Finally pulled the trigger 04 C4S

I just put a deposit on this car https://www.import1motorsport.com/VI...gurus_listings I'll see it on Monday. I've been shopping for something that I can use fairly regularly. My regular DD is a Volvo wagon and I put about 30,000 miles a year on it. I was using my old SC as my alternate DD but those things are really going up in value plus I'd like something with some creature comforts like AC. I've been all over the map searching for a Porsche. I had my heart set on a 997 but the pricing is just too much for an extra fun car. I even considered and nearly bought a 968. I had 944S2 years ago and just loved driving that car. I also had a boxster which was also very nice but just wasn't my cup of tea. I did drive another 04 4S coupe recently but it just had too many little things wrong with it. I also drove a 4 cab that was nice. Frankly, I'd be happy with any of the 996's but I like the look of the 4S coupes the best. Any problems taking these to a car wash? It's black so it will be getting washed often. Anyway, any thoughts would be appreciated. It does have one minor accident and no service history. I think that's reflected in the price based on other cars I've looked at but I'm a newbie with 996's. Dave

It looks a reasonable price. It is a 2004, with a nice option of PSE and it looks in quite good condition. I would suggest to make a PPI before signing the purchase as you dont have previous service records. Other than that, it looks very clean car

[QUOTE=parris;15435427 I would suggest to make a PPI before signing the purchase as you dont have previous service records. Other than that, it looks very clean car[/QUOTE] Yes, I agree...get a PPI. Good insurance with no history. Good luck!

CONGRATS! Personally, i think you knocked it out of the park!! My fav 996 in my fav color combo w/ perfect miles (I prefer cars that have been driven periodically over garage queens that dry rot away) and it looks well optioned. If you haven't heard one yet, you'll love the PSE -- i was parking just this a.m. and the guy that owns the building next to me (and has owned several 911s) walks over and asked what exhaust was on it, because it's one of the best sounding 911s he's ever heard. Not too loud, but has a snarl. Doesn't look to be a steal, but if it ticked all the boxes for you, who cares..... I'm jealous!

Definitely paid on the higher end (as did I, so not a bad thing), and it looks like a very well taken care of example with respectable miles. Enjoy!

$30,000 seems to be about the going rate for a clean 4S, though. It would be high for a Carrera, for sure. Montauk, answer to your question - you shouldn't have any trouble with frequent washes. Occasionally folks have misfire issues with cracked coils getting wet after a wash, but healthy coils will pose no issues. Good luck with the purchase next week!

I just bought one very similar after having looked for a long time. I also love the C4S look. I don't know if it's because of the recent reviews by popular car folks saying that these are undervalued at the moment but IMO it looks the prices bottomed out about a year ago and 30k is about the going rate for a sorted, 60-80k mile C4S. This one looks nice (and I really wish mine had PSE) but obviously you'll need to address the IMS bearing if it hasn't already been handled so that adds a bit to your initial cost...or at least that's how I would see it.

Congrats! Looks awesome. Are those gt3 wheels? The C4S is a 30k car, no way around it. You can find them cheaper, but it ends up costing 30k by the time everything is said and done. Might as well get one in as good of condition as possible.

Well done, please post pics and any info from the PPI (Pre or Post). Welcome!

