Cayman service history
Discussion
Hello, I currently looking at a 2012 2.9 cayman which has a full service history from independents, the car is due major service in 6 months. I've always done my own servicing and basic maintenance. Anything more taxing went to my neighbour who is a retired mechanic. My question is how much would it affect future value by doing the work between myself and neighbour. Thanks for any advice
Yes. At this age, history and condition is more important than a "correctly" stamped book. That wont cover thr things which are now considered consumable: suspension, coolant pipes, exhaust etc.
I do all my own servicing (2008 Cayman S) but then its a keeper, paid for in cash, And I dont care...!
I do all my own servicing (2008 Cayman S) but then its a keeper, paid for in cash, And I dont care...!
I disagree slightly. It will narrow the market. Some buyers will want to see stamps and bills. That’s the reality. Not saying it’s justified, just that some and probably most will.
How much impact that has on value is harder to say. With the right buyer, possibly none at all. But how long will that take for the right buyer to emerge?
Personally, I would pay for very basic oil servicing on schedule to get the stamps in the book which will keep those kinds away of buyers happy, costs buttons in the broad scheme and then do everything else as you wish. You really won’t be saving much changing the oil yourself but you could be impacting resale.
How much impact that has on value is harder to say. With the right buyer, possibly none at all. But how long will that take for the right buyer to emerge?
Personally, I would pay for very basic oil servicing on schedule to get the stamps in the book which will keep those kinds away of buyers happy, costs buttons in the broad scheme and then do everything else as you wish. You really won’t be saving much changing the oil yourself but you could be impacting resale.
After my 8 year service by an OPC which was awful I decided to my servicing myself. I always have changed the oil at 5,000 mile intervals anyway, but the huge saving of doing it myself means I can do much more preventative servicing with the cost savings, plus I know its been actually carried out.
For example, I would love to know how the OPC used 2 ltrs of brake fluid but when I 'dipped' the bleed nipples with a cocktail stick the next day, every sigle one was bone dry with not a drop of brake fluid present. Oil was on the bottom green segment, whilst screen washer cap was open, but took 2 ltrs of water to refill.
Oil filter canister looked untouched, with a uniform layer of road film present. Quite how you remove that item without any tool or finger marks is a mystery.
I did get a service stamp that only cost me £1,000 though.
For example, I would love to know how the OPC used 2 ltrs of brake fluid but when I 'dipped' the bleed nipples with a cocktail stick the next day, every sigle one was bone dry with not a drop of brake fluid present. Oil was on the bottom green segment, whilst screen washer cap was open, but took 2 ltrs of water to refill.
Oil filter canister looked untouched, with a uniform layer of road film present. Quite how you remove that item without any tool or finger marks is a mystery.
I did get a service stamp that only cost me £1,000 though.
I do some jobs myself and indeed enjoy it.
However, for basic servicing, I use a independent specialist. The main reason I do this is for the inspection part of the service. I want a professional to look over the car and advise me of upcoming issues and general wear and tear issues.
You can then keep on top of everything as you please, doing any jobs that you are confident to do yourself.
A fully stamped up book with receipt's is always a good thing.
However, for basic servicing, I use a independent specialist. The main reason I do this is for the inspection part of the service. I want a professional to look over the car and advise me of upcoming issues and general wear and tear issues.
You can then keep on top of everything as you please, doing any jobs that you are confident to do yourself.
A fully stamped up book with receipt's is always a good thing.
andygo said:
After my 8 year service by an OPC which was awful I decided to my servicing myself. I always have changed the oil at 5,000 mile intervals anyway, but the huge saving of doing it myself means I can do much more preventative servicing with the cost savings, plus I know its been actually carried out.
For example, I would love to know how the OPC used 2 ltrs of brake fluid but when I 'dipped' the bleed nipples with a cocktail stick the next day, every sigle one was bone dry with not a drop of brake fluid present. Oil was on the bottom green segment, whilst screen washer cap was open, but took 2 ltrs of water to refill.
Oil filter canister looked untouched, with a uniform layer of road film present. Quite how you remove that item without any tool or finger marks is a mystery.
I did get a service stamp that only cost me £1,000 though.
What did the OPC say when you brought it to their attention?For example, I would love to know how the OPC used 2 ltrs of brake fluid but when I 'dipped' the bleed nipples with a cocktail stick the next day, every sigle one was bone dry with not a drop of brake fluid present. Oil was on the bottom green segment, whilst screen washer cap was open, but took 2 ltrs of water to refill.
