Is it possible to buy a descent 996 for £12,000i just - Page 2 - 911/Carrera GT - PistonHeads UK

Or would just be buying a money pit. Ideally would like a black car with under 100k. Anyone know for any?

bababoom said: Or would just be buying a money pit. Ideally would like a black car with under 100k. Anyone know for any? Decent? Yes, probably. Money pit? Depends on how carefully you inspect it and a little bit of luck.

Most definitely. A good friend has just bought a nice 3.4 that has been very well maintained for £10k, it's a lovely example and I'm picky. A private sale though which seems to make a difference. Arguably they're all money pits!! Any porsche driven properly attracts porsche sized bills. The elephant in the room will always be the possibility of engine issues, but I've noticed the internet seems to have gone quiet on this so I do wonder a) actually what the real percentage of cars suffering major issues actual is and b) whether the issues affected a number of cars that had their card marked from day one and suffered the issues early in their life, I.E. fewer higher mileage cars will present major issues moving forwards. But I could be wrong and companies like Hartech et.al. may well be churning out 996 engine rebuilds at a rate of knots... Sorry to bring up the old 996 engine cliche! They're still very good value for 911's even if you are hit with a big bill, just make sure you can afford one before running the risk. Unfortunately this is the reason why I've not been able to buy one to date...

Yes, you can get a good 996 for less than 12k. I'm waiting for the scaremongering posts about chocolate engines. My advice: buy an early 3.4, Carrera 2, manual, if you can find it. There aren't so many around, and they are wonderful to drive.

not 12k but 16k.. but i bought it and love it!!

You can definitely buy a good 996 for £12k, or even under £10k. Hiwever, it's much easier to buy a bad one, even at £15k, so do your research and choose carefully (and accept the risks or do something to cover them).

thegoose said: You can definitely buy a good 996 for £12k, or even under £10k. Hiwever, it's much easier to buy a bad one, even at £15k, so do your research and choose carefully (and accept the risks or do something to cover them). Good comment. My personal experience. I bought mine 2 years ago for less than 9k and spent less than a couple of grand on it so now I know it's in good nick: - updated IMS - thermostat - suspension bits refresh

Ive been reading up about the IMS bearing and it does put you off a bit as basically its going to right a 12k off. Whats the cost in fitting the uprated bearing? I would have thought any car having a new clutch fitted would have made sense to do the bearing at the same time?

Prices for everything on www.sportsandclassic.com but it may depend whereabouts you are. Mike isn't the cheapest either but the fact that he's so busy and has so many satisfied customers speaks volumes.

Says from £700 for the ims job witch compared to a new engine is worth it for the peace of mind.

There could be an argument for buying a very cheap one as there is less value at risk .....he said tentatively Just a thought ......

Ive read that the 3.6 is less likely to suffer from IMS failure? Whats the differences in the models C2 C4 Cara, 2 Cara, 4 and so on? Ideally i would like a 2wd manual.

I purchased my '00 996 C4 for around £8.5k about 10 months ago, although it did have 129k on the clock. Other than a Major Service and a change of brakes all round, the car has been fault free. The car is on 139k at the moment and to give you some perspective I am not one of those soft drivers babying the car around just below the speed limit on a Sunday afternoon Edited by Jivaldinho on Sunday 21st September 20:10

i'm looking at the same budget and same car as you (996.1 C2 or C4) it looks perfectly doable for £12-14k, I've even seen one with a new Porsche engine and one with a full £8.5k Hartech rebuild in budget. I have been advised to consider putting aside £1.5 to £2k a year for maintenance and servicing. I thought IMS upgrade was more like £2000 at a specialist though, £700 is a lot more palatable.

skinny said: i'm looking at the same budget and same car as you (996.1 C2 or C4) it looks perfectly doable for £12-14k, I've even seen one with a new Porsche engine and one with a full £8.5k Hartech rebuild in budget. I have been advised to consider putting aside £1.5 to £2k a year for maintenance and servicing. I thought IMS upgrade was more like £2000 at a specialist though, £700 is a lot more palatable. I had the IMS done for less than £700 including parts. But out of those cars, I'd surely go for the Hartech one.

yeah the Hartech rebuild would definitely have been my preference I was led to understand that the Porsche replacement engines at least had the stronger IMS design (but i'm not sure if they ever truly resolved cylinder cracking / D chunking or bore score / ovalling)

I'm after a 996 next year, budget is around 10k but I can spend a bit more if needed. I know they have a bit of a bad rep for engine probs but I'm going to hold out for a car that has had the IMS/RMS done already plus most definitely getting this chap to do an inspection http://www.porscheinspections.com/index.php. Initially i wanted an Esprit Turbo however I'd like to have a car I can tour Europe with and has space for my for my 2 year old daughter in the back. A 911 is perfect

