997.2 Dodgy service history from OPC?
997.2 Dodgy service history from OPC?
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Discussion

f1ashgordon

Original Poster:

264 posts

165 months

Thursday 7th March 2013
quotequote all
I've just put a deposit on a 997.2 S (nice spec, but most importantly sports exhaust) at an OPC.

They were up front about the service history, basically the first service was done at 27000 miles and nearly 3yrs.

Car is a 58 plate and in Jan 2013 had a major service at 30k (its current mileage).

Apparently the service book has also been replaced and will be re-stamped. I will insist on this.

As far as I'm concerned (and the OPC) it is now part Porsche Approved and sold with 2yr warranty etc so should be good to go?
Would any of you be concerned by this?

I pick it up next Saturday but am starting to worry it may devalue the car for resale (certainly it's approx £3-5k cheaper than its peers).

pauljmcnulty

850 posts

268 months

Thursday 7th March 2013
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If you're buying it under value, expect to sell under value and it all balances out.

f1ashgordon

Original Poster:

264 posts

165 months

Thursday 7th March 2013
quotequote all
Absolutely, provided the reduced buy price is as a result of this service history (I don't know). I missed out on another car in the OPC network back in January which was perfect and for some reason was approximately £4k cheaper than others in the OPC network, they just really needed to sell it.

Martian O

2,734 posts

191 months

Thursday 7th March 2013
quotequote all
Would I buy a car that hadn't had a service/oil change for 27K miles, no.

Makes you wonder what else had been neglected.

Ekona

1,684 posts

231 months

Thursday 7th March 2013
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Not sure it would bother me that much. If the price was right and I knew I was going to keep it for a good few years to prove to the next owner that I'd looked after it correctly, then I think I could justify the risk. Given it's got the OPC warranty too I reckon you're in safe hands.

BertBert

21,266 posts

240 months

Thursday 7th March 2013
quotequote all
They are just not great signs. Lost service book to be restamped and 27k miles on one lot of oil.

It probably makes no material difference to how the car will be over the coming 10-20 years, but you want to be sure it's the deal you want.

And when you sell it, you will get fed up with anally retentive tts like us sucking their teeth and saying "poor service history mate, not worth much".

Bert

Magic919

14,506 posts

230 months

Thursday 7th March 2013
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I wouldn't. Plenty more cars out there without shady service history.

elliot_holder

200 posts

218 months

Thursday 7th March 2013
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Might be me, but aren't OPC's usually really strict what they put a warranty on? At least they certainly were at Guildford when I had my 111 point check and put on a warranty!

If there is a shady service history how can an OPC put a 2yr warranty on it? Is it one rule for joe blogs who comes in off the street and completely another when its a car being retailed by said OPC?

Seems unusual they'd bend the rules...

f1ashgordon

Original Poster:

264 posts

165 months

Thursday 7th March 2013
quotequote all
Pretty much what I was getting at- I wouldn't buy this car outside OPC, I suppose I wanted to gauge your reactions to this issue within a Porsche Approved safety net.

Mr Ping

262 posts

165 months

Thursday 7th March 2013
quotequote all
I don't know about you folks but when I have had a new car the first service is the one I always ensure I don't go over the mileage for. Not only that I try and make sure that I don't drive the nuts off the car as I belong to the school of thought that it should be gently worn in first and that this might help it have a slightly longer and more reliable life span - whether it's true or not I don't really care!

Ultimately I tend to pamper and be very careful with it is what I am conveying!

For somebody to have bought an expensive new car, not serviced it on time, then flogged it with it needing a major service on it the first time around, suggests somebody with more cash than sense who screwed the nuts off it, got bored then got rid and simply didn't care if they broke it or not.



mollytherocker

14,465 posts

238 months

Thursday 7th March 2013
quotequote all
Martian O said:
Would I buy a car that hadn't had a service/oil change for 27K miles, no.

