How long did it take you to buy used?

I feel bad that I want to pull the trigger on a used C2 after looking for a week. I have one that I like in mind, maybe two actually... however I feel bad that I have only been looking a week and feel ready to buy.. how long did it take for you guys to buy used? Do you think I'm jumpinig into things? I did some research on RMS leak, but not a lot else, anything else to look out for or consider when buying used?

same boat here - 1 week...but i think the prices from dealers are rediculous...a used car should go for below invoice when it was new - shouldnt it? or am i trying to get too good a deal?

why is this forum filled with people who cant make up their mind?? what color should i get? what options? is it ok to valet? my car has a scratch!! is 20 miles at delivery too much?? is this a good deal?? would i like that??i thought the hard part was AFFORDING to buy a porsche not making up your mind on if one week is long enough to look for something. are we all that weak and spineless without our own thoughts and opinions? do we all need the approval of the masses on every decison? ...jesus christ...**** or get off the pot

your an ***...thats not what he was asking...get lost

truth hurts huh? let me guess when you sell your car the ad will start " wife says gotta go"

Calm down man, surely you had a bit of anxiety before buying your first Porsche? He's probably just in that twilight zone trying to pull the trigger - why not tell him it will be OK and if he is nervous just go buy CPO car from a dealer in 1 afternoon. I think the beauty of these forums is a) you don't have to open the thread if it doesn't interest you (it was fairly labelled) and b) you don't have to respond. Re-read your posts some time and try to imagine how you come across.

please stop the rational advice...its me you're talking to....and you cant use the calm down on me...i invented the calm down.

I forgot to say I do admire your avatar pic

I've been looking for about a month now...but I have owned many Porsches in the past (so I know what I like and dislike relating to options) and I am looking for a very specific (year, color, and options) car. I say if you find what you are looking for quick, get a pre-purchase inspection from a quality shop and go for it...

$55K for a used car is a lot of money for me and since I plan to keep the car for awhile, I want to make the best decision that I can at this time... but I am not in a rush to buy a car, I already have a car... I guess if I find one I like & it checks out I should be fine.. but are there any quirks to look for when buying, signs of a bad car? Must have options, that I might not know about yet? Thanks!

please put your pants back on

A little over a year ago, I decided that I wanted to sell my Jaguar S-Type. I then started doing some research on the 911's. I "looked" for about 2 months and finally found one I really wanted. The length of time you look for a car should not factor into the equation. If you are comfortable with pulling the trigger on a particular car, then do it! About two weeks before I bought my current P-car, I "discovered" this forum. I have learned a lot from the folks here and I am sure I will continue to learn more in the future. There are a lot of very knowledgeable people on the forum and almost all of them are ready and willing to help. That is what makes the forum such a good one! Thump! Sorry, that was just me jumping off my soap box!

It took me about a 2 weeks to decide on which car I want. Once I narrowed it down to 996, it took me a couple of weeks to find what I want. I had to buy on ebay to get the color combo and options. I got mine at 3-5k less than a local sell.

why did u choose 996 over used 05 997s ?

About 3 days.

Took me almost a year and a half to find the right used Porsche. Got everything I wanted except the milage was a little higher then what I was looking for. Many times I will buy the first car I look at. The reason being that I just get plain lucky and find the right car on the first go around. With this last Porsche, I must have looked at over twenty cars and drove over half of them before finding what I wanted at the price I was willing to pay. When your looking for used, you must be willing to compromise on some items. Have at least an idea of what options you want, and have two or three colors your willing to go with. If you find what you want on the first go around....go for it! Good Luck, Tom L 2002 C2

I found an '04 Atlas C4S coupe in NY at Bentley of LI. Car sounded perfect with 3400 miles. When I went to see it, the car had a dent/crease over the rear wheelwell which needed to be fixed. The car was also not CPO - so I backed out of the deal after negotiating a price. Dealer said that was the first they saw or knew of the dent. That night, was cruising Autotrader and found a nearly identical car at Isringhausen with 1000 miles - after much negotiating, exchange of pictures etc., I bought the car. It has a couple of minor cosmetic issues and a passenger side rattle, but these are minor issues that my dealer (Holbert outside Philly) will take care of (Isringhausen is covering the cosmetic stuff). The car is CPO and the deal was fair. It's a beautiful car - took me about a week to pull the trigger after the NY deal fell through. Phil G.

I had been looking for a 993 for three months. I had driven hundreds of miles and checked out at least 10 cars. I almost bought a 97 C4S, but the guy sold the car out from under me between Sunday afternoon and Monday noon. I looked at a 996 the very next weekend and bought it. It was the first 996 I had ever driven. I was an air cooled die hard. My son had been telling me to check out the 996, that I could get a better car for less money. Sometimes it pays to listen to your kids. Two years and the only problems I've had: ignition switch..back piece and a water pump. Nothing makes me feel better than to drive that car.

I looked for a 993 for two months - until I drove a 996 - then it only took me three days and I went back to the first 996 I drove after checking out some others for comparison.

