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YOUR RESEARCHBuying first 996
Reported or suspected cause
first car i went the distance
Reported cause
No successful repair reported for this finding.
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Identified cause
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Suspected cause
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Reported fixes
Read evidence and context
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Discussions that report identifying a cause
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Reported cause · Original poster
Not necessarily because of the dealers unwillingness to negotiate the price but mostly because it was the first car I went the distance on..test drive, ppi, ect.
Leading evidence: 'first car i went the distance' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'first car i went the distance' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Clean .) one other item' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
Used Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe for sale at Porsche Rocklin
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
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Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that suspect a cause
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Suspected cause
IMS/RMS is going to be a big ticket item, perhaps clutch WYAIT (While you are in there), and a "new factory AOS" has been proven to be junk.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
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Suggestion
(I had one and it drove me nuts trying to keep it clean.) One other item that was on my "must have list" was PSM.
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Suggestion
It is alot of money, but not if the bores are in great shape and of you can negotiate a better price on replacing the IMSB with the LN Solution or Retro, RMS with the most updated OE, Water Pump with a brand new OEM water pump and the AOS with the UAOS.
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Suggestion
They key for any M96 engine is to drop the sump and see whats in it, scope the bores, check out whats in the oil filter, and run an oil test on the old oil.
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Suggestion · Original poster
Not necessarily because of the dealers unwillingness to negotiate the price but mostly because it was the first car I went the distance on..test drive, ppi, ect.
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
They key for any M96 engine is to drop the sump and see whats in it, scope the bores, check out whats in the oil filter, and run an oil test on the old oil.
These are separate views of the same evidence. Frequency alone does not establish a fix, and these counts must not be added together.
first car i went the distance
No successful repair reported for this finding.
1
Identified cause
0
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
Read evidence and context
Discussions that report identifying a cause
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Reported cause · Original poster
Not necessarily because of the dealers unwillingness to negotiate the price but mostly because it was the first car I went the distance on..test drive, ppi, ect.
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
28 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261026T120458Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Hi everyone
I'm new to this community and need some help with a purchase. I�m looking at purchasing my first Porsche and have fallen in love with a 996. I�ve been working with a dealer and had an independent ppi done yesterday. The car is a 2003 c2 with 47k miles. They are asking $35.9k. The ppi shows a slight rms leak and faulty AOS among a few minor issues. The shop recommends a new ims bearing and fixing RMS and AOS sooner than later at a cost of 5-7k. The independent shop says it is a very good example and they gave it a rating of an �8�. The dealer is unwilling to budge on price but is willing to take care of all the smaller fixes including a loud rattle from the sunroof, dead brake lights and reinstall of stock mufflers. The car otherwise drives like a dream, has a near mint interior and did I mention that I Love It?!?
is this a fair price? How should I proceed?
thanks for all your help!
I would agree. It does seem overpriced. I wouldn't consider myself knowledgeable about the market but you came here for opinions...I would have thought that was more or a high twenties car? I was assuming it was a C4S for that price.
I will take the other side. It is alot of money, but not if the bores are in great shape and of you can negotiate a better price on replacing the IMSB with the LN Solution or Retro, RMS with the most updated OE, Water Pump with a brand new OEM water pump and the AOS with the UAOS.
They key for any M96 engine is to drop the sump and see whats in it, scope the bores, check out whats in the oil filter, and run an oil test on the old oil.
Is the dealer a porsche dealer. If so, the negotiations should be easier with the above listed items. If not, then the price needs to come down with the cost of the parts and service.
Don't know what's up with putting on OEM mufflers. Whats on their now?
Not a Porsche dealer and the previous owner put on a straight pipe w/cats and muffler delete. It sounds good but too loud for my taste and the original exhaust is available..
Carfax shows two owners. First owner drove it from new until 2023 and put 45k miles on it. Strangely the carfax shows at least one safety inspection and one emissions inspection every year from 2003 until 2023 but only 3 "services" in that span. The dealer tells me the second owner was a mechanic and did his own work so no history available. The second owner told the dealer that he did a bore scope and they are clean but has not produced any pictures.also he only drove it 1k miles..
From what I have seen, the asking price is on the high side for a 996 c2 but for the mileage and condition it is in line with whats on the market right now, aside from auctions...
I would pay 35.9 if the bores were PROVEN to be in great shape and the IMSB, RMS, UAOS and water pump were recently done.
If not, subtract the cost of those items from the purchase price. Remember, you still will have to do the suspension as well. All of it adds up.
I would pay up for a 996.2 that has been properly refreshed and pay down if it hasn't.
Ther are plenty of examples here on RL of guys that refreshed everything on their 996.2 and sold them for a similar price to your 996.
While the car is technically a BASE module C2, it does have some nice options. (see below) However, $36,000 for this car given the PPI results, it's entirely too high IMHO. The current market average for this car is $25,000. I would keep looking. This being a 2003, that means the dreaded 6204 small single row bearing and since it has confirmed leakage, You definitely would want to plan to replace it with the RMS and AOS. With tax, tag, title, and service noted in the PPI, you'll be in the car for nearing $45,000. I've seen plenty low miles 2003 Carreras in the sub $20K area. Now on the other hand, if the dealer paid to have the service done that was noted in the PPI, it would be worth it.
