Looking to buy a 996

Hi, I'm obviously new to this forum. I previously drove an E46 M3, but unfortunately so dumb lady rear-ended me and totalled my car. Anyway, I'm looking to move into a 2003 996 (either a C2 or possbily a C4S). I've been reading through the various forums trying to learn more. Searching the usual places (fleabay, autotrader) all of the good deals seem to be in the Northwest or Florida, but I'm all the way in California! I've read a couple threads about people using auto brokers to buy their vehicles for them. Who here has done this? Any recommendations on reputable dealers/brokers? Any other tips on finding the right car at the right price? Any input is greatly appreciated, thanks and happy holidays!

Well, just get a pre purchase inspection at a qualified shop. You may also want a second opinion from a qualified body shop to look for accident history and possible flood damage. A dealer purchased car may be able to offer you a Porsche CPO warranty, which is a good insurance policy for your car. However, you generally pay more than a private sale for a dealer sold car. Brian Buxton is in Indiana and I have heard good things from him, but you might want to ask around for references for anyone you choose.

It all depends. How much are you willing to spend? Do you have a limit on the # of miles on the car? Any options you HAVE to have? The C4S is going to be significantly more expensive than a C2, as it has as standard options; Full Leather, Full Power Memory Seats, All the Standard Performance Equipment of the Turbo minus the Turbo, Turbo wide body/front bumper.

I used Auto Trader initially to learn the market. I was looking last spring for a very low mileage 2003 C2. Turns out the third lowest mileage one for sale at that time in the whole USA was 35 miles from my house at a dealer and CPO'd. Obviously, my Auto Trader experiance was good, so much so that I then found a 5k miles Tundra for a tow vehicle. I tell you, I am sold on Auto Trader. You can search dealers and private, near or far, etc, etc. I used the porsche web site and ebay too but Auto trader and a CPO'd car gave me peace of mind and a great result. Interesting sig too by the way. I flew Tomcats, looks like you are a fighter guy too?

First keep in mind also the warranty. You should be able to find plenty of 03-04 with 6 months to 1.5 years left on the original warranty. Getting it certified will add 2 years to whatever is left and usually cost about $2K. What type of car to get depends on styling preferences, budget and where you like. If you are somewhere where you plan on driving in snow, then a C4S is a good option. Otherwise, you are just carrying almost 300 lbs extra around all the time with worse performance. A C4S will run $10K more than a regular Carrera. If it is the styling you really want, just realize there is a high premium for it. Best of luck with the search.

Same as above I ended up buying mine off fleabay. I also hear good things about Brian Buxton and have talked to him. His service imho is more for collector cars but I know he will find whatever. He has a website.

Thanks for all the input guys. I've spent quite a lot of time looking through autotrader--but it's hard since most of the good cars a thousands of miles away. I will definitely do a PPI regardless of where the car is located. In terms of options, must haves are 6-speed and PSM, nice would be heated/memory seats. I'd prefer not to have the supple leather since some of the lighter greys I've seen look a bit worn out--what do you guys think about the supple leather? I was looking to get a car with <30k miles. Only looking at 03+ models because of the warranty issue--i'd likely buy an extended warranty immediately after purchase. Regarding the C2 vs C4S, I know that the C4S requires a premium price, but I do like the widebody look. In all honesty, I really don't drive in the snow very much (couple times a year for snowboarding). But, I've mostly been focusing my search on C2's. Does anyone have a link to Brian Buxton's website? Again, thanks for the help and happy kwanzaa/christmas/hanukkah/new year's!

www.buxtonmotors.com i think

I have an '03 for sale that may meet many of your criteria. I have it posted on the Rennlist classifieds as well as AutoTrader. My zip is 07012. Yes, it's in NJ, but shipping may not be too bad. I'd be happy to drive it to a local dealer or Indy for a PPI. PM me if interested. BTW, shipmate here also. A spook, not a flyboy.

Just remember that it is all about the options on these cars. The price can vary by a great deal based upon what is on the car. Decide which options/color that are a "must" and don't rush. It was 4 months before I found the "right" car.

