Portiacraft

What should I be looking for?

Probably the most common question I get asked is "what should I be looking out for when I buy a used Porsche?" The truth of the matter is that's not an easy question to answer. I've been buying and selling Porsche's for over 25 years and instinctively know when a car is right. It's difficult to articulate this sense.

Make sure the price is right.

That might sound arrogant, but I'm sure my many colleagues in the trade feel the same way. What I can say is always buy the best you can afford. Best is not necessarily the latest and lowest mileage car. Porsches in general are incredibly well built, very strong cars that can take more abuse than the average driver can give them. Therefore a car having covered 200,000 miles is still a very attractive proposition, as long as the price is right.

Mileage.

In terms of reliability, a car having covered 200,000 miles would be every bit as good as a 50,000 mile car, but from a psychological point view it would be worth about 25% less. The point I'm trying to make is you'll enjoy the higher mileage car every bit as much as the lower mileage one, but it will cost significantly less to buy and will have peaked in terms of depreciation and will cost no more to maintain.

It's all in the details.

Obviously a detailed service history will be more crucial on a higher mileage car as there are certain things that will have needed to be done i.e timing, belts, clutches etc. A good history is obviously essential , however you will find that in the early years of a car's life it will have been serviced within the main agent network as required to validate the factory warranty.

Use specialists.

As soon as the warranty period is over, a vast majority of owners prefer to use one of the many established specialists who can - because of their lower overheads - service the cars more cheaply. Most of these guys have come up through the main dealer network, leaving and setting up on their own and often attending training courses to keep up with the latest models. This in no way devalues the car as the specialists are usually true enthusiasts who'll genuinely enjoy working on your car. A call to the Porsche owners club, which is probably the largest and most efficient one-make club in the world, will enable you to find out who your nearest specialists are.

Cosmetics & Colour

You will find the majority of cars will have had some form of cosmetic paintwork. Again, this should not be of any real concern as long it has been done to a high standard. This is another example of where experience and expertise can help. A good professional can look at a car and know within a few minutes if the paintwork is cosmetic or if it is hiding something more sinister.

The other obvious criteria for most people is colour. You must remember that a lot of these cars were built in the Eighties when trends were totally different to today. People wanted to be noticed back then, so colours like white and red were popular. I'm constantly being asked for specific colours that weren`t around in the Eighties. You need to be more openminded or you'll instantly reduce your choice of available cars.

It's important to get the best car you can afford regardless of colour. We constantly hear the words "I've been looking for a clean silver (or whatever colour) 911 for 6 months and can`t find one." If you place these restrictions on your choice, you'll find it extremely difficult to find a good car and there is the chance you'll compromise quality for the sake of colour.

I obviously can`t cover all your questions in these pages, so if you have any queries please feel free to speak to any of us at the showroom and we will gladly help.

Lastly, let me assure you if you buy the right car in the beginning you will have something that will be a pleasure to own with depreciation and running costs lower than most hot hatches (and cheaper insurance, probably).

ENJOY Harry Ioannou.