Low mileage 3.4 or high mileage 3.6?

As i have already posted iam in the market for a 911. However after searching this site iam worried about all the talk of engines blowing up and costing 10k plus to have new engines fitted as i simply could not afford to pay that much out. I have read the advice on here that has been given to other peolpe and have come to the conclusion that it is better to go for the latest model possible (preferably a facelift 3.6) due to the fact that improvments have been made year by year. A 911 has just come up for sale on my doorstep and it a 2001 facelift c4 tip in silver with black leather. Ive been to look at the car and it looks imaculate. However its done 120k and is going for 17,500 grand, Is this a fair price? And if its been looked after properly is their an increased risk of engine failure due to the mileage? Or iam better off with a 40,000-50,000 3.4? Because i also understand that the 3.4 are alot more likely to have major problems? To summarise Iam abit confused Ive read so much and heard so many diffrent opinions and iam just looking for abit of guidance. I will have it inspected but dont want to fork out for this doing if the 120k mileage is a major problem. I appreciate you must get tired of anwsering the same questions over and over agian but i have searched and its just confused me even more Thanks in advance James

you won't like this... Think what a new and low mileage boxster s you can get for 17.5k....it's possible that it will handle and perform almost as well if not much more tidily than a 120k 2001 car... I've just bought a 2003 X50 Turbo, and I know it's gonna cost me to keep it going...but I'm 'justifying' that on the basis that the car will still be worth a considerable chunk of my purchase price in four years time. If you put just 10k a year on the C4 you'll have a 160k car to sell in 4 years...and unlike the 993 there's plenty of the 2001 cars around - i.e. I don't forsee anyone looking back and fondly cherishing the 2001 996 (and this coming from a man who has one that looks the same on his drive) It's all personal choice - my choice was to accept the bills and pray that the value keeps in the car. I fear if you intend to significantly add to that mileage you'll get hit by repairs and depreciation. What does the pile of receipts and service history look like? Shocks, discs, seals, paint, bearings, control arms, pumps, radiators, hoses etc etc...everything that doesn't have a replacement receipt has 120k under it's belt...it's a grim point of view but one that drives home the worst case.......Of course..you could buy it and drive it for ages with nothing at all go wrong, but I expect this is unlikely. There's also the arguement that says a garaged cherished very low mileage car will have teething problems when it starts getting hot and cold regularly again. Had my car 4 days and one of the front rads has gone - to be replaced under dealer warranty (thank god, without the warranty I'd be looking at 4 figure bill inside the first week) Only my 2p - it's all personal. They're lovely, but not worth making a desperate decision for. Ignore me I'm a miserable bastard..buy it, polish it, learn to drive it, take your Mrs out in it and love every minute of it..just accept you'll pay for it!

Don't worry, 997s blow up aswell. So just buy the nicest one* and enjoy it. *this has two criteria: 1) the best condition and 2) the one that connects with you - ie colour, options, drive train, "character" 1) is decided by your head and 2) is decided by your heart.

a bit to high milage for me, i have just looked on autotrader ander there are a few private sales with far less miles on for a grand or two more

I dont do alot of miles a year maybe 4-5 thousand a but i know what your saying. And ive looked into lower milage models and they seem to jump the price up tp 22k-25k which is a big difference.

what about this one? http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/838496.htm

Or this one: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/950948.htm

or these http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-u...cleYearOfManufacture=2003&vehicleRegLetter=53 http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-u...cleYearOfManufacture=2002&vehicleRegLetter=02 sorry i don't know how to do short urls

You should anticipate maintenance cost on a tidy model of around £1.5-2.5k per year, so the question you need to ask yourself is will you be okay with spending that pa on a 120k mileage car and what will it be worth due to both mileage/depreciation. At 120K, im sure there will be a few more bits are there likely to go wrong/require replacement due to both age/wear....

Theres a good selection of cars there and about a half and half split with 3.4 and 3.6 and ive looked at a few of them before. Are you now saying that mileage is more inportant than buying the latest model possible, because fom what ive read the engine issues seem to be alot more common on the 3.4 or have i got this wrong? Iam aware that the cars require some money to be spent on them in maintainence and servicing and iam prepared for that. However this is not the same as being hit with a 10k bill for an replacement engine out of the blue.

I had an M beemer and constantly worried about the vanos unit, took the enjoyment out of it. No point in having a car you are going to worry about all the time, if the 3.4 is such a worry then buy the 3.6. Both cars will depreciate like everything else and have the same running costs. Buy on service history and condition. If both 3.4 and 3.6 are to risky for you then maybe a Boxster?

Personally I would not want to hand over 17.5k on a 120k mile car almost no matter what condition, you will have real trouble trying to move it on!!! The engine talk really is only for experts as the stories with regard to engine failure I believe are to how they get treated in use!!!Two schools of thought here, you can worry about it, or take the gamble, I did and do not regret it one bit!!!

If you're looking at sub £20k for a car then I'd suggest taking a gamble. If your engine blows up then you can sell fit or spares and get quite a lot of your money back and buy another one. I paid nearly £40k for my 2004C4S 18 months ago, if my engine goes pop then I'm in it for another £10k. So your £17.5k gamble is much less than most people's on this forum. Go for it, enjoy the low prices. As has been stated before, go for low mileage with a good service history and you won't go too far wrong! Ray :thumb:

Put your 17.5k into the best c2 you can find after a ppi History and proof of work will reveal what you are getting C4? Look a like turbo not much point for me Real deal. Or no deal Pass me my tin hat!

Put your 17.5k into the best c2 you can find after a ppi History and proof of work will reveal what you are getting C4? Look a like turbo not much point for me Real deal. Or no deal Pass me my tin hat! WTF? :?