Makes you wonder what else had been neglected.
Agree. I wouldnt touch it. There are plenty more out there.

monthefish

20,467 posts

260 months

Thursday 7th March 2013
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f1ashgordon said:
Porsche Approved safety net.
I'd be careful with putting too much faith in this. (this applies to all manufacturers, not just Porsche)

monthefish

20,467 posts

260 months

Thursday 7th March 2013
quotequote all
BertBert said:
Lost service book to be restamped and 27k miles on one lot of oil.
That's bad enought at any point in a car's life, but is it not espcially bad if its from new, as do Posrche not stipulate a running in service to get rid of the oil that has been present in the engine during the intial run-in period?
(Think some OEM's actually use a different grade of oil for this period?)

Ian_UK1

1,515 posts

223 months

Thursday 7th March 2013
quotequote all
mollytherocker said:
Martian O said:
Would I buy a car that hadn't had a service/oil change for 27K miles, no.

Makes you wonder what else had been neglected.
Agree. I wouldnt touch it. There are plenty more out there.
This ^^^^. Having seen the appalling state of the used engine oil coming out of the sump of my 997S.2 after only 8,000 (relatively hard) miles, I'd be wary of buying a car that had only been serviced to Porsche's (frankly ridiculous) published 20,000 mile schedules, let alone one that had gone 27000 miles on a single sump-full. That oil wouldn't have been doing much by way of lubricating anything properly for a long time...


Mr Ping

262 posts

165 months

Thursday 7th March 2013
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In fact I didn't even spot the bit about it nearly being 3 years!! I mean I could have kind of understood that if you were driving all over the place and didn't have the time and was a complete doughnut that you might go slightly over the servicing mileage but 3 years!!!! They really didn't care for the car one bit!

Magic919

14,506 posts

230 months

Thursday 7th March 2013
quotequote all
f1ashgordon said:
Pretty much what I was getting at- I wouldn't buy this car outside OPC, I suppose I wanted to gauge your reactions to this issue within a Porsche Approved safety net.
What's your plan for two years down the line when they refuse to renew the warranty? Underwriting criteria have tightened and it falls out of scope. Maybe you just need to spend an extra £500 to have them leak down test it?

NorthDave

2,538 posts

261 months

Thursday 7th March 2013
quotequote all
Hi

I had this on mine although the car had done less than 10,000 miles in the three years before its first service. Am I not right in thinking that the first service as we know it doesn't exist on the 911? The first one being at two years? If so then the service was missed by 7,000 miles or a year which doesn't seem as bad.

In my case the 111 point check was enough for them to put the warranty on (taken in to an OPC by the private seller for my peace of mind) and they have just renewed for another year. So the warranty wont be affected.

I wouldn't necessarily worry if it is a keeper.

Martian O

2,734 posts

191 months

Thursday 7th March 2013
quotequote all
It's also not as if the first owner could've forgotten about servicing, the dash warning message would've popped up everytime he/she started the car!

RSoovy4

35,829 posts

300 months

Thursday 7th March 2013
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Make sure you get it IN WRITING from Porsche that the warranty is valid.


f1ashgordon

Original Poster:

264 posts

165 months

Thursday 7th March 2013
quotequote all
Interesting gents. Of all the questions I asked, rev ranges etc I simply assumed a full service history because it was OPC.

So, apparently OPC spent a lot of money bringing it up to scratch so that it could be sold Porsche Approved, I'll ask for a list of all the work done, but I'm getting the impression that irrespective of warranty (in writing and in writing that it'll be renewed) some of you think it a time bomb. I understand why.

Which is my reason for canvassing opinion, I'm not looking for anyone to reaffirm my decision either, so I'm more likely not to proceed, but it's bloody lovely! There's not a mark or crease on the driver's seat and the body work is perfect.

Ah, shame, as it's the only 997.2s with approx 30k miles for under £40k in OPC let alone specialists.