New here, looking for a little advice/guidence

Hello, Please excuse these questions as silly as they may seem but I am a newb. I look at 98 and before air cooled 911's and they are twice the price of the 996 models. Is this mainly due to reliability of the air cooled cars being greater or the "collectability" factor or the air cooled cars from purist terms? I find quiet a few very nice low mile water cooled cars for great prices. I would like to hear your thoughts and experiences on this. Thanks so much for fielding my questions. Eric

Welcome - I'm still a little green myself - Here is what I got from my time here - Buy the newest Porsche you can afford - Be aware that the first Gen of water cooled (996) 99-05 Porsches might have problems that you'll find covered well here. I personally feel that a high mileage well cared for car is a better value than a "Garage Queen" as mine was. And on that note, It's still the best thing I have ever purchased. Use your heart. I know a lot of people say get that PPI (Pre Purchase Inspection) these run you about 500 dollars. I have seen a few people who were not helped by a PPI - my bad flywheel is one of those things. Take you time - know what's important to you. For me - I didn't want a small tv sized Navigation screen in my car - I have a phone for that - and they are ugly in a sports car. I wanted a 6 speed silver w black leather and HID's and Carrera 4 (I only wanted a 911- backseat for my doggie)- I plan on driving year round - If you live in Cinci - you know what I mean. No white gauges No aftermarket stuff (stereo's or spoilers). And I didn't want a convertible - I really wanted a Targa - but mine ticked all the boxes and came with a hard top - so I bought it.

Lower production numbers and last of the air cooled F6 Porsches = $$$$$. Drive both , then decide.

Barn is correct, biggest factor is they made a ton of 996/997 cars but not many 993, and with being the last of the Air cooled thy hold value. Supply and demand. 993 is a terrific car with the classic 911 feel, but the 996 is a very rewarding car to drive as well. Drive both see what you like.

I appreciate the responses so far guys..I really do. I am not looking to collect, I am looking to drive. With that being said I am also not looking to make a huge mistake. I do not want to drop 30K plus on a car that is knowingly unreliable and full of gremlins (then turn around and dump 10K plus on an engine rebuild) because I chose the wrong year. That is why I am asking it here because you guys have been through it...I consider you guys the experts. Just looking at general experiences. Would you buy another water cooled or go for an air-cooled for the same price (assuming you are not looking to sell it). If you had it to do all over would you do it again or choose a different model?

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Since you are more interested in driving than collecting, I think you will be pleasantly surprised behind the wheel of a 996. I have an 04 996 C2, purchased in 2007 - drove it almost daily until 10/2011 when I purchased a 2nd 2004 996 C4S. So these days unless I am travelling I drive a 996 every day. I put over 50k miles on the C2 and 10k miles on the C4S. If I had a bigger garage and some extra cash I would pick up a 3rd in a heartbeat. My experience with my cars is that they are extremely reliable, I have had zero major problems. Perhaps I have just been lucky, or being diligent about service and maintainance is paying off. Drive both if you have a chance, you'll most likely "know" which car is for you. Best of luck.

Next Porsche will be another water cooled for me, which will make the score even. I had a 912 and a 911SC, followed by my current 996 MY99, next will be a 997 MY 05, or 06. Do yourself a favor before buying any Porsche and drive several of each, then decide based on your preferences.

I have owned two 993s and now own a 996 Cabrio w/hardtop. The 993s and 996s offer very different driving experiences. I loved my 993s, but will not go "backwards" with my future purchases. relinuca

IMS failure is the biggest potential problem with a 996. It does happen, but isn't as big a problem as the Internet would have you believe. Just do a search on the thread. That said, there are proven fixes and a reliable warning system available. Many 996 owners have already addressed this issue so you may have a good chance of finding a car with the fix. If you can afford it, the 996tt is the high performance bargain on the century. The motor is almost bullet proof. It's an extra 15-20k, but worth every penny IMO. Either way the 996 is a great bargain and highly reliable if taken care of. Be sure to get a good PPI before buying any used Porsche. That's the best way to avoid surprises.

I was looking for a nice 993 simply because the 996s were $55K to $70K+. A 993 could be had for around $28K+. I found a very nice white '96 C4 for $32K that I nearly bought. This was in '00 or '01. I then made the mistake of driving a few 996s and they felt 20 years newer. Tighter, faster, more comfortable, no old and musty smells. I decided to wait for the prices to drop a bit and get the vastly superior 996. This was my perspective from back then 13 or so years ago. Remember in the late '90s, the economy was terrific, the stock market was going nuts, lots of young dot com instantly wealthy individuals. You could not find Porsche's to buy. All new, even Boxsters were pre sold for a long time and trades generally went to dealers best customers. A lot of '99s were very heavily loaded and very expensive. My previous '99 Cab had a msrp of over $95K. Anyway, I love the look and feel of the 993s to this day. I may want one in the future but for now I'm happy with my 996.

These insights are fantastic guys thanks! What is a 996TT? Are there years of water cooled you would stay away from or choose over another. Say a 01 instead of a 99 or whatever?

Turbo, very nice. All of them if you love AC cars. Don't own a MY99 996 like mine, it's way too reliable and will explode on a whim. Buy the newest Porsche your budget will allow. They are all great driving cars.

Like many others on this site I tried and liked the 993 model until I drove the 996. No comparison. The way the four valve engine breaths and revs is far superior to the earlier two valve engines. Plus who can argue with the roomier, stiffer and lighter 996 chassis? That said, i would like a G50 trans 911 from 1988/89 next to my 2000 C2 in the barn. I am trolling DE prepared cars or maybe even something non-streetable. As I have aged I find that I like the simplicity of that model more and more.

Don't buy a 99 C2 Cab like mine either. I am trying my damndest to make the engine explode but not having any luck so far. I have an extended warranty on the car which I want to claim from, but only managed a transmission so far and thats how it was when I bought the car. Noisy transmission. Now its quiet as the grave and fast as hell. Handles better than any other car I ever drove. BTW been driving since 1959. 996 Rules OK

996TT is the twin turbo. It's stupid fast, and a simple ECU flash makes it insanely fast. They did a mid model refresh in 02. 99 - 01 is called the 996 Mk1 or 996.1. 02 and later the 996 Mk2 or 996.2. The main improvement was a stiffer chassis and revised headlights on the non-turbo models. They also added fiber optics to the PCM and a few other minor cosmetic changes. The 996.2 changes are desirable and worth paying for a newer car.