Am I over my head ? Help needed

Hello members, newbie here. I am contemplating a purchase of a '01 996c4. I am in the process of inspecting and assessing the feasibility of this purchase based partly on the information I can gather from here, and you, the members. the problem is... I suspect it might need a motor. Some known history: 2001 C4,6 speed, 69K,newer clutch, unreliable owner history. Some "other" fluid was added to the expansion tank , Engine oil seems to be rather dark but free other contaminants, i.e. no milky white stuff. The car has a loud knocking sound ,unable to rev and develop power... It sounds sort of like a diesel engine, however, it does idles well , but the knocking sound overwhelms the presence. I am very new to these cars and have no experience with Porsche, although I am very mechanical and feel up to challenge. Can someone on this forum able to make a suggestion as to what I should do ? I am located in Northern VA/ DC/MD area, and know of no one with Porsche experience. The car is not drivable, I would willing to pay some one to come out and look at the car. From your personal experience...considering time and money as a factor, what is the best way to go ? 1-Replace motor with same.. 2-Replace motor with an upgrade ( if so, what upgrade and $$ ?) 3-Rebuild (if so who , where and $$ ?) Thank you

walk away from this P and find another.....and engine goes for about 13K + you can look on ebay...if you are handy..and know what you are doing and have the right equipment they are selling a block for 7K I would walk away...the rates of 996's are from 23K and up......

The problem is there is only one place currently selling rebuild kits for the m96, any good race oriented machine shop can handle the basic work/blueprinting. It's not a black box as some would have you believe, it's just basic parts aren't readily available. Paying 7k for a used block on ebay is idiotic. If it was me, I would pull the motor myself and have at it, I, like you also have significant engine building experience though. When I was 18, my brother and I rebuilt an m3 engine and tranny, it was also said to be a black box, just pulled it/ tore it down like any engine.

How much coin are you contemplating laying down for said 996?

I'm confused. Why are you even contemplating buying a Porsche with obvious engine problems? Is the price that attractive to you? There are many, many reasonably priced 996s that are in great condition. If I were you I'd run, not walk away from this "deal."

If you can't drive it you can't ***-es anything further than the engine problem. Unless it is Free, or really really cheap you should forget it!!

If you are mechanically inclined, why haven't you checked obvious things on this car, like cylinder compression and leak-down test? If those two things didn't check out I wouldn't consider the car, even as a project. You don't want to be rebuilding a motor on one of these in your first week of ownership - unless the selling price on that car is below $10K. If the car checked out for compression, the problem it has could very well be an insignificant electrical problem. I had a 928S4 with the same symptoms you describe (good idle, no power, diesel sound under stress), and it was nothing more than a $60 ignition control module.

Thank you for all of your responses. Obviously the purchase price is a consideration. The offer on the table is for $15k. I am not in a position to do any diagnostics myself @ this time, due to time constraints and its current location. I wanted to know if any of you members know where to locate a motor for this car or find someone in my area who can diagnose the problem. Not having the ability to drive this vehicle prevents me from testing it's components, which in turn, could have negative consequences. Having said that, my target price with motor replacement is $21 to $23K ? Thanks.

15K is hard to walk away from. Is the car in good condition otherwise? If it is and your up to it....GO FOR IT!

at first blush I was going to say walk, but at 15K - hmmm, well, there are plenty of people in the DC area who can assess what would be involved in getting car up to snuff engine-wise. You could always pay someone from a tuner service shop like intersport. But question on body and interior is key as both can cost $$$ as well. Good luck and keep us posted if you pull trigger on this, uh, "opportunity"

The car has sat outside for over one year . Overall condition of the body is good not perfect, interior is also good. Previous owners had installed alarm and audio/video equipment, so the some "cleaning up" will be required. Car looks stock except for rear wing and a new deck lid. I had only picked it up yesterday, I have roughly one week to make my decision. It's current location is in MD near Woodrow Wilson bridge. I am thinking about having it towed to Porsche of Alexandria Thanks

It is porsche Arlington, not Alexandria, although it seems to be actually located in Alex on Route 1 almost across from Potomac Yards shopping center. I have had good luck with the service guys. Call Mark Sliwa [phone removed] (service desk) and describe what you want done and he shoulod be able to give you ball-park estimate for evaluation. They are busy, though, and normally work by appointment. Rudy is the other service desk guy - both are honest.

I'd go for it, make a nice project. I'll dig up the company who makes the m96 engine rebuild kit.

Check the story out. Maybe it's a flood car from Katrina or salvage of some sort. Could be many hidden problems.

The vehicle has been in this area for at least 4 years, Just got a quote from Porsche of Arlington on a rebuilt engine for $7800 plus core charge of $2500 with a 2 year warranty. Does that sound reasonable? How much would it cost to swap motors (labor)? Thanks

Yes....decent price on the motor....Install is about a day of labor....at the dealer like another $1500? So for another 10k you get a new engine...throw in another $500 for the clutch while you are in there....you get an 01 C4 for about 25K....maybe 5K worth of cleanup work....so 30K for an 01 C4.....not a bad deal....but you can maybe get a PERFECT one for like 35k.....so its a matter of if you want to do the work and make it a project....

Would anyone suggest a swap for 3.6 ? What is the stock HP for 3.4? Should I consider doing basic bolt on mods while replacement ? Thanks

Swapping a 3.6 is not really a viable option logistically. There are way too many differences. I would walk away. You can get a low mileage, well cared for one owner 996 in the 30s if you take your time to find the right car.