Soon to be 996 Cab Owner - Buying Advice/Help

I thought I would reach out to the group here for some help in my next purchase. Little back ground, I have been lurking over at the 986 section for a month or so. A good friend who owns a dealership brought home a 97 986 silver, boxster red 986 with 27,000 miles he took on a trade to show me. I drove the thing and was hooked on the P-car. Next day I was ready to launch my toy 92 Mustang 5.0 vert to get into the 986. The 5.0 is a weekender and nice day driver and the Porsche would be the same. As I asked advice of a few Porsche friends, and no offense to anyone who has one, I was getting luke warm reception on the 986. All said that I would be longing for a 911. My 5 year old son sealed the deal with the 986 when he said, "where am I going to sit?" At that moment I knew I needed to up the game and pick up a 911 so he and his sister and mom can join me on those weekend cruises. I have been searching for a 996 cab for about a month. Reading here, that is not alot of time for a search. I am not in a rush as it is only going to be a toy, but feel that once Spring rolls around, I think the $ of a cab will increase as people start clamering for a drop top. And to be honest, where the used 996 is right now, I am shocked that I can even consider getting behind the wheel of my dream car, so why not!! After searching and searching, I am starting to narrow down my choices. I would like to keep it under $20K as again, this thing will only get a few thousand miles on it per year. I rather buy from a private owner as they should have a nice deck of history to share with me that a dealer can not. Also I can see how the car is cared for. With that said, here are the 3 cars I have started to narrow down. All are near my $20K budget. All have their merrits. What concerns me on some is that they seem to have been there for some time. I keep seeing the same cars since early Dec. http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false Like the color and miles. But at a dealer. Also why so many "vehicle service" on the free car fax report? http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false Like the rims (not sure if they are Porsche or copies) but the first few years of this cars life it lived in NYC. Tip is OK. My wife is does not like a stick so this would allow her to have a set of keys (not sure if this is good or bad!!) http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...25&cardist=351 Privately owned and all records. Also a NC car with for the most part nice smooth roads and warmer weather. Any suggestions, advice, comments are well appreciated. I would rather get a C2 due to the less complexity and the thing will be parked in the garage in the winters, but will not say no to a nice C4 if it shows up. Also it seems that the 99's are the model in my budget. This is fine as I am OK with the possible engine issues. I've read a ton here on the issue and OK with the risk. I will get a PPI no matter what. If they say no, then I will pass on that car. Again, thanks and looking forward to joining the 996 ranks soon!!!

well the big question is tip or manual ? thats a pretty big deal IMO The first one is not the best color combo, looks OK with the top up... real plain looking though second is pretty rough looking, heavy drivers seat wear - rear seat water stains - pass third is nice, some mods (painted calipers, side markers, gages) looks clean outside (motor could be cleaned up a bit) but overall looks like an owner who cares... I normally dont like the grey interior but the black breaks it up enough that I think its nice... just my opinion... I only looked at the pics, didnt read any of them You might want to be careful exclaiming you are " OK with the possible engine issues " that is not one to be taken lightly -

I guess it does not hurt to ask, but if anyone is selling their cabs, let me know. I would put a Rennlister's 996 ahead on the list. This way it would still be "active" here and you can always check in on it to see how she is doing!

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Thanks for the feedback ivangene. I have enjoyed your post in the past and my son loves your avitar. I am leaning toward a Tip because of the wife thing. My 5.0 is a 5 spd and she never drives. If it is a Tip, then she can take it out from time to time and enjoy it too. BUT, and a big but, it is not a seal the deal issue for me. Personally I like to row throught he gears and being a fun car, that makes it that much more fun. In the end, it will come down to which is the best car. Worst case is I teach her to drive a stick (wish me luck!) As for the engine issue comment, my point was to let everyone here know that I know there are "potential" issues with the engine but is something that would not keep me from buying a MK1 996 especially if it has a good history. Thanks again for your advice!

