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THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCH"Look for an early car with build date be"
Reported or suspected cause
camber bolts
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Reported cause
The main culprit was the camber bolts which wouldn't stay torqued.
Replace anyway ) the 99 lacks all the later improvements
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Suggestion
I was making a point that apart from a dual row bearing ( that most likely had enough hours on it to warrant changing anyway ) the 99 lacks all the later improvements
Leading evidence: 'camber bolts' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'camber bolts' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Replace anyway ) the 99 lacks all the later improvements' (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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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
All these engines failed early under 30k and have all been replaced by Porsche now.
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.
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To add to this there were additional extended warranties on certain Cayman 3.4s and 996 3.6s where the engines were replaced do to bore scoring and d-chunking at low mileage.
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.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
Two of the later cars I tested had worse alignments.
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.
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The theory being that heads that had been discarded for quality issues previously were used because the fire prevented them from getting new ones.
These are separate views of the same evidence. Frequency alone does not establish a fix, and these counts must not be added together.
Replace anyway ) the 99 lacks all the later improvements
No successful repair reported for this finding.
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Discussions that contain suggestions
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Suggestion
I was making a point that apart from a dual row bearing ( that most likely had enough hours on it to warrant changing anyway ) the 99 lacks all the later improvements
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
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.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
To add to this there were additional extended warranties on certain Cayman 3.4s and 996 3.6s where the engines were replaced do to bore scoring and d-chunking at low mileage.
Outcome qualification: Negation, uncertainty or missing explicit repair resolution overrides the raw extraction signal.
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50 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 · 1 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261027T051247Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
"Look for an early car with build date before the fire in Stuttgart. Early cars are better cars."
This is a statement made by another person in this forum. Can someone expound on these statements with specifics, like...what dates to look for? Why are early cars better? I'm new here and I'm trying to glean all the info I can. I'm looking for a 99 996 and I'm trying to understand how to differentiate which car is better than another, and why. Thanks.
I believe all of the 99's were before the fire. I think the problem was with the heads. The theory being that heads that had been discarded for quality issues previously were used because the fire prevented them from getting new ones. This is pure speculation, but there is a higher rate of cracked heads in MY2000 cars. Mine has a build date of Jan 2000, so I'm hoping mine is not one of the problematic ones. Also, the 99 had a double-row IMS bearing which is believed to be stronger. Many 2000's and some 2001's also have the double-row bearing.
Internet myth that the 99s are better.
It has been spread by some guy named Jake Raby from GA.
I'm not sure that he knows anything about 996s.
(I'm joking y'all! I know who he is!!)
Is a 99 with dual row with 100000 miles on it still sporting is original bearing better than a 100k mile 2003 with a new solution installed and it�s stiffer chassis , improved transmission , braking and engine electronics , valve train , more torque and horsepower etc ?
99's are awesome because I can buy parts for the front half dirt cheap (Boxster) and short blocks for under $6k shipped. They are light, simple to work on, and reliable. Not to mention they are quicker on the track than an equivalent built '03. That being said, all 911's are a frickin blast if you are a 911 guy.
It's not slower, it's just not as nimble. And the added low end torque doesn't give the '03 any advantage because you are rarely below 3500 RPM on the track. Both are fun cars though.
Keep in mind that the later cars have slightly larger engines, making slightly more HP/TQ..but also carry more weight. I'm a little biased b/c my 3/98 1999 Carrera 2 is a featherweight with it's only option being an LSD.. the easiest way to go faster is to weigh less
Most internet postings are, well, "opinions"! I say look at the data.
The famous Porsche/IMSB class action suit contained much useful data. It established beyond a doubt that early 996s, as equipped with dual row IMSBs, had a lower IMSB failure rate than the later single row IMSBs. Everything else said is pretty much conjecture that's not based on data.
My 2cents.
Relinuca
Porsches Forever
To add to this there were additional extended warranties on certain Cayman 3.4s and 996 3.6s where the engines were replaced do to bore scoring and d-chunking at low mileage. This problem is more related to an oiling problem which for some reason the early 996 3.4s and 986 3.2s don't seem to suffer as badly. From what I understand all Cayman 3.4s and 996 3.6s have the scoring problem, but to what degree is based on climate conditions and driving habits. Some engine will make it into the 100K miles, but at some point compression will start to be lost in those cylinders due to the scoring. It was one of the reasons I stayed away from early Caymans.
That being said I think a good PPI will flush out any issues with these cars if you are looking to buy one. Just have a compression test done on them and potentially have I think cylinder number 6 bore scoped. The majority of cars will probably make it to 150K with no significant problems. After that, like any old car all bets are off.
We love the 99’s.... l swear Jake can be blindflded and identify a 1999 996 accurately. l keep telling him that he needs to shoot some videos about these things, but he says that he doesn’t want to “end up like all those other clowns on Youtube”.
@808bill
We agree, an increasing number of our purchasers are buying broken cars, and shipping them here to be reconstructed. Sometimes they don’t even see the car before it lands on the doorstep here. We’ve become very good at resurrecting these 996s.
I don't know about the fire theory/myth, but FSI has done enough work on these cars to have plenty of empirical data. That's no myth...If they're saying the '99's are "the best" I have no reason to doubt it. Does the fact that I own a '99 have anything to do with my opinion? Nah, it's got a 2000 engine in it (but it did have the dual row IMSB - it's got "The Solution" now).
