1998 C2 purchase....

Just wanted to share I am happy as a cat buying this IMHO beautiful Jan 1998 C2. It is a manual, with original sportseats, hollow 18" alloys, M030, M220 (LSD), M222. Artic Silver with full leather interior. Fully documented and well maintained. http://www.vlasblomtuning.nl/viewer.php?uid=14&id=109 Just wanted to thank all here on Rennlist for the great (and silly!) stuff written, very helpful to make my choice. I could have picked up a 997 or a 996 4S as well but decided to go with a really early & pure C2. I think it has beautiful clean lines and hope to enjoy it for many years to come. It had a clutch replacement at Porsche so no IMS replacement. RMS was replaced 5 years ago. Although I am not sure if it is really necessary I decided to take no risk (she is after all almost 20 years old) so it will get a LN IMS replacement + RMS + AOS. Will pick it up after winter in March somewhere. Volkert

Much for you to look forward too!

Very nice example. The only things I would add to it would be Litronic headlights and a short shifter. plus have the car extensively detailed.

Very nice, looks just like mine except I have the yellow turn signals on mine still(the clear looks better).

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VERY nice!. Nearly identical to mine with all the same options. Bought mine with 56,000 miles. Now with 78,000 miles. Trouble-Free. Been to both coasts here in the US.

Hello and Welcome Volkert. Congrats and that is a mighty fine 911 you have there. Eddie

Very Nice. Congrats!

Really nice car...the older the 996 the more I appreciate them. Maybe we are at a point in time where the survivors are showing the cars' true quality...and the occasional failures are finally being put in perspective.

Congrats! Yes, I love these early cars. I pickup my black '99 on Monday - cannot wait! I do think we are at a critical pivot point with these early 996s. Things can only get better.

1998...does it have a radiator??? Kidding. Congrats!

Very nice! Congrats & enjoy.

Congratulations, Volkert!

If I am reading the option sticker correctly, the 929th 996 produced. Someone will correct me I am certain. I would not be in a hurry to replace the IMS bearing- you very well may be replacing it with an inferior part. Congratulations! Welcome! Enjoy!

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#929, THAT would be cool if it is that early! Yep, I have been weighing pros and cons on replacing that IMS bearing but in the end you don't know until you check. If it is done well and a quality ceramic open bearing (like LN) used then I guess it is OK. Opinions welcome btw! Volkert

Nice car, Volkert, congrats!!! Atrox, I think you meant to post vomitus interuptus in the stripes thread.

From pics it does not look like a full leather interior optioned car. Just sayin'. Welcome to the cable throttle club. Learn what IACV is. Then, keep it clean.

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FIFY

OK, then, not full but enough leather...for me at least! I don't care, it looks good to me! Anyway, it is the drive that counts. V

And no @Atrox, I will NOT put blue stripes on my C2. Or on R2D2, for that matter.. I get it why he's pucking!

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This is a technical forum. Facts, details and accuracy matter here.

Congrats. Looks like a nice ride. I have a feb 98 build date and mine is a 99 year model, but we are pretty close to the cutoff for model year 98. Also have most of the same options. As for the IMS, when I bought mine I was hot to do that job as well. Then, as I learned more, and used some logic I have deferred replacing the IMS in a well running car. As long as your PPI didn't show any indication at all of metal, reconsider the IMS job. I decided to go to a full flow oil filter, magnetic drain plug, check the oil often, and 3000 mile drain intervals. I'm not skimping on maint, but the history of the early dual row bearing, and the history of the seemingly straighter early IMS shafts pushed me over the decision point to leave it in place. I would strongly recommend the full flow filter and mag drain plug. I'm also considering putting in a chip detector. I had one, but changed my mind at the last minute and went with the mag drain plug.

wrong comment

Great looking car! And it's the best model year 911 in my heavily biased opinion. Like doc, I have an early '98 build that was waiting around to be shipped to the US and sold as a '99. It's going to be a long winter for you waiting to get it out but it will be worth it.

