Buying Tips

deal with jargon

Mileage

At first glance, a low mileage is better than a high one. That is of course relative. Someone who really wants to drive the car will find a low mileage that is on the high side for a collector.

And what actually applies to all cars, may well apply more to a Porsche. If they don't drive regularly enough, they don't get any better. The rotating parts must turn from time to time. Or you should opt for preservation, but that is not for everyone.

Sometimes you come across a car with a nice low mileage, but it still makes a weathered, somewhat worn impression. I'll leave that one then.

Or it is a car with a somewhat higher mileage, but which has been cherished by an enthusiast. That could be a much better buy.

Number of owners

The fewer owners the better? That in itself is logical. With a car from the first owner you have more certainty about the history of the car. As the number of owners increases, the history becomes more difficult to trace and therefore less certain.

This is of course true for an SUV that is used as a utility item. But for an enthusiast's car, multiple owners can mean that the car has been cherished several times, so that a lot is invested in the car each time to make and keep it perfect. While an owner who has owned the car for years may be a little more casual with the service requirement.

Compare it to buying a house. If the house is bought (again) by a lover of beautiful living, then it will be professionally and expensively renovated. This often makes the house better (and more expensive). The same house a little further away with the elderly couple who have lived there for 40 years since its construction still has a lot of overdue paintwork outside and inside. Not quite comparable of course, but still.

A somewhat older car has often had several owners. It could still be a good buy.

Import car from Germany

A Dutchman is happy when he buys a used car that is originally Dutch. But a German is happy when it is a German car.

Experience is that the Dutch are on average less economical with their cars than Germans. It all starts with the car wash. For a German, once or twice a week is normal if necessary. Just like vacuuming the mats when there is sand under the shoes. Or dry the car after a rain shower. Or just that extra maintenance. In the Netherlands, the eyebrows go up. Because we like the Dutch just to stay normal, and we don't like to exaggerate.

So being condescending about an import car is - if you look at it that way - misplaced. Service, warranty and inspection reports apply in Europe. In Germany no MOT with chance of a sample, but a "Hauptuntersuchung" by a TÜV or DEKRA certified inspector. That's a difference.

In Germany the choice is large, and there are very good quality cars with careful owners. As far as I'm concerned, by far the favorite country to import a car from. Of course there is always chaff among the wheat.

damage free

A car must of course be damage free. But what exactly do you mean by damage-free? In other words, where do you draw the line? A Porsche Zentrum in Germany said that it used about 1000 euros in repair costs as a limit. That is actually not a workable limit, because with some curb damage here and there you quickly come close. Even after repair of minor parking damage or some stone chips, the car is no longer damage-free. Is that real? That is only available to collectors who buy a car and then not drive it.

A more important criterion is free from accidental damage. "Unfallfrei" in German. It's strange that there isn't a word for it in Dutch yet. (accident free?).

The first paint

Everybody wants a shiny car that is "still completely in the first paint", and that is of course justified. The problem is that every car suffers from stone chips. And that cannot be brushed away like with a small scratch. Stone chips can only be prevented by not driving very slowly, or by never driving behind anyone, which is impossible even in a Porsche.

A buyer who therefore wants to have the car completely in the first paint is either looking for a car with very few kilometers or prefers a bumper with stone chips.

With a paint thickness gauge, the paint thickness can be mapped out and refinishing can be detected. A paint thickness measurement on a plastic bumper is not possible with an ordinary paint thickness gauge. This requires special equipment from, for example, Defelsko (so pricey that you would have to put it in a safe).

A weapon against stone chips is the wrapping of the nose (or the entire car). This is also possible with a transparent film (eg Xpel). The pitfall consists of a repainted body part that was later wrapped over to disguise this. Because an ordinary paint thickness gauge will not work.

Dealer-maintained

For maintenance on a Porsche you naturally go to a Porsche Center. After all, you have a warranty on a new car or through Porsche Approved. There they work according to strict rules required by Porsche AG. It is a well-oiled commercial machine, perfectly optimized and managed. One of the most profitable brands in the world. But of course you also pay for that, which makes sense.

For owners of Porsches that are no longer covered by the manufacturer's warranty, it sometimes becomes too much. They are looking for an alternative. Fortunately, there are also a number of good independent "Porsche Specialists". Often smaller garages with a hobby behind them. And a personal approach. Of course, original Porsche parts are also sold there used, and the level of knowledge is often very high. Perhaps the most important is the extra effort that can and may be put in if the owner has a special wish.

If the maintenance has been carried out by a good Porsche specialist, you should therefore appreciate it, and certainly not disqualify it. For many enthusiastic Porsche drivers, these garages are indispensable. It also explains why so many older Porsches are still driving around in a very good condition.