first off, hello :) and then a few '02 S question (daily driver)

[stumpjumper]

so my wife and I are in need of a second car again, we haven't needed one since we both took the same commuter trains to and from work... shortly that won't be the case

so, for the 2nd car we've all but put money down on a 2002 986S (US, LHD, 6 speed) of which there are a pair of, one with 8k one with 9k miles, one black and one lapis blue but otherwise identical at the dealer, both certified, both immaculate and before we pulled the trigger I figured I'd ask you owners a question or 2 :)

is there any easy way to tell if they were tracked? judging by how few miles there are I have to guess they were either track cars or just never used

we live in the Boston Massachusetts area so how horrible and idea is it to consider driving one with a little snow on the ground? Our 1st car is an Audi allroad so any more than a little snow and that would be used since it's a tank. Obviously I'd put snow tires and wheels on it

before I took ownership of it would there be anything I should demand get inspected or replaced?

oh, and of course, are there any other questions I should ask?

thanks a ton,

Tom

[Hotbasco]

Unless you see signs of a roll cage (doubtful) or harness bar, the best tip off is if there has been radical suspension work. Frankly, the P-car dealer would not certify them. The other way to tell is by putting car on lift and looking for little rubber marbles. These are chnuks of rubber that fly up from the track and get caught in the underbody. Look into the wheel wells and see if there are black streaks from these hitting the wheel well. If both are certified, you can be 99% sure that they have not been tracked.

Just becuase a car has been tracked is not at all bad. Racing is another issue. When cars are run in DE, they are well cared for, taped up and run like a Porsche was engineered to run. technical inspections and lots of checking is required to even get into a DE. Therefore, you can expect a street car that has been run in DE's to be better maintained than most "daily drivers."

Looks like your decision is really blue or black. Don't worry enjoy the cars!

:thumbup:

[CarreraNYC]

My suggestion is that if at all possible buy both. ;)

Edited November 11, 2005 by CarreraNYC

[stumpjumper]

My suggestion is that if at all possible buy both. ;)

hah, his and hers would be nice :)

I did look for tire chunks in the wheel wells and saw none, checked the brakes to see how much of the pads were left, stuff like that and it didn't look to bad... having lost my gamble on a previous used car I get a little paranoid :)

so no concerns with a little bit of snow? that's actually my biggest worry

[xclusivecar]

Chances are these cars were garage queens. Many Porsche owners do not drive their cars daily. To most, these are fun weekend type cars. Do a used car search of a Boxster and you will find tons of cars with very low mileage.

Good luck and remember, they are certified. This would be a total "GO" if it was me on either car.

[adsach]

My suggestion is that if at all possible buy both. ;)

hah, his and hers would be nice :)

I did look for tire chunks in the wheel wells and saw none, checked the brakes to see how much of the pads were left, stuff like that and it didn't look to bad... having lost my gamble on a previous used car I get a little paranoid :)

so no concerns with a little bit of snow? that's actually my biggest worry

With PSM and winter tires , snow is no worry. Since PSM was a $1230 option on an 02S, not many 02's have PSM. Without PSM, I personally would be nervous about regular snow driving.

You can tell if the car has PSM by code 476 on the label under the hood and PSM OFF switch to the left of the cupholders.

[stumpjumper]

turns out neither have PSM, and I've just found two more for sale nearby with PSM and the Litronics, though not certified...

going to schedule a test drive on those for this week since they're about the same price and well... it's November and we just had our first frost so I'd expect the prices to drop a little more soon :)

[djantlive]

Ever consider a 996? Many cabs have hardtop or you can get a a coupe.

986S is a nice car too. With snow tires, PSM is nice but not mandatory. Litronic is great. If you do get one without a warranty, make sure the dealer fixes any rattle or oil leak before you buy it. Low mileage cars are prone to have little things that add up to $$$ which weren't addressed.

[stumpjumper]

Ever consider a 996? Many cabs have hardtop or you can get a a coupe.

986S is a nice car too. With snow tires, PSM is nice but not mandatory. Litronic is great. If you do get one without a warranty, make sure the dealer fixes any rattle or oil leak before you buy it. Low mileage cars are prone to have little things that add up to $$$ which weren't addressed.

sure I've considered them, just can't justify the price difference for now, decided to skip those non-certified ones and expand our search past just the local dealers now, instead of buying this week I'm just hoping it's this month now :)

[jefla]

I second Hotbasco's comments re tracked cars: I believe track-inclined onwers likely take better care of their cars than many daily driver-inclined owners. Ignorance and poor maintenance is the bad thing you want to avoid. Also, I would not seek out a certified car, and indeed may avoid them b/c you'll pay a premium. Instead, find a GOOD mechanic that "works for you" (i.e., you're paying them), and have them thoroughly inspect the car before you buy it.

Mass. ... absoultely get heated seats. And if you're in to music you'll need rear speakers.

Jef

[stumpjumper]

right now I'm looking at this, it's black on black and oddly will cost less to insure than my audi (stupid massachusetts insurance)

it's just the parts list from the web site, but it seems to have everything I'd want :)

18" Turbo Look I wheel

3-spoke steering wheel

Airbag driver and passenger

Alarm system (315 Mhz)

Automatic climate control

Charcoal filter

Electric windows

Electrically adjustable exterior mirrors

Electrically operated hood

Heatable seats, left and right

Illuminated vanity mirrors in sun visors

Litronic /Bi-Xenon-headlamp incl. cleaning system

Porsche CR-220 radio cassette

Porsche Stability Management (PSM)

Radio preparation

Side airbags POSIP

Six-speed manual gearbox

Sport Touring Package USA

Stronger battery

Wheel hub covers, colored crest

Windscreen with graduated top tint

[stumpjumper]

I pick it up Monday!

:jump:

they couldn't prep the title today :(

but that's ok, now I can clean out my garage for it :)