Fella, the 996 engine problems pale into insignificance compared to an Esprit Turbo!!

mollytherocker said: Fella, the 996 engine problems pale into insignificance compared to an Esprit Turbo!! I agree they are certainly more temperamental than a 911 however it's only going to be a second car and not required as a daily driver. Engine rebuild on an Esprit Turbo (Giugiaro shape) is about 4k (99% have been rebuilt by now). On a 996 it's about 8k plus I think?

anonymous said: [redacted] Thanks for the clarification, I mistakenly thought the last of the M96 engines got the larger single row bearing. I guess as the 3.4 changed to the small single row towards 2001, all the 3.6's also had the same small single row?

Just my 2p on the whole inspection process: For a 10k car, I don't think it's worth spending a grand or so in inspecting it as nobody will be able to tell whether the engine is going to go bang or not. Spend the same money on a new IMS, oil filter, plugs, thermostat and a few oil changes. The rest - suspension, brake pads, discs and so on you can see yourself. Those cars don't really rust so, other than the lump at the back there isn't much to go wrong (and on an early 3.4 the engine durability is industry average). For the purpose of balance, I would definitely get someone to inspect a Turbo or something more exotic/expensive.

stuckmojo said: Just my 2p on the whole inspection process: For a 10k car, I don't think it's worth spending a grand or so in inspecting it as nobody will be able to tell whether the engine is going to go bang or not. Spend the same money on a new IMS, oil filter, plugs, thermostat and a few oil changes. The rest - suspension, brake pads, discs and so on you can see yourself. Those cars don't really rust so, other than the lump at the back there isn't much to go wrong (and on an early 3.4 the engine durability is industry average). For the purpose of balance, I would definitely get someone to inspect a Turbo or something more exotic/expensive. The chap I posted about charges about £400. I agree you can inspect yourself but I'm bound to miss something and on a 996 you could easily spend £400 plus rectifying a minor fault. Feedback on the forums seem v positive with all posters that used him having trouble free motoring.

anonymous said: [redacted] Yep, I understand that. I really want to find a car that has had the IMS/RMS already done. As far as the bores cracking, it's a risk on any 996 but the % of failures (from what I have read) seem quite low. A Hartech rebuilt car would be best but they seem pretty rare.

I would say the early/ cheaper 996’s are going through a bit of a revival, you used to see a fair amount of factory original, sub 80,000 milers with good service history for £12K . Now all you see in that price range are the ones that have zero spent on them by their current owners with blacked out windows or after market wheels.

jonny996 said: I would say the early/ cheaper 996’s are going through a bit of a revival, you used to see a fair amount of factory original, sub 80,000 milers with good service history for £12K . Now all you see in that price range are the ones that have zero spent on them by their current owners with blacked out windows or after market wheels. I presume you own one judging by your username? Whilst we all like to talk up the price of our cars (I've done it in the past) I still think the 996 is at rock bottom. They will certainly start increasing in value but not for a few years yet IMO (when numbers start to dwindle, e36 M3 as an example). Here are a few from the PH classifieds: http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/p... http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/p... http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/p...

St John Smythe said: jonny996 said: I would say the early/ cheaper 996’s are going through a bit of a revival, you used to see a fair amount of factory original, sub 80,000 milers with good service history for £12K . Now all you see in that price range are the ones that have zero spent on them by their current owners with blacked out windows or after market wheels. I presume you own one judging by your username? Whilst we all like to talk up the price of our cars (I've done it in the past) I still think the 996 is at rock bottom. They will certainly start increasing in value but not for a few years yet IMO (when numbers start to dwindle, e36 M3 as an example). Here are a few from the PH classifieds: http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/p... http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/p... http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/p... I used to own one & I am now looking to get back into one so i am not talking up the prices, the cheaper the better for me. I am a fussy person and take a synical view of most things, for the ones you list: First cat, hate people trying to say only done XXX miles, them to read thats on the second engine, so total is yyy Second car, as per my post. Why is it on 997 wheels? third car, if CD cartridge is only £50, go and replace it then. shows no love for the car. I know we are taling 14 year old cars but I am looking for one that has had the same love from its owner as they give to their kids.

