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Dec 4, 2004 8:55:08 PM
- SrfCity
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- Loc: Orange County, CA
- Posts: 1339, Gallery
- Registered on: Jul 21, 2004
- Reply to: SoCal Alan
Re: Order and Wait or Get into One That's Available Now?
Quote:
SoCal Alan said:
I got mine at Circle Porsche in Long Beach, about a month ago. I'm was pretty satisfied with the whole process there. Pretty laid back, not a flashy and snobby dealership like Newport Auto Center. Talk to Michelle at Circle.
That's the person I bought mine from. Well, she happened to be the one there when I wanted to come in and get it. Pretty good follow up from her. I wanted to buy from Circle. I bought a Boxster once from an ex-racer guy that worked there. He told me about going with Steve McQueen for a terrorizing test drive in LA once and how he took Jerry Seinfeld for a ride in the tunnel under the 405 Freeway at about 140. All this added to the experience.
Re: Order and Wait or Get into One That's Available Now?
Quote:
Yargk said:
Does anyone else think that while 80k is not horrible for an S, 100k optioned out seems a little ridiculous?
Although I think 100k for a GT3 is an ok deal.
If you search the archives, you might find my posts where I explained why I spent the same money for a 997 Carrera S instead of a 996 GT3. Yes, I had my reasons. And trust me, I'm not a slow driver and it was a very hard decision for me. Especially since the GT3 has the "better" engine and gearbox and performance figures close to the 996 Turbo.
Sometimes people have their reasons, especially when they get older.
Re: Order and Wait or Get into One That's Available Now?
Dealers/sales persons driving the cars is actually the worst thing which can happen. I have the luck that my sales guy races his private(!) 993 on the track and the owner of the dealership and his son drive a GT2 and GT3. No danger here but I heard from other Porsche dealers that sales persons drive a Honda Accura or Audi A4 privately and you can imagine how they treat a 911.
During the dealer event in Portugal, a lot of 997 were wrecked, technically "finished" and almost "vandalized", so I don't trust cars which have been driven by sales persons only, especially during launch events.
Regarding quality of the launch cars: I heard from a source that the launch cars have a pretty good quality because quality control was pretty harsh when these cars have been built. My 997 Carrera S actually comes out of a "pool" of launch cars and I can confirm the good quality. However: expect to get a new clutch soon if a lot of different people drove your car, so maybe you want to add a free clutch install too to your deal if the clutch fails within the first 10000 mls.
The PCCB alone is worth getting this car but of course I wouldn't feel too comfortable with so many different people driving my car. On the other hand, 700 mls aren't that much... The decision is yours but maybe you should try to get a better deal on this car. This won't be easy to sell, the PCCB makes it pretty expensive and the reputation of the PCCB isn't the best due to the previous generations installed on the 996. So maybe the dealer is willing to give you a better deal in two or three weeks, who knows.
During the dealer event in Portugal, a lot of 997 were wrecked, technically "finished" and almost "vandalized", so I don't trust cars which have been driven by sales persons only, especially during launch events.
Regarding quality of the launch cars: I heard from a source that the launch cars have a pretty good quality because quality control was pretty harsh when these cars have been built. My 997 Carrera S actually comes out of a "pool" of launch cars and I can confirm the good quality. However: expect to get a new clutch soon if a lot of different people drove your car, so maybe you want to add a free clutch install too to your deal if the clutch fails within the first 10000 mls.
The PCCB alone is worth getting this car but of course I wouldn't feel too comfortable with so many different people driving my car. On the other hand, 700 mls aren't that much... The decision is yours but maybe you should try to get a better deal on this car. This won't be easy to sell, the PCCB makes it pretty expensive and the reputation of the PCCB isn't the best due to the previous generations installed on the 996. So maybe the dealer is willing to give you a better deal in two or three weeks, who knows.
Re: Order and Wait or Get into One That's Available Now?
Quote:
RC said:
Dealers/sales persons driving the cars is actually the worst thing which can happen. I have the luck that my sales guy races his private(!) 993 on the track and the owner of the dealership and his son drive a GT2 and GT3. No danger here but I heard from other Porsche dealers that sales persons drive a Honda Accura or Audi A4 privately and you can imagine how they treat a 911.
During the dealer event in Portugal, a lot of 997 were wrecked, technically "finished" and almost "vandalized", so I don't trust cars which have been driven by sales persons only, especially during launch events.
