Intro & buy advice on '99 C2 Cab

[brankota]

Hi guys

My name is Branko, and am venturing into the world of Porsche by puting a deposit on purchase of a 911 (currently own a '05 M3)

I have made an offer and put deposit on a silver 1999 Porsche 911 Carrera cabrio with 95k kms.

The car appears in a very good condition (apart from leather seats which show a bit of age) and owner has supplied me with all receipts from the main porsche dealer (who also supplied warranty on the vehicle until about a year or so ago). This shows 80k major service complete and 95k minor service completion as well as new front/rear rotors and pads. In addition there were 3 repairs:

- right rocket cover seal leak

- coolant reservoar crack leak

- F/R control arm and stabiliser links after suspension noise reported by the owner.

I have completed a vehicle background check and its clean, and have scheduled the car for thorough inspection by porsche specialist on Friday.

Are there any recomendations people have on what i should be looking out for etc etc.

[phillipj]

Is it still under warranty?

[brankota]

no, no longer under warranty. not sure if I can take out porsche or 3rd party warrany.

[phillipj]

What are planning on paying for this car? Please do a search here and read about the early 996 engines. You have to realize what you are getting yourself into. There are many, many 99's for sale so make sure you do some shopping and by all means educate yourself.

You would be better off spending more money and going for a 2002 or newer.

The 996 M96 engine is not an M3. Although BMW's can be money pits as well (have had several) their engines tend to go for well over 150k miles. Don't expect most of the 99 M96 engine to that. This does not include the Turbo or GT3 (which are different engines.)

Do your research and visit Jake Raby's website to learn about issues with these engines. A new rebuilt from Porsche will cost you about $12 to 14K. So your $18K car can now cost you $32k and stil be worth $18k. :o

Just my 2 cents.

And yes I have had one blow up (but also had one that was bullet proof.)

Good luck

[brankota]

ive heard about the issues with some early engines and that is why i am asking here, do the problem motors show any signs or something to watch out for?

I have been looking for awhile and this is the best early year car i have found with low mileage (95k kms is about 60k miles) and full service history and full documents receipts etc. and was under Porsche warranty until recently.

With the warnings i have received, i am planning to purchase porsche or 3rd party warranty to protect myself from such issues

[JeTexas]

I have the same car - a silver 99 C2 Cab 6-speed. I'm at 119,000 miles with no major problems. I would have a pre-purchase inspection done. If that comes back clean, it's really anyone's guess as to whether or not the engine will run forever. Best advice is to change your oil often and keep an eye on the water pump.

[Doug]

I just bought one myself because there are many out there and they are a very good value IMO. Make sure all service records are in order, stamps in book, and no leaks.

The price needs to be right so as has been said here, do your research and get a deal.

[phillipj]

ive heard about the issues with some early engines and that is why i am asking here, do the problem motors show any signs or something to watch out for?

I have been looking for awhile and this is the best early year car i have found with low mileage (95k kms is about 60k miles) and full service history and full documents receipts etc. and was under Porsche warranty until recently.

With the warnings i have received, i am planning to purchase porsche or 3rd party warranty to protect myself from such issues

Excellent. I hope you find the perfect car. This site will be invaluable in keeping it up and not spending a lot of cash.

Good luck and post pics when you get it!!

[nghiaho58]

Check the plastic window. Make sure the outside seam around the window still intact and does not show any sign of separation. Replacing plastic window can cost you around $700 and the new top can cost you at least three time more. Make sure the top comes up and down smoothly.

Make a habit to look at engine, check oil level, water level at least one a week or at each gas fill up. Always check the floor right under the engine for any sign of leak drops.

Not saying the car is bad but it is better to see sign of issue before it is too late.

My is 2000 C2 Cab and had new engine put in at 47K miles. I hope this will not happen to other Porsche new and current owners.

Have fun with your new car. :renntech: B)

[nghiaho58]

Check the plastic window. Make sure the outside seam around the window still intact and does not show any sign of separation. Replacing plastic window can cost you around $700 and the new top can cost you at least three time more. Make sure the top comes up and down smoothly.

Make a habit to look at engine, check oil level, water level at least one a week or at each gas fill up. Always check the floor right under the engine for any sign of leak drops.

Not saying the car is bad but it is better to see sign of issue before it is too late.

My is 2000 C2 Cab and had new engine put in at 47K miles. I hope this will not happen to other Porsche new and current owners.

Have fun with your new car : B)

[swynn97]

My recommendation would be to save up and purchase a 2002+ with lower miles (echoing what somebody else on this thread said). That said, these cars at any age can fail - mine failed at 42K miles. If you have enough money to insure and maintain these cars, best bet is to go for a more recent model - given the economy right now you will get a more modern, more powerful car and lessen the risk.

Simon

[brankota]

its either this 996 as its the best I found at a great price, or I dont get a porsche and get a different car! Im in australia and want a cab asap for this summer, prob keep the car for 9mths or so only. '02 models go for about $25-30k more and it is really hard to find a manual!!

I am getting a long thorough PPI including compression testing, ecu log, full drive train inspection etc. I do not think you can be any safer then that. Will definitelly try get warranty, just for piece of mind.

I cant believe this, all doom and gloom, noone praising the 911....

[swynn97]

Don't get me wrong - my 911 is the best car I have ever drive without any doubt. It's just that the engine really can't be repaired, so any major issue requires a 10K USD engine and 3500 USD labour. Basically the TCO is fairly high for these cars vs. a Honda (obviously).

That said, go for it - if it dies before the 9th month window, sell it for salvage.

