Looking for my first Porsche

Hi all. First post here. I've had a couple 3rd fun cars over the years (Corrado, Miata), but I've always wanted a Porsche. I'm finally at a place in my life where I think I can afford one. I've got my wife on board and I've decided on the 996. I've got my Miata up for sale (PM me if you're interested), as I'd really like to sell her first, but I've started looking anyway. My budget is $15-$20k, but I'd really like to stay in the teens. I found a silver on black '01 coupe 6-speed with only 77k miles on it listed locally by a private seller for $16,750, firm. I went to check it out and it seemed to drive ok, but had a really stiff clutch and stiff lowering springs, which I wasn't crazy about. When I got back I searched the vin, and found this ad: https://rennlist.com/forums/vehicle-...-nice-car.html which links to this thread: https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...96-reborn.html The seller told me he had it a year (which it seems like he hasn't), and didn't mention the engine replacement. He did say that it had the IMS/RMS retrofit and showed me a receipt for it, but the receipt was before the replacement, and based on that ad, it clearly does not. I think i'm going to pass on this one, unless he moves on the price. It also had a few cosmetic flaws, and a couple minor mechanical ones. The only other one I've looked at was a black on black automatic convertible at the Ford dealer while I was getting my wife's car's oil changed. Before that, I once drove my girlfriend's uncle's white 996 cab in back high school. The auto really didn't feel that bad in the cab, but I still think I'd prefer a manual. How reliable are the auto trans and the convertible top mechanisms? Thanks!

Stay away from automatic, not that it's unreliable just that it's better to have a manual. As for the car you've posted about it doesn't sound horrible having read the other threads but it sounds like it could be a headache. There are plenty of these cars out there to be had at a reasonable price so do not rush. Do your due diligence and your homework and it will pay off tenfold in the long run! I have a mk2 3.6. It was a low miles pristine, almost show quality, example and I paid extra for that as it is my daily driver. When it comes to the 3.4's however it is my understanding that the 1999 model year is the best to go for because they have the dual row IMS bearing. Good luck with the search and enjoy whatever car you find

Thanks for the advice! Is the dual row IMS bearing more reliable than the single?

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yes the dual row bearings are more reliable than the original small single row. If the car is an 01 then it could have a single or a dual row bearing. My 01 had a dual row.

You want to stay in the teens? You get what you pay for, do not think you're going to find a show room 911, low miles with the IMS, RMS,AOS changed by flat 6 innovations for that price, with this cars is not about the money to buy them, is about maintenance. If your not a DIY type of guy, it is expensive, is not like the Miata, cheap parts and easy to work with them, there are some projects that require to remove the engine on the 911, the dual row doesn't mean you have an IMS bulletproof 996, they can still fail, but well the IMS issue is 89% of the threads you will see in this forum. Keep looking, get a PPI inspection before giving the cash and you either try to aim for 25000 and up or buy one in the teens and have $5000 handy for any work that needs to be done.

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This particular one was an '01 but it had the engine replaced with a '99 dual row.

Yes the dual row is more reliable. No matter what though I would replace the IMS bearing with an Ln engineering system. If it's a dual row you can rest easy waiting until you need a clutch or some other major service where you have to pull the transmission. I would disagree, I think you can get a great Mk1 996 for under $20,000 with under 70,000 miles. Will it have a brand-new clutch? Probably not. Will it have an lne IMS? Again probably not. What I would do is buy one for $16-$17,000 in the 60-70,000 miles range, then immediately have the 75,000 mile maintenance done by a Porsche indie shop, no matter when the previous owner had the last service. This way you know the car has had a major service and it is on your service schedule. Then as others have stated, put away $5,000 in a rainy day fund for when you need to do clutch and IMS plus some change for misc stuff. The only thing I would recommend doing alongside the 75k Service would be replacing the water pump.

