How not to buy a Porsche 911 Turbo

[GoCougs]

I've mentioned a few times that a friend of mine recently purchased a '04 911 Turbo. Thing is he bought it over the Innertubes sight unseen from Texas. He had to have a specific color combo and had been looking for a very long time and this was the only he had found.

Me being the live and let live type, I resisted giving words of advice and just went along with his euphoria. He insisted the car was perfect, what with only ~30k miles, him having had it checked out by a separate Porsche dealer in Texas, and getting suckered into the "only one owner and he was a doctor" sales job.

As the date approached for him to venture to pick up the car, he started having second thoughts. Thus I saw green light to let loose about my words of wisdom: think very wisely because you're not buying a Civic, you're effectively buying an out-of-warranty supercar. It will be insanely expensive to insure, maintain and fix, and gods help you if you have an immediate problem with the car - bringing legal action against an out-of-state dealer will be for all intents and purposes impossible.

Anyway, the audience can guess that this was coming, he just got back and this morning and called me: front diff is bad. WAY bad. As in, the dealers told him (he had it checked at various dealers on his drive from Texas to Seattle) to not drive it for fear of causing an accident. He called the selling dealer about the problem a few hours into his drive home and he said they basically laughed at him. The real kicker is it is only available as a complete unit from Porsche, there is no rebuild or repair service available. Cost? $9,000 give or take for both parts and labor.

Dude had a terrible time outside that. He was to meet his girl on the way home and found out she's sluttin' around on him. He was also to meet a friend to do some hiking in various national parks on the way home but the dude canceled last minute. All in all, one lousy trip to say the least. But at least a 1/3 of the lousiness could have been easily avoided.

[Catman]

Geezus

[Rupert]

Ouch.

[Northlands]

Fuuuuuuuck. 

[ifcar]

No car, not even a Civic, should be purchased sight unseen.

[GoCougs]

I might see it later today as we're going to try for an evening/night mountain biking ride. He says the vibration/grinding is so loud that after about ~15 minutes of driving it'll leave you with ringing ears. Also, after the drive from Texas, he says he thinks the car has noticeably more rattles because of the all vibration.

I also forgot to mention that he says the oil pressure gauge periodically drops to zero. He thinks the differential vibration/grinding is mucking with the gauge. Wow, what a sorry state of affairs when that is the lesser of two evils explaining no oil pressure. I have my doubts on the gauge. Could be a sending unit I guess. Worse case of course it IS seeing oil pressure flat line.

[68_427]

What's the special color he wanted?

[SVT666]

I bought my Focus and my Explorer sight unseen.  3.5 years with the Focus and 1.5 years with the Explorer and not a single problem with either vehicles yet.  The onky thing with the Explorer was that it was smoked in and the dealer never told me.  The interior had been shampooed and then I dropped 1 can of Lysol into the air intake at the base of the winshield and the smell was gone for good.

[ifcar]

I bought my Focus and my Explorer sight unseen.  3.5 years with the Focus and 1.5 years with the Explorer and not a single problem with either vehicles yet.  The onky thing with the Explorer was that it was smoked in and the dealer never told me.  The interior had been shampooed and then I dropped 1 can of Lysol into the air intake at the base of the winshield and the smell was gone for good.

You paid for them before driving though, or just found them online, then drove, then bought?

[GoCougs]

No car, not even a Civic, should be purchased sight unseen.

I can't believe he did it - smart, successful and a usually cautious guy.

He got suckered by the "only one owner, and he was a doctor." It was also a high-end dealership specializing in Lambos, Ferraris, and other exotics and high end cars. IMO, just goes to show that any dealer no matter how fancy or high end is all about the one-transaction sales tactic. They couldn't care less if they see you again, ergo, they're all m-f'in pricks the second you drive the car off the lot.

[GoCougs]

What's the special color he wanted?

I want to say a medium blue with beige interior, but could be wrong. Definitely NOT the silver/black combo that seems to adorn 95% of the 911 Turbos I've seen.

[CJ]

What was the selling dealer?

[GoCougs]

You paid for them before driving though, or just found them online, then drove, then bought?

This guy paid for it fully sight unseen. I asked why he just didn't negotiate a small non-refundable deposit and then close the deal after a visit and test drive. He said the dealer wouldn't budge and told him that all sorts of people were interested blah, blah, blah. Dude got taken to the cleaners in more ways than one...

[GoCougs]

What was the selling dealer?

Good question - you're in Texas right? It was in Dallas. Though they sold exotics I don't think it was a new car dealer - it sounded like one of those kinda shady operations that specialize in slightly used exotics and high end stuff (there are a couple in my area). I'll ask him tonight or whenever I speak to him next.

[ifcar]

This guy paid for it fully sight unseen. I asked why he just didn't negotiate a small non-refundable deposit and then close the deal after a visit and test drive. He said the dealer wouldn't budge and told him that all sorts of people were interested blah, blah, blah. Dude got taken to the cleaners in more ways than one...

I guess they figured out that if he didn't need to have this exact car he would be shopping in Seattle instead of Texas.

