'99 Coupe in Dallas for $11.5 - Looks Legit

I'm knee-deep in the search, and have been for the better part of a decade or so. Torn on several fronts, and have looked at some E46's. At this point I'm looking local at an '02 C2 6sp coupe with 55k miles, dealer and indy service, IMS, RMS and Clutch within 10k miles, silver/blk. I think it's overpriced at $27 and am patiently waiting for it to come down or to find a C4S within range. I prefer the body and extra power, and am nostalgic due to time spent in an '02 C4S while in Germany that same year. Autobahn, mountains, etc. - Amazing trip. I want to do some track days and weekend trips, as well as some decompression driving around my area. I am worried about the many ways the car can fail, though, and am considering a high mileage example for low money that I could beat the **** out of and not worry about. While searching, I came across this: '99 C2 coupe 6sp, red/blk, decent service history on carfax, pretty good condition for 120k and $11,500. http://www.sportcitymotors.com/1999_...269140486.veh# Thoughts on realistic price for the '02? Anyone in Dallas want to test drive a '99? 99' Carfax sans annual inspections: 12/01/2015 104,052 mi Warrior Tire Tire(s) balanced Tire(s) mounted Tire(s) replaced 07/07/2014 88,546 mi Eurosport Automotive, Inc. Four wheel alignment performed Sway bar link(s) replaced 06/27/2014 88,132 mi Autobahn Service Center Oil and filter changed 06/27/2014 88,123 mi Porsche of Plano Maintenance inspection completed Battery/charging system checked Brakes checked Tire condition and pressure checked 05/01/2014 87,995 mi Mobil 1 Lube Express Maintenance inspection completed Emissions inspection performed 02/11/2013 86,461 mi Porsche of Plano Vehicle serviced 10/08/2010 86,378 mi Porsche of Plano Engine checked 07/30/2004 66,612 mi Service Facility Vehicle serviced 03/15/2004 62,216 mi Service Facility Vehicle serviced 02/20/2004 Service Facility A/C system checked 02/10/2004 60,872 mi Service Facility Drivability/performance checked Fuel filler cap replaced 11/28/2003 58,424 mi Service Facility Vehicle serviced 08/28/2003 55,219 mi Service Facility Vehicle serviced 08/15/2003 54,699 mi Service Facility Vehicle serviced 08/04/2003 54,549 mi Service Facility Vehicle serviced

I'd want to pull the sump plate to look for metal, but other than that, looks good. The obvious front bumper cover damage notwithstanding. No need to worry about the IMS bearing on a '99. That's one thing I absolutely loved about my '99: I drove it everywhere and didn't worry about it because it had over 100k miles and I didn't pay an arm and a leg for it.

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You've been looking for 10 years? Just buy one already. Think of how many awesome drives you've already missed

I own a '00 and think this one seems reasonable. I'm in DFW too. RAC could do a thorough PPI if desired.

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Thank you. Great info. Do they have borescope capabilities? I know...I know... In fairness to my psychosis, my purpose for buying has changed to some degree over the years. I've been a 911 nut since grade school. Fell in love with the 996 C4S due to the trip to Germany. Drove it like it was intended to be driven. Looked at air-cooled examples for a while before they shot to the moon. Looked at 997.2s for a while to try and avoid the 69 ways a 996 can fail until I read they, too, are experiencing cylinder scoring issues and DFI issues. At this point I just want to drive and smile. Here is a link to the 02 that is local. http://www.autoshowcase1.com/vehicle...il-id-18444292 Any thoughts? I have a 00 Ninja zx-6R I want to trade when I buy to make room in the garage. I'm thinking $25k out the door with my bike ($1,500 on trade) considering our insane 9.9% tax rate. Bueno/no bueno? Like KCAttorney, I, too, am a liar...um, lawyer. Paralysis by analysis.... Here's a link to the E46 for comparison: http://www.gcmchicago.com/detail-200...-16523141.html

The 99 has a serial number close to mine. My car is a 3/98 build. Then I bought it, it had a bad ground that fried the alternator. I fixed those items and it has been running well ever since. It does have a few bugs, including at least one bad micro switch in the doors that has resulted in the battery going dead if I let is sit for a few days. A few other cosmetic things to fix or replace. I paid 11.5 for mine and I will probably have 16 in it after doing engine out maintenance and fixing the little things. At that price, I can drive it pretty guilt free.

That 02 has had some crankshaft leak issues, I'd pass on that one. Is that a crack in the windshield of the "99?

