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YOUR RESEARCHcouple questions on buying a '99 vs '01
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Inspect friday
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I also own a 2001 996 and replaced the 3.4 L engine just last month with dealer remanufacture at 57,000 miles, last two years track miles.
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When I drove a bunch of higher mile 99s, every one had worn or broken buttons and releases on the driver's sill and I noticed the design was changed from '01 on .
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I'm sure you can be careful but I was glad with my '01 that that was changed.
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There are probably a few minor mechanical and electrical fixes as well.
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When I drove a bunch of higher mile 99s, every one had worn or broken buttons and releases on the driver's sill and I noticed the design was changed from '01 on .
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I've got an opportunity to pick up a one owner '99 with 12k miles in the $33k range or, an '01 with about 45k miles for $29k.. The '99 is white over red with full leather, 3 spoke wheel, 18'' turbo twist wheels, cd changer (PRISTINE) I've actually driven/inspected. The '01 is blk/blk with technic pkg. no real upgrades stock 17'' wheels, has PSM, looks clean in pics. Advice appreciated!
white with red is a deal killer for me. I actually like the red, but it will be a bear to resell and white is just so boring. Granted black is as well but white.....
Also low low miles cars are a concern for me as well, seriously.
Ryan, from what I hear white is right there with blk and silver as far as resale, (green, yellow and some blue another story)..FWIW - I was more inquiring about deal vs. deal in my original post.
Why think about resale when you haven't bought the car even? Which color do YOU prefer?
I would never own a black car. Period. White with red sounds very interesting... and I'm sure you can find a willing buyer when the time comes for your to sell.
disco - the only reason resale is in my head pre-purchase is because I'm paying a premium for the low miles..aside from that I like the combo! It's very clean - just getting into '01 '02 territory in price. I've had/have plenty of black cars - thought I'd never sway, but, never say never!
pmkazz - point taken! I took a big step with my Zermatt Silver 951 (over burgandy) - the "red" I'm referring to is terracotta, I believe (not "lipsticky")
Tim, thanks..hopefully the seller isn't reading this! Taking the color factor out, how about the other variables I mention in original post? BTW-great forum response for a noob! Thank you all - keep it coming
I don't know how many other little fixes there were, but the 99 interior has really bad releases for front and back hatches. I haven't driven a 99 in a while but I seem to remember a couple of others. There are probably a few minor mechanical and electrical fixes as well.
Chris, I used both releases with no issues - the car just turned 12k miles..would assume no real need to open engine compartment with frequency. The trunk holds CD changer and it's release worked fine, at least I didn't notice otherwise
How would I investigate a potential rear main seal issue? Of course I plan taking it to Ruf for inspection, but, any tale tell signs my lowly eyes could see (aside from the obvious oil)?
I think the only thing you can check for is oil seepage where the engine mates with the trransaxle and that may not tell all. Try to pay attention to where the vehicle is generally parked and look for any signs of oil droppings. Also, hopefully all the maintenance records are available for review. Run a carfax record check also... There are some very qualified individuals on this forum that can probable give you some things to look for, especially "loren"...
The potential of a RMS issue should not be the deciding factor for you. $700 or so repair for new improved seal IF you get the rear leak. No way of telling if it is going to happen if the car is dry underneath (lower mileage 996's have a higher chance of a future leak). Other than that, in my book, lower miles is better than higher.
Make an offer $700 or so lower than you want to pay, f he accepts and you get a leak, all good mentally.
Sevice records, previous owner, PPI play big roles.
IMO, White/Red has the edge with the info you've disclosed.
GL
When I drove a bunch of higher mile 99s, every one had worn or broken buttons and releases on the driver's sill and I noticed the design was changed from '01 on . (maybe '00 but I have never driven one)
I think there is a design flaw which makes them very easy to scuff and break getting in and out of the car. I'm sure you can be careful but I was glad with my '01 that that was changed. Wish I could remember what else.
The 99s I drove did frequently have a bad clutch but I am not sure if the 99 clutch is more susceptible than other models. Bad thowout bearing I was told at a dealer.
