Would you buy a 2001 911 with over 115K miles on it?

Hi all. I'm brand new to this community. I'm looking to buy my first Porsche and I saw a listing for a 2001 911 for $13K. The problem is that it has over 115,000 miles on it. Is it worth buying? Would love to hear your expert thoughts.

Too vague, so I would not buy it. Maintenance records? Color / options? Manual or Tip? Convertible or coupe? Number of owners? Overall condition of the interior / exterior? Factory IMSB? Pre-purchase tire inspection is mandatory. There is a decent list of reasons that would deem a car un-purchase worthy.

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Need way more details, I bought a 2000 996 cab with 102k on the clock for $14.8k for example I found a similar car when I was looking with 141k on the clock for $9999 and a 128k mile car for $12.8k, but they were rough. It all depends on the details... Give us more info

Link to listing?

Link? Assuming it has not been wrecked,runs well, been reasonably maintained and has a clear (not salvage) title, etc. then I would consider it. Caveat emptor: If it needs work and you have to pay an indy to do everything, there is nothing more expensive than a cheap Porsche.

OK, here's the listing: http://www.worldvw.net/used/Porsche/...84ca7f9c6e.htm I admit, I'm seduced by the low price.

Find out about maintenance records and the overall history of the car. There's not much information in the comments, so you'd be basing your decision solely on pictures.

Billup, sure I'd definitely do that. But I guess my question is on the high mileage. Is it even worth getting if the car only has another 35K miles left in its life?

To the title question, yes. Why not? They are just miles and contrary to apparent belief, they do not turn into pumpkins after 100k. For me there are 2 important things to consider with a 100+ car. The first is that if it has it's original motor (or was a factory reman early in it's life), then you can be satisfied that it's a good one without the structural issues that contribute to some failures. The second is that it's already crossed the 100k barrier that everyone seems to fear, so you should already be picking it up for a song (even by 996 standards). This means you are free to drive the snot out of it with much less worry than a lower milage car that is either close to the 100k mark or low enough that "it'll be worth something any day now!". These cars are the best when you don't stress over them. So buying one dirt cheap can greatly help with that. As far as this specific car, unless I happened to be local to it I wouldn't give it a second look. There is nothing really special about it from the pics. It looks about what I expect for condition, but what it really comes down to is that there are better documented examples out there.

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Only another 35k? There are good examples around here of 200k+ cars. Most with nothing but oil changes and fixing things when they need fixing. Plenty more examples in the 150-200 range. Lots in the 100-150 range.

Judging from the Carfax, it looks like a decent, well maintained car with no accidents and at $12,900, it would be a great deal. But if you're really concerned about the car's mechanical reliability, then have a thorough PPI conducted if they will allow it. Also, if you notice, the interior has some serious sun damage. That means the top was left down for extended periods of time which also could mean it got rained on inside. And so, check ALL the electronics and top mechanism. If the convertible top won't work smoothly, then budget about $2500 for service and replacement.

Nice! Thank you, Gnat. That's the advice that I was looking for.

Thanks, b3freak. Very keen observations.

This is where service records are important. You can't say it's only going to live to 150k and then it's game over. Proper maintenance is a real thing, and with that, it could go over 200k. Hell you could get over 200k with basic maintenance like oil changes and brakes. If you have the mentality it's going to blow up, then why bother looking at high mileage examples? Like gnat said, if you want a less costly 996, then sure, it might not be a terrible buy. This folds back on what you want out of the car and what specs you want. Don't just think of it as a cheap Porsche, because that may come back to bite you.

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For that money I would gamble on it myself, that's used civic money. Long as its 95% mechanically sound it should be a home run.

I bought a 2000 C4 Cab with 120,000 on it 3 years ago. THink I paid 11,500. Had the IMS replaced because there was not record of it being replaced. Besides that all have done is change oil......I love the car. I love it so much that I had it completely repainted another color and had a body kit put on. Go for it.

Its not the MILES that scare me its how it was treated !!

I'd get a solid ppI done and a boroscope. if both those checked out, I would go for it. mileage doesn't scare me at all.

Yes I would buy it. It looks like you have found yourself a cheap Porsche 911. How wonderful! Please report back after 18 months of ownership and let us know how cheap it still is! But seriously, you should have at least $5,000 in cash ready to dump into the car without hesitation and without that additional cost becoming a financial burden. If you are not in a position to do that, I would not enter the Porsche 911 game because the chances of you needing to put that kind of money into the car is probably 50/50 at best.

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True story. Regardless of mileage/condition, I'd say this is a prerequisite.

