PCM/sunroof essential for resale?

Hi, I'm looking at buying a 996 C4S. Kinda confused on the 'must have' options come resale time. E.g. - I'd personally like PSE, Litronics, white dials, some kind of arctic pack - but these can all be retrofitted/substituted to some extent (circa £1000 - £2000 depending on how factory standard I'd keep things). What about sunroof - I'm coming from a Boxster so having a sunroof is high on my list (and a 996 cab is not something I'm keen on). Anyone not got a sunroof and now regretting it? What about PCM - pretty sure a TomTom will do a better job, but it sure does finish off the dashboard. If I didn't get a car with PCM, is this likely to put people off come resale time? Anything else I should make sure I have options-wise? I had BOSE on my list as well, purely because even the upgraded Boxster stereo was just rubbish (the BOSE was passable). What I'm thinking here is that I could do a good deal on a lightly optioned C4S and add the bits I want. Thanks, Craig.

I find with 996 the colour mileage and condition no of owners etc is far more important than pcm or sunroof, they help at resale time but its not essential given the choice of a 2/3 owner 25000 mile cand a 5 owner 40,000 mile car with nav and sunroof, i think most buyers would go for the lower mileage car if i were looking i'd be more interested in if the radiators had been replaced - £1100 when the brakes were last replaced- £1600 Id much rather have a car that had just had new brakes and rads than PCM Most 996 C4S are circa 6 years old and its vital to check for major wear and tear items that have been replaced Hence a Pre Purchase Inspection is vital I ve just sold 2 C4S recently both 28,000 mile cars one car the owner had replaced, discs, pads, radiators and 4 new tyres in the previous 2 years, my service bill £1200 the other was a 2004 car, so 2 year service interval, owner had owned it for 2 years and done 4,000 miles in it, so service, radiators, air con condensor and re gas, front discs & pads, couple of coil packs £3800 bill

Craig, your search for a C4S sounds just like mine did as there were certain colours/options I wanted and I wouldn't settle for a car without them - no matter what came along... And conversely, certain interiors I didn't want, I wanted to be happy with the combination, and there's lots out there! A sunroof wasn't on my wish list (the Z4 has a big sunroof) but I have to admit I now like the sunroof on the C4S. It is a nice touch in the summer months. I know it's extra weight high up in the vehicle which isn't ideal for the track day fraternity, but I'm happy to trade-off the extra weight to let the sunshine in, when it eventually shines... :thumbs: I have a small arctic pack and BOSE, which I also like but the best by far option on my C4S is the PSE. Serious grin factor - sounding great inside the car and better outside the car. I don't have PCM so I can't comment. However, a while ago my neighbour did have PCM on a brand new 996, and his replacement 996 didn't have PCM, he didn't rate it. Each to their own I guess. Good luck with the search and be patient, the right one will come along :thumb:

Mine has the lot on it. I enjoy the roof A LOT but as with all the cars I have had it wouldn't be a buy or die decision for me when looking. PCM2 in mine and I find this handy for the telephone. Makes the CC look good as well. Again wouldn't be a BOD item. You will know when you find a car that is right, coz you will buy it :thumbs: I have had mine since May now, and TBH ownership in the Uk hasn't been the same as having one when i lived overseas. The grin factor is already wearing off but that has a lot to do with the roads where i live. They weren't built for Porkies :sleepy:

Mine has the lot on it. I enjoy the roof A LOT but as with all the cars I have had it wouldn't be a buy or die decision for me when looking. PCM2 in mine and I find this handy for the telephone. Makes the CC look good as well. Again wouldn't be a BOD item. You will know when you find a car that is right, coz you will buy it :thumbs: I have had mine since May now, and TBH ownership in the Uk hasn't been the same as having one when i lived overseas. The grin factor is already wearing off but that has a lot to do with the roads where i live. They weren't built for Porkies :sleepy:

