Buying a 991 - Porsche Approved, indie or private

[mikees]

Been out of Porsches for 4 years with a V8V but feel like a change.

I have always been of the view that I didn’t want a modern 911 without a Porsche warranty but is that still the case with 991 vs 997.1 vs 996?

Can you share your views? I’m liking the new 2 year warranty on approved these days. Price delta seems to between 10-5k more for approved vs indie/private

For context last one was a 1982 targa that needed a 10k engine rebuild.

Head says indie with a 5-10k repair fund. Heart says just buy an approved.

Thanks in advance

[JohnnyUK]

Just buy an approved and enjoy the car without worrying, then buy another Porsche warranty after two years.

[Polome]

Good as the 991 is it’s far too complex a car to run without an OPC warranty. It’s very easy to run up a bill of £2/3k and more with the cost of Porsche parts/labour. You may never need the warranty but you’ll be glad of it if you do. I’ve had .1 & .2 cars…and prefer the engine of the older car , everything else the .2. Good luck with your choice.

[fistenburger]

My 991.2 S is now at RPM Technik and up for sale. It has Porsche warranty until September next year.
If it's the kind of thing you're after then i'm more than happy to talk you through the car and my (positive) ownership experience. I'm only selling it as values are strong and I want a GT3.

[julian987R]

mikees said:

Been out of Porsches for 4 years with a V8V but feel like a change.

Strikes me the V8V is an utterly boring car after a month of ownership. Correct?

[SE24]

julian987R said:

Strikes me the V8V is an utterly boring car after a month of ownership. Correct?

I couldn't get on with mine as a sports car, I sold it after 4 months

[David W.]

Tried to bond with mine but got rid after a year, only drove it because I thought I should, not because I enjoyed it. Far to many compromises. Luckily kept hold of my 997 so parting with the Vantage was painless.

[Bincenzo]

I’m interested in this. I bought a GT4 a year ago from an OPC with associated warranty. Complete and utter piece of mind, no claims mind you but any dealings with OPC were very positive. I had a slight niggle about a noise on the PCCB, the car was in for the whole day for investigation. Nothing found but not a penny paid. Very impressed. I’m now in the process of buying a used 991.1 GTS from a private seller. It comes with an extended Porsche warranty until late 2022. That was the only reason I bought one privately.

For me, warranty is important. Whether the car is from an OPC, Indie or private seller depends on the other important stuff, spec, age, mileage and number of owners. And, whether I can trust the seller, whomever he/she may be.

[Jim300186]

I would say go approved the warranty is brilliant, my first 911 was a 991.2 c4s and it blew a turbo on track, Porsche fixed it without any issues. Not sure how much job would have cost but probably more than the difference between approved and indie!

[mikees]

I’ve bought the approved. Thanks all.

[Slaav]

mikees said:

I’ve bought the approved. Thanks all.

But what did you buy???

[mogg]

I have a 991.1 GT3RS which will be doing no more than 2000 miles and 3 track days per year. Not bought from an OPC and the sellers 6 month warranty is coming to an end. Is it worth having the Porsche extended warranty or put that money into a holding account should any issues occur ?

[le_gazman]

mogg said:

I have a 991.1 GT3RS which will be doing no more than 2000 miles and 3 track days per year. Not bought from an OPC and the sellers 6 month warranty is coming to an end. Is it worth having the Porsche extended warranty or put that money into a holding account should any issues occur ?

If it was a McLaren and the warranty was 6 grand a year I’d say keep the money in the bank. But given you’re probably only a couple of grand for 2yrs it’s worth just spending the money for the peace of mind, IMO.

[EvoSid]

Bincenzo said:

I’m interested in this. I bought a GT4 a year ago from an OPC with associated warranty. Complete and utter piece of mind, no claims mind you but any dealings with OPC were very positive. I had a slight niggle about a noise on the PCCB, the car was in for the whole day for investigation. Nothing found but not a penny paid. Very impressed. I’m now in the process of buying a used 991.1 GTS from a private seller. It comes with an extended Porsche warranty until late 2022. That was the only reason I bought one privately.

For me, warranty is important. Whether the car is from an OPC, Indie or private seller depends on the other important stuff, spec, age, mileage and number of owners. And, whether I can trust the seller, whomever he/she may be.

You can add the warranty on at any time even if you buy privately.

My experience was as follows
Bought car privately (GT4) , still had 2 months warranty left
Had it Mot'd and inspected by OPC , total cost £150 shared between seller and me
1 fault found missing brake duct at rear, seller paid to have it replaced
I bought car and then paid for new 2 year warranty.
1 fault since ownership which was a leaking brake fluid return pipe form clutch and it was fixed under warranty.
Great experience so far

[Willwors]

Interested that many are singing the praises of the Approved Used route actually.

What are the perceived benefits of buying with the Approved Used warranty vs. a car from a renowned specialist with a 3rd party warranty?

I only ask because I'm considering the same and note that the OPC cars carry a substantial premium (£5k + probably).

Thanks,

Will

[julian987R]

Willwors said:

Interested that many are singing the praises of the Approved Used route actually.

What are the perceived benefits of buying with the Approved Used warranty vs. a car from a renowned specialist with a 3rd party warranty?

I only ask because I'm considering the same and note that the OPC cars carry a substantial premium (£5k + probably).

Thanks,

Will

A 3rd party warranty on a car from a renowned specialist is going to be an RAC car-care warranty which is not even worth the paper it is written on.
The renowned specialist is not providing a warranty, they just connect the dots between you and the RAC, and add it to the bill.

[russy01]

IMO the best way is to buy a car privately that has remaining OPC warranty.

Save the dealer margin, but get the peace of mind.

Correct, you can put a OPC warranty on at any time, but only if the car passed the 110pt check - they are strict on this and will make you fix/replace any bit that doesn’t pass the check. If you buy a car that already has warranty you can renew without the check.

[Slaav]

russy01 said:

IMO the best way is to buy a car privately that has remaining OPC warranty.

Save the dealer margin, but get the peace of mind.

Correct, you can put a OPC warranty on at any time, but only if the car passed the 110pt check - they are strict on this and will make you fix/replace any bit that doesn’t pass the check. If you buy a car that already has warranty you can renew without the check.

Isn’t there still an issue if bought through a non OPC dealer? As in once a dealer gets involved, the Porsche warranty can’t be transferred?

My opinion now, having always paid for the Porsche warranty is as follows:

A) if it’s a nice/expensive car or a GT/ Turbo, warranty is essential for peace of mind for me.
B) if it’s an older car, maintaining the warranty may we’ll be vital?
C) ‘self insure’ is an option if you’re prepared to take a chance on ‘cheaper’ cars?
D) some years ago - and after a failed warranty claim on my hood - the warranty effectively became a ‘bumper to bumper’ deal.
E) on our older 996, which was out of warranty, several larger projects or expenses were probably wear and tear so not covered anyway??

We currently have a 991.2 Turbo S. Warranty is a 100% option for my/us just for peace of mind

I hope my ramblings have helped although probably not….

[lordturpin]

Just to put the other side across, for 5 years I ran a 997.1 and I am now running a 991.1 for the last 2 years.

I do approx 5k miles a year and have never had any warranties on my cars, I haven't had any bills outside of what would be the expected consumables.

[Willwors]

I suspect the OPC cars provide the best peace of mind but it’s still tough to get the head around spending £65k on a 7 year old (at least) 911. Market feels bonkers at the moment but I still want one. Help!