Simon

[Slideorama]

Brankota,

I'm also in Australia we dont seem to have the same engine failure problems as in the USA, at least they dont seem to be as frequent, not sure why? maybe its something to do with higher quality fuel over here or our local conditions.

If your car has full porsche history, give the dealer that has been servicing the car a call, they will most likely be able to tell you everything you want to know about the car and are generally very helpful. I really can't speak highly enough of the service porsche provide in Australia.

I recently went through what your going through and spoke to a lot of local people at both porsche, independents and clubs. I bought a '99 C2 coupe with approximately 90k kilometers and have loved driving it. These are truly an exceptional car and very good value for money. By far the best p-car i have owned.

Please feel free to pm me if i can provide any further assistance.

Slide.

[brankota]

Thanks for the info and some words of reasurance and good to hear from someone that has been in pretty much same situation with similar year/milage.

The car is going for the inspection tomorrow and I am eagerly awaiting the report.

[brankota]

PPI came back all good and with compliments of the porsche specialist!

compression figures 125 125 130 130 125 125, they said this also is very good?

[johnj.moran]

Interesting Logic Here- Pay $10,000 to $15,000 more for a 2002 as compared to a 1999 to reduce the risk of an engine replacement that costs about $10,000. Heck, take the chance on the 1999, save the $10,000 to $15,000 extra you would have paid for a 2002. Chances are 90% or more the 1999 will not have a serious engine failure. I am the second owner of a 1999 Carrera 4 Cabriolet with Tip tranny that I bought 3 years ago. No problems. Not a single problem ever - great car.

What you have here is an opportunity to buy a car at a discount due to the real issues that a relatively small number of these cars have. If my engine blows, I am prepared to take the hit and pay for a new one.

So, if you can afford to make repairs that can come up (budget $10,000 or so), then you shouldn't avoid the 1999. Just my 2 cents.

[txhokie4life]

its either this 996 as its the best I found at a great price, or I dont get a porsche and get a different car! Im in australia and want a cab asap for this summer, prob keep the car for 9mths or so only. '02 models go for about $25-30k more and it is really hard to find a manual!!

I am getting a long thorough PPI including compression testing, ecu log, full drive train inspection etc. I do not think you can be any safer then that. Will definitelly try get warranty, just for piece of mind.

I cant believe this, all doom and gloom, noone praising the 911....

Don't consider it doom and gloom -- consider it knowledge and guidance -- which is what you asked for.

if everyone said things were perfect -- than you maybe misguided and jaded if and when something happens.

Buy it, stay informed, consider options when they are available, and enjoy it.

Mike

[Falcon900EX]

Buy the newest car with the lowest miles you can get! Look at the history. I'd never buy a Porsche that has been through 1 or more auction houses. You'll find that info on the carfax. Clean well maintained Porsches never make auction they get sold! Just my take. E

[nos4a2]

Chances are 90% or more the 1999 will not have a serious engine failure...

...What you have here is an opportunity to buy a car at a discount due to the real issues that a relatively small number of these cars have. If my engine blows, I am prepared to take the hit and pay for a new one.

So, if you can afford to make repairs that can come up (budget $10,000 or so), then you shouldn't avoid the 1999. Just my 2 cents.

I believe that the number of total engine failures is well below 1% of the 3.4 cars sold. Of course, if it happened to you, you would be very vocal about it, hence the high profile that this rare (but costly) problem attracts. Similarly, the problem with the RMS affected a small proportion of the 3.4 cars produced but, again, people do not expect this sort of problem with a Porsche so if it affects them they tend to complain and post to the forums about it.

Generally people post and complain about problems much more than about how good and reliable their car is - so rare issues get blown out of proportion.

Now, a 1999 car is 10 years old and personally I would be much more interested in the overall condition, number of owners & documented service history (which this car seems to have). I would also trust your gut feel - if something doesn't seem right, walk away - there are plenty of other cars out there.

At 95k km I would budget for a clutch in the near future.

[smak]

I bought a 99 C4 carb. 3 months ago with 80Kmiles. It had a rebuilt transmission and several service records. Plastic window replaced, but not a perfect job.

It is always a gamble to purchase a 10years old car. You have to leverage the risk vs. the deal, and be ready for the worse. The recent 996 price has been dropping susbtainally in the past months. To me, it was a good timing to take the advantage of.

After 3 months of daily driving, I have replaced the battery ( weak start ), top hydraulic cyclinder ( oil leak ) and oxygen sensor ( P1115). With the detail repair manual which you can download and the support of this web site, I will total do it again if I come across the same decision. This is my first Porsche and I just love it. Next one got to be a TT.

Chances are 90% or more the 1999 will not have a serious engine failure...

...What you have here is an opportunity to buy a car at a discount due to the real issues that a relatively small number of these cars have. If my engine blows, I am prepared to take the hit and pay for a new one.

So, if you can afford to make repairs that can come up (budget $10,000 or so), then you shouldn't avoid the 1999. Just my 2 cents.

I believe that the number of total engine failures is well below 1% of the 3.4 cars sold. Of course, if it happened to you, you would be very vocal about it, hence the high profile that this rare (but costly) problem attracts. Similarly, the problem with the RMS affected a small proportion of the 3.4 cars produced but, again, people do not expect this sort of problem with a Porsche so if it affects them they tend to complain and post to the forums about it.

Generally people post and complain about problems much more than about how good and reliable their car is - so rare issues get blown out of proportion.

Now, a 1999 car is 10 years old and personally I would be much more interested in the overall condition, number of owners & documented service history (which this car seems to have). I would also trust your gut feel - if something doesn't seem right, walk away - there are plenty of other cars out there.

At 95k km I would budget for a clutch in the near future.