I wouldn't probably buy an '01 with 115K miles on it. I'd buy a '99 with that mileage, though. I didn't know this when I bought _MY_ '99 with ~55K on it. At the time, if you'd asked me, I would have said that the 996 was an impulse buy that I'd drive for a few years and then swap for something newer. Now that I've had the good fortune to drive the 996 for several years AND see what "newer" has to offer, I will be doubling down on my 996. I love the car and it doesn't make sense to replace it when I can put a few grand into the car to address the few issues I have allowed to go on too long. I have the unresolved issue with my headlights, but otherwise, my '99 has been rock-solid. The Vegas fiasco actually pushed me over the edge...the car's ability to take a pretty brutal hit to one wheel and not even need an alignment...

For good or bad, the 996 has been scorned being the first "mass produced" water cooled model for Porsche. In a relative sense, there are a lot of them out there which is a positive. That said, although in my view not a deal breaker, try to find one that has a receipted replaced IMS bearing. That's a good start. Pay a qualified mechanic to look it over; the $150 is well worth it. Of course, any service records are helpful. Bottom line: Dive in. For the $$ you're talking, it'll get you into one of the best cars money can buy, regardless of what the snobs and purists will tell you. As I've hear: " the journey of a 1,000 miles begins with a first step".

Get a thorough PPI and don't rely on the salesperson at WorldVW. He's selling a used car that he probably knows very little about. Even if the car has documented service records, get a PPI ! If it checks out, still be prepared to spend a few grand on things that will come up later.

Is it just me, or does that car have a gray interior and black seats?

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I see this said a lot, but I'd rather buy the right car at the right price, taking account of the IMS cost and get it done by a workshop I know and trust. In some ways this is better than getting one which only has a piece of paper saying it says done.

Hmmm...a lot of it is just luck. You can mitigate some of the risk with PPIs and preventative maintenance, sometimes you just get unlucky (or lucky). I don't think the 115K miles is deal breaker. But the risk of ending up with $5K rolling chassis (value with your miles) is real....relatively low, but real.

120k miles and 24 track days (8k~ or so track miles) Mileage is good. Its been driven.

Read the story on the low mileage turbo (yeah Turbo, they never break...ahum) and think again. I much rather prefer to buy a car with a higher mileage and use the saved money for a good engine rebuild somewhere down the line (which might actually be quite far away....). As long as it has a good service history and loving previous owners. https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...to-let-go.html

I'd rather buy something with higher mileage that's well maintained versus something that's lower mileage and has few records.

Its a big roll of the dice, ask me how I know. You only live once though, so you might get a winner out of it. Best of luck if you decide to buy.

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Never trust a man who's hair (and car) is on fire!

Liar liar hair on fire!

For whatever it's worth as a data point, I paid $13k for an '00 cab with 118k on the clock. It had a ton of documentation though, the previous owner purchased it new and was very meticulous about the maintenance. Lots of big money preventative stuff done in the recent past. It was, honestly, in better shape than my '99 coupe (which I bought at 53k mi). So, yes, it's doable, but the key with these cars is always maintenance history and present mechanical condition, regardless of mileage.

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115k miles on a 16 year old car equates to a little over 7k/yr. on average. That's not high mileage in my book. In fact, I'd say the car probably sat around quite a bit - maybe even for long periods some where along the line. Another thing to remember is that '01 is when Porsche went to the smaller single row IMS bearing. A thourough/invasive PPI and a comprehensive service history would be a prerequisite for me to buy this car...

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Build sheet shows Z34, deviating carpet color 2001 Porsche Carrera Cabriolet Division: PCNA Commission #: 440129 Prod Month: 06/2001 VIN: WP0CA29991S654928 Price: $80,325.00 Exterior: Black Interior: Graphite Grey Prtl Lthr Seats Warranty Start: September 29, 2001 Additional Equipment 413 18" Lt Alloy Wheel- Turbo Look 436 3-Spoke Lthr Steering Wheel AB 750 Delete Cabriolet Hardtop A1 Black CB Graphite Grey Prtl Lthr Seats M6A Black Mats - Porsche lettering P03 Technic Package V9 Black Top X54 Stainless Steel Exhaust Pipes Z34 Deviating Carpet Color

I bought my 2002 with 117k miles in 2013. Gave zero fuchs about IMS or RMS, drove it for 1.5 years and sold it. If $11.5 for an aging super car is a lot (**** you if you think 996 was not a supercar in 99-01 period btw), don't buy it. This is still a $125k car (in today's dollars) and can still hit 170 mph ( I did that in mine). If you have *****, buy the car and drive it. If you turned in your man card, go buy a prius.

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I would also suggest to check the drains for the convertible top. It's something many people miss. If they have been neglected for too long it can be very expensive to have the lines cleaned and/or replaced. It would also mean the interior of the car could have flooded leading the very expensive electronic damage.

Looked up the build sheet and then saw the one above. Interesting that dealer's ad reflects "all wheel drive" when it appears to be a C2 cab. Underscores the lack of knowledge or attention to detail at some dealers.