Interested in purchasing a P-car!

I have grown up with Porsches, Well kinda of (914 first car) and have loved them since! I have been driving a rather modified Audi S4 01 for the past few years and now want a change. I would like to get a 99-02 (perferbly a 02) non turbo RWD 6 speed. However i do need some tips when buying. Which is the best car to get with the intention of modifying it (engine body suspension interior) on a budget. I get wholesale prices on products and will do all the labor myself. Should i buy a 99 and convert itto the 02 front end? I really want HID's and am thinking of the arrow kit...TIA -Rob

Hi Rob, welcome to the list. 99-01 will be a bit cheaper than an 02, of course. 02 was the first year for the 3.6l engine as opposed to the 3.4l. It seems to me that RMS failures are more common on the 99-01 cars... Engine mods on the 996 are usually intake, exhaust and supercharging. If you want to read about some mod-crazy people (power) read the 996tt forum posts! Do a search of this forum and you find an endless description of interior and body mods. You came to the right place. Must be nice to get wholesale prices on purchases! Make sure to keep us updated on your 996 purchase and modding. Have a great holiday!

Ahem! When you have data on the RMS failures, then you can say that, but the data does not support your comment. There is no evidence that I've seen to support a greater frequency of failures in the MY '99-'01 compared to MY '02+ The standard advice is to buy the newest car you can afford (or willing to spend money on). Maintenance is not inexpensive on these vehicles and if you're intending to mod. your car, then make sure that you leave some cash left over for that. The main thing is to buy a sound car that has been well looked after and passes a PPI from a good inspector. Other than that, if you buy a good car you will not regret your decision. if you're on a budget and buy a bad one, then you may regret your purchase. Happy hunting!

I realize this is a controversial issue and I don't have a soapbox to stand on, so please don't take offense. I read a post by umn on Renntech that seemed detailed and well thought out on the RMS subject. The link is Look at Sep 25th, 2005 The text is: Being an automotive engineer myself, I have talked at considerable length with colleagues at the Porsche factory, at seal manufacturers and at various research institutes. The reason why the RMS fails is well understood and is a result of the 996's revolutionary crankcase design, which consists of a separate crankshaft carrier which is bolted into the actual crankcase, rather than the crankshaft running directly in the crankcase link in normal designs. Because the crankshaft is running in the crankshaft carrier, whereas the RMS is located in the crank case, you get vibrations between the crankshaft and the RMS, which ultimately destroy the RMS. With a conventional crankcase design, this can't happen, because both the crankshaft and RMS are located directly in the crankcase, so there can't be the same kind of vibrations between the two. Also, with the 996 design, the distance between the last crankshaft bearing and the RMS is much greater than with a conventional engine, where the RMS comes right behind the last crankshaft bearing. The increased distance between RMS and crankshaft bearing means that the flex of the crankshaft results in a higher lateral movement of the crankshaft at the point of the RMS. In oder to reduce the distance between last crankshaft bearing and RMS, Porsche developed a new tool that places the RMS deeper into the crankcase, i.e. closer to the last crankshaft bearing. The problem is worse with the 3.4l engine, because the gearbox drive shaft only has two bearings, therefore the whole crankshaft/flywheel/drive shaft system vibrates even more. With the introduction of 3.6l engines, GETRAG added a third bearing to the drive shaft to reduce these vibrations. Automatic gearboxes also have a better support of the drive shaft, this is the reason why the RMS problem isn't quite as bad with automatic gearboxes. I am not trying to pick a fight, just wanted to show where my opinion came from and not make any enemies on this great forum!

No offense taken and I understood that none was intended, but you have to look at real world use. Sure, many cars have had their RMS replaced (mine included), but in the scheme of the number made, this is in the minority. In all my reading and discussion here (and other places) it does not appear that the RMS issue got any better in the +'02 MY cars and they still have RMS failures. it's unfortunate and it happens, but I wouldn't say that it's a majority, or limited to <'01 MY cars either. we have to tread really really carefully on this subject, as before you know it a full blown 10 page argument will blow up. Most of us just leave it alone, as the ones that have had multiple RMS replacements can be a little (understandibly) sore about it.

If you want HID then find a car with it as a factory option. There are many cars with HID (called Litronics in Porsche speak) so there is really no reason to spend the money an aftermarket kit. As for modifications it depends on your intent. The 99's do not have drive by wire which some think is better for modifying. The '02 cars are stiffer than the 99-01 cars. However, the 99-01 cars weight less than the 02+ cars. The 02 cars carry a premium because of the bump up in power. However, the 99-01 cars are arguably a better buy because of the price difference as some real bargains can be found for the careful shopper in the 99-01 cars. Condition and options will play a huge part in determining the price of the car. Some options like PSM (Porsche Stability Management) are difficult to find, if you want it. 99's were the only year that a factory LSD was available. A well maintained car is more important than a low mileage car IMO. Higher mileage daily driven well maintained cars are the bargain of the 996 world IMO, b/c anecdotal evidence on this board says daily/frequently driven cars don�t have many of the nagging problems (or at least these drivers don�t post about them). The key is finding one that has been well maintained by a knowledgeable owner. The trade in value of these cars are significantly lower b/c of the mileage so finding a private seller who getting a new car but doesn�t want to �give� his car to a dealer is the way to go IMO.

If you are looking to mod for HP then you are better off starting off on a platform built for that purpose....the TT. I have no idea what you budget is but the 01 TT's are being had in the 50's.

I'd go for a 2002+ if you can afford it. Modding the 996 is different that modding your S4. With the S4 and turbos you get much more bang for the buck (ie: 50hp with a chip) - this is not the case with the NA motors. Get the car and drive it for a bit before making mod choices (at least power mods). You'll love the Porsche - totally different ball game from your S4 (I have a 2001 Stage III S4 myself).