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Thanks for the advice. I am a DIY type of guy, so I don't mind working on it myself, and it won't be a daily driver, so I don't mind it being down for a few days or a week. I'm definitely planning on a PPI, and $25k is outside my budget. If I did go that high, I'd be looking at an '02+, not 99-01. I have seen some in the teens with the IMS/RMS fixes. $5000 sounds a bit steep for an assumption of how much work it will need right off the bat.

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Wow. Thanks for the advice. And those prices sound more like what I was thinking.

Whatever your budget is, be willing to ad $5,000 for "the right one" also set aside $1,000 in DIY funds. I set a super low budget and found the "perfect one" at $4000 over my budget. But it was worth the extra cash. I'm much happier with the one I got than I ever would have been with the low end examples I looked at.

Run from the car you were talking about at the beginning of this thread. It sounds like trouble in a dozen different ways. That car now behind us, buying a car for 16 to 17 thousand...plus sales tax and license plus a major service plus a few other things that will always need addressing...and you are going to spend $22,000 to $25,000 no matter how you cut it. And it could even be more. If you don't have that in your budget, keep saving and hold off buying. Just make a list... Waterpump IMS RMS AOS Clutch major service possible brakes flushing all fluids (brakes, coolant, transmission, engine oil). possible motor mounts possible shocks and bushings There is no free lunch or Porsche tooth fairy. Miles mean wear and unless you have solid receipts and a PPI to prove any of these things were done in the last 30k miles, you better plan on spending the money and having it done. Now if you're just looking for a project car to park in the garage and work on in your spare time and maybe have it on the road in 6 to 12 months...then start looking for a salvage title in the sub eleven thousand dollar range. In the end you'll have learned the car, had fun, and come out the other end with a good daily driver that will always be hard to sell...but you will have already gotten your money out of it.

The car you found is my old one. Pm sent with my contact info if you'd like to discuss offline.

Alright, back the truck up. You can get a very nice Mk I 996 in the $15k-$20k range with an IMS upgrade and up to date maintenance. Damn, you guys expect everybody to buy a car and immediately start replacing perfectly good working parts even if the car is running just fine. Especially for an early Mk I, if it hasn't had the IMSB replaced, then do it at the next clutch change. Factor original IMSB into the price you are willing to pay, but don't work yourself into a frenzy thinking that just because it has the original IMSB that you must immediately run out and replace the IMSB, clutch, AOS, RMS, blah blah blah. It's just a car. Buy a well-maintained and not abused car, change oil regularly, fix stuff when it breaks, drive the car and enjoy it.

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I agree entirely.. I have the 99 C2 Manual Cab. I am keeping my original IMSB even if I have the clutch replaced in the future. The double row are better than the replacements. More important I have the AOS done if the engine has to be lowered. Not the IMSB. Even those have to be replaced further down the road AGAIN. They leak. Read the threads.

Thanks for all the responses and info, folks. How do you guys feel about the IMS guardian as an interim measure until I'm prepared to do the fix as part of a major service?

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perfect that's what I would do in your shoes

If you are picking up any red flags from the seller, run away don't walk. Plenty of other deals out there. Rebuild heads, lowered....at first glance that reads like someone's track toy. On the bearing topic, my understanding is the dual row IMS bearing was used primarily in the 3.4L 99-01 and the switch was made to the single row bearing in 3.6L '02 and revised into the later engines up '09. Personally I would budget a couple grand for any used 996 for IMS, RMS and clutch (depending). Also the word I get is the single row bearings have a higher rate of failure. But how the engine is treated is a big factor in bearing longevity. Lack of engine oil cleanliness was mentioned as a big factor in bearing failures. So look for a car from an **** type owner (like me) who frequently had the fluids changed even during rest or periods of low mileage and documents everything.

I thought only the 99s had the dual row. I passed on the first car, and he said he found another buyer. I've got a couple more prospects, but not much locally. Looks like I'm going to have to wait or travel. How is the C4 vs the C2? Is the AWD worth it if I'm not planning on driving it in the winter? Edit: also think I found a buyer for the Miata, which is good. I'm sad to see her go though. The weather is starting to get nice for a few days a week.