St John Smythe said: The chap I posted about charges about £400. I agree you can inspect yourself but I'm bound to miss something and on a 996 you could easily spend £400 plus rectifying a minor fault. Feedback on the forums seem v positive with all posters that used him having trouble free motoring. Just remember that youre not spending £400 to guarantee a good car, only to inspect one and report on its condition. How many inspections will you need before you happen on the good one? If an inspection finds £1000 of remedial work, will you buy?

jonny996 said: St John Smythe said: jonny996 said: I would say the early/ cheaper 996’s are going through a bit of a revival, you used to see a fair amount of factory original, sub 80,000 milers with good service history for £12K . Now all you see in that price range are the ones that have zero spent on them by their current owners with blacked out windows or after market wheels. I presume you own one judging by your username? Whilst we all like to talk up the price of our cars (I've done it in the past) I still think the 996 is at rock bottom. They will certainly start increasing in value but not for a few years yet IMO (when numbers start to dwindle, e36 M3 as an example). Here are a few from the PH classifieds: http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/p... http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/p... http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/p... I used to own one & I am now looking to get back into one so i am not talking up the prices, the cheaper the better for me. I am a fussy person and take a synical view of most things, for the ones you list: First cat, hate people trying to say only done XXX miles, them to read thats on the second engine, so total is yyy Second car, as per my post. Why is it on 997 wheels? third car, if CD cartridge is only £50, go and replace it then. shows no love for the car. I know we are taling 14 year old cars but I am looking for one that has had the same love from its owner as they give to their kids. They were just a few examples from the classifieds. There is a thread running on 911uk.com about 12k 996s, the consensus from owners on there is that 12k is a very good budget for one. Have a read - http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=96491.

mollytherocker said: St John Smythe said: The chap I posted about charges about £400. I agree you can inspect yourself but I'm bound to miss something and on a 996 you could easily spend £400 plus rectifying a minor fault. Feedback on the forums seem v positive with all posters that used him having trouble free motoring. Just remember that youre not spending £400 to guarantee a good car, only to inspect one and report on its condition. How many inspections will you need before you happen on the good one? If an inspection finds £1000 of remedial work, will you buy? I've owned a lot of cars so feel comfortable spotting a lemon. However, I'd happily pay £400 for that guy to inspect as he looks at them day in day out so will probably spot stuff I wouldn't. If the inspection spots 1k worth of work needing doing then at least I would know before buying and can come to an agreement with the seller on price.

I'd want to do a PPI before buying unless it was on something like the Hartech maintenance progrm. Ideally split costs half and half with the seller, shows you're both genuine.

anonymous said: [redacted] Totally agree, living in cloud cuckooland asking the seller to contribute.

Yes you can pick up a very good 996 for 12K or less if you know what you're doing. I bought an early 3.4 in a private deal that cost me £600 more than the previous chap had paid to have the engine rebuilt..... His bill started with a 9 and so did my purchase price...and it isn't mint green with savannah leather. When considering a 996 I knew i wanted a C2 and for me I was only going to buy a Harteched or similar full engine rebuild car.....yes, lots will run and run without going pop yada yada yada. The internet/forums has helped depress prices with these cars- perfect for me! but no doubt some go bang- mine did. I needed to spend a grand on the car, aircon pipe leak/ aircon condenser/ silensers shagged so popped sone danks sports boxes on. So i have a car with fully stamped up service book with reams of bills that reads like War & Peace that stands me about 11.5K. Which has to be bloody cheap for what it is. Truthfully, Ive owned 3.2s, a 964, a 993 and a couple of front engined Porkers,and the best 'drive' is the 996 for me.

993944 said: Yes you can pick up a very good 996 for 12K or less if you know what you're doing. I bought an early 3.4 in a private deal that cost me £600 more than the previous chap had paid to have the engine rebuilt..... His bill started with a 9 and so did my purchase price...and it isn't mint green with savannah leather. When considering a 996 I knew i wanted a C2 and for me I was only going to buy a Harteched or similar full engine rebuild car.....yes, lots will run and run without going pop yada yada yada. The internet/forums has helped depress prices with these cars- perfect for me! but no doubt some go bang- mine did. I needed to spend a grand on the car, aircon pipe leak/ aircon condenser/ silensers shagged so popped sone danks sports boxes on. So i have a car with fully stamped up service book with reams of bills that reads like War & Peace that stands me about 11.5K. Which has to be bloody cheap for what it is. Truthfully, Ive owned 3.2s, a 964, a 993 and a couple of front engined Porkers,and the best 'drive' is the 996 for me. Great story! Just to be clear, at the same price would you have a 996C2 over a 993C2?

A friend of mine has bought one a year ago for less than £8k. Still going strong. Running report going here: www.project3000.co.uk. So yes, you definitely can do it!

mollytherocker said: Great story! Just to be clear, at the same price would you have a 996C2 over a 993C2? The 996 is the better car - what does that mean? who knows! It's lighter, more powerful, handles better, probably more economical to run (certainly to routine service)....remember when it was launched- the journos loved it and raved about it. I loved my previous 911s, no question - wish I could have afforded to keep hold of one of them for sure, but the 996C2 suits me just dandy.