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I called Midwest Performance on the IMS and why they had it back in so soon after the work was initially done. They are known to be a pretty reputable shop in town. They told me that the IMS repair was leaking a bit so they dropped the engine again and went back in to clean it up. Is the CSOS something you wouldn't change as preventative maintenance while you're in there? Re: replacement of the CSOS: https://rennlist.com/forums/997-gt2-...-oil-leak.html https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...-replaced.html And, yes, that is a crack in the 99 windshield.

One more '99 that's local. Grey/Grey, coupe, 6sp, 106k for $17k. Sparse detail on Carfax, but condition looks great with the exception of a little wear on the wheel, E-brake, and shifter. http://www.i80autosales.com/inventory/details/32317842 06/16/2017 106,265 mi Motor Werks Porsche Pre-delivery inspection completed Maintenance inspection completed Rate Service 06/07/2017 106,259 mi Motor Werks Porsche Maintenance inspection completed Rate Service 08/09/2010 70,280 mi Porsche Exchange Maintenance inspection completed Vehicle washed/detailed 03/03/2009 59,750 mi Ormond Fine Imports Maintenance inspection completed Air filter checked Body lubricated Drivability/performance checked Fluids checked Oil and filter changed Oil pan drain plug replaced Tire condition and pressure checked Tire repaired 07/31/2008 54,510 mi Ormond Fine Imports Maintenance inspection completed Air filter checked Body lubricated Drivability/performance checked Fluids checked Oil and filter changed Tire condition and pressure checked 04/02/2004 Mercedes-Benz of Orlando

UPDATE: I spoke with Midwest Performance Cars this afternoon regarding the crankshaft oil seal replacements on the '02 C2 and a PPI and this is what Chris said: He said that because the carfax does not specify whether its the FMS or RMS, it could be either, depending on when the work was done, and the latter two jobs were likely the RMS and then the updated RMS when Porsche issued that a few years back. Ultimately, he said it's not something that would discourage him from buying if that were my only concern and they could look up their records in detail to be sure. Regarding a PPI, I thought to take it back to them since they have worked on the car and have records of their IMS/RMS/Clutch work, and because they warranty their work. Here's the kicker. A normal PPI is $265 there. If I want a borescope job with photos, to drop the sump plate and cut open the oil filter, he said it will cost between $650 and $800! Damn... I was expecting like $600, but I guess with labor and the oil change, that's about right... Any thoughts?

As a point of reference (just one though), I paid 18k for a really nice '00 with 83k miles and proof of RMS, IMS and clutch replacement. That said, the cars you are looking at seem reasonable to me. It comes down to what color you want, and driving each of them and figuring out which one you want. PPIs are great, but honestly anything short of a borescope PPI for cylinder wear isn't really going to tell you a whole lot you can't figure out on your own. Proof that the RMS, IMS and clutch have been done on the one car is probably worth more than a PPI. I'm sure there are cars that have passed PPIs with flying colors only to explode shortly thereafter. It's going to happen. You can't enjoy your life or your car if you worry about it too much.

The first red car in Dallas has the LSD option. I say get it.

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Exactly. Because it has the IMS and RMS work, I likely would not elect to have the sump plate pulled. A long test drive, a thorough PPI, and a borescope would put my mind at ease. And no 996 I buy will blow up. I'm claiming that. Just many years and many miles of blissful and spirited trips, track days, and memories. Is yours a LSD 996? I've read that the LSD is a 20/80 and not much of an improvement over the rear-engine weight, wide tires, and decent suspension. I also heard that they require rebuild or upgrade sooner rather than later. Anyone have experience? That '99 needs some work, but it might be a good project for 10k. Going to drive the '02 tomorrow since it's local. Found this '02 in Naples, FL, though. 48k miles, 6sp, Silver/Grey, BBS 19's, IMS (done by current seller according to the blonde in the video...), $23,900 http://www.autohausfl.com/vehicle-de...b24de47ea158a/

Has anyone looked at the 99 in person? Tempted to add another 99 to the heard Rich

I have a 99 coupe with 84k miles and would never even consider selling it for that low of a price. In my opinion the owner wants to dump it due to other issues. If it looks too good to be true....

I doubt $11.5k for a 99 is legit. I am in the chicago area and was able to find a local car - there are a lot of cars within 300 miles of here. I agree on LSD - it's not that you need it, since I have so much traction without it, but having it is kind of a cool bonus.

Well if the blonde trying to show off her legs more than the car says it's in perfect shape..... maybe you should give her a PPI....