The AWD system in the 996 wasn't designed for winter driving, so you'll never miss it. If you decide to drive your RWD 996 in winter conditions, then a set of proper winter tires will serve you well. They'll do much more for you than the AWD system.

Ok. So is the extra grip in dry conditions worth it?

My first Porsche was a blind random purchase of a 944turbo that blew up, but which I sold (non-running) for more than I purchased it. My second Porsche was the result of a careful search and a PPI - it was a Boxster 986 2.7L with M030 and my favorite Porsche I've ever owned (out of 8 total).

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You'll never know the difference unless you track the car, and even then it will be hard to tell. The driving experience on street is very similar when comparing the C2 and C4. At the limits of grip, the C2 is more likely to oversteer while the C4 is more likely to understeer.

So, I'm assuming there's a weight and drivetrain loss penalty for the AWD. It sounds like it doesn't offer any better handling, just different, and probably not worth it?

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There is a weight penalty, but it's not significant. The AWD system weighs less than 130 lbs. The C2 is faster in a straight line and will feel lighter, but we are talking about tenths of a second... It's not a huge amount. The C4 allows you to power out of corners faster on the track, but again... The difference is minuscule. If I was going to buy an AWD 996, then my choice would be a C4S or a turbo. Otherwise, I would probably buy a C2.

I have to chime in because I don't agree - I can absolutely tell the difference between a C2 and a C4 almost immediately, with the C4 pushing like a pig. A C4 will be significantly slower due to the extra driveline loss and 200-300 extra lbs when all is said and done: http://fastestlaps.com/comparisons/p...arrera_4s.html 3.6L 996 C2 v. 3.6L 996 C4S Max speed 285 kph 280 kph 0 - 100 kph 4.7 s 5.1 s 0 - 100 mph 10.2 s 11.6 s 0 - 200 kph 16.2 s 19.2 s 1/8 mile 8.6 s @ 91 mph 8.7 s @ 85 mph Power/weight ratio 234 bhp/tonne 214 bhp/tonne Over a second (10 car lengths) from 0-100 mph Disclaimer: I have a massive preference for C2s, or for the mid-engine cars.

You're comparing a C2 to a C4S, not to a C4. The weight penalty is greater for the C4S because of the wide body, among other things. The weight penalty in a C4 is less than 130 lbs. That being said, in Porsche's testing, the C4S lapped N�rburgring a full 4 seconds faster than the C2. It was probably due to the larger tires and larger brakes, but it was still faster. Even comparing the C2 to the C4S, the post above reiterates my point that we are talking about tenths of a second. I've spent many hours behind the wheel of a 996 C4S as well as a C2, and you really can't tell the difference when driving on the street.

Well, at least I can agree with you about snow tires vs. AWD.

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It's all good. Believe me, I appreciate the purity of the RWD C2 and I agree with your thoughts about the C4 pushing a bit when cornering, I just don't think that many people drive these cars at the limits of traction where you'd notice it.

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Dennis - did you DD your 996 C4S in Evergreen? Did you find it sufficient for mountain living/commuting with a good set of winter tires? Or did you have another vehicle to drive when the weather got bad? What, if any, changes were made to the AWD system when the 997 came out? Were there any additional changes from the 997.1 to .2? Thanks, Will

The IMS guardian will essentially tell you when to stop driving your car. If you're OK with that as a remediation tactic, that's fine - but as many will tell you, once you have circulated enough metal to make the guardian alert, your problems are now more involved than a retrofit. Others have apparently been using the guardian as a "dump it" alarm - i.e. when it goes off, you dump the car on some poor unsuspecting rube. There's a special place in hell for people who do stuff like that, so don't be that guy. As for the AWD components - I enjoy the car more after having removed the front diff, half shafts, and drive shaft, but I NEVER have cause to drive my 996 in snow, and it doesn't really rain much here. I did however feel like the AWD changed the dynamics well before reaching the "limit" - PSM seemed like it made some very odd choices when driving at, say, seven-tenths on winding roads and non-flat corners. I have found PSM to be much less quirky after removing the FWD components. All of this is with the caveat that my car is lower and tire shoulder height much less than a stock 996. If you are committed to spending as little as possible to get into the 996 - and other people are going to argue vehemently about that - I suggest a '99 rather than a higher-mileage '00 or '01. Ask Dr. Google about benefits of the '99 996 compared to other first-gen 996's.

