First post: Looking for advice on 996 purchase

Hi all, long time lurker first time poster... I have recently come across the opportunity to buy a 2000 996 Carrera, and was looking to the wisdom of the rennlist community for guidance. Its trade in at the VW dealer I work at. -68k -3 previous owners, current owner has had it since 2007 and only put approx 7,000 miles on it. Prior owner had it for 1 year and out 10k, first owner had it from new -2005 and put about 50k. No service records , although I was able to briefly talk to the current owner and he said that the IMS bearing has been done. He also told me that he hasn't driven it in two years, but in the past year (odd) has replaced the condenser due to a stone hitting it... so the AC will need to be charged. Has what look to be relatively new Yokohama S-drive tires, I forgot to check the DOT date stamp. I'd prefer it had some Michelins, but at least they aren't Nexen or Ling longs lol. Haven't had it up on the lift yet, but I can see from an exterior visual inspection that the hood/fenders/bumper have been painted . Other than that, there are a few scratches which is to be expected on a 16 year old car. The interior is in decent shape, no rips or abnormal wear in the leather. Soft touch plastics are in decent shape, and the rugs are clean and not overly worn. The price of the car is $15,000 + a $400 "pack" + $1500 "just because you work here fee". I would like to try and eliminate the "employee fee", so lets assume the car is $15,400. Any input is appreciated, thanks in advance. :thumbs: Here are some cell phone pics I took, just to give a basic idea...

Decode those options....looks like a lot.....looks like a really nice car for the price. Buy it. Enjoy it.

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Have to decode all the option codes, but from the pics it looks like an average car on that front. The rear parking sensors are pretty rare. Damn I forgot how ugly there were! $15000 is probably close to right for a MkI C2 this time of year. What are the other $1900 charges they want? I'd say no to those. Getting it on the lift is good, but if someone familiar with the 996 isn't involved it will be easy to overlook some things or misunderstand the meanings of others. If you post your location someone might be able to given you an Indy recommendation or come over and help you take a look. From the limited pics it looks like a nice clean example.

Folding Targa Top Interestingly when I pull our's up (C4 coupe) on Porsche's system (see the sticky in the Cayenne forum) it also claims ours is a Targa. Not sure what is up with that.

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From looking on cars.com and auto trader, it seems the low price range for a similar car is between $17-20,000. Part of the reason I was interested in this car was the price. If it doesn't turn out to be a bargain, I will just search for a cleaner example and pay a few more grand. One of the guys where I work is a previous Porsche tech, so once I can get it into the shop I planned on having him look at it. Yes, those rear parking sensors are pretty terrible looking lol.

Yea, those rear parking sensors are damn ugly, and the rear windshield wiper is unnecessary, but it looks like a decent 996 with some nice options. I'd say PPI / buy / enjoy!

I assume from your username that you're a Mercedes guy. If so, you're used to the German luxury car game (plus you work at a VW dealer, so that should give you some insight). If you can get it for $15,400, then buy it and enjoy it. If you decide to upgrade later, you'll get your $$ back out of it. It is a well-optioned car, and personally I think the rear parking sensors are fine (unlike say the front bumperettes on some of the 2001 996tt's). But, it is somewhat of a "generic" 911: silver over black, no significant mods, no aero bits. So you might get the urge to get something a little more unique after a year or so. Absolutely nothing wrong with silver over black - there's a reason they make so many in that color combo and it is quintessentially German.

looks impecable, Go for it, just think which VW you can buy for $15400

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Same code #'s mean different things for different models. Targa top on a 911, 3-spoke wheel on a 996. Option decoder isn't very smart, so it lists all possible interpretations for the same code number.

If you like the way it runs and drives go for it! That is a very good price for that car most $$15K 996 cars are crap

Buy it. C02 Equipped with Catalytic Converter XD3 Rain sensor (not with M567) X54 Stainless steel tailpipes X70 Stainless steel door entry guards with logo X71Aluminum Instrument Dials 139 Seat heating, left 236 Internal production code related to tyres 288 Headlamp washer 340 Seat heating, right 413 18" 993 Turbo-look wheels (not hollow spoke) 425 Rear window wiper 436 3-spoke steering wheel 437 8-way electrical seat, left 438 8-way electrical seat, right 446 Wheel caps with colored Porsche crest 476 PSM Porsche Stability Management 490 Sound system 513 4-way electrically adjustable lumbar support, right seat 537 Seat memory, left 586 4-way electrically adjustable lumbar support, left seat 601 Xenon headlamps 635 ParkAssistant 662 PCM 1 Porsche Communication Management screen with navigation, telephone module, radio, cassette player 692 CD changer 939 Draped leather rear seats 981 Leather dashboard and door panels 982 Draped leather front seats 09981 Vehicle transfer to VRS for the installation of "Exclusive" parts 09991 manufacture from the exclusive-programme

Lots of options, low mileage, and looks to be in decent shape. Have you driven it yet? I would want to know why the front end was repainted. It may just have been to take care of chips and road rash, OR it may have been due to an accident. Otherwise I'd say buy it.

IMHO. if you like it, drive it and if you still like buy it. This will be a totally different ride then you Benz. Much more driver involvement. It has a great option list and a "stealthy" color. Silver does not say "look at me" like Speed Yellow or another bright color. Tires, consider them an expendable item. I would look at the brakes, see how much pad is left and get some calipers on the rotors. The seats look good for the mileage. Was there a LN Engineering sticker with serial number on the driver door jamb or near VIN sticker? The respray is not a big catch for me. Porsche's of all vintages are magnets for stone chips if driven for some reason. I looked for close to a year before ending up buying my C4S. Some consider the "hunt" part of the fun.

PRICE to buy vis-�-vis COST TO KEEP. If you can say YES to both, BUY IT (pending a healthy PPI)

If PPI checks, buy it. The car looks clean and well cared for. Also look for an LN Engineering sticker on the engine compartments lid or sill. Not sure if other IMS bearing manufacturers place a sticker stating the bearing has been upgraded. It would be nice to confirm if this has been done but to me not a deal breaker.

At that price $15,400 it's more than a fair deal. PPI and buy.

It looks like a nice clean manual c2 , PSM ( an expensive option) is nice to have and the car has a black interior . 6 speed c2 cars are the sportiest and lightest of the 996 ( non gt3 or turbo) family, always desirable. And with a few suspension tweaks , performance brake pads , you can build something pretty special for not a lot of money . Black interiors wear very well . If you scuff the leather bits , they come up well with some shoe polish . 996 leather seat wear better than the later 997 seats , just give the leather some leather balm a couple times a year. And it will look good for a long time Since you work in a shop , the imsb upgrade is pretty straightforward and a fresh clutch and rms would give you some peace of mind. And if you decide to sell the car in a year or two , make the car easier to sell on. Edit , I see your comment about the imsb being done , does he have any paperwork or do you know which shop did the work? If you are confident it's been done , great . Check the AC works , the condensers easily rot. Buy it , change every fluid and filter and enjoy it.