OPC Warranties and transferability
Discussion
I'm looking to buy a car privately!!!!
The cars I'm going to have a look at have got existing OPC warranties
My questions are:
Are these warranties always transferable (or does it depend on the dealer!)
Would I be able to extend this warranty myself?
If the car has a transferable OPC warranty, then should I still get a 111 check or can I assume that any major problems I don't find would be covered under the warranty anyhow!
Any help appreciated, Cheers
The cars I'm going to have a look at have got existing OPC warranties
My questions are:
Are these warranties always transferable (or does it depend on the dealer!)
Would I be able to extend this warranty myself?
If the car has a transferable OPC warranty, then should I still get a 111 check or can I assume that any major problems I don't find would be covered under the warranty anyhow!
Any help appreciated, Cheers
ian187 said:
I'm looking to buy a car privately!!!!
The cars I'm going to have a look at have got existing OPC warranties
My questions are:
Are these warranties always transferable (or does it depend on the dealer!)
Would I be able to extend this warranty myself?
If the car has a transferable OPC warranty, then should I still get a 111 check or can I assume that any major problems I don't find would be covered under the warranty anyhow!
Any help appreciated, Cheers
The cars I'm going to have a look at have got existing OPC warranties
My questions are:
Are these warranties always transferable (or does it depend on the dealer!)
Would I be able to extend this warranty myself?
If the car has a transferable OPC warranty, then should I still get a 111 check or can I assume that any major problems I don't find would be covered under the warranty anyhow!
Any help appreciated, Cheers
My thread is here.
Warranty is transferable if you BUY PRIVATELY. It is 1000% NOT transferable if you buy the car from a trader. Do NOT let them bullshit you otherwise.
The 111 point check is a good inspection to have done, cheap at £200 really for the thoroughness.
Edited by Vesuvius 996 on Friday 30th March 09:48
OPC warentee is transferable you need the guy you are buying it from to fill out the change of owner form in the back of the warentee booklet.
Re 111 point check as long as it has been serviced by OPC as specefied then you can extend the warentee when the time comes without one.
Just a tip but if you are new to porsche i would sugest you extend it through the service guy at the local opc you intend to use for servicing as they are bonused on warentee sales so this starts to create good relationship.
Re 111 point check as long as it has been serviced by OPC as specefied then you can extend the warentee when the time comes without one.
Just a tip but if you are new to porsche i would sugest you extend it through the service guy at the local opc you intend to use for servicing as they are bonused on warentee sales so this starts to create good relationship.
Vesuvius 996 said:
The 111 point check is a good inspection to have done, cheap at £200 really for the thoroughness.
Completely agree. You are spending at least £20k - £25k, what is an additional 1% outlay to get that piece of mind?
The car might have an OPC warranty but what if there is something wrong with the car that would not be covered by that warranty (brakes, clutch, etc.) and this is something that needed doing after you had bought it. The 111-point check will at least flag it and give you some room for negotiation on the sale.
It is sort of like with MOTs. The car might pass on the day but an hour later something might have happened that would make it fail.
MaKSiNG said:
Vesuvius 996 said:
The 111 point check is a good inspection to have done, cheap at £200 really for the thoroughness.
Completely agree. You are spending at least £20k - £25k, what is an additional 1% outlay to get that piece of mind?
The car might have an OPC warranty but what if there is something wrong with the car that would not be covered by that warranty (brakes, clutch, etc.) and this is something that needed doing after you had bought it. The 111-point check will at least flag it and give you some room for negotiation on the sale.
It is sort of like with MOTs. The car might pass on the day but an hour later something might have happened that would make it fail.
I hear what you're saying about the 111 check and you're right - I'd probably be looking to spend the best part of 40K or more, so it makes little difference to the overall cost.
But what I'm thinking is:
I'm pretty OK with cars - owned a TVR 4 years for goodness sake
so I think I'd spot brakes / clutch etc.
Any major things would be covered by the warranty
and its not so conveinient to do a 111 check and then strike a deal.
