Newbie: 996 targa/cabriolet question.

Someone really wants to buy my 993 targa. It is a low miles unmolested beauty(18k miles) . The price they are offering has me thinking maybe I should go to a 996 targa or cabriolet (although I prefer the looks of the 993) since the 996 prices have come down significantly as of late. I get this data from the latest excellence article on 996 prices. Not sure how real those numbers are or not. I prefer this targa over my 964 cab due to the convenience but the new cab mechanism doesn't require stopping and manually placing a cover over it which I found to be inconvenient. Anyways, my question is: 1. have there been any issues (leaking, wind noise, etc) with the targa roofs that people have been experiencing. 2. have there been any maintenance issues with the cab top motors, etc that people have been experiencing? 3. what are reasonable numbers I should expect to be payiing for used 2002/2003 models in this area based on your experiences. The 993 forum will tell me to keep my car so I figured I would try for a different audience. If there are threads that already cover any of these topics ( I did a quick search but didn't come up with much), feel free to point me at them. thanks for your time -sleddog

01C4 cab here. Only 15k miles, but the top is solid, quiet and completely dry. My old 968 cab had a slight leak and it was a pain to put the cover on the top everytime, but the 996 is a dream cab. you can't beat the cab feeling in nice weather, and it really has no downside IMHO. Good luck in your search. I would guess 60-70k for a 02-03 depending on options, miles, dealer cert, etc.

I had a 993 Targa, and just before I traded it the top mechanism got mangled (on its own), but it was under warranty so I left that problem behind. I also had a 996 Targa, and I think the roof mechanism is much more durable and sounder in the 996 version. I had no problems with the 996, but I only had it 5 months before I traded it for a 997S. I had an 01 Boxster S, put the top up and down virtually every day for 3 years, and never had any issues with it - should be the same with the 996 cab.

996 cab 02-03 are around $60k, high 50k at min. No issue w top at all. Targa are heavy and I've heard can be noisy. Don't think targa are worth money since it's just a big moonroof.

A couple of weeks ago, I purchased an 02 C4 Cab with 25K mi for $59K. But I agree with the ranges posted above based on my recent searching. If you like silver, there ar a ton of silver cars out there! Good luck in your search. Half the fun is in the looking! Best wishes, David

You're quite wrong there. First of all, the Targas are based on the coupe, not the cab, so have the much stouter structure of the coupe, which results in a more solid platform, with crisper handling responses, amongst other benefits. Certainly, the Targas are no heavier than the cabs--sort of an in-between approach offering coupe like handling with some (not all) of a cabs open air abilities. Finally, the roof is just awesome. I enjoy it quite a bit even when closed--early in the morning or late at night, I can see stars through the roof, airplanes overhead, etc, even if the weather is cold. And I've driven in lightning storms with fireworks overhead in the pouring rain; something you can't do in a cab. But the biggest advantage at all is the ability to go top open or closed on the fly: if the phone rings, I close the roof to take the call; if I hit a short highway stretch I sometimes close the roof to have the quietness of a closed car. For me the Targa is the best of the normally aspirated 996's, but I know people who are "cab" people. They really enjoy the completely open roof of the cab, and for them, the Targa is probably not open enough.

ditto. Also, the targas do not develop the rattles that convertibles can develop. If they do, it is very easy to retighten the bolts that might cause the rattles. You could do the same for a convertible, but it would be much more difficult to locate/eliminate the source of the rattles. Unless you are taking your car to DEs AND you are moving to the upper run groups (i.e., white or above), you will not notice the extra weight. If you improve your driving enough that you start to notice the weight, you can buy a dedicated track car, because most likely even a standard/steetable coupe would NOT satisfy you at that point. My point is that for the use that 90% of 996 owners put their car, the extra weight of the Targa is irrelevant. If you fall within that 10% where it matters, you aren't going to be happy with the stock 996 coupe either: you will start ripping things out of it or you will buy a dedicated track car. Conclusion: Targas are awesome daily drivers that combine 90% of the enjoyment of a convertible (and you can raise/lower the top AT speed), the ability to allow light into the car during the winter/rainy months (which not even a convertible permits) AND the structural rigidity of a coupe. Pretty good idea to me.

Although you are looking at the '02 and newer, I bought my '99 C2 cab for $35k. There are steals out there. No issues whatsoever with the cab as long as the hydraulic reservoir is full. I run my top up and down 3-4 times a day.

thanks for all your responses, Sounds like I just need to hold tight and wait for the right one. I'll post pics if I go down this path.