Will, I did drive my 996 C4S every day in Evergreen. The only exception was when the snow was deeper than 5". In those situations, I waited until the plows came out and cleared the roads before I drove. I had no issues at all driving the car in winter conditions with proper winter tires aside from ground clearance. The 996 uses a mechanical AWD system driven by a viscous coupling. This system normally puts about 5% of the power to the front wheels and it can put as much as 40% of the power to the front wheels. The viscous coupling contains a series of clutch plates inside of a case filled with dilitant fluid. This fluid reacts rapidly to temperature changes. If the front wheels are spinning at a different rate than the back wheels, then the fluid heats up and becomes very viscous, almost to the point of being solid. This then engages the clutch plates and drives the front wheels. This situation could happen when cornering on the track or during spirited driving, allowing the driver to rapidly power out of a corner. It could also happen due to wheel slippage on slippery roads. The problem with the second scenario is that when the rear wheels slip on a snowy road, the PSM system intervenes and stops the wheel slip before the front wheels are engaged. It essentially limits the ability of the car to be AWD in slippery conditions. It was really designed for the track. The system used in the normally aspirated 997.1 cars is virtually identical to that used in the 996. The only exception to this is the 997.1 TT, which uses an electronically controlled system that is much more capable in slippery conditions. This system went into use in the normally aspirated cars in 2009 with the launch of the 997.2. The system uses a variety of sensors to detect wheel slippage and it applies power to the correct wheel in 100 milliseconds, typically before the driver can even detect that there is slippage. I have found it to be very effective up in Evergreen. Interestingly, the 997.1 TT that I'm currently driving has a PSM system that is less intrusive than the one that my 996 C4S had. The 997 will allow the car to fishtail and slide a little bit more before the electronic nanny takes over. The 996 didn't allow for much play...

Thanks Dennis. So would turning PSM off (there's a button on the dash for that, right?) increase the effectiveness of the AWD if needed (like trying to get up an icy driveway)? Where in Evergreen are you? I am in Denver and have an Aunt in Evergreen so spend quite a bit of time up there...

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Turning off PSM to get up a steep, slippery driveway would definitely work. I've done that very thing! I wouldn't do it for driving on the street in slippery conditions though, for obvious reasons. I live off of Upper Bear Creek Road, about a mile past the lake. We really like the area.

I love the drive down Upper Bear Creek. That is a beautiful area! My Aunt is a little North of you off of Soda Creek. I might have to swing by and check out your Turbo some day!

Any time! You should come to a PCA event or a PBC event. I'm thinking of attending the PCA membership social at Ferrari of Denver on Thursday.

I recently picked up a '99 Mk1 C2 with 100K and some nice recent work including a LNE IMSB and a clutch. A few other items had been done as well. Two good owners with lots of history and perfect condition. I do have $ in reserve if needed, but so far I've had the car 4 months and it has been rock solid - only thing I uncovered was a broken oil filler pipe which is a $60 part. Seems like a serious pain to get to - haven't done it yet. I am mostly a DIY guy myself. These cars are not too bad to work on, but the packaging is a lot tighter than the front engine cars I am used to working on. Anyway - I think your budget of sub $20K is very achievable for a quality 996. Personally I think the '99 is a great way to go - dual row IMS, mechanical throttle, not much electronics to go wrong - it's a really good drivers car that is equally suited to daily driving as it is to carving up the twisty mountain roads.

^ Caveat - because there's always a caveat on RL - if you select a '99 C4, it will be e-gas, not mechanical throttle, and it will have PSM. If you get a C2, the '99 will have a mechanical throttle.

