3.4S - Portiacraft

[MD707]

Looking for some advice from those with experience.....I am after a 3.4S Manual. Just viewed this car at Portiacraft - quite the experience.

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/11293698?c...

- On first impression its a lovely car with great spec and crazy mileage (31k)
- Matt finish to paint on rear drivers arch put me off
- Minor touch up to left rear alloy to fix
- Few small cosmetic marks. But otherwise seemed really good
- Seems to be well priced, includes the plate which could be sold for £400...

...but Harry the owner is about the rudest man I have ever met. There's grumpy and there is being an ass.

- He got angry with me for not buying it within 15 minutes of meeting 'because its perfect, if you can't decide, maybe you shouldn't be buying old cars'.
- Said 3.4 Boxsters don't suffer from from bore scoring and PPIs are a waste of time.
- Clutch felt a little heavy, but he said 'it was light for one of these'.
- Last service was at a local garage, he said 'Boxsters don't need full Porsche specialist stamps, its not a 911'.
- Said if 'anything is wrong with it, bring it back and he will fix it'.
- Told me to 'forget it then' and walked off when I said I wanted to think about it.

...am I missing out on a great buy here? Not excited to do business with them. Always another out there.

Edited by MD707 on Wednesday 24th February 11:46

[Phil Dicky]

Quality Porsche expert from a Specialist Porsche dealer...what a wker walk away.

[jimmy p]

It's too expensive imo for a gen 1 3.4.
For that price it would need to be perfect which by your description it isn't.
The plate is not worth 400, try selling it.

3.4 gen 1 engines do bore score.

I couldn't buy it from someone who was that rude to me when looking to buy, i know you buy the car not the seller however imagine his rudeness if you took it back to get something fixed.
They are not rare cars, find one you are happy with.

[MD707]

Thanks guys, now the dust has settled it's definitely a walk. Plenty more out there.

[AAAndy]

I have often look at their site as they regularly have well priced cars (at least on the surface they look well priced). From what you have said that it's the last time I would consider them.

From what you are saying, I personally would walk away as sounds like it may be hiding something that he knows a PPI could expose.

But that aside - with an attitude like that I wouldn't buy the car out of principle even if it were perfect.

[MD707]

jimmy p said:

It's too expensive imo for a gen 1 3.4.
For that price it would need to be perfect which by your description it isn't.

It looked 'cheap' next to this one....

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/11284372

[Roof down]

Not cheap at all, could you try and stretch to a gen 2, dealer sounds horrid, WALK AWAY

[Magnum 475]

Odd. Portiacraft have got a reasonably good reputation, and they've been around quite some time.

However, 3.4 987s most definitely do bore-score. That's why I bought a 3.2, cause they don't bore-score and can have IMS replacements done easily.

Maybe Harry was having an 'off day'??

Edited by Magnum 475 on Wednesday 24th February 21:24

[MD707]

Roof down said:

Not cheap at all, could you try and stretch to a gen 2, dealer sounds horrid, WALK AWAY

Most certainly - but can only find PDK examples or Black Editions for lots and lots of money at the minute....

Wondering whether a nice, late 3.2S could be a good buy as well now. Not much in it performance wise, better value perhaps?

[Magnum 475]

MD707 said:

Roof down said:

Not cheap at all, could you try and stretch to a gen 2, dealer sounds horrid, WALK AWAY

Most certainly - but can only find PDK examples or Black Editions for lots and lots of money at the minute....

Wondering whether a nice, late 3.2S could be a good buy as well now. Not much in it performance wise, better value perhaps?

Either go up a few $$$ to a 987.2 all the issues are sorted on the gen 2 cars, or grab the nicest 3.2S you can find.

With a 3.2, I'd recommend that with fitment of the LN Ceramic IMS upgrade you'll have a nicely sorted car. For reference, when I bought mine I did:

- LN IMS Bearing
- New engine mounts
- New Clutch
- AOS

and a few other things that I can't quite recall, but while the engine's being dropped out to do the IMS upgrade, the other bits just made sense.

[jimmy p]

You should be able to get a nice gen2 987 3.4 for 20k, that's where my money would be, patience and the right one will come along

[Benrad]

Hmmm, my dad is eyeing up a 996 they're selling at the moment, sounds like he may have to reconsider (he's not visited them yet)

[MD707]

Thanks chaps!

jimmy p said:

You should be able to get a nice gen2 987 3.4 for 20k, that's where my money would be, patience and the right one will come along

That would be ideal. Haven’t seen one tho. Currently only 1-2 gen2 manuals, and they’re £23k+ with basic specs. Will be patient!

[Mark-ri571]

I would certainly need a PPI at that money. The DME needs checking for true mileage and over Rev report. Would also want the bores scoped to check for scoring. At that mileage the clutch should still be fairly light. Don’t discount a mid to late 2005 987.1 S which should have the bigger ims bearing and lower VED.

[g7jhp]

MD707 said:

Thanks chaps!

jimmy p said:

You should be able to get a nice gen2 987 3.4 for 20k, that's where my money would be, patience and the right one will come along

That would be ideal. Haven’t seen one tho. Currently only 1-2 gen2 manuals, and they’re £23k+ with basic specs. Will be patient!

There's a 73k mile Gen 2 Boxster S on AT for £18k. Sure others will come up in the next few months.

[Dunk130TC]

If their attitude is poor when they’re selling, imagine what it’d be like after you’d bought and have an issue

[MD707]

Mark-ri571 said:

. Don’t discount a mid to late 2005 987.1 S which should have the bigger ims bearing and lower VED.

That’s great info thank you. I’ll check it out

jimmy p said:

There's a 73k mile Gen 2 Boxster S on AT for £18k. Sure others will come up in the next few months.

The brown one? Wife having none of it

[Andyoz]

I'd have told him to shove the car up his arse.

Look for a gen 2 with more miles.

And he's a liar...bore score...

Edited by Andyoz on Wednesday 24th February 21:51

[SRT Hellcat]

Harry is okay. Have not seen him for a while. He has been in the game for a very long time. I have friends that have bought and sold to him over the years and he has always been very fair and has always stood by any warranty work. Perhaps he was just having a bad day

[jimmy p]

The one I was referring to is £19975 on autotrader, 53k Miles 3.4 gen 2 in black with dark red roof