Regarding quality of the launch cars: I heard from a source that the launch cars have a pretty good quality because quality control was pretty harsh when these cars have been built. My 997 Carrera S actually comes out of a "pool" of launch cars (the first 200 cars built
The PCCB alone is worth getting this car but of course I wouldn't feel too comfortable with so many different people driving my car. On the other hand, 700 mls aren't that much... The decision is yours but maybe you should try to get a better deal on this car. This won't be easy to sell, the PCCB makes it pretty expensive and the reputation of the PCCB isn't the best due to the previous generations installed on the 996. So maybe the dealer is willing to give you a better deal in two or three weeks, who knows.
Re: Order and Wait or Get into One That's Available Now?
Quote:
SrfCity said:Quote:
SoCal Alan said:
I got mine at Circle Porsche in Long Beach, about a month ago. I'm was pretty satisfied with the whole process there. Pretty laid back, not a flashy and snobby dealership like Newport Auto Center. Talk to Michelle at Circle.
That's the person I bought mine from. Well, she happened to be the one there when I wanted to come in and get it. Pretty good follow up from her. I wanted to buy from Circle. I bought a Boxster once from an ex-racer guy that worked there. He told me about going with Steve McQueen for a terrorizing test drive in LA once and how he took Jerry Seinfeld for a ride in the tunnel under the 405 Freeway at about 140. All this added to the experience.
I got mine there also. Rainer in fleet sales is also a good person to talk to.
Dec 4, 2004 11:50:18 PM
- SoCal Alan
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- Loc: Orange County , United States
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- Registered on: Mar 6, 2004
- Reply to: vtrader
Re: Order and Wait or Get into One That's Available Now?
vtrader, SrfCity:
since we bought from the same dealership, I can ask this (because I'm not sure if it's a local dealership thing)... did you guys order the lojack option? I did, but have yet to have it installed. I'm not really crazy about some guy drilling the underside of my car to put this unit on. so I've been procrastinating
since we bought from the same dealership, I can ask this (because I'm not sure if it's a local dealership thing)... did you guys order the lojack option? I did, but have yet to have it installed. I'm not really crazy about some guy drilling the underside of my car to put this unit on. so I've been procrastinating
Dec 5, 2004 3:40:56 AM
- WBH
- Expert
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- Loc: CA
- Posts: 1963, Gallery
- Registered on: Jan 2, 2004
- Reply to: SoCal Alan
Re: Order and Wait or Get into One That's Available Now?
Quote:
SoCal Alan said:
vtrader, SrfCity:
since we bought from the same dealership, I can ask this (because I'm not sure if it's a local dealership thing)... did you guys order the lojack option? I did, but have yet to have it installed. I'm not really crazy about some guy drilling the underside of my car to put this unit on. so I've been procrastinating
I'm stunned anyone would opt for lojack for high-end cars. Can't recall when I've heard of anyone w/modern high-end car in a major US city having car stolen...and carjacking is fairly unheard of (after it was in-vogue in LA in early '90s). And in rare event I were to have car stolen, I would hope it's shipped off to some 3rd world country...and I'll calmly collect my insurance compensation and get a new toy. I wouldn't want lojack to help retrieve some mangled car for me, which I would then have to rehab for sale and depreciation hit....just as I would unload any post-collision car not "totalled" by insurance....I'll let some other "shrewd" guy try to get a "deal" on such structurally/aesthetically compromised cars....
Dec 5, 2004 4:31:02 AM
- SoCal Alan
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- Loc: Orange County , United States
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- Registered on: Mar 6, 2004
- Reply to: WBH
Re: Order and Wait or Get into One That's Available Now?
Quote:
VKSF said:
I'm stunned anyone would opt for lojack for high-end cars. Can't recall when I've heard of anyone w/modern high-end car in a major US city having car stolen...and carjacking is fairly unheard of (after it was in-vogue in LA in early '90s). And in rare event I were to have car stolen, I would hope it's shipped off to some 3rd world country...and I'll calmly collect my insurance compensation and get a new toy. I wouldn't want lojack to help retrieve some mangled car for me, which I would then have to rehab for sale and depreciation hit....just as I would unload any post-collision car not "totalled" by insurance....I'll let some other "shrewd" guy try to get a "deal" on such structurally/aesthetically compromised cars....
Yeah, I hear ya. I thought the same thing. I wasn't sure I would even want my car back after someone stole it. Oh well, I'll see if I can get my money back or credit for PSE or short shifter or something
.
Dec 5, 2004 7:20:14 AM
- bari
- Newbie
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- Loc: SoCal, USA
- Posts: 12, Gallery
- Registered on: Oct 28, 2004
- Reply to: SoCal Alan
Re: Order and Wait or Get into One That's Available Now?