I think I'd be in a better haggling position if I could close a deal there and then (so to speak) and I'd be taking a minimal risk (assuming it had the warranty anyhow)
What sort of things could I be caught out on here 'cause I'd save £200 on the check in the first place, so even if it did need brake pads then I wouldn't be out of pocket (its easy enough to test disks and pads yourself)
Also my brother is a mechanic, so I'd have him with me to climb under the car and poke things etc.
However - I'm keen for opinions, these are just my thoughts at the moment.
Do you really think I'd be taking much risk to go without the 111 check in these circumstances
But what I'm thinking is:
I'm pretty OK with cars - owned a TVR 4 years for goodness sake
so I think I'd spot brakes / clutch etc. Any major things would be covered by the warranty
and its not so conveinient to do a 111 check and then strike a deal.
I think I'd be in a better haggling position if I could close a deal there and then (so to speak) and I'd be taking a minimal risk (assuming it had the warranty anyhow)
What sort of things could I be caught out on here 'cause I'd save £200 on the check in the first place, so even if it did need brake pads then I wouldn't be out of pocket (its easy enough to test disks and pads yourself)
Also my brother is a mechanic, so I'd have him with me to climb under the car and poke things etc.
However - I'm keen for opinions, these are just my thoughts at the moment.
Do you really think I'd be taking much risk to go without the 111 check in these circumstances
I know what you mean, but I would still go with the check.
Sounds like it is not the money of the check but the inconvenience of it. You could get an independent who might travel to the car as opposed to the current owner having to take it to an OPC. The indy checks are (arguably) better/more thorough.
Things to consider:
Do you/your brother know alot about Porsche specifically? I know what you are saying about owning a TVR (4 as well, you are a brave man
) but each marque has its own foibles which you need to be well versed in.
How well will you be able to check it over without the right equipment? Get the car off the ground etc.
What about the test drive? How many cars like this have you driven and had experience of? I mean detailed experience? There is a rattle there and that means that an engine mount is on its way out or there is an apparent leak there but that is okay because they really all do that.
You can do what I did. Do the deal on the assumption that the car is going to sail through the inspection. Get the best price you can just as if you were going to drive the car away that day. But just put a clause in that should anything get spotted on the inspection the price will be renegotiated. Any genuine seller will be more than happy to have an inspection done and if they are really nice (like in my case) will even take the time out to take the car to the OPC and collect it etc. As soon as the seller is weary about letting you do the inspection or makes it particularly difficult, I would start to walk away.
But of course, you can only really get other peoples opinions on here. At the end of the day it is your choice and you are on your own with it.
Good luck.
Sounds like it is not the money of the check but the inconvenience of it. You could get an independent who might travel to the car as opposed to the current owner having to take it to an OPC. The indy checks are (arguably) better/more thorough.
Things to consider:
Do you/your brother know alot about Porsche specifically? I know what you are saying about owning a TVR (4 as well, you are a brave man
) but each marque has its own foibles which you need to be well versed in. How well will you be able to check it over without the right equipment? Get the car off the ground etc.
What about the test drive? How many cars like this have you driven and had experience of? I mean detailed experience? There is a rattle there and that means that an engine mount is on its way out or there is an apparent leak there but that is okay because they really all do that.
You can do what I did. Do the deal on the assumption that the car is going to sail through the inspection. Get the best price you can just as if you were going to drive the car away that day. But just put a clause in that should anything get spotted on the inspection the price will be renegotiated. Any genuine seller will be more than happy to have an inspection done and if they are really nice (like in my case) will even take the time out to take the car to the OPC and collect it etc. As soon as the seller is weary about letting you do the inspection or makes it particularly difficult, I would start to walk away.
But of course, you can only really get other peoples opinions on here. At the end of the day it is your choice and you are on your own with it.
Good luck.
ian187 said:
and its not so conveinient to do a 111 check and then strike a deal.
My advice would be get the check done. These are complex and expensive cars and you might easily miss a big issue without the check (how annoyed would you be if first time you took it for a service they told you the car had had a major rebuild post an accident?). I agreed a deal on my car on condition it got through the check with no major problems and then renegotiated a slightly lower price when it need pads + discs etc.
Hi there Ian187 - Dont want to piss on your parade but................