Thanks for the avatar compliment, my son also likes it I have ridden in Tips on the track and have to say they are quite fun too... an open mind sounds like a good plan. I would guess there are plenty of each.... now to find the right one. My MKI has almost 115k miles on it and aside from being scared to death, I love it everyday and after each and every ride I tell her she did great .... again!! I dont pu$$y foot around in it either. Regularly sees triple digits and 6k+ rpms... thats not to say I beat it... I just make sure not to lug around all the time and also to not push it to the thrashing stage ever.... I was recently looking at the insides of a 3.6 Tip motor and the piston tops were very dirty. (like scrape off the gunk with a knife and spread it on some toast..... ) The thought is the tips tend to run low rpms most of the time and that could be a part of that... granted for all we know the owner doesnt do basic maintenance and buys cheap gas too..... As you already know, these cars take regular maintenance.... plus a little more, and maybe a little more.... Finding an owner that loves the car enough to do it wont ensure a trouble free live, but it is a great leap ahead of being neglected.... to you and your family ! (PS Porsche's have whimpy/expensive clutches, buyu a $1k beater truck and teach her on that, then re-sell it or donate it to charity )

welcome and enjoy reading up. These are hands-on cars and you have to know all about them to get into their pros and cons... Even if you are a good mechanic, nothing will help you unless you get real close to a P-car Indi who has ALOT of experience with these cars. HST, I picked up a 00 996 Cab Tip. 9500 miles on the odo. Carfax was super clean. exterior, interior, undercarriage were excellent. I paid closer to 30 and just today picked it up from the shop after getting the IMS R (retrofit) and RMS done. they were both in great shape but it was piece of mind for me. that was a $1300 job right there. Basic maintenance to keep the car in good running order... wash wax, cabin filter, tranny , brakes, tires, Top, etc. Oil changes , no prob there. just 9 quarts of synthetic ( $6-$7 a pop) and a $12 oil filter. 15-20 minutes of your time. whichever Cab you get serious on buying, def a PPI and ask alot of questions. you don't want any surprises down the road. Good luck.

Cobra2, Welcome to the 996 Fourm. Good luck with your search! A couple of comments: Buy the newest Porsche you can comfortably afford. 6-speed versus Tip: A couple of guys here wanted a 996 with manual but bought a Tip instead so "the wife" could drive the car. One guy repoted back a week after he bought the car that his wife drove the car and said she didn't like driving it and wouldn't drive it again. So he was stuck eith a Tip he didn't want in the first place. Similar story from the other guy. Just "food for thought."

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Great point gota911!!! I have been using the search function alot on Rennlist and have seen similar comments about buying a Tip for the misses. In reality, I am going to be doing 90% of the driving, so I am now "leaning" towards a 6 spd. Let's wee what happens when I show her the first one with a stick.......I wonder the reaction?? What do you guys think of this one, I forgot about this but inquired and it's available: http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...5&aff=national I like the color although they list it as iris blue (not correct). I do not like the interior, looks like the steering wheel is worn pretty bad. Do the beige steering wheels normally wear down? From my Mustang experience, most colored leather steering wheels all show some wear on those cars. Same for Porsche?

The NC C4 is nearby. Happy look it over and suggest PPI shop... once the snow and ice clear. If your search continues. searchtempest.com is a great way to peruse Craigslist globally.

Welcome to Rennlist, and yes the steering wheels in beige seem to wear poorly, at least mine did until I changed it for a black 3 spoke. I would also suggest a 6 speed if that's what 'you' really want...you could teach your wife how to drive a manual, then you'll both be happy. GL

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Awesome. Thanks for the offer. If I lean that way, I will contact for your recommendation on a PPI shop in the area and a possible meet to give it your trained eye once over, I'll bring the coffee! I do travel for business to Winston-Salem and already checked the map and they are close (enough). If this works I will PM you if you may be available when I am in town and no snow (we are getting a few inches here tonight from the same storm that dumped on you) As for Tempest, I have been using that almost daily just checking to see if anything comes up new. Not much so far but a great tool. Again, thanks!!

I entertained the notion of a Boxster for a brief second once. But as one of my fraternity brothers pointed out, there are painful words every Boxster owner exclaims, "I would have gotten a 911, but...."