Thanks for the responses so far. I appreciate the help. I looked at the car today and I LIKE IT!!!!. But it's got some warts. Cosmetically it's got some normal chips up front, a bit of curb rash on the wheels and some "smiles" on the front bumper. The car fax showed minor damage and I'm wondering if this was something that wasn't repaired properly and is starting to show. Any idea on the cost to get a front bumper patched up and repainted? Of course the dealer had the car cleaned but beyond that, it really looks like a car that it's previous owners took care of. The toolkit, spare, manuals, etc. were all there too. There was the typical bit of wear on the driver's left side seat bolster but other than that, the interior was very tidy. The test drive, what can I say, it was great - no surprise - but a couple of things I noticed that seemed not quite right. One, it's got a short shift kit. I don't know which one but it made getting the car into gear a little, I'll say "tight". I guess that's just a function of less leverage. I also found that finding third gear wasn't a slam dunk but I'm guessing that's just a matter of becoming familiar with the car. It's hard to describe but I'm driven hundreds of thousands of miles with manual transmissions and this just felt odd. I also noticed that the clutch pedal required quite a bit of force which I like. For reference, I've driven an 4WD 996 cab and another 04 C4S coupe. Shifting and clutch action in those cars was a no brainer. In fact, the clutch on my old 1980 911 is less of an effort and even with the standard long shift in the car, finding third is easy. One more thing, we couldn't turn off PSM. Is there a trick to it? I tried it while in motion and stopped. The light indicating PSM was off never lit. The PPI is tomorrow. I'll report back when I know more.

One more thing. After the drive I looked in the engine compartment. I noticed a faint smell of coolant and noted that the coolant level was low. I asked the mechanic doing the PPI to see if he can find a leak.

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This could be one of two things. 1) PO may have done the "helper spring delete" mod to give the clutch more feedback but also making the pedal heavier, OR, 2) Clutch may be worn. The clutch on my car was quite heavy when I bought it but after I did the famous IMS/clutch service it felt like a freaking Honda. Super light and smooth.

I test drove an 04 C4S before I bought my 99 C2. It had a short throw shifter too. I also noticed it had a "tight" feeling and seemed to take more effort to engage. I much prefer the 997 shifter on my C2.

My 04 C4S had a brand new clutch put in back in june. All factory parts. My car also has a short shifter. My clutch pedal is soft and smooth. But i will admit the trans wont "fall" into gear. It does require mild effort but not enough to be concerned. Manual trans fluid was changed when the clutch was done. Based on what i have read on this and other forums its normal. I live in florida so we only have one season but i have heard folks up north notice it takes much more effort when cold but as the fluid heats up it gets easier.

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Agreed. I have the 997 shifter on my 996.1 C2 as well. Of course it is not Nuremic sporty, but it really fits the vehicle. There is something to be said for that feeling.

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You might have already asked, but make sure you get 2 working keys and remotes. Otherwise, it will take some time and $ to get a 2nd functioning set. I am in my 3rd year of ownership and need to get to the dealer for reprogramming a 2nd remote!

Thanks for the tip on the keys. It has two keys and I think a valet key. So far, they found the coolant leak. It was described to me as a coupling of some sort. They also found a worn anti-roll bar bushing. The PSM not turning off has them stumped. They're going to replace the switch and check the wiring.

The PPI is done and there are two problems. One they can't figure why the PSM won't turn off. They checked the dash and all lights work when they turn the car on. Neither the PSM "OFF" light on the switch or on the dash will illuminate when the button is pushed. Second problem is a clutch error code, PO830. In fact, its the only code that showed up. I searched a bit and found that there are two switches for sensing the clutch position. I wonder if someone did remove the helper spring as someone suggested and knocked a position switch loose. They also found and fixed the coolant leak. A bad sway bar bushing was noted and replaced. I'm really worried that the PSM problem was caused by somebody messing around behind the dash. If they can't fix that, I'll have to pass. Just too worried that it could be a red flag for future electrical gremlins. Dave