$11,500 from a dealer? That's cheap, dirt cheap for a 911. Maybe you will get lucky and the car won't need much, only $2000 - $3000 in immediate work. Or, far more likely, you will purchase an $11,500 911 with few if any service records and pretty much needs everything replaced, which will cost you closer to $10,000. Here are some questions for that dealer - is the suspension new or recently replaced? No? Okay that's $5,000 right there. Water pump, thermostat records? No? Add another $1,000 Alternator, starter, wire harness? $600 if you do it all your self (I just did this) and closer to $1,800 at the dealer. Tires new or less than three year on the manufacture date? No? Add another $800 minimum Front bumper needs replacement - $500 - $1000 for used Speakers? $200 for cheapies Radio? Did you want to use blue tooth or make hands free calls? Add $400 for a new Alpine head unit I could easily name 10 - 15 more things. I think it might be worth a gamble, but it's important to realize at $11,500 it probably needs a few things before it will drive like a Porsche should. I purchased my 2002 for around $17,000 but put in more than $8,000 in two years and I can do some of the work myself.

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That's been my thinking. I prefer a 996.2 to a 996.1, but if I could get a well sorted one for, say, $15k, I may take the plunge. I'm looking for something to drive, not show off. The two '02's I have linked in this thread both have extensive service history (CarFax), and one had major IMS/RMS/Clutch work done at a local shop I'm familiar with. I'm more inclined to add the $8-$10k I would spend getting a '99 up to snuff to the purchase price of a 996.2 that has had the work done. P.S., the '02 in FL looks pretty good for $23.9k. The blonde is a distraction to the uninitiated. Doing some due diligence on Autohaus of Naples, I found this interesting story of he said-he said (click on complaint at the top right and then click to expand the complaint): https://www.bbb.org/west-florida/pag...s?noskin&clean

I'd stay away from Autohaus, looks like they tried to pull a fast one on that guy...

The '02 here in Chicago is sold. I rode out to Auto Showcase today on my bike ready to knock him down a few grand armed with the Autohaus listing from Naples. The guy I had been speaking to, Andy, said they sold it yesterday for asking, and that the guy paid $1,500 to have an Auto Showcase porter drive it to him the same day. He lives somewhere on the border between Texas and Kansas. Can you believe that ****? I said, but he could have shipped it for less. He said, I know, but he wanted it that day and shipping would have taken 3 at a minimum. Unbelievable. I doubt the guy had a PPI done. I hope he drives it for another 200k.

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Is that the part of the border they call "Oklahoma?" (Sorry for the stupid question ... up here we're only a couple hours south of Canadia, so some of us don't know a lot about geography south of Jersey or west of Pennsylvania.)

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His words, not mine... I can still name at least 30 of the 50 state capitals from the 8th grade test.

since you mentioned Midwest Performance Cars, I figured I'd chime in. If you can avoid them, take the car somewhere else. myself and a few other folks I know have had less than stellar experiences with them lately (ever since they switched ownership a couple of years ago).

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Damn that hurts -- a lot. They're a mile from my house. I was planning on them being my go-to shop. Great info, though. Much appreciated...

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What happened? They have good ratings on Yelp and such, and good info from friends' experiences. I took my car there for a diagnosis that 2 other shops couldn't do. There is a Porsche guy there - his name might be Chris. That said, I remember the old shop quite well. I cannot remeber if it was Tom or Bruce, but they did mostly air-cooled cars and had quite a small collection of them about 10-12 years ago. The new shop works on all kinds of cars, not just Porsche, so I'm sure they might not be as detailed as the old shop. I've used quite a few different shops near Chicagoland over the years. It's hard to find a place that does good work that you don't have to drive too far to.

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What about VFC Engineering in North Chicago? I have been talking with the seller of this C4S and he had pretty extensive work done there: https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/d...3898/overview/

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No Experience with VFC other then a conversation about rebuilding my trans. this is probably not a good gauge of their ability, but they quoted me $1400 to fix it without knowing what was wrong with it or seeming at all concerned. I ended up sending it to G-Box and parts cost alone was $2700. as far as Midwest performance goes, my girlfriend brought her boxster to them to replace a broken door lock and examine a leaky top. They needed to order a part from Germany (which they marked up 300%) and claimed they could get in 3 days (the 3 day part is why we brought it to them). Took 5 weeks and they charged 2 hours of labor to do absolutely nothing with the top. They also charged a crazy amount to remove the door card and replace the door locking mechanism. Had I known it was going to take that long, I could have just ordered it myself and installed with a buddy over a weekend. when we tried to take the car from them, they already had a $500 bill lined up since they had to remove the door card. The convenience of being in the west loop was appealing, but after dealing with Chris (the main service writer), theres no way I'll ever bring anything back to them.