Is it safe to buy a used Porsche?

Porsches are some of the most desirable cars you can buy. If you want a fast car, you have probably thought of buying a used Porsche. But beware: There are more rogue cars among used Porsches than most other makes.

Therefore, if you want to buy one, you need to have a good idea which is the best used Porsche to buy - and you need expert advice to make sure that the car is sound. But don't worry - there is an easy solution. You don't need to find an expert and take him out every time you look at a car you might buy.

The first thing to do when thinking about buying a used Porsche is to go to Wikipedia as you will get some good general information there. Then, you need to do a bit more research to make sure which model you want. Almost all the older Porsches are rear-engined, like the 911 still is, but the Boxster and Cayman have the better mid-engined layout - as do the special racing Porsches.

Porsche also produced some front-engined sports cars, like the 924, 944 and 968. These are quite old now, but can be a good buy.

The Porsche that is best for you has to be one that has been properly maintained, not crashed, and with all the correct parts - not cheap parts that are really designed for another make. You see, cars like Porsches need looking after properly. They are thoroughbreds, not bread-and-butter cars like a Chevy or Ford.

Also, there is another problem with Porsches, particularly 911s. Porsche 911s appeal to car thieves, professional and amateur, and many get stolen and the crashed - sometimes trying to avoid being caught by the police. Also, because Porsches are expensive some dubious characters think they can buy a crashed one, do it with lots of fibreglass and used parts and sell it on at a huge profit. You need to make sure they do not pass it on to you!

If you are thinking of buying an older Porsche just to drive about now and again, you could consider a 924, 944 or 928. These are the two front-engined Porsches built in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, a 944 Turbo is still a quick car. But even with these you need to be careful. The 924 is a very modest performer, as it was powered by an Audi engine, but it is a good high-speed cruiser.

Do you want a 911?

More than likely you are thinking of buying a used Porsche 911, as there are plenty of these about, as Porsche has been making them for 40 years - but the modern 911 is completely different from the old ones.

Even so, a Porsche is a Porsche, so when you meet your friends and they ask what car you have they will probably be impressed that you have a Porsche - and so will the girls.

If you really want a 911, and most of them look great and and are fast, then you need to take extra care. You see it is the 911s that get crashed and rebuilt badly more than other models. The reason is simple: the Porsche 911 is the best-known used Porsche, and the one most people want to buy. In fact, 911s are cult cars.

Another problem is that the earlier 911s had air-cooled engines, which can easily be overheated and damaged if the owner is careless.

Avoid the pitfalls

So there are all sorts of pitfalls awaiting the unwary. For example, you need to know:

The history of the car which you can get at Autocheck.

Which models are least likely to give trouble;

How to test drive a used 911 so that you can actually find the weaknesses;

where you should check for hidden damage to the body;

How to spot forged/falsified documents.

When you start looking for that dream Porsche, look over the caer carefully, and get a report from a qualified engineer, as it could save you a lot of money. Do not be afraid to ask questions like: 'Has this car ever been crashed?' and if in doubt get an independent examiner to inspect the car.