Question about a few different 996's?

Hi, I am new here & am looking for a 996 Cab. I am trying to figure out what makes sense in terms of the 4 different vehicles. #1 - 2000 light gray, 44,000 miles- price $20,000 (dealer) #2 - 2003 darker gray - 32000 miles - price $25,000 (dealer) #3 - 1999 black - 81,000 - 18,000 miles (board member with good record keeping) #4 - 2002 darker gray "S" - 58,000 miles (local) Price TBD but looking at high 20's. What should I be looking out for in terms of price vs mileage? I want to do a PPI for anything. 1 & 2 being from a used car dealer might be more of a problem to do it. The other two shouldnt be a problem. Thanks, Rich

This is typically an air-cooled 911 forum. There are some people with 996's, but you might be better served on rennlist.com. I just did a quick scroll thru the forum, and they are active over there. Not to say you won't get your answer here, but you might need to wait a little bit. Good luck! Best! -jon

Or just post this in the 996/997 forum here. Several Pelican members have experience with 996s as they have both the air0cooled and water cooled versions.

A couple of things to think about : The 2000 will have a few improvements over the 99, mostly trim, egas and something like 5 horsepower. The 2003 will also have some improvements over the 2000, trim and 20hp. The 2002 S I'm guessing is actually a 4S as no 2WD S models were available in a 996, it will have 4WD and have a wider body. I would recommend you get the car in the best condition unless you really want a particular year or feature. A PPI should definitely be done, even if bought from a dealer. You may want to post the location of the cars, somebody local may be able to check it out for you. David

Yes the 996 forum is where you should be. Carefully evaluate the IMS, rear seal leak, and 2nd gear popout issues on these cars. Lots of info there.

Hi, So the dealer with the 2000 & 2003 emailed me back & I had a few questions. I felt much more comfortable with the owner of the 99 with 80k, but it has 80k and that is a concern as well. The 2003 looked good but with only 32,000 miles on it, I expect it sat around for a long long time. Belts & hoses are probably not in great condition. The seals might be cracked. Is a 2003 with 32k worth $7000 more than a 1999 with 80k on it? Is it 'that' much of an improvement? The 1999 was serviced at Rennwerke in Elmsford which has a great reputation. I really am unsure of what to do. Then there is the Carrera 4S (the 2002) I am waiting to hear back on pricing for that too. Any help or advice would be great. My email to him: Hi, Thank you for your prompt response. In terms of the pricing, are there any other fees associated with the purchase? I am a NY resident, so I know sales tax would have to be paid when I register in NY. I would also need a temporary registration to get it home. As far as the condition of the cars, were either in any accidents? Do you have any documentation on the upkeep? I have not run a carfax on them. I am leaning towards the 2003 primarily because it is newer & has lower mileage. Would you be willing to allow a PPI on the vehicles? Pelican Technical Article: Prepurchase Inspection I would pay for the fee for the Porsche inspection. Paul Miller Porsche is located close to your dealership (250 U.S. 46 Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ 07054). I would be willing to put a down payment and sign a contact contingent on the PPI information. Thanks, Rich His response: Both vehicles are in very good condition with all the service records and receipts. No accidents or major damages or repairs.I can send carfax reports if you want. The price includes all the taxes and fees including title transfer fees and VAT. Temporary registration won't be a problem. You can have the car inspected by anyone your prefer. I'll set up a buy it now auction on ebay so we can secure the deal right away. You will buy it off ebay with a buy it now and then we will arrange inspection and paperwork transfer if everything checks out. I can let you have it for inspection for up to 3 days if necessary. Let me know which one you want to buy and if you agree to buy it on ebay so I can post it with the buy it now option. Thanks.

Rich You need to be in the 996 forum. I looked at them vs air cooled. $7K IMO may be worth the newer year and lower mileage. Look at those issues i posted in my earlier post Also +1 on David, above.

One thing they all have in common is the high probability of the engine grenading sometime in the future. There is a reason 996's seem so inexpensive...

In the 996 forum, the best estimates are 5-10% failure. Rennlist has a non-scientific survey.