I have a '99 and have never had a problem with the trunk opening and I use it a lot. The low miles does kind of scare me in that this car has never been driven. If you start putting a lot of miles on it, you might find some things that should have been fixed under warranty. As long as you budget for it, no problem.
Your biggest fear should be that you might have a bad engine that never got a chance to show symptoms. This is highly unlikely but it is a risk in a car that has that few miles.
Price wise, you should check in your area what the car is worth on a trade and fix the price up from there. A dealer would get top dollar for that low mileage car, but they would also back you with some sort of limited warranty for at least 30 days. There are lots of really nice '99's out there selling in the low to mid 20's. Is that low mileage really worth an extra $10,000?
Remember it is not the asking prices that is important , but rather what cars are actually selling for. I have been buying and selling Porsches and other high end cars for many years and have learned that most cars finally sell for a lot less than the advertised prices. Porsche owners seem to be the worst for thinking their cars are worth a whole bunch more thn the market will bear.
What's not to like?
- 12k miles
- full leather
- 3 spoke wheel
- 18'' turbo twist wheels
- PRISTINE
If you like the color combo, (and I thibk it is relatively rare) go for it. Get a PPI and see what happens. If the PPI checks out, offer him $28.5 and negotiate from there.
I'd like to see a picture of the red interior. I bought my '99 two years ago with 10K miles on it. I have 33K now and it did develop a RMS leak recently. Who says white is boring?
For perspective, I feel I got a decent deal at $33k for my '99 C4 with 43k miles and a very fresh engine, but that was over a year ago. I'd say it seems a touch high at this point.
Seems the board is split about 50:50, some saying 12k on a '99 is "iffy" - some saying it's worth the extra $$. The car has every maintenance record and would be subject to inspection - am I wrong in looking at it as a relatively new 996?
My '00 had 17k miles on it when I bought it last year. I paid a premium for getting a car that looked, and smelled new inside! Buttons were not worn, seats are like new, steering wheel is like new. Suspension and handling is super tight. Worth it to me to pay more and chance the low miles, to get a car that feels new. Haven't had a drop of oil leak, or a single problem so far after driving it 2k miles.
I also got a 2 year extened warranty, so if the engine blows up this summer, I am covered! Knocking on wood as I type!
Andy, do you mind disclosing what you paid, including options minus extended warranty. Like your car, this car is immaculate in and out..not a real blemish to be found.
I paid $39k - Which is high in today's market, but back last year, it was close to home, had all the options I wanted (except PSM):
Color combo
Full Leather
3 Spoke Steering wheel
Xenon headlights
Hi-Fi sound (not quite)
18" Turbo Twists
Fake Aluminum look shifter and E-Brake
I paid a few thousand more than if I waited, and got a car with 35k miles or more. But I'm happy!
Andy, please clarify this for me. Are you "knocking on wood" in hopes that that the engine will blow up this summer so you can get a new one, or do you not want it to explode?
I love White and the red full leather sounds cool. I also own a 2001 996 and replaced the 3.4 L engine just last month with dealer remanufacture at 57,000 miles, last two years track miles. Now the car with the new engine is awesome.
I just got my 01 with 10,500 miles and it's fasinating that a 7-8 year old car will still smell new...even the engine bay smells new. Amazing. I got a 2 year CPO too...I think its key to a car that has really sat around too much for most of its life. Without a warranty I would get one that has been driven.
Going by some posts one can get the idea that buying an older 996 with low miles and no warranty is a mistake, run. It will blow up when finally driven.
If the previous owner, PPI, service records, options, and test drive all check out AND it has low miles, well great find, especially at $ 30K or so.
Nothing much to think about
WHITE/RED
FYI - I paid $39,000 2 years ago for my 2000 C4 with 27,000 miles. Loaded, new tires, spotless everything and 2 year Porche Certified Warranty. It was listed for $46,000 originally but was over priced, thus the 5g savings. It was the going rate then in my area for a like new loaded car. If I was going to put my car on right now, I would ask $32,000 since it is still spotless. These $20,000 porsches...give me a break. You get what you pay for.
