C2 vs Targa - Purchase Opportunity

Hey everyone, New member here looking for some of your strong opinions. Looking to get an entry 996 and have come across two manual options: 1. 1999 C2 w/turbo front end/hydraulic wing - 83k miles. 2. 2003 Targa - 132k miles. Both are black exterior with the beige interior, a combo I�m fond of. Wear looks normal, to less than average on both vehicles for the stated mileage and age. I�m aware of the IMS/water pump issues and will be having PPI on either choice. I should also have all available service records soon. I�d assume the cost of ownership for the C2 should be lower, as to not have to deal with failures (Microswitches) on the targa system. Curious which option you all would lean towards: lower mileage with the 3.4, or higher mileage 3.6 with more creature comforts/power. Thanks in advance!

I personally would go Coupe over Targa. I don’t like convertible or glass roof cars. I prefer non-sunroof cars too. But the Targa is probably worth more and will continue to be...if you care about resell value. In my opinion a car is a depreciating asset and any value is short lived so don’t sweat that. Drive it until it can’t go...then rebuild and repeat.

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Definitely understandable there. I live on the gulf coast panhandle area, so the open air opportunity of the Targa is attractive, until it gets too hot/humid. I�ve got a wrangler so that also has the ability to be �open air�. Both of the vehicles mentioned have similar purchase prices so that can be taken out of the consideration. I�m mindful of massive depreciation typically, but as I see it, the 996 platform has little left to go, if any.

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I would tend to go for the c2....double row IMS, lower mileage and the stiffness and rattle free coupe would be a big plus to me. My friend had a 996 targa that he loved and hated for reasons above. But once he want with a 997 coupe he never looked back.

Targa's are great, until they are not. So many $$$$ repairs to the Targa roof system. I have read some horror stories...microswitches go bad and the entire roof needs to come off for repairs. Go with the C2. https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...erational.html

Aren’t both of those cars C2? There was no “C4” 996 Targa. What are the prices? I’d worry about the cosmetic mods on the 99. The turbo bits don’t just bolt on.

If you have the opportunity to drive both you should definitely do that. Service records could make a big difference. A super well maintained and documented 132k mile car could be better than an 80k car with spotty records. You are buying the previous owner as much as the car with such high miles. Are you getting bore scoping done as part of PPI? It�s now almost a must and I strongly recommend it so as to avoid post purchase issues that can easily be more expensive than your purchase price! I personally am a targa fan but again drive both and see which pushes your buttons!

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That is a good point and should be considered. Unless you like what's been done I would not consider either. Find exactly what you want.

My $.02: Go look at/drive both, that�s the single biggest data point you can enter in to the buying equation. The Targas lines are different than the c2, in person they are different looking cars. My buddy had a 996 targa and it was cool but I found the c2 to be a better looking design. Also a Targa with a 132k will need repairs to the roof mechanism and it will likely be creaky during drives. Any M96 will need a rebuild at some point, mileage has a lot to do with that, but isn�t always the rule of thumb. Just something to consider here given the mileage discrepancy between the two cars in question. Other observations: -Both cars in question are RWD, so no AWD to consider here. -The Turbo front end is indeed bolt on, so other than it not being factory, there�s no downside provided the parts bolted on where done correctly. -As these cars are now 20 years old (and will need more frequent replacement of wear items), service and ownership history are huge with these cars. I�d hands down take a car with known history and a seller that can speak intelligently about the cars past over another car that doesn�t have a known history, regardless of mileage and options. -A really cool feature exclusive to the Targa is that the rear glass pops open like a hatch back to give access to the rear parcel shelf. Very useable and something I wish all 996s had.

Didn't read any other posts. I'd take the Targa any day of the week !!! And that's from a guy who hates rag tops and T-Tops. And I am biased toward 99s, esp early ones with ambers Were all Targas AWD ?

I�ll be driving the C2 middle of next week, so I should have a bit more feel then. A buddy has a 996 C4S, but it�s another breed from the NA models. From OP, I updated to reflect the none-AWD Targa. Targa was only RWD for these models. to update everyone on prices: Targa is listed at $14,400, while the lower mileage C2 is at $15,900. I should have more maintenance paperwork early this week, as I feel that information may lead to a more sound decision. Thanks for all of the help thus far everyone!

C4S is NA. That's cheap for a Targa - I'd say at that price it's worth the gamble with the roof. YMMV

I would do the Targa everyday of the week. I miss mine badly. The 996TT is awesome, but driving around Utah and the surrounding West, nothing beats the Targa top. I had no issues with mine. Lube the seals every couple of years.

I love my targa. The top tracks gets cleaned spray lubed with sailkote every year and no issues on my 2002. The hatch back window is awesome, every 911 should have it. I find that the interior height is a little better for me due to the glass roof rather than the headliner.

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I agree with most of your points. Wanted to point out that the 2002 and later 996s can have the turbo front end bolt on, however the 99 in question more likely has an aftermarket "turbo look" bumper. I would think the concern is the quality of that piece and it's installation.

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You want to drive both and will probably make the decision based on the roof. I ended up with a 99 Cab, partially because my little kids like Cabs, and I like 911s, so we both win. I have spent $4k in 3 years, just in servicing the cabriolet components of having a Cab.