5% failure. For piece of mind budget for an IMS upgrade. There are many 996 with over 120k miles. And some with over 200k. The 2003 is the one that I would concentrate on. The 2002 C4S is also a desirable car. Often commands a little higher price. More cost to pull trans for clutch, IMSB upgrade. 2002 on had a glove box and a few other nice interior upgrades. What dealer are you working with in NJ?

I've been looking at 996 cabs for a couple of months now and the prices on #1 and #2 are fantastic - particularly the 2003. I've tracked closed/sold EBAY auctions and looked at some recent Manhiem (wholesale) sales. I just paid $29k for a 2002 with 26k miles and thought I got a pretty good deal. I'd be all over that 2003 with a PPI and you can always offer less. The facelifted cars (2002+) sell for a good bit more than the 99-01's. I don't think that car will be around for long. Edit: I don't really have the data to be definitive but I think tiptronics sell for quite a lot less than 6 spds. If those are tips it explains some of the pricing.

Keep looking

Quotes source post: 7355918

Hi, These are the 2000 & 2003 I was looking at: 2000 Porsche 911 Carrera Carrera Mountain Lakes, New Jersey | Thrift Auto Sales 2003 Porsche 911 Carrera Mountain Lakes, New Jersey | Thrift Auto Sales For what its worth: https://plus.google.com/104360764136657138112/about?hl=en Thrift Auto Sales in Morristown | Thrift Auto Sales [phone removed] & 149 Morris St, Morristown, NJ 07960 | - Yahoo! US Local We could not come to any agreement in getting the car inspected without my putting the entire purchase in escrow or paypal or something else that didnt make sense to me. The owner Nick was a nice guy but wouldnt allow an inspection until we were in contract which he said first that Ebay had a 3 day no questions asked return policy, then he said a number of things that didnt sit right with me. Anyway, I am sure it will sell to someone, but not to me without an inspection before I buy it. I am going with a board members 1999 with 80k, he did the IMS/RMS already & I am getting the PPI on Monday. I will post some pics of the 996 when I get it. Thanks, Rich

My suggestion would be to look for a 2002+ that has the IMS upgrade done. If not, as suggested, budget for the IMS solution. I used a 996 as my daily driver for a couple of years. They are very reliable. Great cars.

Definitely budget for the IMS/RMS job (~$2K) and with the cab be sure to check the back window for delamination if it's not sewn in (99 & 2000 aren't -I'm not sure about 01, 02+). I would buget about ~$1500 for a new top down the road (window repair is not worth the labor cost - I found that out the hard way). Personally I would stay with the lower milege cars, that 03 looks like a very good price if the PPI works out and the car is very clean (just do the IMS/RMS). I just bought a 2000 cab a month ago in that price range. I'm also in NY and had 2 other local deals fall apart before I found one. I also had 2 other more distant deals that didn't work out. I don't like the idea of buying something online...I'd be concerned about the dealer wanting to do the transaction online as it may give him another layer of protection should something not work out. I've gotten burned on ebay a couple of times (though not car purchases), forget paypal and square deal helping you. My Amex was luckily tied to PP and Amex stepped up and saved me but it was very painful. Like toystwo said, if these are tiptronic that would explain the lower prices- they're just simply less desirable in this market...but that is your personal choice and if you want a tip and save some money then great for you. Good luck with the search! Who will you be using for the PPI?

I just re-read and noticed you're talking about using a P dealer for PPI. I would strongly recommend using an indy shop. Call the P dealer and ask them exactly what they do for the PPI, I was underwhelmed after speaking with the dealer here in Huntington. I used an indy and it was a bit expensive but they went deep into the car and I was able to stand in the shop next to the tech the whole time. Make sure you get a leakdown test, DME and have them change the plugs and any broken coils (or consider replacing all the coils while they're in there - but caution that coils add up in terms of $$) It's also nice to have a paint meter, just because it's not shown on carfax, doesn't mean it wasn't in an accident or had work done. Tires are also fairly expensive and in my case they looked fine until you saw the inside edges.