I'd love to own a 98!! Lucky duck

Just about a twin to mine, enjoy!

Wow... from that paperwork at the end it appears the car was delivered/completed on Friday, Jan 2nd 1998! That's the earliest 996 I've heard of. I would not bother with the IMSB if oil and filter are free of metal and a used oil analysis doesn't reveal any need. But I would consider having an IMS Guardian installed and buy an LN spin-on oil filter adapter to reduce driver's M96 paranoia. Congrats on that fantastic pick-up! Beautiful coupe!

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Earlier than mine. I have a December 1997 build, serial 2301.

Not wanting to hijack the thread but it seems to have moved to an early 996 story (it is a nice looking example hope you enjoy it!) I have a UK registered April 1998 C2 Cab which I believe is early for a Cab model. However my chassis number starts 64 (the one above starts 60 ) did the cabs have a different run set as I doubt they produced 40k units in a three months?

No worries! Great if this rolls into a "post your early 996" thread!! Changed title to help that a bit. I was able to add some pictures now in the starting post btw. Volkert

Very nice Volkert. For a 98 that car looks brand new!

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Do not touch the IMS bearing in that car.

My apologies for the drift/Hijack but hope it keeps the topic on point. I am about to look at an early 99 that the owner claims never leaked (could be BS?) with just over 60K miles. IMSB? To replace or not? It's a Tip... My first thought was to have the oil tested and install the Guardian but it no longer exists. Thoughts?

My 2c after a lot of reading up (others chime in please): - RMS early design was not good so if it "never" leaked it was probably replaced before he took ownership? - IMS double bearing has a low failure rate (<1%?) and to me with the whole IMS ladida one can even question that 1% (really IMS or other timing related issues?). IMHO there are many ways you can kill a 300HP engine and as my engineering master tought me (German guy btw) in the end there will always be a weakest link that goes first. So in this case maybe that is/was the IMS or related. I plan to drive this car for considerable years to come so if the engine is still good AND you have a good (excellent) mechanic that will do the IMS replacement I think it makes sense. If not you'd better leave it alone and not make that investment. Volkert

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My 996C2 6 speed manual was first registered in NZ 12th of January 1998. 141000 kms so far with original IMSB no leaks etc. the car has a full service history from new. See attached identification.

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I would not touch that IMSB. If you are prone to paranoia, you may want to install a magnetic drain plug or even IMS Guardian. I'd put on a magnetic drain plug and LN screw-on filter adapter and just pay attention at each oil change.

Yup. Full flow filter. 3k mile oil changes. Inspect filter on change. Mag drain plug or Chip detector for dual row bearing car over 60k miles.

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Exactly my thoughts after reading all related post's. Unfortunately Jake will not be making anymore "IMS Guardians"...

needs new motor mounts also.

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All the rubber bits are going to need updating at some point...

When did we go from "do the IMSB as needed with a clutch change" to "leave it alone?" It is only these early cars like our that folks are changing their tune? Granted, I have a 1999 with a 1998 manufacture date, and fairly certain my car is a double-row example. But I also have a garage queen (48,000 miles). Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking to spend money/time foolishly, but it just seems that the general wisdom over time is to get the IMSB done when you can.

I don't know about any 'we', change to the op-ed on IMSB. Also, you made a qualifier in there that I didn't. I'm not going to Proactively change the bearing, but - if the trans has to come out I would change it. Just that I'm not going in for exploratory surgery like I would with a low mile single row deal.

