Thoughts on a '99 C2 Purchase

Hi Rennlist! New member here! I'm currently looking at purchasing a 1999 Carrera, and I am hoping I can get some input from the pros! Here is a link to the Craigslist ad: http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/n...573106986.html Overall, the condition is very good. The owner states that the most recent Carfax report was a PPI done on request of an out-of-state buyer. I am now trying to obtain a copy of said report. The outside can use some TLC but nothing unexpected for a 17 year old car. I'm looking to have this as a low use daily driver during the warm months of the year. I live about 25 mins from work, my route is a 2 lane strip through the rolling hills of Northeast VA. I work from home 2 days a week and usually don't stray far from home on the weekends. If I do travel, we take my SO's Toyota, she's not a fan of long trips in my current car, a Subaru BRZ. I don't have plans to track the car, but would like to do some low-impact modifications (MK1 Aero, wheels, etc). My main concern is the reliability of the car. I can see where some may think this is an oxymoron, but I'm a firm believer of prolonging a vehicles life through regular maintenance and inspections. I understand that no 996 is exactly the same as the next one but it looks like the main problem areas have been addressed in this specific car (rear main seal, LN IMS retrofit, clutch, amongst others). I'm hoping I can be provided with some advice on what to look for, words of wisdom, and any suggestions! Thanks!!

Buy it, replace the water pump, and drive it. And drive it ...

I'm a little biased but I think it sounds like a great car. Strangely enough I've read that ad before but I can't remember when. So he will probably be willing to bargain some. The 99 is arguably the quickest and nimblest of the 996's. And the earlier the model the better. I believe most of the ones with a 4 spoke steering wheel were manufactured in early '98 and then shipped over for the '99 Model Year release. Mine has a 3/98 production date. Don't get me wrong, all of the 996s are absolutely awesome and a blast to drive. But the '99 is the least expensive and has some really big pros.

But it and enjoy it. At that price you cannot lose.

The '99 is light, has a robust you-know-what bearing, and has a mechanical throttle instead of drive-by-wire. The problems the '99's are known for, such as case porosity, should have evidenced themselves after 17 years, so there shouldn't be any surprises. I have had my '99 for four years; I have never once regretted the decision, and I still have not spotted a car I would rather have. I often play the "parking lot" game - where you try to find a car in the lot you'd rather have than your own. Sure, I've seen some killer Lamborghinis and Ferraris, but the '99 996 is a car I can afford to maintain properly and it's the physical manifestation of every childhood car dream I ever had. I am certain that 10-year-old-me would be over the moon to see what we wind up driving when we grow up..."wait, you mean I wind up with that car AND I get married to a chick with awesome *****? THIS IS EPIC!" An aerokit 996 is IMO one of the sexiest narrow-body 911's...there may be plenty of cool cars in SoCal, but I can stare at this thing for DAYS and not get sick of it...

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Mine was born in 10/98.

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Dumb question, but why is this considered one of those things you do when you buy a 996? My indy guy said my water pump looked fine in the PPI.

When the water pump starts to get loose with age, the vanes can contact the block and pieces break off. If they lodge in the head, they can cause localized hot spots, which can lead to cracks. Changing the pump as soon as you notice any leaks from the shaft or any play at all is much cheaper than waiting for the car to tell you that it needs a new pump on its own...

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The WP is a "wear item"...some recommend replacing it every 60K miles at a minimum. A big headache (and could be expensive) if/when it craps out without warning. Hence, preventive/proactive fix is suggested.

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Ah yes, the little plastic or metal pieces. Right. Crap, now I want to replace the water pump.

You need to find your comfort level for preventive maintenance. Some people go completely over the top and replace perfectly good parts; others do no PM and wait for something to fail. Everyone has their own risk threshold. Ideally, you and your mechanic will work out a strategy that makes sense to you - even if you plan to do the work yourself. My indie knows that I'm a fairly capable DIY, so if I have the car in and there is stuff he thinks need doing, we make a list of "sometime soon" versus "someday in the future" and determine which of those things are best for him to do and which ones I can deal with myself. So far, the AOS, the clutch, the IMSB retrofit, and resealing a leaky cam cover were the things I decided to have him do; everything else over the past 4 years I've done myself in order to save money.

