Not a good start ...

[Mattjevans]

Bought a 2002 996 C4S from a well known North London indy specialist dealer in April. Perfectly pleasant transaction, and the car is fundamentally sound. However...

During the purchase I asked specifically about tyres, pads and discs. Verbally informed that they'd done a full inspection and the brakes had plenty on them, bushings had been checked and fine, and that new tyres were being put on. Sadly didn’t get it in writing. More fool me.

Booked to take the car to a local specialist a few bits and pieces. A few days before the booking had a rear tyre blow out in a big way - entire sidewall ripped.

I was simply annoyed by at the time by what I thought was bad luck as they were new tread wise. When I started to look for a single replacement there were none available. So had to look at replacing both rears. On dropping the car in to the specialist, I’m told the tyres (while technically “new”) are from a 2003 batch ! Noddy here should have checked. Have to do fronts now too.

I mean technically they’ve done what they said on the tyres but I’m not happy. I can’t prove of course that the blowout relates to an ancient tyre, but I’m suspicious

Worse, the discs are totally shot (2mm under the limit), the front discs were on backwards and the pads are end of life. About a third of the bushings are knocking. And the self levelling headlight arm is broken.

The car is warrantied and if there was a major engine problem I’d be going back but since they’ve been either dishonest or incompetent (and seems to me it’s one or the other) I’m not really inclined to trust them with a brake job so I'm biting the bullet and getting it done by places I trust.

Contrast this to my GranTurismo, bought from Nuvola, which cost me the grand total of zero pounds in the first two years, although just had to replace the rears after 10,000 miles and let's just say it's evident that the Pirelli's weren't made to last that long...

[Gio G]

I can sort of guess who you purchased your car from and not had any dealings with them so cannot comment.. However I think you sometimes pay for what you get.. When I purchased our 3.2 Carrera, from a pretty reputable specialist, the tyres looked virtually brand new, however they were over 8 years old. The dealer replaced them all, without us even asking..

All of these items just add cost and reduces their margin, unless you point them out, they will not change them..

G

[mr pg]

Is it in Hendon, Mill Hill, or East Finchley?

[nickpan]

“East Finchley” doesn’t deal in boggo 996s so it’s pretty obvious who the OP is referring to.

I’ve always thought their cars were keenly priced, if not underpriced, so you get what you pay for really.

I’d only ever buy a 996 from RPM or JZM in the SE.

[BillyB]

That's bad news Matt. I'm sorry to hear that the blow-out was only the thin end of the wedge.

On the plus side, you will know the tyres, brakes and suspension are all up to the job once you are done (not much of a plus side, I know).

[Mattjevans]

I saw quite a few for £15-16k and to be honest thought £20k for a 78k miles C4S was not under-priced for a decent example.

If I’d been buying from Bob’s Honest Cars for £5k under market I’d have nothing to complain about it.

Actually the car is at JZM now and I honestly don’t think I’d buy a 996 from them, and not because of price. It only went there because RPM won’t fit customer parts and i had a few small cosmetic bits I’d bought installed. I only live 5 miles from RPM and my friends all take their cars there, so it’ll go to them for next years major work most likely.

[jakesmith]

Mattjevans said:

Bought a 2002 996 C4S from a well known North London indy specialist dealer in April. Perfectly pleasant transaction, and the car is fundamentally sound. However...

During the purchase I asked specifically about tyres, pads and discs. Verbally informed that they'd done a full inspection and the brakes had plenty on them, bushings had been checked and fine, and that new tyres were being put on. Sadly didn’t get it in writing. More fool me.

Booked to take the car to a local specialist a few bits and pieces. A few days before the booking had a rear tyre blow out in a big way - entire sidewall ripped.

I was simply annoyed by at the time by what I thought was bad luck as they were new tread wise. When I started to look for a single replacement there were none available. So had to look at replacing both rears. On dropping the car in to the specialist, I’m told the tyres (while technically “new”) are from a 2003 batch ! Noddy here should have checked. Have to do fronts now too.

I mean technically they’ve done what they said on the tyres but I’m not happy. I can’t prove of course that the blowout relates to an ancient tyre, but I’m suspicious

Worse, the discs are totally shot (2mm under the limit), the front discs were on backwards and the pads are end of life. About a third of the bushings are knocking. And the self levelling headlight arm is broken.

The car is warrantied and if there was a major engine problem I’d be going back but since they’ve been either dishonest or incompetent (and seems to me it’s one or the other) I’m not really inclined to trust them with a brake job so I'm biting the bullet and getting it done by places I trust.

Contrast this to my GranTurismo, bought from Nuvola, which cost me the grand total of zero pounds in the first two years, although just had to replace the rears after 10,000 miles and let's just say it's evident that the Pirelli's weren't made to last that long...

If you haven't already, don't put Pirellis back on the GT, they really are absolute garbage and unfit for purpose, they must be developed for driving around Italy or something, I replaced mine with Michelin PS4S and it was like a different car, especially in the wet

[Mattjevans]

jakesmith said:

If you haven't already, don't put Pirellis back on the GT, they really are absolute garbage and unfit for purpose, they must be developed for driving around Italy or something, I replaced mine with Michelin PS4S and it was like a different car, especially in the wet

Thanks, that’s exactly what I’ve done.

[Mattjevans]

mr pg said:

Is it in Hendon, Mill Hill, or East Finchley?

Yes. One of those.

[Mattjevans]

BillyB said:

That's bad news Matt. I'm sorry to hear that the blow-out was only the thin end of the wedge.

On the plus side, you will know the tyres, brakes and suspension are all up to the job once you are done (not much of a plus side, I know).

Yeah that’s what I’m telling myself, but I’d planned to spend £800 at JZM for “voluntary” work and ended up with a £2200 bill, and there’s plenty still to be done urgently but I’m having brakes and the required suspension done elsewhere (apart from one front control arm which was sufficiently bad I got JZM to do it).

Nothing particularly against JZM but I’m quite happy with Brembo and TRW parts that don’t come with Porsche labels and taking it where I’m 100% confident of the work standards (to be clear this is a matter of my own confidence not a slight on JZM’s work, as where I’m taking it I know it will be perfect).

I was more than a bit taken aback when JZM quoted £500 for key coding, a job that an OPC has quoted me £235 for. Then tried to tell me a part I had supplied wasn’t a Porsche part and seemed surprised when I showed them said part on the Porsche website. And told me cruise control isn’t available for my car (forgot to say the indicator is also broken, doesn’t reset in one direction - I know this is common - so I need to replace the stalk module anyway) and then I subsequently find Wrighttune can do it for me for £500.

I guess they must be good with GT-type cars, and to be fair they gave me an excellent report which itself I’d pay £200+ for.

This car was meant to be a project, well I got that bit right at least

Edited by Mattjevans on Monday 24th June 17:40

Edited by Mattjevans on Monday 24th June 17:41