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I can't speak for others, but will explain my thinking... With '99s and '98 built 996s, there is pretty much a 99.99% chance it has a dual row IMSB. And the basic logic that if there were any significant run-out in the car's IMS shaft it would have surely beaten up that bearing befote 50k miles. In my particular case, I had done a lot of research prior to buying my car and learned the switch to weaker single row bearings started to happen as early as mid-2000. My C2 Cab has a build date of 5/2000, which is right in that mid-2k ballpark, so there was some question as to which bearing was in the car. I got no service records other than a receipt for a new alternator, and from the look of the bolts between the engine & tranny (zero tool marks) the car likely still had the original clutch. The engine did make significant sounding chain rattle sounds at start up and there was plastic in my oil, but no metals. So, since I was also not clear on which bearing was in the car and feeling a bit leery of the clutch, the decision was made during the PPI to buy the car, drop engine and do a massive preventative refresh to the good engine and reestablish some proper service history. Car had other issues with the cab top and electronics, so a good price was negotiated appropriately. I chose to make my car as good as it could be via a project mindset, rather than try to go find a "perfect" one. It was a fun project. My mechanic is a friend as well and I spent a lot of time at the shop during the critical work, and was also able to take a lot of photos of the whole process. Had I bought a '99 or '98 built car with same miles and a known good clutch, I would have left the engine in and just had the chain tension guides replaced to take care of the start-up rattle and to stop additional plastic bits from showing up in my oil filter. Granted, that would have just been deferring eventual mainenance on the AOS, water pump and a handful of other things, but it also would have saved me around $4k in immediate spend. But, I also might have had to pay that same amount more for such a car vs. the one I bought. I chose to go the route of new parts and intimate first hand knowledge of the car. In the end, I have zero regrets with the way that it all turned out for my particular car and my wallet. I can't tell you how much more peace of mind I have driving it now vs. when I first bought it. Now she purrs like a kitten at start up and idle, and roars like a lion when I get on it. No more rattle, no ISMB paranoia. Good times.

Hey hey, my kind of thinking! How many miles had the car when you bought it? Volkert

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93k miles. And I put in the EPS "Eternal" cylindrical bearing with the optional direct oil feed ($450) rather than the LN IMS Solution ($1500). Car now has almost 98k miles.

Congrats on the car I have a 99 c2, will check the sticker for dates, I have eps roller also with 2k on it now but I would possibly have left mine alone as thinking had changed since I did mine, dual row came out perfect!

Nicely optioned; 030 Sport Group 139 Seat Heating - Left 197 Higher amperage battery 288 996: Light washers 288 Headlight washer 340 Seat heating - Right 373 Left Sport Seat w/ Power Height Adjuster 378 Combination seat, right, adjustable 408 18" Technology Design Wheels [1996] 424 Automatic heating control 441 Fader, antenna booster, 4 speakers 441 Radio speakers and antenna amplifier 490 Hi-Fi sound system 563 Airbag passenger's side 563 Automatic air conditioner 567 Windshield green graduated tint 571 Fog tail lamp 573 Air conditioner 936 Leather seats rear 981 All leather lining 983 Leather seats front and rear 983 Leather seats front (NOT REAR)

So next week the IMS will be pulled...curious what comes out. If all goes well the bearing will be perfect... Volkert

Keep us posted....has it been done?

Will do. Car is scheduled for pick up March 15 so no hurry. Some other job came in between first. Volkert

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How are you guys able to determine the build date based on the VIN's Production/Sequence/Chassis Number? My 1999 has a 3911 number. EDIT: I found the VIN sticker under my driver door. It shows 1/99, so now I know

I'm not sure on build date, but I have a very low number (63) and seems to be built in 98:

YES, my 996 cab build-date was clearly stamped on the driver-side door along with the recommended tire pressures but I also would like to know if there is a way to identify that from the VIN. Thanks, Cheers,

IMS bearing replaced with clutch by a LN Engineering ceramic bearing. 133.000km. Bearing that came out was good, no issues. Was the original bearing. Volkert

Took delivery yesterday so this morning time for a first short drive. Car has been standing still for 2 years I reckon so it will take some time for the rear tires to get round again. Advice was they need a bit of warming up so a bit of moderate velocity was in order. Great car it is!! I will enjoy this! Volkert

This morning it was time for hard choices!! Which silver bullet to take to work?? The air-cooled 2 cylinder won..... :-) Springtime has arrived here; hard to believe maybe if you are now in the North-East...!