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I have 63,000 on what I believe is the original pump. They did replace the water reservoir around 55,000 because it was leaking. On that not, the cap is a part ending in "03" which I found interesting, as they are on the "04" number now. I will keep a close eye on coolant level, may just do the fix anyway later in the year.

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Take off the serpentine belt and spin and wiggle the water pump pulley. If it it turns smoothly, doesn't have any side-to-side play, and there is no evidence of coolant leaking around the shaft, the pump is probably in great shape.

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This is sage advice. I did clutch, IMSB, RMS after purchase. Feel pretty good about it but definitely checking coolant level often!

I talked quite a bit with the seller of that car, seems to be on the level. Car sounded to have been decently maintained by well-regarded local specialists, too. I didn't get around to viewing it he took an out-of-state deposit, and then I decided to look for a C4. I have a Carfax for this car if helpful? (but not a PPI though). More importantly it sounds like you're pretty local, so once you buy it we should get together. Good luck!

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I used to be pretty handy with cars but it's been a while. I'll do some research and see how eaasy of a DIY this is (excuse my ignorance.)

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along with the WP, CHECK/REPLACE: lines/hoses/fittings, t-stat and serp belt. 63K miles is a good time to look into a new WP...sooner vs later. P.S. weird that you did not get an "04" cap when the tank was replaced.

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So, the cap was replaced in 2009 when the car had 55,000 miles. The owner had the 60k service done at the dealer then. Not sure why, I thought for sure he was selling it at 63,000 because he didn't want to pony up for it, but lo and behold - it was done!

Wow!! Thanks all for the very helpful information! Definitely will follow up with the WP to see if it has been replaced in the past. JimmyB - I'm local, in the Culpeper area, if it goes right, we should meet up!

This looks like a very good car. The only downside I see is that I think it is a shame that the IMSB was replaced. He has replaced a part that is frequently good for 150k+ miles and documented to at least 250k occasionally and replaced it with a part that must be replaced every 60k miles... I do not believe in throwing new parts at cars (at least the engine) unless it actually needs them. The parts on the car have been working together for many years. New water pumps fail, new AOSs fail. I know that at least some of the really early 99 coupes and many of the 99 cabs were really 98s that were converted for the US-mandated SAI and sold as 99s. If you have a W series engine you have one. My 99 (3/98 build date and confirmed as a 98) was the best car I ever owned and planned to keep it. My opinion, based on nothing but gut feeling, is that the converted 98s are the best-of-the-best. They were probably given extra attention since many were sold before the 99s were readily available so presumably to important customers, used as press cars and as demonstrators. They also were probably converted by hand.

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I have never heard anyone propose the hypothesis that the WP vanes self destruct. So if the bearing is checked semi-frequently as Schnell suggests, and is verified to be free of play and not leaking, then the vanes should not come in contact with any internal engine surfaces and should maintain their integrity. Someone else can chime in if I have missed something, but this "bearing play" check is easy to do with simple belt removal and has been part of my periodic maintenance program at every oil change (need something to do while the oil is draining... to keep your non beverage laden hand in the game so to speak). I don't like to replace parts that are not broken (excl. wear items of course, which a WP is not on any other car)... just my $.02

They were also designed and built when engineering controlled the process and profitability wasn't a priority. Kudos to the accountants for turning the company around but I think a few short cuts were taken in the process.

That looks just too good. You make me change my perspective on the 996 I'm looking at without aero kit and with 115k on the odometer. Buying a Porsche seems to be more difficult than I thought. Good luck with this lady!!

looks very clean, I'd offer 17.5 and not look back. That's a neat one to own (#76). Get a PPI with a deposit down imo. fwiw I just picked up my 996 today after a two week elective spa trip. IMSS, AOS, RMS, spark plugs, various washers, seals, hose(s). From my perspective it's investing in peace of mind and good resale value down the road, not to mention fun driving . note: I didn't replace parts for the fun of it, the IMS (whole point of the maintenance - 3500) & AOS (150) were the only parts replaced working fine. Spark plugs were replaced 5 yrs ago so I figure the AOS was a wise refresh, assuming last major service was then. Now wishing I did the water pump.