Our feelings don�t come from reading things, or listening to reviews. It comes from driving over 100 of these cars per year for more than a decade. The direct experience and feedback from the vehicle is what we base all of our over views on. Its not just from a �problem� perspective. The way the cars drive is also notable, as well as fit and finish, especially on the oldest of vehicles. 4 spoke steering wheels, small tailpipes, and early rims are well respected here.
This is opinion... That�s all.
The fire at the Stuttgart plant is true.I was told about this at Porsche training from a Porsche instructor. The biggest issue at the time was that the equipment to cast the engines were moved to another facility and re-setup. There were some quality issues with core shifting that resulted in production getting behind demand. It is known that to keep up with production Porsche re-sleeved some Boxster engine cases on some or all cylinders. "Another" quality issue resulted from the machining of the re[sleeve in that the radius of the corner for the retaining hat for the sleeve was machined incorrectly and caused a stress crack that resulted in the sleeves not being retained and "slipping" down the cylinder and hit the crank. All these engines failed early under 30k and have all been replaced by Porsche now. No 911 engines were involved in the "re-sleeving", but may have had slight core shift that could be a reason for the ovaling we always see in engines with 100k.Not sure on the exact date, but it would probably be difficult to determine which engines were the "before" the move or "after" the move because engine serial numbers are not "dated".
We just had one 2 weeks ago. 24K miles.
Not “all” have failed, those that were not driven enough when they were under warranty were never given a chance to fail. This is why we see these “stragglers” come in a dozen or so times per year. They are almost always well under 35K miles when they do show up.
The December 2008 issue of Panorama (that first featured our early work with these engines) had a great write up by the late Jim Pasha about the fire and the variables that it created for the 1999 model year cars. Jim visited the factory archives and gathered his information directly. He had just finished his article on this topic when he passed away.
Yea, well i knew they "all" hadn't failed , if they have sat in a garage undriven for 20 years..lol I just didn't want to scare anyone looking at a cream puff.
I had a customer come in to the dealership (before i retired) for a post-purchase inspection of his cream puff low mileage Boxster he was so proud of and excited about.. The car was literally perfect and i didn't have the heart to kill his dreams by telling him about the potential of this failure (it should have been recalled). It failed soon after.
I did a lot of checking and a lot of questioning before I bought my car. Strangely enough, it was a local purchase of the exact features I wanted. Things I know:
1. There was a fire in the engine mfg plant in Stuttgart in fall 1999
2. The engines for the Boxter, 996 were moved to a new plant in late 99/early 2000.
3. The dual row IMSB has a lower failure rate than the later single row.
4. The early IMS shafts have a better NRRO value in most cases. (the shafts are straighter, more concentric about the rear journal for bearing)
Things I've read, and believe to be true;
There is a big long write-up on the difference in the water cooling circuit from the 3.4 to the 3.6 engine, which concludes that the hot spots in the upper deck are a function of the passages along the path of the water flow pressure circuit. It is an in-depth look at some of the factors contributing to head cracking, intermix, etc. I will not search for it, but a very good read for those contemplating reliability and the early v later engines.
There is also a difference in the mfg of the transmissions, but I don't recall either of them being more or less robust.
Things I liked about my 2/98 build date car; Gap seals were fantastic all around. Fitment of the hood, doors, engine cover were excellent. Two of the later cars I tested had worse alignments. Four spoke steering wheel. Lightweight wheels. Pre-PSM features(ABS, LSD, ABD). Light handling, nimble. cable operated frunk and engine cover.
Things I didn't care for; NO damn cupholders! Crappy audio controls, overblown sound adapation. CD trays were a joke. Poor sound insulation. Modest bump steer after ~60k miles(could be corrected I'm sure).
I would fancy a 100k miles early car over a mid-50k miles later car, provided the later car had the IMSB replaced. Also, the early high mileage car will be less expensive to buy, and maintain.
Traditionally there have been 2 guidelines for buying a Porsche:
buy the newest one you can afford.
avoid "first run" cars for a year or two, with brand new designs and architectures -- because all of the bugs have not yet been worked out.
It is very nice to hear that these principles don't apply to the early 996s.
i don�t own a 2003 , feathers are�t ruffled at all
I was making a point that apart from a dual row bearing ( that most likely had enough hours on it to warrant changing anyway ) the 99 lacks all the later improvements
intended usage matters too
even different tracks , on a short bump and grind like the streets of willow , assuming stock engines
I�d take the 99
on a track with long straights like big willoiw
the 3.4 runs out of breath well before the 3.6 does
for a city car not seeing any grand touring work, 99
driving 1000 mile days on less than perfect roads , a mk 2 every time
a car with highly modified suspension and lsd , the stiffer chassis is a good match
I noticed this on my car too (3/98 build). It became very evident on the track. Turned out my rear suspension components were worn out. The main culprit was the camber bolts which wouldn't stay torqued.
Some good info in thread. My '99 has 150,000 miles and still runs good! I have no idea about the engine internals but I highly doubt it has had any major overhaul work in the past. I hadn't really planned on buying a 911 when I got this one but it sounds like the 99 may be less likely to fall victim to some of the known issues.
I guess OP vanished? Yesterday a friend of mine told me that his sister is selling her 99. Well maintained but high miles. About $10k or so asking price.
Agree. I don�t like the default location for the owner�s manual (under the steering wheel). I believe cupholders can be added to the center dash console area.
I bought a cup holder that just slips in the gap between the upper and lower console. (yes, there is one). It's great for holding cups but won't hold a can or bottle. The beauty of it is that there is no installation and I can pull it out whenever I don't need it. I could probably rig something so it would hold a can but I haven't been so motivated. And I agree, the door storage areas can hold a lot of stuff.