I did exactly what you are doing 18 months ago, sold my tuscan and got 996 c2. Stats as follows:-
Tuscan - 5 yrs old, 35k mlies, 1 engine rebuild, 1 clutch, 2 diff mounts (lots of track days the reason for this) plus minor odds & sods. No extended warranty. very expensive to own.
996 - 4 yrs old, 36k miles, 1 engine rebuild (now), 1 clutch, no odds & sods. OPC warranty. Clutch and engine both under warranty. Ultra expensive to own without a warranty
Where-ever you source your car, I cannot overstate the value of the proper inspection and warranty.
Pork ownership is potentially more expensive than TVR if you pay the big bills yourself,so the advice here is spot on.
Love the 996, as I can do all the overtaking stuff without killing myself or anyone else.
I did exactly what you are doing 18 months ago, sold my tuscan and got 996 c2. Stats as follows:-
Tuscan - 5 yrs old, 35k mlies, 1 engine rebuild, 1 clutch, 2 diff mounts (lots of track days the reason for this) plus minor odds & sods. No extended warranty. very expensive to own.
996 - 4 yrs old, 36k miles, 1 engine rebuild (now), 1 clutch, no odds & sods. OPC warranty. Clutch and engine both under warranty. Ultra expensive to own without a warranty
Where-ever you source your car, I cannot overstate the value of the proper inspection and warranty.
Pork ownership is potentially more expensive than TVR if you pay the big bills yourself,so the advice here is spot on.
Love the 996, as I can do all the overtaking stuff without killing myself or anyone else.
ian187 said:
I'm looking to buy a car privately!!!!
The cars I'm going to have a look at have got existing OPC warranties
My questions are:
Are these warranties always transferable (or does it depend on the dealer!)
Would I be able to extend this warranty myself?
If the car has a transferable OPC warranty, then should I still get a 111 check or can I assume that any major problems I don't find would be covered under the warranty anyhow!
Any help appreciated, Cheers
The cars I'm going to have a look at have got existing OPC warranties
My questions are:
Are these warranties always transferable (or does it depend on the dealer!)
Would I be able to extend this warranty myself?
If the car has a transferable OPC warranty, then should I still get a 111 check or can I assume that any major problems I don't find would be covered under the warranty anyhow!
Any help appreciated, Cheers
Yep - I bought my car with extended OPC warranty - just make sure you send off the form in the back of the booklet. Yes, you can extend it at any OPC.
I'd say no point in the 111 point check really, the warranty will cover most work that would need to be done! (and they will always claim the brakes/clutch or something need doing when they dont - just trying to drum up buisness)
Thanks for the replies guys - I guess I wanted to hear you all say
"if its got the warranty then you'll be fine" You're right, its not the money, but the inconveinience and when I do agree on buying a car, then I'm going to want it straight away
I know what you mean about knowing the particular issues with some cars.
I've never had a Porsche before and my brother works for Bentley, so not his expertise either.
So I am leaning more towards getting the 111 check, can anyone tell me tho. what they check? Is bodywork checked for accident damage or paintwork?
When I went to the OPC Porsche garage in ????? they told me that it didn't matter if a car had been in an accident as long as the repair was approved Porsche repair and I wouldn't be able to tell anyhow if it had been repaired - I'm thinking this is Bull
and if you knew what you were looking for you'd be able to find an accident reaired car.
what do you think and is this something that can be checked in the 111? and what do they check - is there an official list of check points - I'd appreciate knowing form someone that's had a 111 check to know if you get a certificate or just a nod of the head to say its OK?
"if its got the warranty then you'll be fine" You're right, its not the money, but the inconveinience and when I do agree on buying a car, then I'm going to want it straight away
I know what you mean about knowing the particular issues with some cars.
I've never had a Porsche before and my brother works for Bentley, so not his expertise either.
So I am leaning more towards getting the 111 check, can anyone tell me tho. what they check? Is bodywork checked for accident damage or paintwork?
