Potential new buyer ... quick question

Hey guys - I am looking to spend $25k buying a used 996. I have read through all of the forums and am aware of the IMS issue (scares the pants off me) and the need for a proper PPI before purchase, etc. One of the things I am struggling with is the wide variation of asking prices for different years / mileage. The car would be my "main" car, as my wife drives a 2010 X5 right now. It wouldnt get more than 5-8k miles per year (train car) and if the snow gets bad (like today); I can just walk to the train station like I do right now. The base question: 1. How to discount a high mileage car (70k) vs low mileage (30k); how much is that worth 2. How to discount a 2000 year vs a 2002 3. Are there any bands that people think about; i.e. 2000 with 90k miles is worth XX% less than a 2000 with 50k miles. 4. Obviously proper documentation is critical to make sure I dont wake up one day to an IMS issue .... as my wife would kill me if that happens. Thanks!

Alot of buyers on here lately.

where are you located... been a few good cars on sale here on PL lately... if you become a member you get access to the very special "For Sale" forum.... YUMMY !! cars you can trust from people you can trust (well, that's cuz i'm not selling nuttin' - today )

Located in CT; work in NYC -- how active is the for sale forum? Does it offer anything different than whats on ebay, autotrader, etc ? And yeah; I am 37 yrs old ... two kids .... and I think I can put my 4 year old in a booster seat in the "back" seat. Obviously it wont be ideal and we will use the X5 for most of kid transport -- but just incase. I am also thinking about the convertable -- just for fun :-)

prices are all about options/mileage/condition.... thats why prices can be all over the place. Mk1 vs Mk2 can be a price diff of 5k-10k. But really, just get a well sorted, fully documented, ppi car... and pull the trigger. GL with the search.

I am in Fairfield County and own a fairly nice modded MK1 aero for a reference. Its got 95K miles but you really would not know it except for typical road rashes. PM me if you want and we can chat off line. When the weather is nice, you can take it out for a spin and get a feel for the car to compare.

kids love the 996... mine were fine (2 boys up to age 11) no issues at all (till i put in the fixed back front seats

I'm not sure what you think the correlation is between proper documentation and a future IMS issue. That's what's frustrating about it, if it's gonna go it's gonna go. Things like the LN engineering option might lesson your chance of an issue but this affects all the water cooled cars through 997's. Gillions of posts on the topic so I'll stop here.

1. How to discount a high mileage car (70k) vs low mileage (30k); how much is that worth No way to really correlate, as overall conditions, maintenance history and options muddle the water. 2. How to discount a 2000 year vs a 2002 Fairly big difference between these two in terms of design and engine power. You might find prices as much as $10k apart on these two. Again though, miles, options, and condition make exact comparisons difficult. I think that after you have looked at and driven a few of each the differences and relative value will sort of make sense to you. 3. Are there any bands that people think about; i.e. 2000 with 90k miles is worth XX% less than a 2000 with 50k miles. Good rule of thumb with Porsche mileage is that anything over 7-8k a year is high. My 02 has 49k - about 5,500 per year - and therefore low miles and worth theoretically more than a similar car with 75k. But, even 75k at this point on an 02 is technically low mileage. 4. Obviously proper documentation is critical to make sure I dont wake up one day to an IMS issue .... as my wife would kill me if that happens. No correlation that I know of between good maintenance/maintenance records and IMS failure. Regular oil changes below the Porsche recommended interval may help. May not. If you are worried about this (or afraid of your wife) buy an extended warranty. Best advice: Learn about option codes and packages and determine what your 996 has to have and what colors you want or don't want (for me it was a red 02-03 with full leather, PSM, Bose, and Litronics - my wife wanting red). Then look at a good selection of cars across your region or even the entire country. Sites like cars.com, autotrader, and searchtempest (craigslist nationwide) are addictive. Take your time and don't settle for something that you sort of like. Be picky - there are a lot of 996s out there. Good luck!

Excellent advice here; the feedback is extraordinary. The last "fun" car that I had was a 3 series in my early 20s; I have been in SUV land ever since. So I am extremely excited about the prospects and how affordable a 996 car can be. It sounds like there are two camps on the IMS issue: (1) it happens all the time; be prepared for it. (2) Internet attracts complaints like **** attracts flies = overstated I guess my only IMS question -- how do you get comfortable with the risk? If I spent $25k on a car and had it totalled in three years due to a design flaw; I think I would have a difficult time with that. I searched for all of the extended warranties - so I guess for ~$1k per year I can buy coverage for that. But how did you guys get comfortable with it?

Hey, Just a few things for you to consider: Which car is a better value: Car A: 2002 with 60K miles. Original clutch, tires worn out, brake rotors original, pads at 1/2 thickness, no service records Car B: 2000 with 65K miles. New clutch, new tires, new brake pads, rotors, and fluid. Documentation for all major service records. Full history available at dealership IMHO, it is very difficult or impossible to state that model year N with X miles is worth Y$. Each car is unique. Then, add things like aero kit, cabriolet or targa, C2 vs C4, sports seats, color matched interior, etc. and it gets even worse. My suggestion would be to come up with a budget and a list of requirements and then start looking. I would not rule out older cars, but the newer cars (02 and up) do have a better interior. IMHO, unless you drive on the track the extra HP won't be noticeable. For me, I wanted a cabriolet, 6 speed, 18" wheels, good condition, and under $25K. It took a bit of time, but I found my car and I have been very happy ever since. Starting in March a lot more cars will be on the market. Good luck, Barry

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We drink a lot! Can't have an IMS failure if your too looped to say it.