Another factor that may sound trivial but to me it is a big deal is that this car is local. I just do not have the time to travel to see a car long distance and schedule/wait for a ppi in another city across the country and then drive it back. I would love to do that actually, its just not possible. This is the only car within 100 miles of me that ticks the boxes.. Hypothetically speaking, lets just say I pony up and get everything done on this car and end up paying 45k total and am happy as a clam for the next 5-10 years, isn't that worth it?
You'll have better luck with a car across the country that returns a clean PPI - just ship it in. Proximity should be the last thing you look at when shopping used cars. You can get a car with none of the issues mentioned for mid-20's, as long as you can suss out whether the seller is being honest with you or not (outside of the PPI).
$45k is a 996 with a rebuilt Nikasil M96 or even a fresh LS3.
Interior condition on that 6 is excellent, and that was what sold me on mine last fall. Headrests with the crests are super cool to have. Rest of the car is unremarkable for $36,000 + tax/fees. Needing an RMS, IMS and AOS definitely doesn't make sense at that price, and the dealer's unwillingness to work with you is 🚩. If you're going to fall for a car, I wouldn't let convenience be the reason.
Yes. Hey, I have owned my 2002 996.2 for 22 years and have put over 1.5x my purchase price into it with service, part upgrades, refreshes, etc. But I have a dependable car that I track, take accross the country on a road trip, and daily drive it whenever I want, and to me its a keeper. Smiles and memories per mile are very high.
You are the only one that can make the decision on whether its the right one or not. Our job is to tell you what you need to look for, procedures you should follow, parts that should be upgraded, and the potential consequences if not.
Hey, the 996 platform is an awesome platform with plenty of after market solutions and support. Not to mention from a "looks" standpoint, it is aging extremely well as a classic Porsche.
Just comes down to what you want to negotiate.
I may be looking to sell my 2003 Porsche 911 C2 6spd - 45K, Clean Title (Black/Black) with LN IMS Solution, RMS, Clutch, New Tires, Coils, Spark Plugs, Fister Exhaust and other items all done within the past year. Private Message me, I would be looking for a similar price as the one above. I'm in NJ.
It looks like the front seats have been replaced.
982 is �Supple Leather Front and Rear� but the front seats don�t look supple.
The rear seats definitely are.
Overall it�s a nice looking 996 that might be a little overpriced in today�s market.
This ^^^ sounds like a better car for similar $$. The only BIG PROBLEM I have with ^^^car is I hate black. (I had one and it drove me nuts trying to keep it clean.) One other item that was on my "must have list" was PSM. (Please Save Me -option) This car does not have it. While this car is pretty, shiny, etc, I think it is overpriced. IMS/RMS is going to be a big ticket item, perhaps clutch WYAIT (While you are in there), and a "new factory AOS" has been proven to be junk. PorschTech3 UAOS is a proven design that does not fail like the Porsche OEM AOS. Correct me if I am wrong, but a Porsche dealer will not install non-Porsche parts on a car? Dunno. Lower miles is good & bad, can be interpreted either way. I think this C2 is a high 20's. I have seen too many skewed high prices when auctions go into a "feeding frenzy" in the last minutes of an auction.
Many RL opinions offered. Whatever, your $$$, your decision.
YMMV
Agreed. It's looks to be a very, very viable option. There are a few 996s up for sale from RListers that have taken care of their cars. One of which has an FSI rebuild that was mentioned recently. Two things to think about if you save money on buying a car that has already been properly serviced and refreshed.
(1) Color is subjective. i happen to like black amd the metal colors versus the skittle colors. But i am 59 years old and a different generation than some. Black with a good paint correction and a ceramic coating will look pretty bad-*** and wear well. But yeah, it does show when it's dirty.
(2) Fwiw, I wouldn't sweat the lack of PSM. In fact I would applaud it. With your savings, it's well worth it to talk to your indy and get Guard LSD internals to replace your open diff. It is an exceptional mod for stability, reasonable in price and makes handling under braking, exiting corners and driving in lousy weather incredible.
Here is a similarly priced 996 from a Porsche dealer. It has an OK service record, not great and it may still have the IMS bearing issue, but it comes from a place where they know these cars and it looks good. They can finance it and ship it. Low mileage. Just adding this to the list of options for you.
Used Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe for sale at Porsche Rocklin
Thanks for this, it definitely looks clean! I will contact them on the particulars as I did decide to walk away from the initial car purchase. Not necessarily because of the dealers unwillingness to negotiate the price but mostly because it was the first car I went the distance on..test drive, ppi, ect. I'm learning a lot and still have a long way to go to understand when the right car is the right car. Thanks for all your help, everyone!
I have worked with a number of first time Porsche buyers, with a bunch of them buyers of 996 cars after 40 years with the marque you learn a few things😀 my free counsel is don’t get anxious wait for the right car the one you were thinking about had enough issues to walk away from. I tell my people that either go cheap $ on a car with known issues to allow for the proper repairs or go for a well maintained with no big issue but they all have or will have needs always remembering even the best of our 20 plus year old cars are going to need something. I am a fan of the 1999 cars for a bunch of reasons described in multiple google posts.
Be patient yours is out there 😀
Rich
That car is very cool and that color might be my favorite unfortunately my personality dictates that the 996 in my future will be understated and classy (no way I could pull off that wing, literally or figuratively)
I think the few things to define are what colors do you want, what are deal breakers. Then decide on what maintenance you want done and what you’d be willing to roll the dice with. Then worry about location and other stuff later. PPI makes a difference
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