Little update for everyone: A ton of great input from you all, so let me first say thank you; definitely some great arguments to be had on both sides. As of this morning I have a sway towards the Targa, mainly to the open top feeling for Florida driving, and fewer of them being built overall. My current hesitations are as follows: - The single IMS bearing in the Targa, as compared to the double in the �99. - Bore scoring on these later model 3.6s. At 132k miles, I have a bad feeling the borescope may show some devastating news. - The cable throttle in the �99 vs e-gas in the Targa. Cable would obviously be preferred for road feel, but I feel like this is a minor concern. Will follow up after sitting down with the C2 this week. Remaining patient to find a good specimen, rather than jumping into a basket case.

If the IMSB has made it 132k miles i�m not sure I�d bother dedicating $ to replace it, but others may disagree. Those funds might be better spent on other maintenance items. Best of luck on your search.

I would agree, the IMSB is less of a concern at this mileage. I have bought and sold cars with 100k or more miles on the clock, but I only like doing that when they�ve been restored, engine rebuilt, or mostly highway miles. Otherwise, those cars all needed a lot of work, and in the Porsche world, that means big money over time. I would look for a lower mileage car. A car with 70,000 less miles might even sell for a similar price.

Hey everyone, I received the attached video from the selling group today: You Tube The video is of the C2 with spoiler/front end additions. Are the 17� wheels always that deep into the body, or does everyone typically run spacers? Along with this, I was able to dig up the cars most recent service notes from April, attached to this post. I see listed that the motor runs rough above 4K rpm (third party shop was brought in to address). The coils, spark plugs, fuel filters, and valve cover seals were all replaced. Along with this, they replaced the MAFS to cover the misfires in cylinder 4, 5, and 6. Curious if all of this work has fixe the misfires/rough running on the high end, or if it�s just a patch. I�ve had a few VWs and the coils are always my first go to. These items would all be covered in a PPI from my own selected shop, but looking to save time if there�s a pre-existing knock.

Run, don�t walk. Way too many issues. Why even bother? Tons of good cars out there. And the �turbo� spoiler and knock off bumper with the 17� wheels just looks cheesy IMO.

Running rough above 4k with all those repairs and still no fix is not a good sign. It means that whomever worked on it was guessing, and/or, the person selling it needed to get rid of it for some important reason. And that reason could cost someone a lot of money. It�s a gamble.

It just doesn�t look right. Almost like it�s running Boxster wheels. The 17� wheels should not be inset that far. See pic of my car on 17�s below. Here is the car under discussion: https://www.mullinaxfordnsb.com/used...02de22bf2d.htm If you�re shopping based on price, you�re bound to be disappointed. You can buy these for �cheap,� but you will spend money to keep it going...

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This is my inclination is that whoever parted with, ran into issues that weren�t easily solvable. Now if this were an auction car, or priced accordingly, I could whittle down the price; however, with this being a �no haggle� shop, I doubt they�ll be willing to work. Sounds like their buyer at the auction got in a little too deep and they�re just trying to pass it on.

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That�s what I�m thinking; I almost thought they tried to roll the fenders with the bumper and wing addition, but the quarter panels look untouched. Definitely could be the thinner Boxer wheels they got as cheap takeoffs. I believe I�ll be passing on this one with all the unknowns.

Let's see this Targa!

Request and you shall receive! Here is the Targa I was looking into and digging up information on: https://www.truecar.com/used-cars-fo...id=autotempest No current service records, which is concerning for the mileage. The last shop for the C2 provided their internal records from latest maintenance. Seems as if this car may not be getting any treatment or review. After communicating with the salesman, the Targa top does not currently work. As some of the past posts have noted, repairing microswitches and throwing money at the top could be a long road of continued bandaids.

I really hate cheap LED tail lights on old cars, IMO I'd throw those away. I also won't buy a car with an after market head unit That said, the price on that Targa is very good. But man that's a lot of TAN on the inside ! Here's the options: https://vinanalytics.com/car/WP0BA29923S635636/

I'd also point out in the background of the pics provided, I see other high end cars. I imagine this dealer is no stranger to 911s or premium sports cars in general.

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Definitely a highly optioned car, which leads me to believe it�s been taken care of �most� of its life. I don�t mind the tan on these cars actually, as compared to the blue and silver options that pop up. Black is favorable, but then that makes this car $19,900. Which brings me to my big question: why is this such an attractive price for a Targa? Too good to be true type of situation? LEDs and headunits can always be swapped out in the future for OEM take offs. My main concern is mechanical and service intervals. This is the car that definitely needs the Borescope run through to ensure no scoring has occurred. Would also like to see the OBD data for any mechanical over revs.

Both cars were snagged up by local buyers, so the search continues! I enjoyed the Targa look and would attempt to seek out another; the build volumes will make that much more difficult. In continuing the search, I believe the best place to search is for 1999 cars with the dual-row bearing, or 3.6 units with documented IMS replacement. Any input to prevent further bore scoring issues on the 3.6s if I was to purchase one? Other than the obvious note to not push the engine at all.

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You�ll find another one These cars like to be driven frequently. You can push the engine, just make sure it�s oil is fully warmed up before doing so (20 mins). Most recommend starting the engine and driving off immediately, keeping revs between 2000-3000, driving with a delicate throttle until warm. Aside from regular oil changes with the proper weight and quality, the only other thing to do to keep track of bore scoring is regular oil analysis and filter inspection.