When I went to the OPC Porsche garage in ????? they told me that it didn't matter if a car had been in an accident as long as the repair was approved Porsche repair and I wouldn't be able to tell anyhow if it had been repaired - I'm thinking this is Bull
and if you knew what you were looking for you'd be able to find an accident reaired car. what do you think and is this something that can be checked in the 111? and what do they check - is there an official list of check points - I'd appreciate knowing form someone that's had a 111 check to know if you get a certificate or just a nod of the head to say its OK?
at the end of the day, the 111 point check is just a check of 111 different things (i dont know what, maybe someone else might know), and with any check, it all comes down to the person doing the check.
I bought mine with OPC warranty, i didnt bother with the 111 point check, since then, its needed a new lock mechanism (for the manual unlock) which the 111 point check wouldnt have picked up, and a new battery after 7 months, which the 111 point check wouldnt have picked up.
So for me, i think the check would be a waste of money - of course, there is a big difference between a warrantied and an unwarrantied car - the latter the check is worthwhile for things such as RMS/Big end failure etc all thats covered under the warranty.
I bought mine with OPC warranty, i didnt bother with the 111 point check, since then, its needed a new lock mechanism (for the manual unlock) which the 111 point check wouldnt have picked up, and a new battery after 7 months, which the 111 point check wouldnt have picked up.
So for me, i think the check would be a waste of money - of course, there is a big difference between a warrantied and an unwarrantied car - the latter the check is worthwhile for things such as RMS/Big end failure etc all thats covered under the warranty.
Hi Ian 187
I purchased a 996 C4 . I rang on OPC 1st asking were the warranty sheet was in the book & then told them the car (they had previously serviced it)
They asked me the miles (only a couple of 1000) & said no problem with the 111 point check. The Car had about 3 months warranty left.
If it hasn't been said get a full HPI check its the best £25 you will spend . After all this i also got an indy to do a pre purchase check who was recommended by a certain 911 magazine editor. (£250 ish)
The indy also confirmed if the price asked for was worth it & again confirmed any doubts about the OPC warranty and also mentioned what was not covered (and made a point of checking those issues)
Good luck in your ownership & hang out for the right car.
I purchased a 996 C4 . I rang on OPC 1st asking were the warranty sheet was in the book & then told them the car (they had previously serviced it)
They asked me the miles (only a couple of 1000) & said no problem with the 111 point check. The Car had about 3 months warranty left.
If it hasn't been said get a full HPI check its the best £25 you will spend . After all this i also got an indy to do a pre purchase check who was recommended by a certain 911 magazine editor. (£250 ish)
The indy also confirmed if the price asked for was worth it & again confirmed any doubts about the OPC warranty and also mentioned what was not covered (and made a point of checking those issues)
Good luck in your ownership & hang out for the right car.
ian187 said:
When I went to the OPC Porsche garage in ????? they told me that it didn't matter if a car had been in an accident as long as the repair was approved Porsche repair and I wouldn't be able to tell anyhow if it had been repaired - I'm thinking this is Bull and if you knew what you were looking for you'd be able to find an accident reaired car
and if you knew what you were looking for you'd be able to find an accident reaired carThat bit is not true.
I looked at a car (privately) about a year ago. The owner said the car had never had any damage - I sent the VIN/Reg to my local friendly OPC who confirmed from their systems the car had been in another OPC for front end collision damage. I walked away.
Theoretically Porsche approved repair jobs are great but you'd still be buying a car that's been in a crash...
Erik997 said:
That bit is not true.
I looked at a car (privately) about a year ago. The owner said the car had never had any damage - I sent the VIN/Reg to my local friendly OPC who confirmed from their systems the car had been in another OPC for front end collision damage. I walked away.
Theoretically Porsche approved repair jobs are great but you'd still be buying a car that's been in a crash...
That's exactly what I thought
and I don't want to buy a car that's been in a smash. It made me think that the car the OPC was trying to sell me had obviously been repaired just by the fact he was saying it didn't matter and you wouldn't be able to tell.
Problem is as I understand it, it's not necessary to register any accident repairs so someone could always throw away the receipt for the repair and not tell you, if the OPC doesn't keep a record then you wouldn't know unless you checked very carefully!
ian187 said:
So I am leaning more towards getting the 111 check, can anyone tell me tho. what they check? Is bodywork checked for accident damage or paintwork?
