1999 C4 - Do I buy or pass? Help!

I am looking to buy my first Porsche and need some advice. I have come across a nice car at a good price (I think) but have some questions. Since I'm new to this I thought folks here could help. First, the car: 1999 C4 - Extremely clean car Burgundy w/ Savannah leather 31,000 miles Power seats Upgraded exhaust CD 18" BBS wheels $42,000 It was taken in on trade by a friend of mine and that's why the price seems good to me. Now the questions: It had the intermediate seal replaced at 13,000 and the RMS replaced at 16,000. Had the local Porsche dealer do a PPI and it came out clean, no additional RMS leaks at this time. Will need a clutch soon but that's about it. Got a thumbs up from the shop foreman. It also just had the 30K maintenance done by the premier Porsche independent in town who I had a chance to talk with. He is very familiar with the car as he has worked on it since it was new and also gave it a thumbs up. So far so good except for the RMS leak. What I also found out is the the car was tracked often by the previous owner, a PCA member. He's a highly regarded Northwest driver (also races Atlantics) and has taken exceptional care of the car. It had a sport suspension when he tracked it but the original suspension is back on it now. I've been told by several people that these cars were meant to be tracked and this doesn't affect the value or quality of the car in any way. So, I've wanted a 911 since I was a kid (which was a long time ago) and this is going to be my everyday driver. Do I buy it? Thanks in advance for the help with this.

My thoughts: 1) all of the 99 C4's are late builds, so that is a + 2) I personally like the color combo but it is not in the mainstrean for resale 3) The lack of factory wheels is a negative (to me) 4) Mileage is pretty decent for a 99 (I have 50 on my 99 C4 w/ no problems). 5) The significant track use would be a negative (to me) 6) the fact that it needs a new clutch means that the asking pricing for the car is really $43.5 7) without looking up the price, my guess would be about $35 - $36K, MAX. 8) FWIW, $42K is not a good friend to friend price 9) tracking does affect the price.

I agree with Mark's response. The price seems a bit steep for a 99. The miles are hard miles and the car has no warranty.

If it was taken in trade, why don't you ask your friend what the trade-in price was and offer a small commission ($500 or so) on top of that. I am willing to be the trade-in is between what Mark said (about 35K) and the the 42K price (closer to the 35K).

I too agree with Mark on this. My car just turned 50k miles (last night!) and it still has the original clutch. I would wonder what else has been abused on the car.

I really appreciate the input, thank you. I'm slightly less concerned about the price (relatively speaking) as the 10 or so cars I've looked at have ranged from $42k to $50+k, most with higher mileage, and with the C4's at the top end of that range. This is by far the least expensive C4 I've seen. The cars here seem to be higher priced than in other parts of the country so $42k for the C4 seems to be about as good as I'll do here. The real concern for me is the track use, suspension swap-out, and RMS change at 16,000 miles. Sounds like I need to keep looking. Thanks again.

Sounds like you have just answered your question. Good luck on your search.....and like everybody has said (all over rennlist)....be patient, you will find what you are looking for especially with the 997 coming.

btw, the price is fine. As Luaps said, you wont find much better prices in seattle area. used 911s are quite expensive in this area unlike TX, FL.

I talked with them again and they are willing to go $41,000 and they will put in a new clutch, making the price more like $39,500 (or $38,500 if it needs the flywheel). This is a great price for this area as ubergeek said. So the concern is still the track time, but that price is making it a lot more apppealing. As I mentioned, both the dealer PPI and an independent Porsche mechanic who just did the 30k service have said it's a good car. The independent (Squire) has done a lot of work on the car and said he wouldn't be concerned about the track time. Looks like I still have a decision to make! See attached photo.

If you are realy concerned about the effects of track time this might work for you. Find a Porsche dealer in your area that will sell you the car from your freinds dealership as a passthrough and have them put a Porsche Certified warranty on the car. The warranty cost is $1595 retail and the labor to certify another 200-300. If you can do this, you will have a $41K car and peace of mind. The dealer gets to make some money on your car and then you can promise the future service work to the dealership. I did this on a 99 last year. You will have to find the dealer before you buy the car to avoid paying sales tax twice. I am assuming your friend does not have a Porsche dealership. If he does, do it there.

Heck, the BBS LM's are worth at least $4k if they are in excellent shape. If you get the new clutch put in, go ahead and buy a lightened flywheel since the labor will be free.

Looks like a great deal. Ditto on the warranty advice. I need to find new friends..I'm paying too much for my Porsche habit.

OH996's idea about the warranty is great. Definitely look into that.

An interesting side benefit to finding the dealer who would do this for me was that I formed a long-term relationship. A few examples: The service department has provided loaner cars, free advice, convinced Porsche to cover items not normally covered under extended warranties, etc. I was impressed considering I didn�t buy the car there. I decided to sell my C4 cab and buy a 997. The problem was that the cab sold within 2 weeks and now I am without a P-car while I wait until September for the 997 to arrive. There was no question where I was going to buy my car. I told my dealer how disappointed I was to be Porsche-less and he agreed to rent me an Anniversary 911 to drive while I wait for my car. This was the perfect scenario for me since one of my options when replacing the C4 was the anniversary model. And by the way, this was after agreeing to a discount of 6% off the MSRP. I guess the bottom-line is if you find a dealer can see the big picture everyone should be happy. One side note regarding P-cars . I have owned many cars in my life, Corvettes, Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, etc. I have never felt the passion I do with Porsche. I never once visited a MB or BMW bulletin board. Never made a single mod. The P-car is different. Even when I get the car serviced, I feel special. The dealer has Audi�s and Porsche and it�s cool that I�m there to get my 911 and not an A4. I don�t mean to sound like an elitist; in fact, most people that know me think I lack confidence. It just feels good to be able to drive something that inspires so many. And that is probably the most satisfying aspect to me. When my father asked why I had to get a Porsche I said I didn�t have to, I wanted to, and I could. Can�t wait for the 997. I am sure there will be days when some of the first year glitches annoy me but I am confident they will be outweighed by the holy**** look at this beautiful machine feeling. Good luck. Bob

The car looks as if it's in good shape. If the dealer is putting in a new clutch and you had a PPI done, I would go for it.... the color combo is unique but works well with those bbs rims (rims I wouldn't normally choose). Good luck! Rob

I just by first Porsche two months ago, a 1999 C4. It is my daily driver, and since my wife drives it too, a tiptronic. The car had 22,000 mi and was certified by the dealer (2 year factory warranty). Options: Full leather Hi-fi sound 18" wheels Metallic color Supple leather K-1 with laser In the Chicago market, it was one of the lowest priced certified 996s around.