Buying a 996

I have just made the decision to buy a 996. I have a 928 that runs great but its about time. Rates are low and some people are trading up to the newer 996s so I think my timing is right to jump in. From an affordability perspective, I have been searching for a 1999 model. I'm told that east coast cars are less expensive (Porsche dealership sales person from FL), however, I don't want one which has been run on salty, pot-holed roads over the past 3-4 years, so sunny states are my likely point of purchase. 1) Any thoughts on what is the fair market value for a car with basic options, 6 speed, 18's? Kelly Blue says around mid $40's with fairly high miles. I'm shooting for something around the high $30's with mileage in the 30K range or less. Prices in Autotrader and Cars.com seem high, and I'm not very clear on how to identify the reserve on some listings on Ebay (also not interested in auction purchasing anyway). Practically every car I see seems to be a dealer's ad. 2) Any suggestions on tracking down private party sales opportunities? 3) Lastly, I was wondering (besides more HP and different front/rear fascia etc), what are the big differences between the newest 996's and the '99s I'm considering? Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated!

For a nice clean example of a 99 you are looking in the mid 40's 43-45k. Cabs a bit more expensive. Drop me a line I'm in SoCal and know a few private parties that are looking to sell.

My advice would be to buy a 996 that's still got some factory warranty left. you don't want be on the hook with a major repair with one of these...i just got my car back form the dealer's, the bill was over $10K! (new transmission). don't know a lot about 3-rd party warranty coverage, but do your homework, it'll save you considerable grief later.

There are 2 versions of 99s - the early ones and the late ones. Look for a later one, where most of the mods that carried over onto the 2000s were done. Some of these are minor (like clear headlights and taillights), some were more substantive (such as bolts on the pan that were inset so the heads wouldn't tear off when you bottom out). Both versions will be pretty sound, but the later ones should give you far fewer little niggly problems over the long-haul. I've seen 99s in the high-30s, but they're never maintained the way you'd want. Best to buy private party from someone that has really cared for their car (driven hard, of course, but never abused). And best to buy here in SoCal where the weather has no effect on the car at all. Plus there's a glut out here, so the price should be about the same here as on the East Coast. Think low-mid 40's and you should be able to get yourself a great car that'll last you a long time. Oh, yeah, add a few grand for the mods that you're convinced you won't do. You'll do them (ask anyone on this board)...

This may not help you BUT I bought a later '99 996 with 30k miles, Kinesis Supercups AND it's a Porsche certified car for $47k out the door. That's a tad high but the car was VERY clean and with the warranty I thought it was a fair price. Plus the wheels alone new are $3k! I would suggest looking for a car with a warranty (certified or one with exisiting warranty) unless you have the luxury of forking out $$$ if something breaks. A buddy of mine just bought a 2000 and his has the Alcantara headliner and a few other interior bits that are nice. Other than the bad buying experience I had, I love my car!

Thanks for the input guys. Maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but a close friend who is on his 4th used Porsche has found an outstanding deal each time and tells me to just keep looking. Granted, he does have more $$$ to throw around, however, he always seems to get a great deal on his cars. His last purchase 6 months ago was a 2000 996 with less than 5000 miles on it. Purchase price was 50-large. The car was in Florida and my brother just happened to be around to be his eyes for him since it was on the opposite coast. The car was originally sold with a sticker of over $70K! If mid to high 40's is what I should expect to pay for a '99, the car would have to be in the same ballpark in terms of miles driven as my friend's car. I'm not hellbent on getting a car with under 10K miles as much as I am a clean, well maintained one. I'd be happy with something under 30K miles with a reasonable price tag. His car was pristine, no accidents etc. so I figure there must be a good deal out there if I'm patient enough. Anyone else want to share their recent cost to purchase for a "late year" '99? It seems to me that somehow the dealers snap up the good deals before I see them and then flip the cars at a premium. Hearing more about other peoples private party purchases will help to further validate what is a fair offer price so I'll know a truly good deal when I see it. I realize that, at some point, the depreciation on these cars has to stabilize (or does it?).

I just got a 2000 996C2, black on black, 6sp, with 26K miles on it for $43K on ebay. It was in near perfect condition. It has the 3 spoke steering wheel, power memory seats, heated seats, CD changer, high-power stereo, alcantara headliner, sunroof, etc. Its under factory warranty through June 2004 or 50K miles. I also have the option of buying a full bumper to bumper extended warranty through my dealer for $1900, which would give me another 5yrs and up to 100K miles of coverage. I've since added set of 18" twists (sold my factory 17s to Nick above), clear corners and window tint. Anyways, I think I got a pretty good deal on it. I've seen 99's going for $36-42K, and 2000s going for $41-48K. Of course, some folks still think they're worth $50K or more for a '00, but clearly the market doesn't think so. Hope that helps. FWIW, I'm really enjoying the car. I originally wanted a 993, but couldn't justify it when you can get a much more modern 996 under warranty for about the same price. -Dave '00 996C2 '97 M3 '89 M3 '00 A4 1.8TQ

Agreed on the 993 comment above Dave. I too had considered that route but after driving the 996 I was convinced that newer design was better (in my opinion). How did you ensure that the you car purchased on Ebay was in great condition other than photos? Did you have the opportunity of doing a PPI before being obligated to pay the seller?

Not to jump in, but I have a few points to add. I too am looking at 996. I have seen 2000 with aero kit, nicely kept with S options for 48k here in Fl with 35k miles. I would NOT pay over 40k for a nice 1999, 2000 you should still be able to get a very nicely maintained one under 50k easily with extended warranty from a private party. Keep looking, they are out there, tons of Porsche's on the market and they need to sell them. I have bought on Ebay before. If it is a dealer in a larger city, you can find companies that do pre-purchase inspections for $125. They do their checks etc...even better if the seller will take it to a Porsche dealer that will inspect it, of course you pay the bill. Get many high quality photos of the car, good closeups of everything in good light... Anyway, keep looking great cars are out there for realistic prices, just take your time and you will be rewarded. Good luck..

This site will save you guys some time when searching for the right car: http://www.setso.com It will send you one email daily with all the new auto listings on all the major classified networks and auction houses (Ebay, autotrader, etc....) pretty cool. works for cars and general merchendise. my advice to you is find the right car (color, options, mileage) for you, then negotiate a fair price. Make sure you get a PPI done at a reputable shop!! Good luck.