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I was planning on heading to the PCA membership social this week as well. Hope to see you there!

Wow. I'm in Denver too, actually quite close to Ferrari of Denver. Thanks for all the info. How high on the mileage is tolerable? There's a C2 with 116k and a C4 with 120k. Both 99s but at dealers and seemingly without service history. Edit: Also, I've done plenty of autocross events, and I plan to do a few track days, so it seems like the C4 might be worth it. Not to mention the additional ability to drive her year round with greater confidence.

I think that "worth it" is a subjective thing. Many people prefer the C2 for track duty because it's lighter and doesn't understeer as much. That being said, some people prefer the C4 and consider it easier to drive on the track, and there's less fear of oversteer. You really can't go wrong with either one, but it might not be a bad idea to try both before you buy. Mileage is tough to call. If a car with higher mileage has good service history and records as well as a good PPI, then it doesn't concern me too much.

What about not so much service history but a good PPI? (And a good price) How about the 40% locking LSD available in the 99s?

Ya what is tolerable to you on mileage? I guess it depends on the car, the history, the price, the condition, the color combo and options. The 99 I picked up had 103k miles but that was offset in my mind by the service history, two owners, condition, recent IMSB and clutch job etc. That is going to come down to a personal decision only you can make. Some people may feel that a car with more than 50k or 75k or 100k or whatever is too much for them. But in the end it comes down to the specific car you end up finding and mileage is one factor and an important one. But not the only thing for sure.

Is it better to have a dealer do a "102 point" inspection or a "21 point" inspection plus a compression & leak down test? Both are $250. I'm leaning towards the 21 point plus compression/leak down, as it seems like the salesman can do most of the other points of inspection for me, and that will tell me the most about the engine.

no idea what those entail, but getting the compression and leakdown tests would be very helpful on a car with 130K miles.

I went for the 120 point. They sent me lists and the 21 point wasn't worth it. I'll see how that comes out and then decide if I need to do compression test for another $125. Car has 116k miles. Wish me luck!

Is anyone near Oklahoma City, and wants to check out a car at a dealer for me?

What do you all think of these: http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...83342960&Log=0 http://albuquerque.craigslist.org/cto/4858745454.html https://rennlist.com/forums/vehicle-...uards-red.html The guards red is obviously nicest, but furthest away.

I agree that the red one looks the best. One interesting thing though; the car in the photo has Turbo Look I wheels, not Techno wheels as mentioned on the options list. It's probably not a big deal, but it appears that the wheels have been changed.

Good eye. I'm kind of indifferent between those two wheel styles. I'll probably check out the C4 in Colorado springs this weekend, but it seems to be a bit over priced considering the mileage and that it probably doesn't have any maintenance history.

Somewhat local one (1 hr away). 5 owners 120k: http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...83342960&Log=0 Then I found these in Texas: One owner, 95k: http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=386350944&Log=0 65k miles, 5 owners, no pics: http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...80887599&Log=0 What's up with some of these cars having so many owners? And in weird time frames and mileages? e.g. 2nd owner acquiring at 15k; Owning for 2 years and putting barely a 1000 miles on it, then two owners later it goes from 65k to 110k in two and a half years. Sure it averages out to be very low over 15 years, but a lot of the multiple owner cars look like they have someone who just bought her and then ragged her for a couple years and dumped her. Also, anyone familiar with either the Porsche Dealer in Co. Springs, or German Motorcraft?

Ok, so the C4 in Co springs has a deposit on it, for full asking price, and it didn't sound like they were willing to move much at all anyway. I'm talking to the dealer in Dallas with the 1-owner car. It looks really clean in all the pics. I may go ahead with a PPI. Anyone in Dallas want to check it out for me or know of a good shop? There's also this black on black C2 here in Denver, that is priced quite high, but I talked to the owner and she's willing to come down to $18k, which is still a tad on the high side IMO. http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/4864262363.html The car has hardly any options, and I'm not crazy about the color combo, but I still may go to check it out on Monday. I really wish the red one near Portland was closer.

That black one doesn't look bad, but the ad is kind of funny. Turbo brakes are more than just red calipers... I'm not saying that they aren't turbo brakes, but it would surprise me if they were. Also, the engine is not 3.5L.

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Yeah. I've been emailing back and forth with the seller. She hasn't heard of the IMS issue and even though they've had it for a while, they don't seem to have much in the way of records. I put a (refundable) deposit down on the one-owner black on grey one in Texas. I'm having a PPI done Monday. The saleswoman has been very helpful. She's seeing about getting more service history from the previous owner who traded it in, and she even did a video chat with me and the car this morning. This time I found an independent shop and saved a bit over the dealer. Wish me luck!

The one in Dallas came back pretty clean. It needs tires and brakes, and no leaks except for one at the right front brake line. Waiting to hear back from the saleswoman. I heard from the dealer in CO Springs that the buyer on the C4 under deposit fell through. Now I feel dumb for not checking it out earlier and moving so quick with the PPI on the black one in TX.

Keep in mind , it's all about the chase. You'll find the right one. Be patient grasshopper.

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+996

Not sure if anyone has mentioned it, but you might want to chat with your local Porsche Indy to see if any of their customers are looking to sell. Also see if the local PCA chapter has a publication that you could place an ad in.

Thanks for the advice. It looks like I'm moving forward on the one owner car in Dallas, as the dealer is willing to correct some of the things from the PPI. Here's a full set of pics: http://inventoryplus.dealertrack.com...photos/1655120 The dealer had their in-house mechanic look at the brakes, after my PPI said they needed to be replaced, and he said they still have at least 40% remaining. He sent me these pics: They still look to me to have a good bit of wear left. What do you guys think?

It looks like less than 40% to me, but it's hard to say looking at photos. Perhaps you could negotiate new brakes into the deal, pads and sensors at a minimum.

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He wouldn't throw new pads on, but is replacing the rear tires, and the leak at the brake line was apparently (according to the dealer's in house mechanic) just over spray of Armorall in the fender liner or tire shine. I have a deposit in on it and will be flying in next weekend to complete the deal and drive her back to Denver.

Good for you. Glad you could strike a deal, looks like a nice Porsche.

The caliper in the first photo looks to be beat to hell for a car with only 65k on it...In addition, there looks to be a pretty good ridge around the edge of that rotor - maybe the photo is misleading...not sure. Anyway, just my 2 cent... I hope it works out well for you!

Someone did a crap job repainting that caliper. Look at the rubber boot that fits over the bleeder nipple - it's been painted over and is flaking off. That in no way suggests you should avoid the car - if you like it and it's in overall good health, brakes are almost trivial to work on. However, "Armor All overspray" ain't the only thing going on with that caliper. To me, it looks as though it was rattle-canned with silver at one point, and then sometime after that it was painted black...

And people say Porsche owners are ****.

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Thanks! The car has 95k on it. I know that brakes will have to be my first bit of maintenance, as long as nothing else more serious comes up before (fingers crossed). I'm pretty sure I can do the job myself. It looks like ECS Tuning has a good kit for $600, but they also have some much cheaper options. Has anyone used the really cheap rotors on there? I know I've had good experience with Meyle products on my VW before. TireRack has more expensive rotors, but they have a better price on Akebono Euro pads, which I liked a lot on my Golf. Anyone else used these on their 996? Well I'll definitely add painting the calipers to my list, too.

I didn't mean to disparage the rest of the car - just noting what I saw in the photo that was posted... Even though the car has 95k on it, that doesn't mean the calipers should look like that - it clearly wasn't well maintained (that was my point). My car has 137k on it and my calipers look almost perfect (except for the chips that I just put on them when I removed the wheels... ). Brakes aren't all that expensive if you're doing the work yourself. FWIW, I wouldn't skimp on price for brakes! That doesn't mean you have to buy the most expensive race ready components, but don't get the cheapies either...once again, just my $.02

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Are you saying that you think the whole car wasn't well maintained or just the calipers? Maybe they were replaced with used or rebuilt ones that had been repainted?

