Am I mad - £45k on a 996 turbo?

I have owned my lovely Zanzibar aerokited 996.1 for 16 months and spent a fortune maintaining/upgrading it. I only do 3k miles per year as a second car and it still has under 50k miles on it. However, having owned a modified 964 turbo, I really miss that feeling you get from a turbo. So, I am contemplating selling/part-exchanging it and buying a 996 turbo. I reckon I could stretch to £45k, assuming I get a good price for my 996.1 of c£20k. The entry point for 996 turbos seems to be low 30's, with reasonable mileage (less than 70k miles) tips starting at around £35k, manuals at around £40k, X50's around £45k. Cabs seem to be about the same price as coupes. Private and trade cars seem to overlap in price, and higher mileage (80k+) seem to be sticking around. I would prefer a manual, but would also a consider a modified tip. I am leaning towards a cab, but only if it is a manual. Any car will have to have a fully stamped service history with receipts. Any thoughts on what to look for beyond the usual suspects for a 996 in terms of suspension, radiators, discs, brakes, tyres plus spoiler rams and corroded turbo coolant pipes? These 3 caught my eye - thoughts? Cab, manual, 66k miles, £40k, never heard of them and no real details on work done: Coupe, tip, 59k miles, £41.5k, lots of work done including 9E30 upgrade in last 12 months, localish to me and a Porsche specialist: Cab, manual, X50, 63k miles, £45k, they advertise on here:

Personal I'd avoid a silver cab, would be difficult to shift if you need to move it on...

Love 1 & 3, but I am a cabrio fan (obviously!) Sorry, completely pointless/unhelpful comments :coat: (But if I had the money, I'd have No.3)

No.2 9e work is worth a fortune alone. 911 cabs to me just look wrong, I've owned 2 x 986 and an E46 M cab so do like a convertible, just not a 911. Owned my turbo for over 3 years now, never missed a beat. Plenty of maintenance however as to be expected on a 16 year old car, but nothing too ruinous. You'll never get bored with the performance. :thumbs:

Do it, but get a coupe. I would get a colour rather than a shade of grey/sliver and that's from a seal grey owner. 911 Virgin have a nice black GT2 :?:

Cabs are few in number compared to Coupe. Manual cars are fewer in number than tiptronic cars. Put both those together - cab + manual - and probably very few cars to choose from. Prices for 996 turbo cars are all over the place as you have discovered. Modified cars have a smaller pool of buyers than original spec cars. So whilst they may have had a lot of money spent on mods, you will have a narrower audience to buy it when you want to sell it. I have no comment on any of the cars you have posted - it is simply not possible to comment based on photos and claims of 'mint' or 'exceptional example' as all too often so many cars fail to meet such expectations in the flesh or after a PPI. There will be those who may point you towards a tip 997 but the two cars are probably very different in ways other than headlights. It depends on what you prefer. You have listed some areas to he mindful of, and my recommendation will always be to have a thorough Indy PPI unless its from a top-notch specialist who might be a sponsor on this site and has a first class reputation to preserve.

:agree: :thumb:

+2 But as Cheshire noted , it's all in the individual car ...due diligence required as you are aware.. Coupe every time , the 911 should be in this format , the others just don't look right to me .... Good luck ....

Re the mods to no.2 car, from what I've seen on here there's a healthy demand for 9e cars.

Manual Coupe for me all day long, but if you did want a cab, that X50 manual sounds like a great option.

+3 from me. Will have epic performance far above that of a 997.1 turbo, along with nicer looks 8) :thumbs:

LOL...If anyone wants to buy a slighlty modified 9eXX, then they woudl need to part with a who lotta cash...ask me how i know HE HE TE HE !!!! Buy the 9e30 996,,,,life is to short. GOODLUCK with your search Who needs to be like every one else....thats my two pennith worth anyways

Thanks for the input. I have just realised this has the Stage 2 which is the 9E38 (not 9E30) package. DynoMike - given this is "only" the 9E38 package, do you (or anyone?) know how this would perform 0-60, 0-100? I realise the 38 refers to the time to 186mph. Here's what the dealer says about the car, and the link http://www.williamscrawford.co.uk/vehicle/996-turbo-tiptronic-s-2002/ "This is not your average turbo........ This 911 will reward an experienced driver and can be enjoyed at any pace you choose. It has a slight Jekyll and Hyde personality; amiable and easy around town, the Tiptronic S gearbox making it an effortless and simple drive. But push down hard on the loud pedal and you will unleash a very different animal. With an estimated power output of between 520-550 bhp, a good 100 more than factory standard, this Porsche is guaranteed to deliver a serious punch. Over the last 12 months this 996 has undergone over £14,000 worth of upgrades and maintenance, taking it to next-level fierce. Notable work includes: Nine Excellence Stage 2 Tuning Package Kilne exhaust system GT2 RS intercoolers fitted Turbo refurbishment Gearbox rebuild and new gearbox mount. Leather and Alcantara steering wheel with paddle gear shift New intake pipes and O2 sensors Oil lines and heat shields renewed New A/C condenser Geometry set up & 4-wheel alignment The maintenance folder which accompanies this Turbo is vast. It reveals great insight into how well this car has been cared for. The service book has 10 stamps and there are invoices and receipts from 2009 onwards plus MOT certificates from 2005 to the present day. Aside from the upgrades, many components have been replaced. Front and rear steel brake pipes and rear flexible brake hoses renewed. New exhaust brackets plus new hydraulic rams and pipework for the rear spoiler plus much, much more......... First supplied on 28th September 2001 by HR Owen, the Official Porsche Centre in Hertfordshire."

FastLane I would say you need to try it out All the 9e packages are about the drive ability. Ken can map the car for gradual curve. Quick spook etc etc. It depends on what has been done and the map 9e have applied It will be quicker than standard for sure but I personally feel it will be the 60 to 130/150 where it will be mind bending Also. Ken and the team. WILL NOT work on a crappy car. The base car and components need to be of a certain quality and condition. Or else they will not do the work Go see it !

:agree: