New guy looking to buy a 996. Be nice...

Good evening. I am somewhat new to Porsche but looking at a 996 Tipronic.I had back in 06 leased a silver cayman s from Suncoast Porsche here in Sarasota, FL. It was a awful car. Way too many issues to even list and was not happy. I want back into Porsche but not to rent but to own. I really do not have a budget but it will be a car that gets driven maybe 5,000 miles per year so need to buy anything new. Also, I love the 996 and people think I am crazy for it. I have not driven one yet but I have my eye set on a 2001 with 60,000 miles. Everyone tells me stay away because of the IMS but honestly is it that big of a deal? Other then that what should I be looking for? Any links to a buyers guide? Are these cars DIY friendly? What tunes are out there while keeping it sane and reliable?

996 are great cars. Theyre one of 5he best car deals available! They are easy to DIY. IMS is overblown. Just find a good example and then replace the IMS with an improved design. Get a PPI before buying.

If you�re inclined to DYI these are great cars to do it on, and you�ll get lots of great advice on this site. IMS is not overblown IMO , but fixable now with a reasonable level of risk at the price points now available. good luck!

These are fine cars, but... Like any car that is 15 to 20 years old, you will be doing maintenance. Have a pre-purchase inspection on anything you buy by an independent shop or a reputable dealer. Be prepared for the worst! Engines have a number of known issues that can range from no issues at all, simple leaks, or in some instances—catastrophic failure. You need to have reserve cash in the bank that can cover the unexpected. Ideally, I would recommend about 50% of the purchase price, but expect at least $5K for the first year of ownership. If that makes you nervous, you should reconsider your desires or buy a much newer car with a Porsche CPO warranty, or even a new car. There are independent insurance companies that offer warranties, but you need to be mindful of what they actually cover and to what degree. In my opinion it is not worth it for such an old car.

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IMSB - it's a big deal if it fails, probably less than 4% chance these days. Most people who have replaced the IMSB replaced a perfectly functioning part. Anyway if it bothers you spend $2,500 and replace it. If spending $2,500 bothers you then any Porsche 911 is not a wise purchase, none of them. You're looking at a car that is 17 years old, it will need things over the next few years. DIY friendly - no, not compared to any car where the engine is located in the front. Except for the braking system all other DIY projects are a bit more of a pain in the back side than a mass market car. Special tools, very very tight space, etc. Tunes? - if you're looking at a base C2 996, tunes aren't really worth it. If 320 HP isn't enough buy a turbo. If you want a tiptronic, purchase 2002 or newer, the transmission mapping is significantly better.

So, pretty much everything that's been said above. They're great cars if you plan on keeping them and are realistic on cost of maintenance, and understanding that if the engine winds up sh*tting the bed, you could be well into $15-25k for a new one or a full re-build. IMSB? If you plan on keeping for the long haul, do "The Solution" and rest easy. If you're able to do some or all of the work yourself you can save a bundle of money. Good Luck

New to Porsche world myself. Appreciate the vast amount of info available on these forums. Potentially interested in 996 C4S but wondering if amount of ongoing maintenance needed on these vehicles is solely a function of their age - in other words I realize that a newer car will require less work but is it the case that 911 reliability/build quality improves with each newer generation (and therefore requires less)?

If you didn't like your Cayman because you felt like it had too many issues, I'm not sure a 17 year old 911 is going to help you sleep at night.

A year ago I bought myself my first Porsche for my 50th bday. I have wanted a 911 since I was 7yrs old. I bought a 2003 996 Turbo coupe. I just love this car. The engine in a 911 Turbo is pretty bomb proof, water cooled. I searched for 7 months, found mine with 22k miles on it and paid a hefty 58K for it. It's worth every penny. Pristine condition, had it inspected by a legit Porsche mechanic, found nothing wrong. LA traffic sucks but I dont care, I love driving it. So my 3 cents is.... pay the extra for the turbo engine, which weans out alot of the engine problems, and learn to drive a manual which is free and the most fun you will ever have. There's nothing better then my ponytail flying in the wind, as I watch my rear spoiler rise at 75, then I shift my flat 6 from 2nd to 3rd gear. (Yep.... I'm a chick)

Agree with Marv--->You need to have reserve cash in the bank that can cover the unexpected. Ideally, I would recommend about 50% of the purchase price, but expect at least $5K for the first year of ownership. FYI: I just bought my 2nd 996, an '02 Cabriolet Tiptronic. Agreed that the 02 TIP mapping is much improved, this thing is faster than I expected. I bought from a P dealer and we identified $4000 that they would fix and the car was perfect to both of us. After having it for a week, I have found a few other things that need to be fixed. I am totally OK with this, since the Engine/Trans maintenance life is fully documented. Be patient and make sure you see the car in advance and get a PPI!

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I would agree that getting the IMS replaced is simple peace of mind, having sold a 996 a few years back I can attest that without replacement makes them tough to sell. Negotiate the replacement into the deal, or get a decent discount. I dont agree with the comment that these cars are not DIY friendly, very few electronic controllers on the car very mechanical which for the average DIYer is easy. No trick suspension to deal with, no FSI carbon build up needing the intake ports cleaning ever 30k. Take most DIY work: 1. Oil and filter change - probably the easiest car to change, no difficult to get at sump drain under engine cover, same for the filter. Easier by far than any other car I own. 2. Air filter & pollen filter - again very easy to get to, 5 minute job. 3. Plugs - agree that space it tight on this one and needs a few components removing to get to, but this is only every 40-50k, so a few hrs frustration every 5+yrs for most people. 4. Brakes - same as any other car. 5. Tranny fluid change - very easy to access and change + no rear diff to mess with like most RWD cars Other than fixes/repairs what else is there to do? I work on all my cars, and have owned many brands and models. I think the 996 is a very simple car to work on, I agree that in some jobs space is tight, but with a decent tool kit and a Durametric lead there isnt much you cannot do yourself and this forum has people that have completed and often documented most jobs.

I'd suggest to figure out which flavor of the 996 really turns you on. Each of the variants has it's own different character: an Aero coupe a Targa a C4S Cab Turbo an early '99 "lightweight" the Millennium Edition and the Anniversary Edition study the differences between the MK1 and MK2

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The IMS is a big deal. So, either buy one with the fix already done, or budget to have it replaced. Cost at a good shop is ~$2400, have the RMS seal done too. It's worth the piece of mind. Look for an early car with build date before the fire in Stuttgart. Early cars are better cars. Look for a car from a dedicated owner, not a small car lot. Receipts are good. Unusual colors will hold value better than silver, gray, black. Get the options you want, even if it takes a while to find it. Pelican.com has a buyers guide. There's also a ton of info at the top of this heading. You can also search for specifics. Moderately DIY friendly. There are a lot of them out there, and the prices are so low that a large DIY culture has sprung up. Here and Pelican are most of the info you will need to do common jobs yourself like, water pump and belt. Rad cleaning. Axle boots. Motor mounts. Brakes. Window motor. Ign switch, Y cable, etc. If you are talking about re-mapping the fuel and ign maps for more power, I will opine that the 996 does not lend itself to adding HP unless one spends $$$$ on the other parts of the engine to handle the power. There are rebuilders who specialize in this, but it is not cheap, or easy, or fast like a Camaro.

So basically I passed on the 2001 996. It was total junk. Not because the 996 is a bad car but talking condition and mechanical. No record of the IMS being done. One key and no owners manuals. The search continues. I know what you guys mean about finding the right one.

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996 with tiptronic(for the wife) . Cab or coupe. No targa and it can be any drivetrain.

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It was a brand new car. It also was not all that exciting to own and drive. However the new ones are great! As far as ownership I am not worried too much about cost since I had a 06 Maserati Grand Sport, 1999 Ferrari F355, Plenty of MB's and AMG's. But I would like to get a good idea of what it is I am getting into.

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If you had a F355, there shouldn't be any type of maintenance on a 911 that would scare you! Ironically, the occasional "engine out" needs to be done on the 911 too. I will do mine soon to install the "solution", RMS, and chain guides. I have an early car, March 1998 build, and I love it. During my first year of ownership, the only "have to do" maintenance items were a new alternator (moderately expensive, but I knew I needed to do it when I bought the car), oil change, and a loose plug to one of the headlights. I did some other stuff, of course, but none of it was terribly expensive. It's now year two of ownership and I had my first track event on Tuesday at Road Atlanta. It became apparent that something wasn't quite right with the rear suspension. I had it checked out and it turns out my 20 year old suspension is worn out. I am getting some trick parts installed along with all new links, bushings, and bearings. It will end up costing over 4k to get it professionally done. If I want to continue to track it, I have no choice. As others have said, there were a lot of 996s built and there are aftermarket solutions to the known issues with these cars. Between this site and pelican, there is a ton of information and help.

I just bought a 2003 C4S about three months ago. it has higher mileage than I would have liked, but it had appeared to have been well maintained, and had just had the IMS/clutch/RMS done by the previous owner, and the price was right so I went for it. My experience so far....I would agree with one of the earlier posters who suggested assuming 50% repair costs over the "longer term" and $5,000 in the first year. That has also been my early experience: At the end of the day, you're still dealing with a 15 year old or older car. I had a PPI done by a local Porsche specialist, including a dyno run, which all came back normal. Since then, I have to say that I have been disappointed in the quality of the PPI. After my first test drive I felt like the suspension in the front seemed a bit loose, with some creaking noises, and the rear was crashing. I specifically asked them to check the front and rear suspension for worn shocks/bushings, and the engine mounts. They came back to me and said it all looked good, and the the car was in good shape for a 15 year old car and none of the parts needed immediate replacement. Apart from some cosmetic work (mirrors needed repainting, and also front bumper), I have done the following over the past 2 months: Oil change Replaced the original 996 shifter (which was a bit loose) with a 997 shifter (did that myself) Replaced two front radiators -- one sprung a leak within two weeks of me taking ownership. It happened while I was removing the front bumper in order to have it painted, I decided to clean out several years' worth of crap and leaves, etc back in the rads. The leak was not caused by me as I know how fragile they can be and I was being very careful. If anything, the crap back there was keeping it "plugged". Both rads showed some corrosion and damage, so I decided to replace the other at the same time. (I was going to tackle it myself but I didn't have time so I took it to a shop) New air and cabin filters (did it myself) Replaced both engine mounts (did it myself) Replaced transmission mount (did it myself) Tire balancing and 4 wheel alignment Next up I am going to tackle the suspension control arms and bushings, which which are definitely worn out despite what the PPI said. I am also going to install new shocks (thinking about the new Koni Actives - though I'm not sure yet if I'm going to get new springs...maybe new H&R's or Eibach?) and I'm probably going toreplace the spark plugs (I should be able to do that one on my own). The brake pads and rotors were replaced by the previous owner, but those will need maintenance in a few years. In the end, it's a fun car, the cheapest, by far, 911 you can buy and it is pretty easy to do a lot of the simple mechanical stuff yourself. But, it's a 15 year-old car and it needs a lot of normal repairs and maintenance. If you want maintenance-free or maintenance-light, go for a newer one, but be prepared to pay at least double for a good 997.2

I've had my MY 2000 Cab for 8 years. The only repair I had to do was to replace the driver side door latch. Of course I've done lots of maintenance items like spark plugs, coils, tires, brakes, oil, filters, battery, etc - things that need to be done on any car. I've also done many other items proactively - water pump, thermostat, coolant tank, IMS,and RMS, none of which were bad at the time I replaced them but are recommended preventative measures. If you find a good car and do most of the maintenance yourself, it won't be overly expensive. If you run to the dealer for regular maintenance it can get pricey.

The beauty of getting a once-$90k sport machine for under $30k makes the 996 the deal of the century!

It's a shame you missed out on my 2002 Tip that was on these boards for months. Just sold it for a crazy low price, a few dollars more than roller + used engine price.

2 years in on my 2002 CAB Tip (77k miles) and I've had 2 oil changes, and replaced a fuse for the stereo. Brakes will be done soon, but other than enjoying it, i've had zero problems in 5k miles of ownership. The IMS/RMS/AOS were done by the previous owner. I flat out love the car. There are things I want to do, but it's purely because I want to, not because I have to. Agree that it's an older car, and things will need to be addressed but man, they provide a hell of an experience for not too much money.

I've got mine for sale. 2001 Seal Grey, 68,000 miles tip C4 Cabriolet. email me if interested. In great shape, just time for me to upgrade. Here's the post on craigslist Houston... Price is negotiable, but I thought I'd start there and work down. 2001 996 C4 Cab Tiptronic Want to mention that I had Porsche dealership replace the IMS Bearing and a few other items while having it done. Has had the 60K work done as well.

Cracked bushing/rear lower diaganal Many things can look normal until you actually take the off...Be very careful when poking/cleaning around any plastic vacuum lines and oil filler tube.

And this was not weepy enough to show from the underside...

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My 99 turned 20 years old back in March (March 1998 build). My suspension looked good and worked well enough on the street when I bought it. The first day I tracked it at Road Atlanta last month, all of the flaws were revealed. The camber bolts wouldn't stay torqued, the control arm bushings were worn out, the drop links were worn out, and the front wheel bearings need to be replaced. I didn't have the time to replace the parts myself before the next track day, so I had it professionally done, along with an alignment set up for the track. It cost me $4300, partially due to some expensive aftermarket adjustable parts. The car ran great on the next track day. If you drive the car aggressively, you can count on replacing suspension components. Rubber parts don't last 15 or 20 years.

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Hmmm...looks like the large single row IMSB as well - split cases to change out

Similar story for me as well. I bought a 02 C4S with 3.8 rebuilt engine with rear wheel drive conversion from Rennlist earlier this year. It had 106000 miles on chassis and 35000 or so on the rebuilt engine. It was a reasonably well taken cared car, but still needed a fair amount of work to address immediate issues and to my standards. I did not do PPI but with used cars, you are buying ownership history as much as car and I felt pretty comfortable. Installed Ohlins coilover to replace H&R coilover kit as they were too low and Tarrett camber plates were noisy. I could have gone with less expensive options but I plan to track it and wanted handling somewhat similar to 997 GT3. Installed Tarrett GT-series anti-roll are and end links, again, not necessary, as above. Replaced all 4 LCA and front with GT3 LCA (almost made me cry when I saw the prices...), as bushings were worn and it was time. GT3 LCAs were about double the cost of regular LCAs, I think. one of the rear axle outer boot was torn and grease was pretty much all gone (a thorough PPI may could have caught it) and had to be replaced. "While in there" for axles, I did rear bearings and brakes as well. Couple other suspension components had worn out bushings so I pretty much now have new suspension components for the most part. Did all the filters and oil, brake fluid, trans fluid. Replaced stock speakers and in the process of replacing head unit. If you are not planning on tracking, then I probably could have spend 2/3 less, and if PPI was done and axle boot issue could have been negotiated, then even less. Still, suspension bushings were tired and needed replacements and rear brakes needed to be done, and these cars are getting old, so $3-5K may not be out of the question.

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Can anyone expound on this with specifics? Dates of manufacture to look for? Why are the earlier cars better. I'm looking for a 99. If I understand correctly, the 99's have a double row IMSB that are less likely to fail. I've also noticed some 99 models with black face gauges and some with white face gauges. Does the color of the gauges signify anything specific about the car or was this just an aesthetic option? Thanks for any info you can provide.

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Yes and no, Small RMS leak with a bunch of clutch dust. JR says to pull the bearing oil seal, change the RMS and forget about it...

The face gauges are normally black. White/silver gauges were an extra cost option usually as a package (sport design) with a few other things. There was also an option to have the gauges painted exterior or interior color. So SOME of them will be grey or beige. This was a very rare chosen option.

I bought my SIL's 2002 cabriolet in May 2016 with 61,000 miles on the clock. 6-Speed manual transmission (a MUST for me). I've put 12,000 miles on it since I've owned it and experienced ZERO problems. Everything works as designed. The car DID have the IMS replaced as a precautionary move at 40,000 miles. I'm a retired USAF Pilot with over 10,000 hrs in my log book. What you never wanted to see was your plane that day was fresh out of the service dock, having been gone through for 90 days. Those were always the planes that gave you trouble. In short, machines that are designed to be run NEED TO BE RUN! "Save them for special occasions" is a sure fire road to maintenance problems. If you get your 996, DRIVE IT whenever you have the chance! Bottomline: I have had so much FUN owning and driving this car I can't put it into words. If anything happens to this one, I will run out and buy another just like it. Good luck to you! Bill

Here were/are my musts for a 996: -99-01 Mk.I body because I prefer those headlights. I prefer 99 C2 due to the throttle cable and the double row IMS. -Factory Aerokit - such a beautiful and functional addition to the 996.1 body -Full leather interior - it�s simply an amazing option that really transforms the interior. All 996s should have come this way from the factory. -Alumalook gauges And here are my nice to have options if I can find them: - Aerokit rear spats - they�re rarer and it can be difficult to find the proper car that actually came with them. - LSD rear end - more for a rarity factor than anything else - Sport Seats - �nuff said. - Aluma shifter and e-brake Everything else is gravy.