How much dhould you pay ?

What kind of 996 you want will ultimately Determine that question We all want a perfect mechanical cond car If you buy a car with 200k plus miles It will either have had the work done or Need it. Tires IMS Rms Aol Water pump Hoses Belt I would prefer to buy a reasonably priced car And have the work done do I'd know the car better Low mileage cars are not the answer because Many parts (Age Out)

Not to mention it's seems like the ultra low mileage garage queens are the ones that have "the Issue" more than those cars that have been driven 6-12k miles a year. There was a gorgeous 2003 Turbo in California a few weeks back with just under 200k miles. Asking price around $28k. I swear if that had been close enough to take a peek at it in person I'd have been very tempted. Even with 200k, it's ALL about the maintenance.

My IMS went kaboom at 80k miles... thats a little over 10k miles a yr.

I will have owned my car for 3 years come September. Bought it with 47k on the clock and currently have just under 70k. I have done all the preventative maintenance, upgraded the IMS, replaced the RMS, clutch, water pump, AOS, serpentine belt, plus upgraded the audio, Fister D's, etc. My plan was to move to a 997 this summer, but my car is exactly the way I want it, so I may just keep it. All I need to do is have both bumpers re sprayed and it will be perfect. Such problems!

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PasPar Assuming you are referring to your 2002, that means it disintegrated in 2009 or 2010. That seems to be about the same time that people started upgrading their IMSB. Yours wasn't a garage queen, so I assume also that you may have already changed the clutch, but probably weren't aware of the new IMSB upgrades. Zanzibar's theory is that in 2014, a higher mileage car would have its warts removed by previous owners. For example, if you search threads from 10 years ago, RMS leaks were considered horrific problems, yet now they are either fixed or considered a nuisance at worst. My question is, with today's available knowledge and upgrades for the 996, would it be fair to say that what happened to your car need not happen to anyone else again if they just pay a bit of attention and/or have a decent mechanic? Despite the fact that some engines in every model of car ever built (including the 996) will experience failure (and all engines will eventually need a rebuild given enough mileage), is it fair to say that the reliability issues that gave the 996 a bad name early on have been relegated to easily avoidable, easily preventable or minor nuisance status?

My 2002 was a tip. I was covered via an after market warranty and got a crate Porsche engine installed by a dealer. I sold the car a year later because I wanted a 997. Had I kept the 996 I would look at the IMS fix that was starting to become available back then. My 997.1 was a 2007 and was also CPO so I didnt plan on changing the IMS. I figured I review options once CPO was almost over. It took a salt water bath before then so I never had to "think" about that further. If I was to by a 996 now, I would consider the IMSB fix a must and would either look for one with it done or would take care of it immediately upon getting the car. My 996 had no symptoms whatsoever and the cost of the IMSB fix vs a rebuild makes this a no-brainer.

Aside from mechanical issues as discussed above, the condition of the rest of the car is paramount to a person's enjoyment of the car IMO. One car with say 50K miles can be just as worn as another car with 100K miles. By wear, I am referring to things like the condition of the interior leather, console, carpet, headliner, and all the misc fittings. Also exterior items like paint condition, dings, wheel condition, convertible top condition, etc. It can be just as costly to repair and replace these cosmetic things as it is to perform mechanical maintenance.

Price and maintenance "fears" depend entirely on how owner sees the car. Zanzibar's car has 28k miles, it is 15 years old now and it sits in the air conditioned garage. To him, it is a prized possession and he is emotionally attached to it. My 996 is treated like a regular car, it sits outside in the South Phoenix. I wash it once a month. To me, there is no difference between a civic of a Porsche. Car has one function in life, to drive to places. I know my car will get dings, scratches, and I will break at least a few more windshields. I don't sweat it or care. Right now even the newest 996s are approaching 10 years of age. Modern Mustangs and Hyundai cars can challenge 996s in the straight line and in turns. To me 996 was a great value proposition for a sporty car, nothing else. No emotional attachment here. Luxury car is the same as any other luxury product. Some people buy a Rolex and wear it once a month to a stately dinner. I wear my Omega Seamaster every day without taking it off, yes the bracelet is scratched up now and "professional" on the clamp is almost gone, but to me it is fine. I buy my things to use them, not treasure them.

At this point the newest 996s are going on 10 years old. Age takes its toll regardless of how much, or how little, the car is used. In some cases lack of use can be harder on a car than being driven. I greatly prefer buying a well maintained car with more miles, the initial investment is lower and I will likely be doing the same work regardless of miles. In fact that's exactly what I did.

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+1 "Except" I must say I do have an emotional attatchment to Porsche cars and always have had since I was about 15. However, I DD the **** out of mine and just do regular maint just like i have on every car I have ever owned. +1 Also, on the Seamaster I beat mine up daily too going on 10+ years now.

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Same here as my 996 is my beater/mistress/throw away ho. I cherish and keep my Enzo tucked away though, which does have emotional attachment(long term wife).