1. Make sure that the 996 is a CPO car. 2. Ask the Dealer to provide you with the car's maintenance records, and read them carefully. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. If you are suspicious of their answers, ask the forum. Most of the posters on this Board are very knowledgeable and are willing to help. 3. Examine the car's interior and exterior very carefully, and if possible have a friend help you with the visual inspection. Two sets of eyes are better than one, and it's better to detect cosmetic issues before the sale rather than after. 4. If the car passes these tests, make an offer and if possible make the offer near the end of the month, rather than at the beginning of the month. If the car has been on the Dealer's lot for several weeks and there haven't been any offers, you have a good chance to get a great deal. Good luck.

im torn between 997s cab and saving money and going with a 2003 996 cab.....i know this is a 996 board - but does anyone think the 996 is under powered? im coming from a 2002 boxster s

I think people need to use the search funtion more. I cannot tell you how many times this question has been asked. I have to agree with nobleGT, it's tiring. I don't think I will handle the next "is RMS a problem" thread really well.

It took me about 4 months to internet search and 3 days to get the car I ended up with (including the flight to OHIO).

It took me 3 months to buy the right car. It took me 30 minutes to decide to buy the right car after I found it. Keith

don't feel bad... it took me one day

NO it is not under powered. I drove the 2004 Boxter s back to back with the 996. Much different. Save the money go with the 2003 996 cab. If you are worried about power you will have to wait and go with a tt cab when they come down in price.

I went for a "walk" on vacation, saw my "99" 996 in the showroom, went in, loved it brought my wife back, she loved it, we drove it and bought it same day.

2 months of searching the internet. But, when a family friend who runs a dealership in FL called to tell me that he had the perfect car, I put down a deposit sight unseen (he's a VERY good family friend), flew down that weekend, and spot inspected it. It was perfect. Every option I wanted including a couple that I wasn't even aware of and VERY low miles. Paid the bill, had lunch on the Bay, and drove back to New York City immediately afterwards. Ah, I still remember the weekend as though it was yesterday. The car is a gem. When you find the car you love, you'll know it and then you'll buy it. Until then, use patience and let your gut be your guide.

Exact same for me.

Spent about 2 weeks shopping eBay, AutoTrader, Cars.com, etc. After about a dozen emails and a day getting finances arranged, I went to drive my first choice. I liked it, but PPI/15k service wasn't until 2 days later, so they just handed me the keys and asked me to bring it back when I was ready to do the paperwork. They obviously made the sale.

YOU're a wIld man NobleGT3. If it helps, it took me almost a year to find the 911 that I wanted to buy but Im what you would call 'super ****' when it comes to my ladies.

I think the deal is when buying a used one you want to make perfectly sure it is exactly what you want. There is no worse feeling than "settling" for the car that almost meets ones needs only to find another one that is exactly what you want a few weeks later. It happens. I was looking for a used one, and found a few that I liked, but by waiting it out I was able to find a new 2004 carrera with only 24 miles on it for less than many cars with several thousand miles. The flip side is if you wiat too long the car you really want will be gone so be ready to move when you find it. It may be a week, day, month. It took me about 2 months to find what I wanted. I got exactly what I wanted and couldn't be happier.

A used car with 24 miles on it? How the hell is it used?

It really wasn't used. There was a dealership that had 2 new 2004 demo's left at the end of 2005. One had 24 miles on it, and the other had 300 miles on it. They were initially priced pretty high, but then at the end of 2005 they decided to move them out. They dropped the price to a ridiculous level, and gave away a CPO with it. So i have 4 years of new car factory warranty and then 2 additional years. It isn't really used at all, but an untitled new car the dealership sold as CPO.

Now that IS a find. Congrats.

Now THATS a smart buy! You essentially bought a new one with a longer warranty for 10's of thousand's less. How much did you pay if I may ask? A classic example of a dealer sitting on the product too long and being forced to sell it for tons less at the end of the year. When will these guys learn that you can't wait around for that one dream buyer?

Just bot mine in Dec. I saved money for over 30 years and made up my mind in about 1 month. Advice that got me to my decision. Buy the newest porsche you can afford. Drive a few different types before making up my mind. I drove: 1 1988 Carrera Convert w/ 50kmiles. Gorgeous car fun to drive but, I thought the maintenance would kill the fun. 1 95 993 coupe (thrashed); 1 97 993 Convertible too expensive. + A few 996's: A 01 Convert. 99 Convert and 2 99 C2s one with Aero the other one without. Found the 99 C2 w/o aero the best deal. Car is absolutely pristine. New tires and CPO. Options worth considering PSM or TC. Traction control could keep you from wraping around a random pole one rainy day. I passed on this option in favor of finding a car in great shape. I'll have to stay awake and aware while driving. I also made sure I got a car that was driven regularly. I heard plenty of horror stories about cars that sit in the garage their whole life. Carfax helps with the history but, its not fullproof. Dont feel rushed, drive the cars and research the options you like; there are tons of 996s out there and the longer you wait the cheaper they get. I felt your jitters not to long ago. Keep us posted....