I live in Hagerstown, Maryland and I am in search of my first 968. My nearest dealer is 50 miles away, so you know I am looking for a reliable set of wheels. But before that, I am looking to learn all I can from you learned oracles.
Welcome. First lesson, never rely on the dealer. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/wink.png" class="smilie" alt="" />
Don't go to a dealer, they know nothing of these cars. You have two good independent shops not far from you, IMA in Chantilly VA and SSI in Towson MD, both with great reputation of quality work and honesty. I have had very good experiences with Sloan at SSI.
Welcome to the forum. Lots of good information here on the 968. I hope your search is fruitful.
Oracle huh. First time most of us here have been called that! As I've said before, patience is a virtue and demand a <acronym title='pre purchase inspection'>PPI</acronym>. Good luck.
Yes, as others have already stated, a dealer is pretty much useless to a (now) 17+ year old car. I'm guessing Porsche of Rockville is 50 miles? You will definitely want to keep driving...lol
No, seriously, IMA is good with these front engine, water cooled machines and that's IF you need heavy maintenance and Charlie Murphy at Intersport in Tyson's knows the front engine stuff very well too. Many day to day things can be DIY even though there's a fancy badge on the hood.
Check out some of the other threads on here about operating costs. The cheaper the car, the more it will cost you because of previous owners' deferred maintenance. There is a saying...."buy the best one you can afford".....and don't be afraid to wait for one to come along. I'm not too far away, so if I can help, please give a yell. Coupe? Car? Tip? Stick?
+1 for Sloan as SSI, very knowlegable and honest.
This is exactly the kind of advise I was hoping to receive in this forum. You folks are the best! Thank you. Oh, and for the record, it's a tip coupe I'm looking for. I've had to replace too many tops in my day to own another, and unless my wife can drive it sometime (the tip), she will be complaining forever.
Tip/Coupe? If you're bored one day, you should take a drive down to my place.