Oil filter canister looked untouched, with a uniform layer of road film present. Quite how you remove that item without any tool or finger marks is a mystery.
I did get a service stamp that only cost me £1,000 though.
From my perspective and if I were in the market for that particular car, I'd want to see service stamps from either an good Indie or an OPC. Given the age I'd be leaning more towards a good Indie.
Would I move on from one that's been maintained by the owner? Probably. We all know these cars can have issues, some of which go unnoticed by owners but are picked up by Technicians when it comes to a service. They have the knowledge and experience to look at potential known issues and fix them to an acceptable standard. I'm not saying that you're not capable but from a potential buyers perspective I'd be concerned.
Would I move on from one that's been maintained by the owner? Probably. We all know these cars can have issues, some of which go unnoticed by owners but are picked up by Technicians when it comes to a service. They have the knowledge and experience to look at potential known issues and fix them to an acceptable standard. I'm not saying that you're not capable but from a potential buyers perspective I'd be concerned.
Thanks for the replies and advice on both sides they are much appreciated. I've had a quote for the major service from my local independent specialist (well 79 miles away) for £1200+VAT does this sound excessive or I'm i being nieve in the costs involved with with porsche ownership. Would be my first
I would expect you care more about your cars than the garages who work on them. DIY servicing in particular is an easy way to save money with minimal equipment and skills required. If you're really keen you could buy service components and parts from your local dealer (pay a slight premium) and get a nice looking invoice and continue to fill in the service book. You could even try a custom stamp for added cachet! I might be in the minority but this is the sort of person I like buying a car from privately.....usually a member of forums.....
housemouse said:
I disagree slightly. It will narrow the market. Some buyers will want to see stamps and bills. That s the reality. Not saying it s justified, just that some and probably most will.
How much impact that has on value is harder to say. With the right buyer, possibly none at all. But how long will that take for the right buyer to emerge?
Personally, I would pay for very basic oil servicing on schedule to get the stamps in the book which will keep those kinds away of buyers happy, costs buttons in the broad scheme and then do everything else as you wish. You really won t be saving much changing the oil yourself but you could be impacting resale.
Porsche use Mobil 1 5w40, which is more like a 0w20 after 1000 miles, and they say every 2 years or 15000 miles. How much impact that has on value is harder to say. With the right buyer, possibly none at all. But how long will that take for the right buyer to emerge?
Personally, I would pay for very basic oil servicing on schedule to get the stamps in the book which will keep those kinds away of buyers happy, costs buttons in the broad scheme and then do everything else as you wish. You really won t be saving much changing the oil yourself but you could be impacting resale.
They also charge you the best part of £500.
You can buy a really high end oil, like Motul Porsche A40 8100 for £70, a Porsche Filter is £18 and a filter and housing is £32 (should be done every 4 years as the pressure relief valve can come away).
If someone fills the book out, and shows the oil has been changed every 5000 miles with maybe a main service every 4 years showing plugs and brake fluid etc. done. I genuinely don't think it will effect the sale of a 15-20 year old car. In fact I know the opposite form experience.
To be honest, it also sorts out the sort of buyers you want to deal with too while selling.
Ed.Neumann said:
Porsche use Mobil 1 5w40, which is more like a 0w20 after 1000 miles, and they say every 2 years or 15000 miles.
They also charge you the best part of £500.
You can buy a really high end oil, like Motul Porsche A40 8100 for £70, a Porsche Filter is £18 and a filter and housing is £32 (should be done every 4 years as the pressure relief valve can come away).
If someone fills the book out, and shows the oil has been changed every 5000 miles with maybe a main service every 4 years showing plugs and brake fluid etc. done. I genuinely don't think it will effect the sale of a 15-20 year old car. In fact I know the opposite form experience.
To be honest, it also sorts out the sort of buyers you want to deal with too while selling.
What Porsche charges is irrelevant. Nobody is saying the OP needs to go to an OPC for oil changes.They also charge you the best part of £500.
You can buy a really high end oil, like Motul Porsche A40 8100 for £70, a Porsche Filter is £18 and a filter and housing is £32 (should be done every 4 years as the pressure relief valve can come away).
If someone fills the book out, and shows the oil has been changed every 5000 miles with maybe a main service every 4 years showing plugs and brake fluid etc. done. I genuinely don't think it will effect the sale of a 15-20 year old car. In fact I know the opposite form experience.
To be honest, it also sorts out the sort of buyers you want to deal with too while selling.