Welcome Newbie, This has been a great board to get opinions...enjoy. I went through a similar decison process one year ago. This is why I went for a cab over a Targa. First, I really like the lines of the 911 with the top down. In fact once I got my car , I decided against a spoiler, which I had planned to add because the car looks so good as is. Also, the two tone appearence with the top up is also very nice. Mine is rain forrest green with a black top. It looks great top up or top down. Two, I really like the wind in your hair feeling of the complete drop top. Three, these are some of the stiffest convertbles going. I drove an M3 convertible and a Maserati convertible before buying my 02 cab. Both the above have noticeable cowel shake, but the 02 996 cab is solid as a rock and I have never felt the car had any significant jitters nor does the rear view mirror vibrate like the Maserati over bumps. Fourth, I did not like the fact that the Targa roof decreases the rear head room when it is open. I often carry my two children in the back seats and they have plenty of head room top up or down in the cab. Fifth, the cab is quiet with the top up (for a convertible) .If you want to go with the top up for privacy and listen to the stereo , no problem. Sixth, the top itself has been reliable. The following may help although the data is a year old. I bought my 02 cab exactly one year ago in California for 66K. The car was loaded and retailed new for 99,600 (!). It also had 500 miles on a brand new engine, replaced at about 28,000 miles. I assume that it was replaced because of the RMS issue but I don't know for sure. I also opted for the 02 at the time because I wanted to get one still under warranty and the 02's had some significant improvements in the engine, chassis, interrior and exterrior. Best wishes with your decison. Kevin

This is the great thing about Porsches. Two perfectly reasonable people can face the exact same decision and reach completely different conclusions. I would never by a cab. I personally do not like the way that they look (top up or top down). I also do not like the two tone appearance. I personally prefer the Targa top, which has lines that blend very, very nicely at the rear of the car, making it appear as if the Targa was not an afterthought. I have never, ever, had any problem with reduced head room with the Targa, and I frequently take my children in car seats in the back of my Targa. By contrast, I once borrowed a cab and I had tremendous difficulties with car seats in the back because the back seats in the cab, unlike in the coupe or the Targa, lean forward at the top slightly. The Targa top is quiet and rattle free, and it has given me zero problems. The moral of the story is that you really need to drive examples of both cars, and go with your own conclusion, because someone else's conclusion may not be right for you.

sleddog--FOUND YA!! You can't hide from the 993ers that easily FWIW, I had a 2001 Coupe and it treated me very well...can't comment on the Targa, but I know that the Cab [my friend has a 99 so can't comment on the 02+] has the typical problems of any cab [tops will fade, rear 3/4 visibility, slight scuttle shake, etc]. The cabs that I have driven also seem to have a muted engine note compared to my 2001 [again, only drove non-PSE pre 02 models]. One thing that you do need to think about is that 996 Targas seem to be very rare--at least I have rarely ever seen them [I live in Atlanta, and I see 5-6 996s a day and have seen ONE 996 Targa ever]. Good luck in your search, and if you leave the air-cooled fraternity, I will forgive you [so long as you stay in a pCar!!]

Cole, I am struggling with the thought of leaving the 993 fraternity just investigating the alternatives since the guy is offeing me 6- 8k more than I paid for the car. At the end of the day, it still is a car with under 20k miles that I know quite well and is mechanically sound. 6k may not be worth the $$ to jump to a 5 yr newer car that may have higher miles and some maintenance issues that would suck up that cash.

Sleddog--bottom line is if you are thinking about doing it, then maybe it's time for you to try something new for a while...there are many cars out there well cared for in the 993 arena, and they aren't going to appreciate anytime soon, so if you can make some good $$ now and experience 996 or other pCar ownership for a while, why not? Sounds like a hell of a deal. You have a buyer on the hook that wants your specific car and is willing to ante up big $$ for it, and you are 'investigating alternatives' with it anyway [you wouldn't ever be 'investigating other alternatives' with your wife or something that you were very serious about I wouldn't think]... Just my $.02, but I think that whatever you decide to do you'll be happy. Go drive a 996 this weekend [if you haven't already] and see what you think--that should sway your decision for you a bit more. Keep us updated!

I like the Targa the best of all 996's, even though I have a non-sunroof coupe. Porsche did invent the word "Targa" (at least in it's aplication to cars with removable tops) so that must have some impact on your decision....

I have to agree with TD in DC about the rear 3/4 view in a cab with the top up....it presents quite a blind spot when backing out of a parking spot. The good news is that with the top down there is no blind spot! And the top going up or down is such a symphony of technology that I feel like I'm in the batmobile. This is my second convertible. Frankly I was not sure if I would use the top much....but I found that I hardly get into the car without dropping the top. Sometimes I have it down with even light rain. If you go fast enough it doesn't come in the car and I love to drive by people with their windshield wipers going with my top down. One touch and there is this sense of freedom that is especially great after a long day at work. Rag tops have grown on me now and I can't imagine driving a hard top sports car now......best wishes...Kevin