Newb Buying first 996 Questions-

[prado]

Greetings folks.

I have found a 99 C2 near my area which has about 44K miles, and I am considering buying it. Carfax says its clean, and on driving it everything looks and drives clean. He has replaced the rotors, pads and tires about 3K miles ago and they seem to be in excellent condition. This is a 99 C2 Coupe Tiptronic Transmission, 18" Wheels.

Since this is an early 99 model, It has the amber lights. I am considering upgrading the lights to litronic from either ebay or elsewhere (please let me know of any suggestions). I also need to change the rear taillamps to clear (need info on how to go about doing that.)

Please let me know of anything I should be aware of in these models, and look for any tell tell signs before I buy this car.

Another question is about the CD player. It is an old CDR-210, and I was considering to upgrade it to the CDR-23 (If at all this is possible.) If it is not, then I will have to go with some aftermarket solution.

Please help.

Look forward to hearing from you,

Sincerely,

Prad

Edited May 8, 2006 by prado

[juankimalo]

Greetings folks.

I have found a 99 C2 near my area which has about 44K miles, and I am considering buying it. Carfax says its clean, and on driving it everything looks and drives clean. He has replaced the rotors, pads and tires about 3K miles ago and they seem to be in excellent condition.

Since this is an early 99 model, It has the amber lights. I am considering upgrading the lights to litronic from either ebay or elsewhere (please let me know of any suggestions). I also need to change the rear taillamps to clear (need info on how to go about doing that.)

Please let me know of anything I should be aware of in these models, and look for any tell tell signs before I buy this car.

Another question is about the CD player. It is an old CDR-210, and I was considering to upgrade it to the CDR-23 (If at all this is possible.) If it is not, then I will have to go with some aftermarket solution.

Please help.

Look forward to hearing from you,

Sincerely,

Prad

Before paying it would be interesting to get in a Pre Purchase Inspection , to ensure it's ok.

Respect to the Radio I'd recomend you to buy a Becker. Porsche has this brand as its provider. Have a look with the following model:

Becker Indianapolis Pro

it's the same design as yours, MP3 , iPod connector, Navigation system, and besides, a bluetooth handfree telephone technologie incorporated.

www.becker.de

[wdlong1]

Check the expansion tank. Ask if it has been replaced. I would test drive it vigoursly then open the back and see if expansion tank is leaking --- even if it is not I might ask for a new one if it has the old part number tank.

Check under the car for leaking anything.

I also have a 99 that I bought with 20,000 miles. The expansion tank was busted and an oil pump was malfunctioning.

IMO Porsche certification is a waste of time. Loren has a list of the stuff they check (believe me there is nothing big on the list) I would have a trusted mechanic look at closely. Also search this site for 996 problems and this will give youa pretty good idea of the kind of stuff that fails on the Porsche.

I knew all of the problems with the early 996's when I bought and I do not regret the purchase. The car kicks *** and I enjoy driving it daily.

Hope you purchase soon and enjoy the corners!

[Kim]

I agree with most that PPI is important. It does not have to be a Porsche dealer, but, if not, should be someone who knows these cars. Some dealers only give it lip service. The dealer that did mine did a complete and excellent job, and then went over the results with me. It cost over $300, but was money well spent.

The Litronic upgrade is fairly easy. Lots of DIY info available. Takes a couple of hours. Check with board sponsor Sunset Porsche for a price. Also Brandywine and Suncoast. Price seems to be about $1500 these days with the wiring harness. Lots of info on this subject available through a Search.

Don't know what the clear taillights cost, but changing them is about a 2 minute job. Open the engine cover; remove one 10mm bolt from the side of the light unit, rotate the unit up and out; unplug the electrical connection. Reverse to reinstall.

I don't think the CDR23 will work on non-MOST bus cars (pre 03, I think), but am not sure. Investigate that before you buy. If I am correct, then the CDR-220 would be the most recent OEM radio you could put in. They are available on ebay in the $250 range.

Lots of help available here. Learn to use the search feature to save yourself much time (and the occasional chiding).

[Chuck Jones]

DON NOT BUY the Becker CDR 230...or what you indicated is the CR 23. Although this radio is an upgrade...the '99 doesn't have the fiber optic wiring necessary for the installation of this radio. I did the same thing...wanna' buy my CDR 230? I ended up going to the online "pros" instead of screwing around on eBay and getting one that didn't work right...or like the one that the guy said would work and it didn't, and he wouldn't take it back. Do your homework before you jump out there and buy a radio. The good upgrade if you want to stay with the Porsche OEM in the CD version is the CDR 220..NOT the 230!! Chuck

[prado]

DON NOT BUY the Becker CDR 230...or what you indicated is the CR 23. Although this radio is an upgrade...the '99 doesn't have the fiber optic wiring necessary for the installation of this radio. I did the same thing...wanna' buy my CDR 230? I ended up going to the online "pros" instead of screwing around on eBay and getting one that didn't work right...or like the one that the guy said would work and it didn't, and he wouldn't take it back. Do your homework before you jump out there and buy a radio. The good upgrade if you want to stay with the Porsche OEM in the CD version is the CDR 220..NOT the 230!! Chuck

when you mean online pro you mean the becker online pro, or something else. If so, where would I buy this, I dont think these are available in the US.

When I took a look at a picture of the back of a CDR-230, it looked identical to the CDR-220 except for the fiber optic link. I thought it would work without the fiber optics, but I guess it wont. All the analog connections look the same.

Anyhow, thanks a ton for the info

Prad

[prado]

Question - Can anyone who has access to the Porsche database ( When I had a boxster, they were able to tap into the database and tell me everything that was done to the vehicle. ) Tell me any details on the vehicle I am about to get.

VIN: WP0AA2999XS622738

[ivanuf]

I purchased my 99 C2 two years ago and this is what I learned after the purchase:

1) Check for any leaks (oil dripping) mine was leaking and I had to replace the rear main seal (RMS) it cost about 800.00 to replace, but if the problem is not the seal the fix is a new engine. This scared the hell out of me. Just make sure is not leaking and take it to the shop that did the maintenance up to date and verify any history of leaks or seals replaced during warranty. This will be your main concern. Is not official but tiptronic cars has a less incidence of RAMS failures.

2) The rest os the parts are the same as any other performance car. Mine had 78ka and changed the shocks and shock mounts, alignment, spark plugs, brake pads, ecad. Every so often I do some preventive maintenance and is not a big deal.

Once you can clear that the RMS is ok and your are not buying a car that needs a new engine, the rest is irrelevant in comparison.

[djantlive]

You can ask your local service advisor to pull the warranty history on the car with a VIN. Watch for multiple RMS.

To get repair history outside of warranty, you'll have to call up the dealer where the PO is located. This assumes that that's where he goes for repairs.

Ideally, PO should provide service and repair history.