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That is what my Porsche friend who ownes a 997 stated when I asked him about the Boxster. He too looked at a new Boxster, almost bought it, then decided to go with a CPO 997 for the same $. As I was pondering the Boxster I Youtube'd Boxster and watched all of the comparison shows links. I am a fan of Top Gear and Jeremy the host stated that every time you get behind the wheel you will be wishing you got a 911. He called it a Porsche for secrataries. Again, nothing against the Boxster. It was a great ride and alot of fun. If I did not do alot of research before I decided (I tend to over research major purchases) I probably would have had the Boxster in the garage right now, it was that nice. Also did not help that I was getting it at a amazing deal with only 27K and basically looked and drove new. Well, the search continues......

speaking of Top Gear and Jeremy, did you see the episode where he says something to the effect of A Boxster sits in your driveway and screams - I couldnt afford the 911 or something Not saying its not a great car, and I bet a new Boxster would show my old 911 a thing or two....but yea, get the 911

Hey Ed, we are "even" now. In the thread where Dharn and I got credit for diagnosing the OP's problem, and you had also stated the same solution but got no credit. Remember that one? Well, check out post #8 in this thread... the quoted post.... you got credit for my quote! I guess these things even out over time.

Oh, one other thing, ED. I figured out why you changed your avatar pic to the current one (which I like very much, BTW). You did it because your avatar shows us what you do every time you buy something off ebay for your Porsche. When you open the box, only then do you realize it won't fit on your car, so you ===>

HAHAHAHA Yea I was looking at that earlier and thought... how the helll did I get credit for Tim's post The new avatar has recieved many a compliment..... due to it being so believable.....for me !! You would think I would get smarter.................. but NOOOOOOOOO

Gentlemen, If I may chime in here, if you read the Boxster forums very much, there are numerous times someone goes to the dealer to look at 911's and ends up driving away in a Boxster. We all have our preferences for how we like a car to handle, but please don't lead newer readers to believe the Boxster is an inferior car because it is at a lower price point. How often do we believe one product is superior only because it costs more. It's interesting the number of professional drivers have a Boxster in their stable. Great comments, never the less.

One other thing you might want to consider: If you're looking primarily at a '99, keep in mind that the early ones used an amber lens on the headlights and taillights but the later '99s to '01 used a clear lens. Most that have these lenses update to the newer style because it tends to date the vehicle (and the front end looks exactly like a Boxster) but the cost is fairly expensive, approx $1000-1500. All things being equal, go with a clear lens vehicle.

+1 on amber front 911's - mine is not amber but is a 99' and back to the newbie boxster post - I would never suggest a boxster isnt a great car. I know many really nice ones, and many drivers who love them. The OP has 2 kids and a wife and the 911 seemed to be a better idea than a 2 seater. That said, some boxsters cost more than 911's so its not price that drives my statement, it is however just a much more complete package,and if you only have one Porsche, you owe it to yourself to get the 911.......... if you have a second one, a boxster would make a fun toy too.....if things didnt go in the sh!tter this year with the economy, i would have bought a boxster to make a track toy out of

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Looks like I was looking at the wrong post. My posting skills need a little fine tuning I guess.....Oh well, you both have provided some good insight so congrat to you both. As for the Boxster comment, it is a great car. Like I said originally, if my 5 yr old son did not ask the "where am I going to sit" question, the Boxster would be in the garage right now. This purchase will be a nice weather vehicle for me. And as I was pondering the purchase, I was thinking that 90% of the time I drive the Mustang is solo. The issues is those 10% times when the family is in the car are the times I remember the most. And that is what this purchase is for, a cool daddy car to play around with and then take the family out to share in the enjoyment from time to time. Anyway, back to the original question, what do you think of this car? http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false Carfax: http://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistory...27|56|-39|-106 Anyone have a comment on why this car's Carfax could has so many entries? PO was very meticulous or a problem car? One note, the silver NC car is possibly sold. Owner wrote back last night that he has a deal in the works so that is most likely gone.

* edited and moved *

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it's all good.... inside joke as it has before so there is history.

