New here: Looking at 1999 996 C2

[sclemmons]

Mid 40's delivered price. Lo teens mileage. Hi options. Aero kit. Leather. Nav. 18's. One owner. Metallic Blue. Said to be perfect. I am new to Porsche. This seems like an extra nice car fully priced. I have not driven a Porsche 911 but I hear it is fun. Car is out of state. Dealer is highly recommended to me found it and is prepared to bring it in for me to look at. Does this seem like a car worth buying? Would you go for a newer car at a higher price? Higher miles at a lower price? A Cayman S for a few more dollars? Or what?

Thanks for the help. sc

Edited May 25, 2007 by sclemmons

[Izzy]

I would go for a newer 911, Porsche certified if possible. For example, got my 03 coupe with 12K miles from a Porsche dealer, low 50's. Porsche warranty until 10/09. Had a 99 that I got for High 30s wiht 35K miles 3 years ago, and the 03 seems like a better car to me.

A Cayman S would be awesome (track car), low 50s or high 40s under 10K miles, if I didn't need the 911 back seat.

[99C2_Riyanto]

I think engine failures are quite common in early 996s. For USA, 1999 model is as early as it comes. Ask whether this car has had its engine replaced.

I personally have a 99 C2 Coupe built in Mar 1998, which I bought in 2005, knowing that the original engine died at 52K miles and was replaced. I had comfort knowing that the car has a new engine that PAG has supposedly improved. Knowing that the car you are looking at only has a few teen thousand miles.... if there was any defect in that engine, it's possible that it hasn't surfaced, I suppose? Any chance you can get an extended warranty on the powertrain?

As for price difference for higher miles model, mine has 92K miles on it (40K on new engine) and it is only worth mid 20s, but does not have all the fancy options you listed. If I had $40K to spend on a 911, I would prefer one with 3.6L 320 hp engine. I am not a big fan of nav and aero kit, but that's personal preference. Does Porsche Stability Management (PSM) matter to you? Some people prefer to have it and some people loath it, this may affect your decision too between 1999 vs newer models.

Cayman S? Awesome car :drive: But, it is missing the gorgeous sloping C pillar of the 911. I prefer to look at 911s, but am very interested to drive a cayman S on the track.

Edited May 25, 2007 by 99C2_Riyanto

[demosan]

Mid 40's delivered price. Lo teens mileage. Hi options. Aero kit. Leather. Nav. 18's. One owner. Metallic Blue. Said to be perfect. I am new to Porsche. This seems like an extra nice car fully priced. I have not driven a Porsche 911 but I hear it is fun. Car is out of state. Dealer is highly recommended to me found it and is prepared to bring it in for me to look at. Does this seem like a car worth buying? Would you go for a newer car at a higher price? Higher miles at a lower price? A Cayman S for a few more dollars? Or what?

Thanks for the help.

SOunds to me like the price is bit high and without a CPO warranty from the dealer a bit risky as the 99's were prone to some engine problems that seemed t occur around 20K miles. I purchased my 02 C4S with 23K and a nice complement of options for $54K late last summer for comparative purposes and included an extended warranty till 09. It sounds as if the car may be a well maintained and low milage car, but as others have suggested, check to see if the engine is original and what the service reords were for the car. I think you could do better and get a newer car with the 3.6 motor and more HP for not a lot more money. The Caymen is a great car, but I still prefer the carrera coupes for room and styling. Not sure what you intend to do with the car, i.e. daily driver, track car, combo or whatever, so those variables would also help get your choices narrowed down. I suggest you read some of the threads on this forum to familiarize yourself with some of the "issues" with the early 99's mentioned by others if you have not done so already.

Good luck and be patient as I sense there are a lot of 02+ carrera's on the market right now and there are great deals to be had.

Demosan

[Yoops Racing]

Mid 40's delivered price. Lo teens mileage. Hi options. Aero kit. Leather. Nav. 18's. One owner. Metallic Blue. Said to be perfect. I am new to Porsche. This seems like an extra nice car fully priced. I have not driven a Porsche 911 but I hear it is fun. Car is out of state. Dealer is highly recommended to me found it and is prepared to bring it in for me to look at. Does this seem like a car worth buying? Would you go for a newer car at a higher price? Higher miles at a lower price? A Cayman S for a few more dollars? Or what?

Thanks for the help. sc

I have a 1999 C2 with 23k miles. If I was to do it again, I would buy the newest 911 I could afford with a extended warranty from Porsche. I have had no engine or RMS failures ....knock on wood. But have replaced MAF sensor and had a bad water pump. You can not get a porsche ext warranty on a 1999 anymore. The car you are looking at sounds nice but is a little to high in price. You should be able to buy it in the just above low 30s to mid 30s max. Higher mileage 1999's are in the mid 20s to low 30s depending on miles. Aftermkt items add no increase to price. Run the VIN through Porshe's database to see what warranty work etc...has been done. Some of the 1999's were prone to RMS rear mainseal issues and a few had motor problems. For the 40s look for a newer 911....

[sclemmons]

Thanks for the advice. I am on to a newer model. Maybe a 2003.