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you'll get over it.... when you get your 996, you will make excuses to drive her more (eg: groceries, milk.... drive your in-laws... well maybe not that), but that phase will pass.... however, the smile will be just as big for years to come. The 996 is not for everyone, some has sold because they couldnt handle the IMS issue and sold a perfectly good car. But for us that loves this car drives it like we stole it..... I suggest you do the same and you will get it. The IMS is not an end game..... if you want, take precautions or dont, the best thing to do is enjoy the car.... you live only once.

Given were you live ( winter weather ) and the $25K target price - I think you can use my recent purchase as an example. I wanted the C4 for the wet Seattle climate and also set $25K as my limit - assuming I might spend $2500 more to fix or upgrade a few things in the first year. I also set aside $1200 for peace of mind, to have my local shop do the LM IMS fix. Plus Tax & Lic - make that $5000. So what I found (E-Bay) and bought in August was a 2000 C4 Tip with full leather interior Full power seats and just a few other Porsche options. But it also had several things I wanted to address later in upgrades = TechArt lowered Coil-overs and Headers and Sport Exhaust... and the LM upgrade IMS was already installed. I did spend most of the $2500 on 4 new tires, and new water Pump and Thermostat and during my search - 3 PPI's to pick the Right Porsche for me. Now throw in the WA State reg & 9% sales Tax and I am in the C4 and very happy for a bit under $30,000 and have already driven her nearly 6,000 miles including the Pick up the car in LA Vacation.

Be PATIENT. What seems like the "perfect" car one day can be wiped out from a more perfect car the next. Be patient and you'll find a good one!

Kharz, I am a relatively new 996 owner and early on after joining this group I was scared s#%tless about the IMS/RMS scare. However, after doing an abundant amount of research, I found that the percentage of failures is actually quite low. The issue is that all of those failures are catastrophic. As others here have said, there is a preventative 'fix' that is not terribly painful in terms of dollars, or you might get lucky like I did and find that the service had already been done by a PO. I'm with Redridge and rpm's; educate yourself, buy it, then drive it like its stolen. I can tell you in my two months of ownership, despite the Colorado winter, I have had an absolute blast with Carrie. I've had BMWs, Saabs, Mercedes, nothing even comes close to the experience of a 911. Good luck Logger

Cars depreciate like mad (even Porsches!) and usually time is your biggest enemy. Find one that feels right to you and is a great price and drive the crap out of it. Me, I'd rather buy a high-miler that has been well-maintained than an inexplicably low-mile car. Remember, all cars last longer if they are driven, storing them is actually bad over time (seals dry out and rubber dries and cracks, etc.)

Drive a few 996s and compare them regarding care, upkeep etc., you'll be able to recognize the Porsches that have been well cared for. Look for complete maintainance and records and of course a complete PPI. Should be lots of Porsches for sale that fit your needs, GL.

As someone who has bought some high mileage cars, sometimes with good success/sometimes not, I say "No one ever regrets paying a bit extra for a low mileage car." relinuca

So, some local shops have used cars 1. 2001 with 30k miles, asking 27k. Rag top 2. 2005 with 75k miles, Asking 29k. Coupe Both pricy, but asks always come down, which is a better deal? (part of my education process)

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Hard to say. Depends on a number of things. See post #9 in this thread for wise advice. https://rennlist.com/forums/8231866-post9.html

Thanks, my wife is laughing at me while I am doing my research

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Is this the 2005 you are looking at? http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...5&aff=national It would be great to get into a 2005 for the updates to the exterior / interior, and the more powerful engine, but one thing to be careful of with an East Coast car is the the salt / chemicals on the roads. If you look closely at the wheel pic of the car in the above ad, the finish on the brake calipers is corroded. Could be a tell-tale sign of lack of care, but a PPI should reveal this.

Yup, that was one of them. Good catch on the wheel aspect. Assuming that isnt a major issue; is 27k reasonable for that type of car with those miles. I still have no feel for high mileage on P-cars

27k seems high for an 01 cab, even with that low of miles. But as you noted, that is just the asking price. And without knowing options or ppi results it is hard to provide a valid opinion. A 997, even with 75k, could be great car for under 30k. Perhaps a more elemental question - do you want a cab or a coupe?

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That car has an accident listed on the carfax report. I was suprised to see an 05 that reasonably priced until the accident on the carfax.

I too was concerned about the IMS issue when shopping for my 996. I was looking for an MKII specifically so the MKI vs MKII was not an issue for me. I looked for several months and happened to find a local car that was shipped by its owner from California where it spent all its life. It had a new engine due to a prior "bearing" issue which I assume is the IMS. Only draw back was that it was a tip and I wanted a stick. I ended up buying it and got over the non-stick issue very quickly when I drove it to work and back in NYC... moral is - keep looking and don't jump at anything until you find the "perfect" one for you. There are plenty of cars out there. Also, I prefer looking at "by owner" ads as you get a better feel for the car by talking to the owner... The previous owner of my car was very **** and had every little issue corrected by the dealer.