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Hey I heard that... OK, OK Cobra2top I'm one of those suckers that gave in and got a tip, but... (no it's not a Boxter joke) I made lemonade out of lemons by customizing the hell out of my C4S tip (both mechanically and esthetically) and although (or maybe because) I'm not totally done with her yet, she's now my favorite ride! Which is sort of like having a sultry sounding, sexy looking, thin waisted D-cup... but very "conservative" girlfriend. Exiting and frustrating all at once! My saving grace is multiple toys, but it's sort of like the Boxter comments "if you've only got one it has to be a 911", and that should definitely be a manual 6. Get yourself a stick shift while you still can (in another 5 years it's going to be all PDK's)! When I bought my first real "toy" (I'm sorry guys, it was a Ferrari Modena ) my wife knew this was more about perseverance, conviction, achievement and hard earned success. So (as impractical as this car was) she had no problems with it being a stick and not being able to drive it... ( the fact that it had more spoilers than should be legal and was canary yellow may have had something to do with it though ). Hence, unless you've already got more toys than you should... or you don't make her feel like she's the center of your universe... she will/should have no problems with your choice. After all this is your "dream car" she knows how much this means to you and that it will be her dream next... No seriously make sure you get her that Hermes Birkin bag before she asks for it! Good luck!!! Sid. Ps. I'd go with the red cab, it's different and has the lowest miles...but then agin that's coming from a guy who used to think yellow was cool.

Somebody on Pelican said Excellence magazine that does porsche articles had a buyers guide in a recent issue.

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Great points and all well taken! The more I thought about it the more I realize a 6 spd is the way to go. I have a Lexus DD for those boring traffic filled commutes. The 911 will be garaged waiting for the weekends to come out. I can already see that the wife will drive the car sparingly. We have 2 kids and she is a stay at home mom, so the Lexus SUV is the run-a-bout to school and all of the kid activities after school. I doubt she is going to tell the kids to grab all of their "junk" that accumulates in a back seat of a car with kids to take the 911 to school or activities. So the times she may drive is are solo and again, with kids, that is rare........

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Anyone know how to find this article? I saw this before and searched the web and stopped by my local book store. Found the magazine but it was a newer.

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Sid, I was careful NOT to mention any names in my post! I figured if someone in that situation wanted to speak up, they would.

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Uhhhh, where you talking about me!!! No worries, you're a gentleman and a scholar...and funny too Thank God I've actually found a way to make a living with that big mouth of mine. Cheers, Sid.

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Actually, I wasn't talking about you, because I don't think I knew (or didn't remember) your car had a Tip.

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That CARFAX link does not provide the report for that car. I was surprised that the CARFAX for my 2002 listed every visit to the dealer in detail. Nice info that backed up the maintenance receipts and then some. My take on CARFAX: the reports are valuable, but are not a complete picture, particularly for exotic cars. For example, my car had some fairly minor paintwork done after a slight parking lot crash. I got the receipts and complete disclosure of the accident. The work was done by a good shop and you cannot tell, unless you really know how to look. But... the accident and the repair do not show on the CARFAX report. The repair did not go through insurance (the other person was at fault and just paid the bill). Just the other day I was looking at a 96 MB SL500 on a local Chrysler dealer's lot. The salesman was quite proud to show me a 'clean' CARFAX. I then showed him detailed evidence that the car had major repairs to both front and rear. Poor guy just did not know what to say.

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Here's the thread and I asked them if anybody knows which issue. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...ml#post5159625

Tips - visit the car in the rain to see if the top leaks (or bring a pitcher of water and pour it). The '03 manual says some leakage is normal but sometimes normal can be irritating. Test out the top. Make sure the OEM windscreen is in good shape w/ no holes or tears. Get a Pre Purchase inspection at a porsche dealer who never saw that particular car. The seller may be golf buddies with the service manager and u dont want that. Ask him - would you certify this car - why or why not? If you see one drop of oil run away. Ask him to do an inspection to make sure it passes emissions standards. Check the air pressure - 44 back -- 36 front. Do not assume the PPI will include filling the tires to spec. This happened to me and it cost me $100 to fix a bent rim and $750 for 2 new 285/30/18's within 300 miles lol.