Car buyer's guides
Know what to check before you buy the car.
Independent, sourced field guides for used enthusiast cars. Each one gives you the checks that matter, a test-drive checklist and a script for your inspection shop, in 15 printable pages.
15 pages · every claim sourced · rated A/B/C · $12 · 7-day refund
Buying a 2000-era Porsche? Start here.
Redline Field Guides are buyer's guides for used enthusiast cars. We are starting with the Porsches of the early 2000s: the 996 Carrera, the 996 Turbo, the 996 GT3 and the 986 Boxster, one guide for each.
These cars can be wonderful and can also be expensive mistakes. A guide tells you which version to look for, what to pay, and what to check before you hand over any money.
Free to read
Not sure what a guide looks like? The 996 Carrera sampler gives you a buying overview, one full sourced check and the printable test-drive checklist. No sign-up.
The guides
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Inside every guide
Listing to keysWhich one to buy
Versions, model years and options compared, with a plain recommendation.
What to pay
A price chart built from recent US sales, and a worksheet for your offer.
Eleven sourced checks
What to look for, what to ask, when to walk away and what to budget.
Test-drive checklist
A printable page to take with you, cold start to hot restart.
Inspection script
A numbered list to hand the shop, with OK, Fix and Fail boxes.
Paperwork and red flags
What the service file should show, and the questions to ask the seller first.
How the guides are made
Each guide is compiled from dated sources: owner forums, specialist shops, parts suppliers and manufacturer bulletins. Sources are linked on every page, and every check carries a confidence rating so you can see how strong the evidence is.
Read this first
A guide helps you choose a car and ask better questions. It does not replace an inspection by a specialist who has the car on a lift.