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Private or trade???

jaychief

Well-known member
Joined
17 Jan 2017
Messages
74
Hi,
Am getting close to purchasing a 911, Ive come to the conclusion I've got between £30k/£35 and wants a manual C4S OR C2S....
Its the first time buying a Porsche and edging towards buying from a car trader for piece of mind. Would that be a fair statement ?
I usually to buy my others private and have always did ok??
 
Either is fine but get a PPI (Pre Purchase Inspection ) done at an independant garage from the seller before buying .

That way youll know what you will have to spend to get it upto scratch Before shelling out your hard earned :)
 
I bought private as similar cars at dealers were a premium.
However I had seen his offers from a couple of dealers after they had done inspections and it had 18 month OPC warranty left.
That gave me some confidence if there had been anything major it would have been sorted.
That left me with the basic checks, tyres, brakes etc

I've never bought a car from a dealer
 
Dealers don't have the monopoly on good cars; and the peace of mind of buying from a dealer only extends so far as you're prepared to lodge a decent sized claim under Sale of Goods Act and be prepared to wait for your money back.
 
I have bought from both dealer and private sale. Never had an issue with either which I think has been down to doing my homework extensively before looking for my new cars and asking question after question to try and establish the trustworthiness of the seller before even arranging to view.

I would rather sound out a good private car and have it checked over leaving five grand in the bank than paying dealer tax. Some private cars can be as well prepped as dealer cars and as long as the maintenance record can pass close scrutiny then it's car v car as I am not seduced by fresh ground coffee or polished granite floors. In fact, I believe that most high end car private sellers - that I have had the pleasure of buying from - are at least as honest as dealers.

Granted, the OPC warranty on a special car would be nice to have but you may end up paying £10k for privillage. I do few miles each year (around 500) so it would be less likely for me to have to call on warranties and am happy to take the risk in not covering my car.

A private sale car that you have, to the best of your ability, established is good one, and worth the £300 for a decent PPI, would be my route of choice if the car represented a significant saving over the same car at a dealer.
 
Thanks every one, going to visit RSJ whilst in London next month....
 
You're more likely to find an honest sale privately, than a dealer. They'll do anything to make a few extra quid, or shift on something with underlying problems.


Everytime I've bought from a dealer, i've felt I've had my leg lifted. Making deals sound good, Even the "non pushy salesmen" are pushy.

Your gut feeling is normally the best indicator. If it doesn't feel right - it probably isn't. Look at a few, don't kiss the bonnet of the first you look at.

A porsche is an investment not just an enjoyment :)
 
I would think you are fairly safe buying privately. The majority are owned by enthusiasts who look after them well and you should be able to spot a rogue!

If you can buy one with a warranty still valid even better.
 
A friend recently purchased a car from RSJ and seems quite happy with the service.
 
I can vouch for RSJ as a happy customer. I bought a 2007 997.1 Turbo from them in May and I cannot fault their approach to sales and after service.

The cars that they stock are well prepared, but faults can develop and that's when you find out whether the warranty is worth the paper it's written on. My car developed a couple of oil leaks, which is rare as far as I can tell on this model, this required the engine to be removed to replace a core plug and various gaskets. The spoiler rams started weeping, another rare issue, but again, they were replaced with no fuss. There were a few other items replaced, such as suspension components, a front indicator, and a side repeater due to condensation inside the sealed units.

I would happily buy from RSJ again, they've proved themselves to be good to their word and they're nice to deal with.
 
Scholester said:
A private sale car that you have, to the best of your ability, established is good one, and worth the £300 for a decent PPI, would be my route of choice if the car represented a significant saving over the same car at a dealer.

:agree:

I had a PPI done on a 2005 C2S dealer car I was interested in and it threw-up a problem with the synchro on 2nd gear. The dealer disagreed and I had to walk away.

Then I spotted a private sale car which was 2 years newer, had better options, came with 8 months of the remaining OPC warranty and was cheaper... I jumped on it! Okay, so the paintwork was a little tired and the wheels needed a refurb, but cleaning / detailing and improving the look of the car was half the fun!
 
Difficult decision however the Consumer Rights Act 2015 is certainly on your side if you buy from a motor dealership.

Porsche Club Great Britain is another good option. Members are pretty much a great community and they tend to take care of their cars & dare I say more chance of being looked after and serviced by an OPC as their membership has automatic discounts.

Private is a minefield in my opinion. There are decent good people in the world though that will tell buyers if their cars need this and that spending on it. It's the others that keep stum and hide behind 'sold as seen'.

Just be aware of and do your research. Even if the car is PPI approved, keep delving and looking yourself. For example if a major service is due you could be looking at a hefty invoice. So keep your wits about you.

The best options are pay a OPC to complete a 111 check with service check sheet. They'll check nearly everything on the car and give you a wear % record on consumables and a traffic light key to easily identify good, moderate wear and close to urgent attention required.
Your best bet is a car already under Porsche Warranty. They're safest if you are not a gambling man with £30+k.
My 2yr Porsche Warranty is a God send, it's paid for itself twice over and with genuine Porsche parts.

And there's some food for thought to remember and a few options. Good luck hunting and wish you the best in your search. :thumb:
 

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