Hi, IMHO, (a lot has already been said), colour and interior are the main selling points. Metropole blue or black are the preferred interior options. Exterior is Grey, Silver, black and blue. PCM is not a deal breaker as you state a TOM TOM will do a better job. A lot is said about the PCM making the interior better but not in my opinion. As for parking sensors, sun roof and cruise control all add weight. A sun roof in a 911 then get a Targa :wink: Parking sensors are for hair dressers :wink: Cruise control only good in America where they have miles of straight roads clearly to avoid turning the steering wheel :wink: Bi-xenon head lights are not an option that can be retro fitted so worth getting them. Also the silver dials are a tad tricky. If you buy a set on E-bay make sure it is brand new any second hand one will not work. I bought a set whereby the buyer claimed they were new. I got an OPC to fit them but with the diagnositc tool they use it showed 13,000 miles on the clock. The software would not transfer my origical cloks settigns to the new ones. Note there is a CMOS in the dials and the on board management computer. You can send dials away and get them coloured, apparently good results. With respect to the sat nav if you go for after market remember the dreaded MOSTBus on vehicals 2003 onwards. This optic devil can throw a spanner in the works. Sport techno alloys are the best!!! As Mark has said, rads and condensors wear so check if they have been changed. If you test drive and the aircon is not working a tell tale sign. Pads and discs are a consumable and depends on the previous owners driving styles. I picked mine up when she was 3 years old and she only had one previous owner. This was a very important point for me, they were also a Porsche enthusiast. File that came with the car had the FPSH and some. Note though that the iron content in the discs makes them prone to rusting and this can be evident in a high humid garage or after washing you will notice the next day a film of rust. This can pit the discs quite quickly so always good after washing to have a good blast with spirited braking Enjoy your search. Alan

Apart from GT2's and 3's, I don't think I've seen a 996 without a sunroof, and I don't think it will be a problem for you. If the "Government" have their way we will all have aftermarket stereos and satnavs in 4-5 years anyway, when they switch off analogue radio.

Mine hasn't!!! Excellent, this rare spec has now increased my vehical by £50,000 :wink: Alan

I specifically looked for a car without PCM as they're as good as useless anyway (I hear that even the new sat navs on the 997.2 are also rubbish...?) I ended up with a C2 with a sunroof (not what I was looking for but excellent and I'd miss it a lot if I didn't have it, the sunroof that is), Bose stereo (no PCM, thanks very much!) and 10mm lowered M030 suspension. There are other bits like heated seats and CD changer but after a few months of ownership it became very clear to me that I'd been very lucky to get a car with the 10mm lowered suspension (which I believe all C4S's had anyway) and the sunroof. The sunroof retracts (obviously) and this gives a great compromise between the coupe and the more wobbly drop tops. As far as the radiators are concerned, if you're considering buying privately, ask the owner how often they vacuumed the rads out from the front. Any sign of any rotting leaves or similar road debris gets Hoovered out of mine ASAP! I know that debris can also build up between the rads and the air-con condensers which is more tricky to get to but at least it shows that the car has been cared for by someone who tries to maintain the car by carrying out simple yet effective jobs like this. Adrian.

Rare indeed! Knowing Porsche, sunroof delete was probably a £500 option.

As a newbie looking for a 911 I was advised by a couple of people NOT to buy a car with a sunroof - as you lost a bit of headroom - which is marginal enough in the back as it is. My last car had one - but I've not missed it during the year I've had the 911.

In my search for a 996 C4S I found the non-sunroof cars well out-numbered the sunroofed cars.... :dont know: The sunroof happened to be fitted to the car that came closest to what I wanted. I'll actually look out for a sunroofed 911 when I change this C4S as I've grown to like the feature so much, but not that much as to buy a Targa which looks quite different compared to a C4S. As a bonus, sunroofs let more PSE music in too..... 8)

Sunroofs: All the better to hear the engine! If you don't have a cab and don't wish to drive around with the windows open buffeting your barnet, the sunroof is a nice way to let the summer and the engine roar in! Pressing the SR button is now the first thing I do after turning the ignition on!

I bought one of those C4S' mentioned by Mark. I wanted a dark exterior and interior colour - not silver. PSE was a must have the rest I was not bothered about - I did think it would have been nice to have litronics and PCM. I have now discovered you can retrofit xenon kits - some good reviews of these, and as someone said TomTom etc is way better than PCM. PSE and 2 year servicing are all good. The condition of the car is important and I can vouch for Mark he spent close to 4k, I think, bringing my car up to scratch. HTH Neil

Yep, The PSE is a must have option. If my brother is honest his Aston AMV8 does not sound a good as mine with the PSE. Although I have to admit that the AMV8 is better looking :sad: Alan