I have not been actively trying to sell my car yet but have a silver/black '04 C2 with 17k miles in excellent/garaged condition with new Michelins I need to sell at some point. I have three Porsches and at least one needs to go. I am in Memphis, TN.

This is not true on resale. A picky buyer will pay more, but this isn't what the market dictates. Only a few options really matter: engine upgrades (X50, X51) and aero are the 2 big ones. You still won't get anywhere near as much as these options cost new. Unfortunately, those expensive leather, wood and aluminum options won't make a difference in resale. What is sad is a 996 with $20K in leather and aluminum upgrades will sell for less that one with Base leather and just the Aero kit on the used market. Cars will get cheaper without common options like Bose, 18" wheels, Bi-Xenon/Litronic headlights and power seats because they are harder to sell. Common/popular colors sell fast and stay consistant. Special colors are hit and miss. Believe it or not, yellow and red cars are much harder to sell than black, white, silver or gray. Dealers want cars they can move, not sit on and wait for the "right buyer". What is really important is the number of miles (number 1 for these cars), the condition (good PPI) and the history (books, records and service stamps).

I've bought two 911's from long distance. One was 1500 miles away and the other only 200 miles away. One I found in AutoTrader and one on Ebay (although on the Ebay car I dealth directly with the owner, a dealer, and bought it direct not through Ebay). In both cases I had extensive conversations with the sellers and got probably 30-40 photos to try to assess condition. Then I got PPI's. The first car I never saw in person until it was unloaded at my house. The second I flew down and picked up. What I've learned is that I wouldn't hesitate to buy a car long distance. Factor the shipping cost into the total price. I'd agree with 02 Carrerra that many cosmetic options don't seem to affect the price that much so holding out for a heavily optioned car, which you can do if you look far and wide, may be a good bet. I've also learned that the PPI inspector isn't going to find everything and neither would I if I was there in person so I don't expect no surprises just miminal ones hopefully. I've saved quite a bit of money by looking around the country. My first car I drove a year and sold for a lot more than I paid for it. My current car cost $5k less than I could get the local used dealer representing a consignment down to on the same color, basic option list and 26,000 miles more than the one I bought. So I think it made sense to go and get it. Another site to check out is Cars.com. They seem to have lots of dealers and newspaper advertising from all over the country. On their site you can pull a list of similar cars, one car per line, which really helps to get a feel of what is available and what prices are by color, body type, mileage, etc. I also think negotiating long distance is easier because there seems to be less stress and the seller, if it's a dealer, knows you're looking at inventory all over the place and so his car isn't "unique" to you because you have more to choose from. I missed on several cars this way but I have been very happy with the price/value overall compared to what I could get locally. BTW, if red and yellow are harder to sell they're also harder to find (at least when I was looking recently)! Good luck Tony

Thanks for the reply, it's been over 3 months since my M3 was totalled, I'm getting a bit itchy, but I am certainly willing to wait until I find the right car. Driving around in my 94 Integra certainly is crappy though.

Nice problem to have. I'm not sure if my budget will allow for an '04, but PM me with details--more info never hurt. Hopefully, it's not tempting enough to blow my budget.

You guys are awesome, thanks for the 1st hand details. It's reassuring to hear these "success stories". I would like a well optioned car, the engine upgrade would be an extra large side of gravy, but they seem so rare on non-turbo models. The aero kit is no big deal--the side panels are nice, but I find the rear wing a bit much at certain angles. I'm more into the standard colors. The red or yellow P-cars seem like they'd be ticket machines. Plus, Porsches seem to get more attention than Bimmers, I don't want to be too flashy, don't need unwanted attention. Thanks again guys, the search goes on. I may have an inside line with an autobroker. I'll be sure to let you guys know how it turns out.