[Soup DeVille]

Ehh, its the front diff. Remove it and permanently lock the center diff.

911 Doriftos!

[cawimmer430]

One thing I don't get was the way the dealer lied to him. Why did they tell your friend that everything is ok with the car when clearly there's something wrong.

Aren't they afraid he'll sue their lying asses?  

[GoCougs]

One thing I don't get was the way the dealer lied to him. Why did they tell your friend that everything is ok with the car when clearly there's something wrong.

Aren't they afraid he'll sue their lying asses? 

It was a separate Porsche dealer that checked out the car. Thing is since they weren't the sellers they had no standing to lie - they were only paid to inspect the car and got paid the same whether the inspection comes out good or bad. Could be that this Porsche dealer didn't drive the car and I think it a possibility the Porsche dealer was paid off or otherwise the inspection didn't happen as it should have.

I don't think they're afraid of a lawsuit. They see a fairly young guy, out of his element buying such an expensive car, wide-eyed with the prospect of owning a supercar or something close to it, who was irrational enough about it to buy it sight unseen. These types of people don't sue so yeah, they knew they had a lemming on the line.

[Mustangfan2003]

Did he atleast get a car fax done?  Sounds like it could've been crashed before. 

[GoCougs]

Thing is he's more busted up about that slut than he is the car at this point. Dude had a really REALLY bad week.

[GoCougs]

Did he atleast get a car fax done?  Sounds like it could've been crashed before. 

That I don't know.

[MX793]

This guy paid for it fully sight unseen. I asked why he just didn't negotiate a small non-refundable deposit and then close the deal after a visit and test drive. He said the dealer wouldn't budge and told him that all sorts of people were interested blah, blah, blah. Dude got taken to the cleaners in more ways than one...

That right there should have been the surefire sign that there was something wrong.

[S204STi]

It was a separate Porsche dealer that checked out the car. Thing is since they weren't the sellers they had no standing to lie - they were only paid to inspect the car and got paid the same whether the inspection comes out good or bad. Could be that this Porsche dealer didn't drive the car and I think it a possibility the Porsche dealer was paid off or otherwise the inspection didn't happen as it should have.

I don't think they're afraid of a lawsuit. They see a fairly young guy, out of his element buying such an expensive car, wide-eyed with the prospect of owning a supercar or something close to it, who was irrational enough about it to buy it sight unseen. These types of people don't sue so yeah, they knew they had a lemming on the line.

I wonder if it was a consignment sale.  I remember inspecting cars on consignment, recommending repairs, and being declined.

[SVT666]

You paid for them before driving though, or just found them online, then drove, then bought?

I had the owner of the SVT take it to a Ford dealer of my choice who then reported their findings to me and the Explorer was from a Chevy dealer in Seattle who sells a lot of cars to Canadians and won't want to ruin their reputation.  I paid for both before driving them.

[CJ]

Good question - you're in Texas right? It was in Dallas. Though they sold exotics I don't think it was a new car dealer - it sounded like one of those kinda shady operations that specialize in slightly used exotics and high end stuff (there are a couple in my area). I'll ask him tonight or whenever I speak to him next.

I'm actually in Norman, OK, but Dallas is my home town.

[ifcar]

I had the owner of the SVT take it to a Ford dealer of my choice who then reported their findings to me and the Explorer was from a Chevy dealer in Seattle who sells a lot of cars to Canadians and won't want to ruin their reputation.  I paid for both before driving them.

They wouldn't accept just a deposit?

I'm glad it worked out for you, but how a car drives is important enough to me that I'd have to feel it for myself before putting down that much money. Especially among used cars, you just don't know how the feel of one example that you drive is going to match the one you're buying.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

I have a subscription to Excellence magazine(porsche specific) and there are a few ads in the back for LARGE porsche dismantlers that have parts from 356's up to carrera gt's. I can't believe he couldn't source a used front differential assembly from them. What he'll have to do is find a good quality indie porsche mechanic who has the ability to source quality used parts and get this car in the shape it needs to be. Then he can either sell it, take his loss or drive it.

Either way, shitty situation. I've never met a car dealer that I'd trust, granted some are better than others but most are a step above dirt.

[Onslaught]

I would never in a million years buy a car without looking at it. You don't know what dents or little damage could be on it. And that's not even getting into how it runs. I feel sorry about the bitch doing him wrong. But he fucked up by getting the car like that.

[GoCougs]

I would never in a million years buy a car without looking at it. You don't know what dents or little damage could be on it. And that's not even getting into how it runs. I feel sorry about the bitch doing him wrong. But he fucked up by getting the car like that.

He absolutely did mess up. I'd never, ever buy a car like that. At most I'd give a small non-refundable deposit to hold it till I could get down there and check it out. If he's looking at a new front diff and a new motor that's probably $30,000 right there.

[Soup DeVille]

There are times one might buy a car that hasn't been seen firsthand. If one wishes to do a complete restoration of it anyways perhaps, or if it is absolutely unique, or has unique and historical provenance; but no, not in this case.