After having a deposit for 3 weeks I finally made the trip and drove her home yesterday. she performs beautifully. home sweet home: Now I've got to look for child seats that will fit the rear. Also, a couple questions: Do the mirrors fold in? I saw on a forum that someone said they didn't but it looks like the manual says they do. I have the power and memory seat on the driver side and I thought it came with lumbar support, but the switch just has a blank circle where the control should be. Any thoughts? I don't have the second stalk to control the trip computer, is it possible to add this? is it possible to retrofit traction control or PSM?

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Nope, I was just making an observation on the calipers - anything else would just have been speculation and that wasn't my intent...In any case, congrats on the car, I hope it works out well for you I don't know about the mirrors, as I've never tried to fold mine in. I've read that it is possible to fit the control stalk for the computer. As for the seat, I would think that if the controls aren't present, then the adjustable lumbar support isn't either - just a guess though...

Congrats!! Please consider coming to the RMR PCA events - there is a great community here in the front range. http://rmr.pca.org See you around! Ps- side mirrors fold in. Just lean into them.

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Thanks! Yeah, I figured out the mirrors. I knew about the RMR PCA, but thanks for reminding me! I'm going to try to make it to the new member event on the 21st, and hopefully an auto-x or two this season. There's also the C&C in Parker this Saturday that I'm going to try to get out to.

Well played sir and congrats! Looks like a nice ride. Welcome updates on how its working out for you...surprises, etc.

First mod: Recaro Seat At the PCA meet:

Onboard computer option: http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti...stallation.htm As for power lumbar, if the option is on the sticker there is a chance the previous owners swapped the seats out.

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Thanks. The weird thing is that I have a driver's memory seat, but I didn't see that option on the sticker. I doubt the seat has been swapped. I think it's more likely that the option codes were decoded incorrectly, or the sticker is incorrect. 537 decodes to either driver's seat with positrol and lumbar, or driver's memory seat, depending on the decoder

Is that first pic from the local PCA new member social meet of your car? Mine is the dark blue Cab parked right next to it! Lots of beautiful cars to see there that day!

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Most likely as the driver's memory seat also has a separate memory module underneath that isn't normally wired if it didn't come with the option. It would've been too difficult to retrofit after the fact.

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Yes, that's my car at the new member social. Sorry I didn't get a chance to meet you! Was that cab really dark blue? I would've sworn it was black.

Congrats on the Car. Looks like you got a good one! I was in the same position. I had sold my Bullitt and was looking for a 996 a year ago. My budget was right in line with yours and I too found a good car. What I did was to systematically go through the car. Pulled off the wheels, Front and Rear bumpers, All the underbody panels, Cleaned out the Radiators and Condensers, Sorted out the brakes, Changed plugs, filters, Cleaned off gunk (67k), Found that I needed to Replace the Struts, Added Reliability Mods (LN Spin on Adapter), Clutch was replaced at 57k already, No Idea on IMSB situation. 99's have the dual row at least. I have probably put 2-3k into the car to get it to where it is today. What I am saying is enjoy getting to know your car! Perfomance and quality per dollar these are one of the best cars out there right now. Don't listen to the IMSB fear mongering.

Quotes source post: 12175357

Thanks! That sounds like a very similar list to what I'm planning, except I have newer struts. I'm going to try to get some of the service records from the places I saw on the carfax. Anyone ever had success with that? I've been enjoying the nice weather though.

I contacted the Pcar dealer who had serviced my car since new. He faxed me all of the records from the previous owner. Alan

I was pretty successful in getting service history from the dealers and even an independent shop: 3 out of 4 places, covering about 9 years and 50k miles of records. Only the first dealer where it was serviced didn't have records because they were all over 10 years old and they "purged" their system of old records.