I would consider a self-serviced car, too. But, so what? You're making the mistake of extrapolating your preferences onto the broader market. Most buyers, even of these cars, are not full-on enthusiasts. Most want to see stamps in the book and a very conventional history. Moreover, a lot of specialists wouldn't buy a car of this type / age that's been DIY serviced. Another narrowing of the resale market.
It's absolutely true that the right buyer will be happy to buy a car that's been DIY serviced. But even that buyer, if savvy, will factor the car's narrower resale market when setting a valuation. So, to not lose any value, you're looking at a niche within a niche - buyers who are both happy with DIY servicing and also happy to overlook the reality of a narrower resale market.
Personally, I don't think the slim savings of doing literally everything DIY versus having the oil changed at a good indy on schedule (do some additional interim changes DIY by all means) make any sense. The official schedule for most people's mileage will be every two years. Most indies charge, what, about £250 for an oil change? So that's about £125 a year to have the right stamps in the book and cover off that market? Personally, think it's a no brainer.
I don’t know anyone that services their own car that doesn’t genuinely believe and wouldn’t claim they do it better than a garage.
The truth is the majority only do it to save money and only the minority do a better job of it.
Having made a living out of putting right what people have messed up I wouldn’t want to buy a car that was maintained by the owner if I didn’t know them.
The truth is the majority only do it to save money and only the minority do a better job of it.
Having made a living out of putting right what people have messed up I wouldn’t want to buy a car that was maintained by the owner if I didn’t know them.
981Boxess said:
I don t know anyone that services their own car that doesn t genuinely believe and wouldn t claim they do it better than a garage.
The truth is the majority only do it to save money and only the minority do a better job of it.
Having made a living out of putting right what people have messed up I wouldn t want to buy a car that was maintained by the owner if I didn t know them.
With the mentality highlighted below, it's easy to see how parts get fitted incorrectly, components stripped or cross threaded, overtightened, not tightened, damaged from a removal process centred on brute force and/or all too often, ignorance, or not fitted at all ...The truth is the majority only do it to save money and only the minority do a better job of it.
Having made a living out of putting right what people have messed up I wouldn t want to buy a car that was maintained by the owner if I didn t know them.
chden said:
I would expect you care more about your cars than the garages who work on them. DIY servicing in particular is an easy way to save money with minimal equipment and skills required.If you're really keen you could buy service components and parts from your local dealer (pay a slight premium) and get a nice looking invoice and continue to fill in the service book. You could even try a custom stamp for added cachet! I might be in the minority but this is the sort of person I like buying a car from privately.....usually a member of forums.....
Having read the responses I'll have to accept the majority opinion here that self-servicing is going to reduce the value and limit the future buyer pool for your car.
Slippydiff said:
With the mentality highlighted below, it's easy to see how parts get fitted incorrectly, components stripped or cross threaded, overtightened, not tightened, damaged from a removal process centred on brute force and/or all too often, ignorance, or not fitted at all ...
Perhaps I'm naive in thinking removing a nut, watching oil draining into a pan and replacing a filter is quite hard to make a hash of although I accept it's possible. If the motivation is purely cash saving I agree that isn't a great indicator of how the rest of the car may have been maintained. A huge advantage of private sales is the previous owner smell test.I decided against the car after having a second look at it discovered the sound deadening on the drivers side footwear and back was soaking. So just goes to show that although car had good service history and had a verified £6,000 spent on it last year doesn't mean it's a good car to buy
981Boxess said:
I don t know anyone that services their own car that doesn t genuinely believe and wouldn t claim they do it better than a garage.
The truth is the majority only do it to save money and only the minority do a better job of it.
Having made a living out of putting right what people have messed up I wouldn t want to buy a car that was maintained by the owner if I didn t know them.
Hate to say it, but it is silly issues from OPCs and Porsche specialists that make me prefer to do my own work on the car. The truth is the majority only do it to save money and only the minority do a better job of it.
Having made a living out of putting right what people have messed up I wouldn t want to buy a car that was maintained by the owner if I didn t know them.
Nothing major, but too many times you collect the car and stuff has not been done as asked.
I won't name any names, but everyone on here will know them.
I don't think many of them get we often wait months to get in and see them so when you get your car back and they have not done work you asked them to do because they forgot or they ran out of time, it is bloody annoying.
To be fair though, I'm OK dropping an engine, fighting with fused drop links, or getting out a snapped bleed nipple on a brake calliper, so probably have an unrealistic view of what the home mechanic can do. Haha
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