All sounds pretty minimal, and nothing that would be a deal breaker for me.... but i like projects. As for the clutch: I bought a C4s in Sept of last year and the clutch was on it's way out (my PPI wasn't quite as clean as your's). Before replacement, the clutch was heavy but still shifted fine (no issues getting in our of 3rd or any other gear). After replacing the clutch, flywheel, throwout bearing, fluid, etc. -- the clutch was much lighter and easier to manipulate. Shifter: My stock shifter was worn and sloppy. Installed a 997 shifter (popular upgrade) and it improved things, but still not as tight as what i'd expect from a sport car. Then purchased an Porsche Sport shifter and voila, perfection. It's a super easy upgrade and one I'd look to do in any car that's got a 15 year-old shifter in it. Additionally, you can adjust the cables to make it easier to shift through all gears, i messed w/ mine a bit each time i replaced the shifter and it's now very easy to get in out of each gear.... and is very crisp and direct. As for your PASM issue, one simple thing you might try given the dealer may have disconnected the battery while the car was sitting on the lot or being serviced. I know this is typically only for later model Pcars, but worth a shot... Steering angle sensor (PASM) The steering angle sensor must be re-initialized when the battery is disconnected and connected. Turn wheels to straight-ahead position. Switch ignition off and then on again twice. Start engine. From the straight-ahead position, turn steering wheel approx. 20� to the right, past the straight-ahead position. Drive the vehicle straight ahead for at least one second at a speed above 4 km/h (2.5 mph). The steering angle sensor segment is recognized again in this process. Once the sensor has been successfully initialized, the fault code that is stored in the fault memory is documented using the fault deletion counter. The fault memory erases itself automatically. The PSM indicator light in the instrument cluster goes out.

Hopefully you get everything sorted. The C4S is a beautiful machine! I've owned mine for about 9 years now. I love the widebody lines. Nice to know that the sell value is holding!

The mechanic found a shorted wire behind the radio. He fixed it and the PSM problem is solved. I'll pick it up on Friday. I think the first thing I'm going to do is check and see if the helping spring is on the clutch pedal. If it is, I'm betting the hard clutch is, as someone pointed out, a sign that its time for a new clutch. I guess I'll do the IMS and RMS while I'm in there. I'll have to decide on which option for the IMS. Happy thanksgiving everyone !!!!! Dave

Congrats. Great to hear about the simple psm fix. After the helper spring unit, I�d explore some other options before I assumed it was the clutch itself. I�d look at the master and slave cylinders before the clutch.

Black 4S on Black Friday, awesome! Enjoy the PSE.

Congrats....there is nothing like a 996 C4S rear end plus GT3 style wheels which are my favorite. I would put a spacer on the back wheel to fill the awesome width of the hindquarters. :-)

Glad the PSM issue was fixed, woulda been a shame to pass on such a nice car over something like that. Be sure to add the AOS to the list of replacement parts when you go to do the rms and clutch. It�s a wear item that is much easier to replace when the car is broken down for a clutch replacement. As for the IMSb, I�ll let you decide what to do there. Congrats amd post post more pix once home!

Beautiful car. I don�t know if someone has already mentioned it, but the short shift kit in your car is likely the factory option. Here�s your build sheet which lists it as well as option 416 GT3 wheels.

Congrats! Cool options list and it looks great in black.

Thanks for the responses. Can't wait to pick it up tomorrow. Great suggestion on the clutch master and slave cylinders. Glad Joey was able to find the options sheet - I hadn't seen it. I've been reading through pages of threads on Rennlist about the 996's. Since the short shifter is a factory installed unit, I'm wondering if I should check the engine and tranny mounts too. And what does AOS stand for? Hope everyone had nice turkey day!!!!

Air Oil Separator I would suggest getting a Bentley Manual. Even if you don't DIY,it's a great resource to read and learn about your new car.

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Air oil separator, I believe.

Thanks! I've got that manual for my SC and the projects book too. BTW I found an online PDF of the owner's manual. https://www.scribd.com/document/9249...ual-Porsch-996

You need to do this if it hasn't been done already https://rennlist.com/forums/996-forum/693760-pse-cutout-removal-with-pics-2.html

Picked up the car today. What a blast!!! I took a round about way to get it home so I could go down the Lincoln Drive and Kelly Drive (two windy roads in Philly). I can't believe I only payed about $30k for this level of performance. Thanks for the help and suggestions. Dave

Congrats, Dave. Hope the car treats you well!

congrats, here is a nice vid on the c4s You Tube