When I went to the OPC Porsche garage in ????? they told me that it didn't matter if a car had been in an accident as long as the repair was approved Porsche repair and I wouldn't be able to tell anyhow if it had been repaired - I'm thinking this is Bull and if you knew what you were looking for you'd be able to find an accident reaired car.
what do you think and is this something that can be checked in the 111? and what do they check - is there an official list of check points - I'd appreciate knowing form someone that's had a 111 check to know if you get a certificate or just a nod of the head to say its OK?
When I went to the OPC Porsche garage in ????? they told me that it didn't matter if a car had been in an accident as long as the repair was approved Porsche repair and I wouldn't be able to tell anyhow if it had been repaired - I'm thinking this is Bull
and if you knew what you were looking for you'd be able to find an accident reaired car. what do you think and is this something that can be checked in the 111? and what do they check - is there an official list of check points - I'd appreciate knowing form someone that's had a 111 check to know if you get a certificate or just a nod of the head to say its OK?
The bodywork is checked but I think only very briefly. However, what I did was called the service guy before my inspection and explained the situation. That I was looking to buy the vehicle dependent upon the outcome of the check and specifically asked him to ask the technician to look for accident damage. He got one of his body-repairers to go over the car after the technician was finished, who proceeded to check paint depth and any other tell tale signs. So it is definitely worth mentioning specifically. If they can and have the time they will.
It is better "IMHO" if it was repaired by a Porsche approved bodyshop but it is still a car that has been in an accident of some sort.
It is also worth asking the OPC if they have any record of repairs being done to the car. They might not be able to tell you initially due to data protection, but if you ask the seller to give them permission to (again if the seller has nothing to hide why would he not allow this) then they can discuss all details they have about the car.
Another thing I normally do with any car I buy is call the marques HQ, so Porsche HQ to find out what info they hold on their database. The local OPC only have records specific to them and cannot see where else the car has been (so I was told anyway).
I've just spoken to Porsche OPC south of London and they were very helpfull.
You're right they wouldn't comment on any work carried out on the car because of data protection, but could confirm all the services.
They also sent me via e-mail a copy of the 111 checklist to see what is checked.
They are all visual checks and to be honest there's not a lot you couldn't easily check yourself, after seeing it I am more tempted to go without the check (especially as it the car was only serviced this month)
NB its £245, the extended warranty is £895
I appreciate the comments tho and may well change my mind or at least include hte price of the check in the haggle or something!
You're right they wouldn't comment on any work carried out on the car because of data protection, but could confirm all the services.
They also sent me via e-mail a copy of the 111 checklist to see what is checked.
They are all visual checks and to be honest there's not a lot you couldn't easily check yourself, after seeing it I am more tempted to go without the check (especially as it the car was only serviced this month)
NB its £245, the extended warranty is £895
I appreciate the comments tho and may well change my mind or at least include hte price of the check in the haggle or something!
Please don't think I'm disrespectfull to your comments tho.
I definately don't claim to be an expert and I know you all have a lot more experience of Porsches than I do (ie I've driven a couple and that's it!)
But looking at the 111 checklist and considering the car has almost a whole year of warranty and it was serviced 2 weeks ago and I have a "grease monkey" for a brother
- I'm just thinking that I could probably get away with this check.
Also if I get the OPC to tell me (with the owners permision) of any reports of work done on the car.
As I said I may well use it in the haggle, just for peace of mind.
NB If any of you want to know what's in the 111 check, send me a PM and I'll e-mail it to you.
I definately don't claim to be an expert and I know you all have a lot more experience of Porsches than I do (ie I've driven a couple and that's it!)
But looking at the 111 checklist and considering the car has almost a whole year of warranty and it was serviced 2 weeks ago and I have a "grease monkey" for a brother
- I'm just thinking that I could probably get away with this check. Also if I get the OPC to tell me (with the owners permision) of any reports of work done on the car.
As I said I may well use it in the haggle, just for peace of mind.
NB If any of you want to know what's in the 111 check, send me a PM and I'll e-mail it to you.
Gassing Station | Porsche General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff