Is this a good deal? 99 996 C4

I am trying make up my mind whether this is a good deal: 99 996 C4, Silver, black leather, 40k miles, 18", generally in good shape (unlike the red one I reported on a while back...) , asking price ~50k, Porsche certification up for discussion. The negatives are o silver is not my first choice, though probably less of a cop magnet than yellow or red. Any opinions? o cheap tires (Kumho ECSTA), o no rear windshield wiper o no Xenon lights o I was originally looking for a C2 not a C4 My test drive confirmed the general concensus: C4 seems a tad less fun, a tad slower, a tad heavier, but handling seems to be a bit more neutral and more predictable. Questions for the group: o I live in the Seattle area, and I wonder whether the C4 may not be the more sensible solution rather than the tail happy, but oh-so-fun, C2? o Is there much of a difference in insurance between the C2 vs the C4? o How feasible is a Xenon light retrofit feasibility? Last I looked there were some complications. o Is 50k reasonable? KBB is 55k. o I found another C4 locally, blue, 15k miles, for the same price and in similar condition but no Porsche cert warr. Which would you go for? Thanks, Jan

Na, not a good buy

way too much

i agree-way too much. i have had an 01 c4 and presently have an 03tt. in areas where the weather can get slippery, the c4 makes for an excellent daily driver. 50k is too high, though, for a 99 c4. an 01 with less miles could be had for that price. for a little more, you could get an 02 with 20 more hp, probably 55-60k. i would definitely pass on the 99.

...walk away from this car. The fact that it has cheap tyres on is an indication that the current owner cannot afford to maintain it properly or simply doesn't want to spend any money on it - so what other repair/maintenance work has not been done?

I just picked up my '01 C4 w/ 16k miles, HI FI, Comfort and partial Tec packages, Xenon, 3 spoke wheel, glossy Turbo looks, and dealer put on new Michelin PS, warranty remaining, for $53k and I might have been a bit high but love the car! Mine is a Tip. The market is pretty soft, least that was what I found..KBB is @ $63.

I think Xenon's cannot be retrofit, something about the auto-leveling. I don't think there is any insurance cost difference PSM either C4 or C2 should be on your list, great is crappy weather Always go for the lower mileage car, some dealers will work with you to certify the car before you buy it. I.e., they but it, certify it, you buy from them for orig cost plus cert. cost ~$2500. Too much DOH for a 40k car, with little/no options. Shop around, your car is out there. Don't constrain yourself to local places, shipping from anywhere is only an additional $1000...

xenon retrofit is simple. takes about an hour max so long as you follow directions.

Not sure if there is a difference or not between litronics and xenons... But there is a Litronic lights retrofit for the 99-01 Carreras. There is no retrofit kit for 02-04 cars.

Hey FB, I lived in Seattle (Bellevue) for almost 6 years... C4 is essential if it's a year round driver!

Thanks for all your valuable feedback. Here are some addition details I left out: o This is at a dealer o Cheap tires were installed by the dealer, not the previous owner o It does have "Premium Sound" FWIW, full black leather, 18" rims I must admit that I am a bit glazed as far as options go because I don't care for most and probably don't spend enough attentions to it. I do care for lights, rear-wipers, wheels and rear-wiper. o What would be a good price? KBB lists it at 55k buying, 43k selling. o Are the prices you refer to dealer or private sales? o Should I stay away from dealers? o I have seen mostly 99s for sale, very few 00 or later. Is this largely because leases on the 99s are coming due? Still learning. Thanks, Jan

Flashingblade, My quick calculation based on average retail asking prices from Dupont registry dot com indicates $43,000 for a 1999 996. With the high miles on the silver C4, I would equate that to a lower milage C2 and hold true to my $43,000 estiamted value. Also, IMO, KBB isn't even close realistic pricing - however I do use their reports to show my CFO that I'm making a purchase that's far below KBB value. Remember that the 1999 996 was rated at 296 HP, until the 2000 exhaust upgrade to 300 HP. For $50K you could probably get into a well equiped '00 in with Xeons, etc. Check the attached link for comparables: http://www.dupontregistry.com/search...sp?sessionkey= {9E6919E9-7320-44C4-AC96-FD2F680B85A6}&cat=False&modelid=3&makeid=60&catid=&makename=Porsche&mode lname=911+%28996%29&hidPlaceHolder=2&hidStartPage=1&Page=1

Link not working, try www.dupontregistry.com then search by make, year, model, etc.

Forgot to mention that the Porsche Certification usually costs the dealer approx. $800, in case that is discussed as a point of negotiation.

seems like a good estimate for a retail price, wholesale on this car is about $37,500

Hey blade, with those kind of prices you'd be better off flying to s. florida and buying one here to drive back. $50k is nuts. Autotrader search Keith

BTW - You don't need a C4 to enjoy a 911 in Seattle. While AWD is fun once in a while just to see it working at full throttle acceleration, the C2 has excellent grip with good tires on it and the PSM works very nicely if you start to spin a wheel. I personally prefer the lighter C2 and you can get a newer one for $50K and they are easier to find.