soverystout

I'm still a fan of service records. How hard is it actually to keep a manilla folder and just toss everything in there until is it time to sell?

I recently sold a 2006 Mazdaspeed6 that I bought brand new. I sold it almost 5 years to the day I purchased it. I believe I got asking price do to the records I had. Every service, the window sticker, and all of the original marketing materials that came with the car in one envelope. The buyer looked in the envelope and said "wow! how much do you want?" I gave him the price and he said "works for me, you have taken great care of this car".

The car had a few dings, dents and various other "not my fault" imperfections. The records outweighed the imperfections.

Dennis C

I'm also a fan of service records. I have every receipt from every service performed on each of my Porsches. I don't think it necessarily guarantees a trouble-free car to a prospective buyer, but it does show a level of attention to detail that is comforting when purchasing a 10 year old car. It demonstrates that the car was well maintained.

I agree that most cars won't have this level of records, which is why is is special when you find one that does.

kr3678

I prepare a "Baby Book" like those above for every car I own. I have been doing that for almost 20 years now. In addition to any service records I have (used cars don't always have everything), I also include a CarFax report and an AutoCheck report, plus any other informational documentation I can lay my hands on.

Yes, it is OCD and some people think I'm crazy, but it is quite impressive to prospective buyers of my cars.

Dennis C

I like that kind of stuff and certainly value it when I buy a used car.

I can tell you exactly how much money was spent in repairs every year, the average mileage between service appointments, the average cost per service appointment, etc. It's very reassuring to some buyers. I think I may be a litte OCD too...

Jacks911

Yes there is value in service records... but they and PPI's never tell the Whole story. My 996 C4 had full history all at the selling dealer - and a phone call confirmed the service noting "more often than needed" care over 9 years. The last year also had copies of additional work done by a well known Indy.
Yet... no records showed the removal of the Thermostat - or the damage to the Coil-over strut & Two PPI's did not note either of these issues and only after "cold weather" and 3000 miles driving did the missing Thermostat & Thunking strut get bad enough to diagnose. So - Records are great... but used cars are "Used" cars. Best plan is Purchase Price + 20% for repairs = Budget for 10 year old 911 purchase.

soverystout

Yeah, but the issues you mention are pretty small issues

Jacks911

I guess my point is - the good Dealer or Indy service record will not tell you about the Amateur DIY Mods that a prior owner performs and does not do well. Add normal aging and you can have issues with a well documented Porsche. Those "pretty small issues" cost $3500... mostly diagnostic labor.

redridge

I just bought an 86 Targa, had great maintenance record from all the owners. It does help in selling a car.... ALOT. If i was gonna buy a 996, its gonna be based on mileage.... higher the miles, the more critical records becomes. I you cant deal... buy an aftermarket warranty.

rpm's S2

The dilemna is that, as these cars age and pass through multiple owners, the chances of having full maintenance records decreases. There is no doubt that they are nice to have and can really help to sell a car.

It just seems that full and detailed records are not necessarily needed to make an informed purchase decision if you can get more recent records and conduct a thorough PPI.

aadrew10

A good PPI and test drive should clear that up!

Tippy

I bought my old 996 with:

- No PPI
- No records

Sold at 102,000 miles with no major surgery (AOS was the biggest PITA) and the new owner has it still and has put well past 110,000 miles.

porscheconvert

Dennis - I realize this is an old thread, but upon doing some searches, I'm trying to create a binder with some organization of service history for my 2 Porsches. Yours looks great...was hoping you could take a few pics on how you've organized the binders?

Thanks!

Atrox

AnthonyGS

z driver 88t

I'm probably discounting a lot of great cars out there, but I still shy away from a car without at least the last few years of service history. There are so many unknowns to budget for when purchasing an M96-powered car, especially as you get into the 100k range. Beyond just the basic IMS/clutch that everyone checks for - the smaller items start to add up (AOS, starter, water pump, expansion tank, alternator, coil packs, etc.) None of those are deal killers, but not knowing that anyone of them has been replaced is going to have me reduce my offer by enough to cover it since I will assume replacement is coming.

I paid a little high for my 928 because there was a huge sigh of relief with the two-notebook volumes of documentation the previous owner provided. My 996 had documented clutch/IMS/water pump/ timing chains and guides/alternator /coil packs/AOS and tons of lesser repairs in the 3 years prior to my purchase that saved me thousands of $$ over a similar model that had not had that level of service performed. This purchasing model has always served me well with no surprises.