Tech Session – Madison Automotive Apprentice Program (MAAP)

By: John Odden

The Executive Director of MAAP, Cole Scrogham, invited the members of the Shenandoah Region to a tech session at their facility in Harrisonburg, VA. We had an excellent turnout for an outstanding overview of what is involved in a Porsche pre-purchase inspection, commonly referred to as a PPI. When considering the purchase of a pre-owned Porsche, many levels of uncertainty exist. Was the car a garage queen, a daily driver, a track car or a weekend pleasure vehicle. How many previous owners? Are all of the maintenance records available? Does a scan of the ECU indicate any over-revs and if so, in which gears. Is the vehicle properly represented with it’s history and documentation relative to origin. These are all questions we anguish over when considering a pre-owned Porsche. Anything overlooked can have a major impact on the actual and proper valuation of the car.

Cole broke down the components of a proper PPI. Having had a lifelong exposure to Porsches places him at the level of expert. He explained the basics of paint, suspension, interior and engine. There are factory welds on the front fender that are an indicator of a fender replacement if ground off. He shared that certain model years of 911’s will not show consistent paint thickness on the doors compared to the other body components. Cole noted that a paint thickness meter is an important tool, however, one must know the historical methods Porsche used over the years so as not to ascertain a deviation as a problem.

Our session was spectacular and I know everyone gained knowledge from Cole’s expertise.