potential 996 owner needs help...

[yrydr]

Hi everyone,

I was going thru the forum for the last couple of days and have seen that there are a lot of useful info for a guy like me who is just in the verge of deciding to go for a 996 or not. I am an ex 1984 3.2 carrera owner and loved the car at that time... So now I want to go back to Porsche again...

I have a couple of questions and would appreciate your feedback.

1. Apparently everyone here is aware of the fact that 996s have a serious engine problem. Not necessarily all the cars of course, but proportionally a large number of 996s are coming with trouble. My budget is pretty limited so it is not enough for a later model but only a car manufactured between 1998-2001. Is there any difference at all between a 1999 and 2001?

2. Is it feasible to assume a car that has 120,000 kms on it, is a safer bet (at least thinking that it didn't have any problems till now and at least the only problems I would have might be standard 10 year old 120,000 kms car problems but not an engine, RMS, etc problems)?

3. I am not a mechanic at all. I have only an average knowledge on engine, etc. What would you recommend me to look for while checking the car itself? Also if I have a test drive, what should I be expecting (an/or not expecting)...

4. Except for above, what else would you recommend?

I really do appreciate all you feedbacks in advance.

Demir

[Loren]

:welcome:

1. Sorry, I do not agree. There are small portion of 996's that have had serious failures but certainly nothing more than other makes of cars.

There is little difference between a MY99 and MY01.

2. Not in my opinion. There are other wear failures that start to crop up in high mileage cars. IMHO most of the serious failure on 996 will occur before 35, 000 miles.

3. Since you do not have any training I would suggest getting a PPI by a competent local Porsche shop. Also a good chance to get to know them in case you do have problems.

4. PPI and service history (if possible) are the two most important to me when buying a previously owned car. You want to know what has already failed (and when). And you want to know if there are signs of abuse or neglect.

That my take on it...

[JFP in PA]

+1 on Loren's comments. If you are not qualified to do so, doing your own PPI is somewhere between dangerous and suicidal..............

Edited January 2, 2011 by JFP in PA

[valley996]

I too bought a 1999 996 C2 because it was a Porsche that I could afford. I have to admit I was shocked at the cost of parts and the cost of an engine replacement if I ever need it. I would say the parts are double the price of most Japanese or American sports cars. I wish it wasn't that way. However, in saying this it is a Porsche and I can ride around my city and don't see any others for weeks. It's worth it to have something that everyone else doesn't have.

[yrydr]

Thanks very much guys... Really appreciate your help and input...

I'll update with my progress while going thru with this search phase :thankyou:

[jgriffin56]

++++ on Loren's advise, his reputation is impeccable!

[E Kap]

If you take your time, there is no reason you can't find a solid car at the right price. I agree with everyone regardng getting a PPI. There are alot of cars out there which have been well maintained. Unfortunately, there are also alot of 996 owners who are in a financial situation with the economy and need to sell their cars. Good for you, not so good for them. Find a car that has been well serviced and has records. Also, if they have the car maintained with the same mechanic, ask for the number and call the mechanic. It's amazing how much information a mechanic will provide you when you ask nicely. After looking for 9 months and gathering information on 4-5 potential cars, I finally chose a '99 C4 Cabriolet with 68,000 miles. 6 months and 5,000 miles later, very few problems. Nothing with the engine. I couldn't be happier. Good luck! Somewhere out there your 996 is waiting for you.

[venturawildes]

I bought a 2002 996 Cab in March of 2009, it is seal grey with the nice 18" wheels, xenon lights, flared rockers, supple leather, bose. It had 40K on it and I paid $29000. It now has 73K on it and I have replaced the right side window regulator ($220), the voltage regulator ($150), the coolant overflow tank ($125) and the drivers side door latch to fix a microswitch ($100). I have not found the parts to be excessively expensive, have you tried Sunset Porsche? I do the maintenance myself, the plugs are easy if you take the muffler cans off. The coolant tank is easy if you lower the motor. This car is not too bad to work on if you know the tricks, which you can find here. I put Sumitomo tires on it rather than the Pzeros. Cost about 500 for all four. I love this car.

I plan on putting the alternate suspension on it, don't know what it's called but it's not the OW30 one. and then I intend to drive the crap out of it.