Quote:
SoCal Alan said:
vtrader, SrfCity:
since we bought from the same dealership, I can ask this (because I'm not sure if it's a local dealership thing)... did you guys order the lojack option? I did, but have yet to have it installed. I'm not really crazy about some guy drilling the underside of my car to put this unit on. so I've been procrastinating
I don't blame you. When I bought my Boxster S from Rusnak, I was told that it was required by the dealership... LoJack along with the Dealer Prep which supposedly included the application of that exterior "BS" paint protection and the interior leather protection. Otherwise, they wouldn't sell me the car.
This was in 2000 when I was # 25 in the waiting list. My Boxster S was an extra car spec'ed out by the Sales Manager and offerred to me since I was the one supposedly with the closest specs as that one. I was crazy about the car then that I looked the other way and paid the extra $1,500...
I told the salesman afterwards that it didn't seem fair and felt that I was scammed... especially after I found out later where they sent cars for this type of prepping and found out how much it actually cost. Not mentioning where I bought my car, I asked the Auto Detailing shop how much it would cost to have the same type of detailing (exterior and interior). It was 1/3 the cost of what the dealer charged me. Also, to this date, I don't know if the LoJack is actually working. I don't even know where it's installed as the dealer never told me. All I was given was a LoJack card and who to call in case the car was stolen, etc, etc.
Re: Order and Wait or Get into One That's Available Now?
Quote:
VKSF said:
I'm stunned anyone would opt for lojack for high-end cars. ....
Had not planned on getting it, but even though I paid for the car in cash, had to go through the finance manager. Thats where I got nailed. The fact that I had a car stolen before may have played into the decision and the fact that this is my dream car and not a toy car, I opted for the early warning version. On the positive side, I do get a discount on insurance and the 997 is the second lowest cost of the four cars I have.
Re: Order and Wait or Get into One That's Available Now?
Stories like the mandatory lojack, plastic coating packages, dealer surcharges above MSRP, etc, all combined w/dismal after-sale service, make one realize how much of a shake-down the car buying and ownership expce is for most people. 
Now I understand why there are guys who source all their cars (no matter the brand) from the same dealers/brokers if they have identified a competent, fair dealer/salesguy to which to direct their business. I suspect it's harder to negotiate desirable pricing and after-sale service prioritization as a one-off customer than as a long-standing customer and referral source....and I would expect any smart, competitive dealer/salesguy to want to similarly build and reward a rolodex of such recession-resistant and loyal customers....after all, 10 yrs ago or so, rumor was FoSF had several new, red 355Spiders sitting around on the lot looking for homes...sort of like Masers today...
Now I understand why there are guys who source all their cars (no matter the brand) from the same dealers/brokers if they have identified a competent, fair dealer/salesguy to which to direct their business. I suspect it's harder to negotiate desirable pricing and after-sale service prioritization as a one-off customer than as a long-standing customer and referral source....and I would expect any smart, competitive dealer/salesguy to want to similarly build and reward a rolodex of such recession-resistant and loyal customers....after all, 10 yrs ago or so, rumor was FoSF had several new, red 355Spiders sitting around on the lot looking for homes...sort of like Masers today...
Dec 5, 2004 7:47:28 PM
- SrfCity
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- Loc: Orange County, CA
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- Registered on: Jul 21, 2004
- Reply to: SoCal Alan
Dec 5, 2004 11:14:50 PM
- bari
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- Loc: SoCal, USA
- Posts: 12, Gallery
- Registered on: Oct 28, 2004
- Reply to: SoCal Alan
Re: Order and Wait or Get into One That's Available Now?
Quote:
SoCal Alan said:
What about the extended warranty? Anybody get that?
OK, I'm curious and interested too. How much does extended warranty usually cost and for how many years? Who provides this service, Porsche or another party?
Re: Order and Wait or Get into One That's Available Now?
I presume "lojack" is like our "tracker" system here in the UK. I always felt the same as you guys about it - that was until my car was stolen. What a complete nightmare - not only was I treated like I'd stolen it myself by my insurance company (asking for photos of me with the car, grilling me about when I last saw it, receipts etc) it was made clear to me that despite having "no claims protection" my insurance on a replacement car would effectively double. I was totally relieved when the police found it and returned it to me. There wasn't even a scratch on it and now every car I own has tracker.
Dec 6, 2004 12:15:18 AM
- SoCal Alan
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- Loc: Orange County , United States
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- Registered on: Mar 6, 2004
- Reply to: bari
Re: Order and Wait or Get into One That's Available Now?
Quote:
bari said:
OK, I'm curious and interested too. How much does extended warranty usually cost and for how many years? Who provides this service, Porsche or another party?
84 Months / 85000 miles ($3495)
Third Party provides the coverage.
At the rate I'm driving, I'll hit the 84 month limit before I hit the 85000 mile limit.
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