Buying a C2 which has sat unused, advice needed.

Hello. I am looking for a bit of advice and I thought where better to ask than on here. I am looking to buy my first 911 after putting a lot of work into my 944. I am looking at the bottom end of the 911 market around the 10k mark. I have read many topics on this forum about the pros and cons and have decided that it's something I certainly want to have a go at. A little bit of background I suppose, I bought my 1982 944 as a non runner 4 years ago, it's now a cracking little car with no great problems, I have done all of the work myself and it has opened my eyes to the Porsche tax, albeit only slightly. The car had been sat unused in the same spot for 5 years, I went through the basic protocols before start up and all went well, so buying something which has sat for a while isn't a new experience for me, however onto my question. I have found a 1999 3.4 C2 manual for sale and it has supposedly had the IMS bearing replaced (however I need to enquire about this further). FSH and appeals to me, however it has sat for a few years unused, once again, the reasons for this are unknown at the moment. My question is, other than major service items, discs, pads and Tyres, is there anything else on the vehicle which may Require further attention (above that of a normal vehicle) prior to use or that will need to be factored into the purchase price? I am yet to arrange a viewing on the car but am keen to call them this afternoon to arrange something. I don't know why the vehicle has sat, I'm not sure if it has been used periodically, but let's presume the car has sat unmoved and unstarted for a number of months, would this cause problems with things like the dreaded IMS bearing, my wondering by the fact it would have sat in one spot for some period of time. I am keen to buy something that I can sink my teeth into, hence why this appeals to me. However I don't want to buy something that is a huge can of works. Any advice would be warmly welcomed. Thank you in advance

Not a major issue apart from the obvious rusting disks inner faces, a/c might have lost its gas, possibly bodywork corrosion if sat outside in the rain? Check for evidence of mice?

Sounds like you are going in with your eyes open - 996s at the bottom of the market will need work - thats inevitable. I would look at the usual 996 areas: - IMS/RMS oil leaks - brake pipe over the engine (means an engine drop, unless you replace with flex - which is a whole different debate ) - Rads/AC - as they tend to rot - (mentioned above by asterix) - Sills -AOS - again an engine drop job for most people Plus there is the usual stuff that will impact any car thats sat: -tyres degenerate if left - lots of other bits seem to struggle I wont comment on whether the replacement of the IMS is a good thing - there are varying opinions.... The above could sound overly negative and it definitely isnt meant to be. I bought a 996 near the bottom of the mkt. They can be lots of fun and if you enjoy working on cars, they are good to work on. I am enjoying doing bits on mine and its great to drive!

The suspension will probably creak like a b4stard. Check the condition of suspension arms, top mounts etc as this can add up, albeit a good DIY project to sort. Check brake pipe condition. If it is a pre 2000 MY car, then it would have had the dual row IMS bearing which should have been fine. If its been 'upgraded' then make sure it was a like for like replacement. Check the engine for any evidence of oil/coolant cross-contamination as that is likely to mean an engine rebuild. Inoperative AC may mean the condensors are rusted through... DIYable, but again quite a bill for the parts. Check for leaks inside the car. Check windows work, or new regulators may be needed. Check windows drop when the door handle is pulled, or new microswitches may be needed. Thought we are getting here into the minutae. Sounds like a great project if it checks out for the right money... keep us posted!

Thank you all very much chaps for all of the information presented here. I appreciate your time. Ideally i want a cable operated 996, as from my research this is going to be my best bet. I have found one locally within budget, non-sunroof, LSD and 030 suspension which is at the top of my list currently. I didn't realise the brake line over the engine gearbox or the AOS was an engine out job so thanks for bringing that up. Annoyingly I suppose you will only know that line needs doing when you've got the engine/box out? Unless I take my oscilloscope with me for a viewing. I suppose there is no harm in going and having a look. I will have to price up the initial outlay pretty thoroughly and compare prices to other vehicles on the market closely. I have read a lot of build threads and I see that rads take a good bashing, unless history shows they're recently replaced I have them down as something to be replaced in the first 6 months.

I'd want to know where the car has been sitting, at what ambient temperature and humidity and for how long: assuming there's no rust, my fears would be old fuel, and dried and failing seals, o-rings and gaskets in/around the engine, and perished/leaking radiators, condensers, and lines, as well as rusted brake discs, binding calipers and ancient brake fluid. And also I'd want to look at and likely replace much of all the rubber bushes and bump stops etc in the suspension, as they're probably just aged by now. It would presumably need to be trailered home, for a very thorough inspection and refresh. Nothing insurmountable, but a lot of fuss. And a decent project if you're so minded.

Do your really mean oscilloscope???

The brake line usually corrodes in the clips (its starts to bulge) - so should be visible if you look from under the car - I dont think you need any special tools to look at that..... the AOS is a different matter, I have used a manometer to check mine....but there are more obvious symptoms if that has gone (read up on trying to remove the oil-filler cap with the engine running).

It's not an engine out job. That brake line can be done with everything in, but is easier with the gear box out the way. See my thread linked below. It's a 20 year old car. ALL 20 year old cars are massive cans of worms.

What about this one on ebay, 223451347881 spend 4K on this and you will have a well sorted car for the lower end of the price range.

I spotted the cheap one that has sat for a few years too. the ad updated overnight and has added £500 to the price. i assume there's been some interest! Looking at the MOT history shows a number of years scraping through with advisories or after a fail. I guess it all added up in the end to make it too much hassle?! brake lines rusting, brake discs, rusting, steering and suspension parts corroded, windscreen requires attention, exhausts corroded amongst other stuff. Once all that's replaced you'd maybe be up to one of the £10k cars. H4 PKD https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history

Tomm please come back on here and let us know how you got on - even if you didn't successfully buy the car you are currently considering - and if you didn't why not. You'll find some very friendly and helpful people on here and we're always keen to here about things like this. if you don't buy the one you're currently looking at please let us know how you go on with looking for your first 911/P&J Ta m8