I saw a couple C2's at the time with 70,000+ and were in the high 20's and were pieces of junk as far as how they were taken care of.
Sold a 97 Boxster at the time...spotless with 54,000 miles for $18,000!!
After pricing supreme coverage warranty through Porsche, in addition to price, I'm now thinking '02+ models in same price range! Seems to be markedly different in history of probs.
I think this is the red interior. Boxster Red, Kind of a Terracotta color.
The flash on the second picture makes it look much more "Red"
My car has the full leather and 3 spoke wheel. Does the car have a red wheel too? I have seen some early boxsters that have a red steering wheel and shifter too.....that is a little much.
omnipresent,
Are you planning to drive this car daily or just a weekend cruiser? The reason I ask is that if it is a daily driver, you'd be paying a premium for a car with low miles only to run up the miles and lose the value. If you plan to put any real miles on the car, I'd personally go for something that has closer to average miles. Just my $.02 and I am kind of a deal junkie.
Good luck...
The white '99 must be beautiful - the red interior is really surprising. I'd go for the '99 with the low miles, as long as you're OK with the potential RMS issue. I think it goes with the turf.
Also, I spoke to my friend/mechanic about my '99 vs. other years. He said that in his opinion, the '99 is the year to buy because there is still a mechanical connection to the throttle instead of an electronic one. Just another person's opinion - he's someone I really respect. But, I wouldn't know the difference.
Bob
Thanks for the input...alas I've been out all day looking at even more cars!! For those who wondered about the color combo - it's in my link on page 3 of this post.
Tim
, I'm hooked on a 3.6 now and your price/mileage are both great - I'm just not a blue & grey fan (though I'm in Dallas!!)
M Fig
You hit the proverbial nail on the head
- I had the car for about 40 miles and it is just too pristine if that makes sense. I'm going to DRIVE the car DAILY, why take the premium hit just to stab myself putting real miles on the car? I'm a deal junkie too, but reality set in just in time LOL.
rotokim
it does look the ballsy - Heffner would be proud. As for your mechanic friend, maybe he's not too familiar with 996's because everyone
EVERYONE
has said something to the contrary regarding the '99 model year. But, I do appreciate the feedback
Andy
It's a C2 - misprinted C4
Wrapping up by saying my big head won!! When I had the car inspected at Ruf, the tech recognized the car from Boardwalk - it's a creampuff! It is that nice - 12k miles could be 1,200. The dealer wanted $36k, I offered 30K..you'd think at a dealer of this caliber (FWTW) they wouldn't resort to "introducing the sales manager" routine. We traded figures for half an hour until we hit 33k. I asked about warranty and said sales mgr. pointed to his office and assured me he'd handle any problems that may arise (of course I didn't put him on the spot in more ways than 20, but hey..) Well, I insisted taking the car home Thurs. and getting it inspected Friday. During inspection I was pricing extended warranties...judging by the fact the only Porsche dealer to call back with pricing was Park Place - I really didn't have much to go on, except for what I could find via web. (I'll mention here Boardwalk seems totally inept and/or uncaring). When I returned to the selling dealer I simply asked to work the figures again to cover MECHANICAL warranty. You'd think I had donned a Kanye mask - they poo poo'd that idea...oh oh, here comes Mr. Sales Mgr...(slightly tense) demanding "If I give you the warranty is this a done deal"? I asked at what cost - reply was 33k, I asked why they didn't offer that the day before (prior to the cost of inspection)..He strongly demanded knowing if it's a deal - I said I've asked a question and would appreciate an answer....silence. I said $30K with a 3/36,000 mechanical warranty - call when you're ready to sell. Went to look at an '02 with 49k miles and without much negotiating, was at $36k - that car was equally impressive for 49k miles/one owner/records, etc...So, the search continues - I did run to storage and pick up my 951 and appreciated her a bit more on the way home!
Right. Because no one was trying to grope you before you could drive it. Keep looking, and stay away from that dealer - although my personal experience indicates that they are
all
liars.