Hi, I am selling my 03 996 C2 coupe, 11,800 miles, 1 owner, purchased new in Oct 03, warranty until Oct 07. Arctic Silver/Black, 6 speed manual PSM Bose Litronic headlights Heated Seats 18" Turbo Look II wheels M030 Factory Sports Suspension Car never tracked or taken to any sort of club event (except 1 outing to meet Rennlisters at Starbucks!). It was optioned that way by the dealer and I bought it off the lot. Photos are being hosted by a friend. Let me know if interested, Thanks, winovin http://vojky.com/images/Porsche 001.jpg More pictures will follow (hopefully tomorrow)

Seeing winovin's reminded me, if you can find a car with M030 on it that's a plus. I'm not an expert but it seems to me that the car handles better with a little firmer ride. PSM is pretty incredible. The handling difference between my 996 and my older 87 is terrific. BTW I forgot I also bought a Mercedes diesel years ago long distance. Had a PPI done, flew in with a cashier's check for quite a bit less than the used car dealer wanted and some cash. Made a great deal and drove home. Dealer's seem to hold a lot of cars in any transaction when you really want the car because it's easy to forget how many other cars are out there when that beautiful machine is right in front of you!

WAC, Regarding your comment on the M030, I agree with you that it is a plus. The first 1,500 miles were harsh and I thought I may have made a mistake, but after that the suspension settled down and there is no way I would take a car without it after experiencing it. I drove the car in the DC area, and when I sometimes used the poorly surfaced urban streets, I never found the ride a problem. Also, unlike the ROW M030, the US M030 does NOT lower the ride height, which is a plus on US quality streets. winovin

Thanks for the tip--is there any way to tell if the car has the M030 option just on visual inspection? Since there's no change in ride height, how can you tell if the car is equipped like this? Do all the C4S's come with it? Sorry, I'm a bit green when it comes to these things.

Flash, I think the best way is to check the invoice sticker of the car, or give the VIN to Porsche and ask them to give you a list of the factory fitted options. Regards, winovin

Flash, I can't tell by just looking at ride height. You can check the options on a car by looking at the card which is affixed to the underside of the trunk lid. The option code for M030 is - 030. It may also be included in a packagae of options but that option code should show up on the card. BTW if you haven't seen it there is an option code decoder on this site. Look under the "general" tab. You can enter codes off of the card and figure out what the car has on it.

More of a strategic negotiating question, but it seems to me that if you fly all the way out to the dealer, post PPI, then the dealer has to be thinking "gotcha" after investing the time and money (PPI + airfare). Chances are that you are not going to walk away from a solid ride over a couple thousand dollars. Any tips for avoiding this trap in long distance sales?

This is one of a few threads that I am keeping track of. I am also in the market for a 996 but will not be ready to buy till much later this year. Meanwhile, I am soaking as much info as I can. BTW, another Navy guy here (HMCS, 19 years) P.S. Another positive plug for Autotrader here. Thus far, got 5 vehicles directly/indirectly from surfing it: '00 Ford Mustang convertible (V6), '01 Ford HD F-150, '01 Ford Lightning, '01 Suzuki Hayabusa, and most recently, an '01 BMW 740iL (traded in the Mustang).

on Autotrader too. It's a great sorting tool. It helped me find a local Miata when I needed a cheap fun car in a hurry after arriving in the US divorced and broke a few years ago, and I found my present '02 C2 on Autotrader too.

I wouldn't go in the first place unless I was serious about buying the car and it had been checked out. I've done this 3 times and only went in trying to lower the price when I got there once. That was because the PPI showed some things that weren't big deals but I used them to work on the price knowing it was the end of the month and the PPI mechanic had heard the dealer wanted to move the car. I probably would have gone ahead and met his price if I hadn't been successful. I guess the main thing is I have bought 3 cars long distance for quite a bit less than I could find them locally and they all have worked out well for me. Negotiating long distance I find is also a little less stressful and I find I can be a little stronger because I am removed from the car, don't know the dealer personally, have many more options of cars, etc. I have also missed on a couple of cars that were really good deals that I couldn't match later. So win some lose some!

I'm seeling my 2003 C4S look for my thread selling my c4s or email me [email removed]

flash, check you PM you have a message.

It's funny how the car you are looking for is never where you are. I'm in MI and to me it seems that the cars are always in CA (then FL)