. My only comment on your short journey to work is that it's very important to allow the car to get up to temperature. The gen 1 cars especially hate short journeys and score the bores as a result of not being warmed properly (or that's the theory). You can warranty a 997, but I'm not going to bother as the up front cost of getting the car fit for it in my case is 4 new tyres, a major service at Porsche, the 111 point inspection and removing my bluetooth kit. Plus the cost of the warranty that seems like a lot of cash to put in the bank for a rainy day. A PCM upgrade is definitely on the cards for me, so again that would render the car unsuitable for warranty.
Enjoy your search and go drive a couple. If you spot a good one, put a deposit down and get it inspected, as they don't seem to hang around. I did this without seeing mine in the flesh, but it seems to have been worth the risk!
What specifically are you looking for? Are you after a Gen 1 or 2? 4WD, S, Manual/auto, options etc etc.
At the moment all 996/997 911 prices are on the up regardless of model when compared to 1-2 years ago. At very worst the tatty high milers are holding steady and there are very few true bottom end 911 bargains around anymore (i.e. <£10k 996). Any low mileage, low owner 911 will hold its value. If you want to spend less than £30k there are plenty of options, but IMO these are likely to fall long term rather than hold steady. There's a pretty stark contrast between cars >50k mileage and >4 owners and those with less than this. Even so, there is definitely a floor price which is on the up regardless of model due to general brand residuals and image doing very well. We can thank the ridiculous pricing of the RS cars for that! In terms of whether you should spend less, that depends on what you want to do with the car. Is this a keeper/dream car or are you likely to want/need to change or upgrade in the future? Are you after a bit of a project? Would you modify etc? The 996 and gen 1 997s are either at or approaching the bottom of their depreciation curve, so even if you lose money, you won't lose it quickly with normal use. If you're keeping the car long term, residuals become less important anyway. In terms of price, I think the gen 1 and gen 2 997s will slowly start to converge in price as the low mileage examples and the high mileage examples sort themselves out over time. Gen 2 will always be more expensive due to the fact that it'll be a newer car. Will the price fall through the floor - unlikely. Any car can suffer depreciation if lots of miles are put on it or it's involved in an accident.
When you're looking, be as open as possible to all cars regardless of colour of specification. This will broaden your search and get you a better overall car. If you're after a yellow manual 4S with electric sports seats and ceramic brakes you need to be prepared to wait and might be waiting forever! My criteria was pretty much any 997 which I could afford which was a manual convertible with less than 50,000 miles. Much as I would have liked a gen 2, my budget wouldn't stretch. The difference in outlay is the cost of a full engine rebuild at the moment, so I couldn't justify finance or other creative accounting at this stage. I got a pre purchase inspection and I would do it again were I to buy another. If you're looking at a gen 1 there are engine issues, but whether you'll be affected and whether this justifies spending more on a gen 2 at the start is up to you. Having a low mileage example gives me peace of mind with regard to residual value and also general component wear. This has been validated by my trip to Center Gravity (more on that later) which has returned a glowing report for the car (apart from a £40 inner rod end).
Living with the car is (in my short experience) excellent. It's easy to drive and a real occasion to do so. Servicing is fixed price at most specialists and parts aren't crazy expensive for consumables. If you're used to running a high performance car then it shouldn't be too much of a shock, it's definitely not in the realm of exotica. My only comment on your short journey to work is that it's very important to allow the car to get up to temperature. The gen 1 cars especially hate short journeys and score the bores as a result of not being warmed properly (or that's the theory). You can warranty a 997, but I'm not going to bother as the up front cost of getting the car fit for it in my case is 4 new tyres, a major service at Porsche, the 111 point inspection and removing my bluetooth kit. Plus the cost of the warranty that seems like a lot of cash to put in the bank for a rainy day. A PCM upgrade is definitely on the cards for me, so again that would render the car unsuitable for warranty.
Enjoy your search and go drive a couple. If you spot a good one, put a deposit down and get it inspected, as they don't seem to hang around. I did this without seeing mine in the flesh, but it seems to have been worth the risk!
Thanks for that reply, that's a lot of information.
I don't want to spend more than £30k, so I guess Gen 1, 2WD manual. I wouldn't modify it or track it as I have my DC5, I'd just have it as a regular car and keep it standard. I've wanted a 911 since I was a child.
I don't want to spend more than £30k, so I guess Gen 1, 2WD manual. I wouldn't modify it or track it as I have my DC5, I'd just have it as a regular car and keep it standard. I've wanted a 911 since I was a child.
Hi Tom,
What bluetooth kit have you got on your 997.1? and does it do both calls and streaming music. I've had my car ages but still haven't got round to sorting Bluetooth out.
Thanks
It seems we were a year late unfortunately
It's easy to forget that the gen 1 997 remains a fabulous car to drive. Sure it's got some issues with the engine, but when it's working as it should it's awesome. Loads of torque, great throttle response and a brilliant noise. It's a high performance sports car which might need some engine work at some stage... most sports cars will do at some point.
Waiting is ill advised if you want anything close to low mileage. I wish I had had the cash 2 years ago as I'd be in a 996 turbo now!
With regards Bluetooth the previous owner had a parrot CK3100 installed. This works pretty well although I'm not sure it'll do music. PCM 2 is basically junk. I still can't figure out the sat nav! PCM 3 is a really good reason to buy a 997.2! Otherwise the dynavin N6 looks like a decent unit but those have risen in price too!
I bought a 911 because it has been my dream to own one for as long as I can remember. It just so happens that the 997.1 is a lot of car for the cash and an extremely competent sports car.
Waiting is ill advised if you want anything close to low mileage. I wish I had had the cash 2 years ago as I'd be in a 996 turbo now!
With regards Bluetooth the previous owner had a parrot CK3100 installed. This works pretty well although I'm not sure it'll do music. PCM 2 is basically junk. I still can't figure out the sat nav! PCM 3 is a really good reason to buy a 997.2! Otherwise the dynavin N6 looks like a decent unit but those have risen in price too!
I bought a 911 because it has been my dream to own one for as long as I can remember. It just so happens that the 997.1 is a lot of car for the cash and an extremely competent sports car.
Just to add to this point, winter is a much better time to buy. While prices didn't exactly plummet, I found that there were many more reasonably priced examples around and they were hanging around longer giving more time to ponder.
Thanks, I might have a squizz at those bluetooth options. The dynavin N6 looks like it might fit the bill. I am not that bothered about phone calls but I did want to stream music.
Although I've had it for ~8 years now and still haven't got round to sorting it out yet despite being my daily so I will probably just leave it.
Although I've had it for ~8 years now and still haven't got round to sorting it out yet despite being my daily so I will probably just leave it.
I know of a superb 1 owner car with 30K on the clock and massive options coming up. Just put down the phone to a friend who asked me if I wanted it, which I don't. He bought it new, it's been in storage and using his words "it gets wheeled out to be service and put back"
There are aux kits which can be had for cheaper I believe. Also, do you have Bose? If not, it makes it considerably cheaper to change PCM over.
Soldato
- Joined
- 19 Oct 2008
- Posts
- 6,035
Shame, cars are meant to be enjoyed. It's not healthy not using a mechanical thing.
I personally don't get why people buy cars, baby it and keep the miles down for resale value.
The price of some cars now is daft IMO. I do wonder when the bubble will burst. I owned a sports car that appreciating in value. It was a good car but the build quality wasn't the best and simply feel they're not worth the current values, should be £8-10 not the £20k + for something 10 years old that was £40k new and when they go wrong it can get pretty damn expensive
Yeah I've got bose