Which is a good/better deal?

[thx1138jtx2]

New to the forum, great infomation here. So I am in the market for a 2002 - 2004 911 Carrera, money being the deciding factor here for not getting a 997 model. I have seen two that has me interested and wanted to get some expert opinion on which might be the good/better deal. Both are coupes with 6 spd manual. And both have clean Carfax reports.

First:

2003, Grey/Grey, 34035 miles, only option I see is heated seats, other than that it is stock. Asking price is $31,888.

Second:

2004, Black/Black, 22260 miles, options include PSM, GT3 Aero kit with tail, pwr seats, xenon headlights, 18" carrera wheels, alumium package, hi fi. Asking price is $38,500.

Neither has service records but both looks clean inside and out.

thanks in advance for any advice.

John

[wross996TT]

are they the same model?

[phillipj]

If neither car has service records I would be cautious. There are so many excellent 996 models out there why buy one with no service records? I f I were buying a used Porsche I would want to buy one from a person who took exceptional care of the car (and had all records..)

Like Wross said you didn't mention if the cars in question were the same model...C2? C4? C4S?

:cheers:

[thx1138jtx2]

If neither car has service records I would be cautious. There are so many excellent 996 models out there why buy one with no service records? I f I were buying a used Porsche I would want to buy one from a person who took exceptional care of the car (and had all records..)

Like Wross said you didn't mention if the cars in question were the same model...C2? C4? C4S?

:cheers:

Sorry. Yes they are the same model, C2's.

Thanks.

[phillipj]

I think most would agree here that we would want a car with records. Too many unknowns that could effect the reliability of the car down the road. Shop around and find exactly what you want. A car with a Porsche "Reman" engine replacement is a plus.

Look on AutoTrader, E bay etc to get a good base for the price of the car you desire. Don't fall in love with the first couple cars you see... You have to be patient.......

Oh and get the car your interested in inspected by a reputable Porsche mechanic before buying. This will be an out of pocket expense for you but well worth it.

Good luck!

[number9ine]

New to the forum, great infomation here. So I am in the market for a 2002 - 2004 911 Carrera, money being the deciding factor here for not getting a 997 model. I have seen two that has me interested and wanted to get some expert opinion on which might be the good/better deal. Both are coupes with 6 spd manual. And both have clean Carfax reports.

First:

2003, Grey/Grey, 34035 miles, only option I see is heated seats, other than that it is stock. Asking price is $31,888.

Second:

2004, Black/Black, 22260 miles, options include PSM, GT3 Aero kit with tail, pwr seats, xenon headlights, 18" carrera wheels, alumium package, hi fi. Asking price is $38,500.

Neither has service records but both looks clean inside and out.

thanks in advance for any advice.

John

Those two models are on opposite poles of the 996 C2/C4 mk2 pricing spectrum, which opens up many, many choices to you. Without knowing more about what you want it's hard to make a judgment call.

Worry less about cleanliness and more about hard facts. Service history is nice, PPI is mandatory. For the price of the '04 you could probably buy an early 997 base. Take your time and find the right car with the right options. Good luck!

Mark

[rpm996]

Hard to compare the two. Not sure I would want a very base (low-option) 996 unless the car was going to be used primarily for the track. Porsches are all about options - and nice options do not significantly increase the cost of a used car in the way they do when new. That said, the '04 sounds like it could be a good deal after some negotiating... but you would really have to want the exterior GT3 Aero parts because that is influencing the price.

(I assume that you will have a thorough PPI conducted before you negotiate)

I just spent three months finding and buying an '02 C2. I ultimately found a great car with really nice options - that needed an RMS repair. The repair cost was negotiated into the final price (~$27.5k).

One resource I found particularly helpful was www.searchtempest.com. This allows you to search Craigslist ads across the nation. It also helped to learn how to identify certain options from online photos. For instance, in '02 the Advanced Technic package included Bose and Bi-Xenon lights (like they go together...). As a result, if I saw the Bose logo on the door speakers I knew the car probably had Bi-xenon. In several instances the seller did not know this. Also get familiar with the option codes and ask for them up front from the seller (if the sticker with the codes is not affixed under the front hood, walk away).

There are a lot of nice cars out there. I would hesitate at this point in your search to feel that you have to choose between these two specific cars. Good luck!