Some interior pics after detailing the leather. BTW, earlier comment by @Rolex11 was that this is not a full leather interior. I have my doubts on that, there is an awful lot of leather in this car. Read somewhere else if you have double stitching on the arc above the instrument panel, it is full leather. Well this one has that too. Anyway, for you guys to judge, I don't have enough references.

Bouncing along the Autobahn this morning it was impossible to get any decent picture from a phone when above 200 km/h. Maybe also the M030 ROW making it a bit stiffer. Road holding capabilities of this car is fantastic and I was also impressed with the performance when raining (we had some heavy showers). So anyway, nothing close to top speed but happy anyway.

Looks very nice. I noticed you don't have the black bumperettes on the back. Did you remove these or are they not used in Europe ? I've thought about removing mine.

Thanks. No, no bumperettes on European cars (or non-USA cars I presume). Also people typically strip them when importing a car from the US.

Although the actual weather does not feel like it I declared summer finished and brought my car to winter storage at my indy. I gave the car a good scrub so when I pick her up again in spring she will look great! The car will get regular maintenance and I will have the starter motor/cable replaced. The oil pan will be dropped for inspection. Also the suspension will be freshened up with the usual work + new Koni FSD shocks. Will be a great ride when picking her up. So one year ownership and 8.000km has been great and apart from an issue with the passenger window and one of the cooling fans not working at low speed the car has been flawless. Not bad for a soon to be 20 year old car! Nice comment by my indy on this year of 996. He just recently had to move all his cars to another location. His inventory is mostly C4S/GT3/Turbo 996/997 but he has 1-2 similar to mine (C2 3.4 with M030/M220-2-4). He really prefers these early C2s compared to the later models. Drives similar to GT3 but with less power of course. Compared to later 3.6 cars the 3.4 really revs so nicely and you can toss them around so easily due to the lowest weight. Nice!

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Need to vacuum that carpet, sir! /exthree

Not full leather ! Stereo horseshoe surround and side vents look like soft touch paint. Also, I read further up where the option readout said the rear seats aren't leather... Full leather means just that - everything is covered in leather. In any case, it's still a pretty car and the interior looks like it's in great shape! Now vacuum those mats!!!

LOL! Yes Sir!! Done that! She is clean now! Leather, it might be it was different on the very first ones. Had a look today at a 2002 targa without additional leather and it definitely looked quite different! So I get it if people are not over-enthousiastic about the basic interior. With this one I am happy as she is.

Car going into storage now so I got some work done. Slow starting when hot has been resolved by replacing the cable. Starter motor was still OK. Replaced engine mounts, replaced oil pump axis, dropped oil pan to inspect for any debri. The oil pan was really clean, this after 140k kms and 20 years! Replacing shocks to Koni FSD which turned out to be a problem in combination with M030 ROW. The shock plunger is 15 mm longer then stock, as a result the front spring comes loose when unloaded. In the end decided to upgrade all springs to Eibach which have a bit more dynamic range. It should also drop the car another 10mm or so which I don�t mind. It is going to be quite a new car once I pick her up again in spring! All in all I had quite a lot of work done on a car that in principle was in good shape. I still think it was the right thing to do and should give me happy ownership in the years to come. AOS/IMS/RMS/clutch, new Michelin PS2 around, passenger window mechanism (was broken), waterpump with LTT, motormounts + transmission mount, full maintenance + all fluids, oil pump axis & pickup, drop oil pan for inspection, new shocks/springs + associated stuff where required.

Look great.

Just curious, was it a dual row bearing that came out? I didn't see that you specified either way. I have a '99 C2 and suspect it has dual row but really no idea and no idea if it's been done.

Yes, dual row. I understood dual row ran until mid 2000.

Some nice upgrades over there Volkert! Curious to see your car maybe once and do some comparison. Never drove such an early 996. Did you do an oil change on the transmission too? Maybe also a thing te consider after all those years. Especially considering you have the factory M220 LSD.