New to 996 and have Questions

Hi guys. I'm new to the 996 world, having owned a 964 previously. I'm seriously considering the following car: http://leith.porschedealer.com/preow...ntoryid=299796 Can you all give me some opinions on what I ought to pay for this car? Any concerns you would have? Is there a big service coming up soon? If so how much will it cost? If the clutch needs replacing (would it at this milage?), how much would that cost? What does CPO cover? Basically everything? Is the top covered by CPO? Also, what year did the 996 get a face lift? Any pictures of the differences? When did the CarreraS get introduced? What exactly is the diff between the carrera and the carrera S? Is it strictly under the hood or are there some body differences? Just trying to get a thorough understanding before I write a check. Any help you guys can give would be HUGE!!!!

Try Edmunds.com as a source of information about the specifications and features of various Porsche models. Here's the link: http://www.edmunds.com/tmv/used/porsche/index.html Check the Porsche website for a full explanation of the CPO program, including what's covered. Be advised that it's a LIMITED WARRANTY, so that certain items are excluded (like the coolant expansion tank). Here's the link: http://www.porsche.com/usa/pre-owned-vehicles/approved/ For pictures, go to e-bay motors, and look up various Porsches that you're considering. With each ad, you'll find plenty of pictures. The 996 facelift was introduced with the '02 model. Here's the link for e-bay: http://motors.listings.ebay.com/Pors...istingItemList Good luck.

From the pics, looks like a clean car. I think their price is not bad but I'd aim for $35k. CPO covers major problem areas. Minor stuff that might need attention is what you would expect: Tires, brakes, fluid changes. PPI would catch all of this. '02+ models have facelift, 3.6 engine with a few extra HP, new cam set-up, slightly stiffer body/suspension. Others here can provide more details. In the 996 line, Carrera 4S is widebody rear end, AWD, but same basic powertrain. Not sure what year it was introduced but widebody and AWD are main differences. 997S models have 3.8L engine.

I agree with Macho....with that mileage and MY00, you should be able to get it down a bit...although the CPO is worth something insofar as peace of mind goes. You're still in the 3.4L engine, and if I had it to do again, I'd shoot for the 3.6L just to get away from some of the nagging issues that lurk in the background for the 3.4L.

I paid that much for a special ed p-car last year w/ 26k miles. granted it was a coup but I had way more options such as PCM, heated seats, cc etc. talk em down 30K and work your way towards the middle, at the most...there are alot of these cars and they are just sitting waiting to be sold.

Given that this is CPO, Cabriolet and sold by a dealer, I think a 30k offer would only buy you a polite send-off. Right now is prime time for moving cabriolets. I guess it depends upon whether this is the one you want. For me, I had very specific criteria and there weren't that many sitting around.