Please reassure me on a 1999 996...more>

hello forum, sorry to keep breaking chops..but i am looking to buy very soon a 1999 996 C2..it has 8,000 miles on it..some questions. 1. is 8,000 miles virginal? i mean, almost new in your opinion. 2. since it is 1st yr for 996 model back in 1999, ive heard of problems..i am not mechanically inclined at all and will buy an extended warranty, but is this car prone to problems? 3. im getting it at 50,000 grand..i think its a steal at this price for 8,000 miles..is this a good deal, average deal, or a steal? 4. i plan on keeping her for many, many years..will this 996 last for 150,000 miles if cared for with love? thx and sorry to be so long winded..i was getting a boxster s, but i need more than 2 seats..my budget is 50,000 on the nose..not one penny more..i should be able to get a great 996 for this price i think...anyway, thx to all for your thoughts

Buy it. Dont worry about the early 99 problems. Most are fixed as warranty issues. And besides, the "problems" are not serious anyways. I love my 1999 996 and have had to deal with all the common 99 issues. Not bad really. And you are correct, at 8K miles it is a steal. I would hope to get $45+ for my 99 which has 48,000 miles.....

I have no reservations about buying a 1999 model 996 as I do have one and other then TSB's that happened early on which are under warranty- it's been bullet-proof. I've have 31 k miles and gone to 10 DE's this year alone and I hope when you do get it you'll track the car- that will show you why and what this car can do and puts a 24/7 smile. Sounds like a great deal with only 8k miles but make sure you'll get a PPI done. Great car IMO. I plan to keep this car for a long time : ). Regards. Mike

I have no reservations about you buying a '99 model (got one myself), but IMHO, 8k miles is a little TOO low for maintaining the engine and running gear in tip-top condition. These cars are designed to be driven and the car you're looking at has done something like 2.5k per year. Low usage can sometimes cause its own problems which would NOT be covered under warranty, e.g. brittle hoses, dry oil seals etc. Be careful - have it checked thoroughly (may even be some other reason why the current owner has hardly used it).

Sounds like a good deal if the PPI checks out. All problems should have already been covered under warranty by this point in time. How is the car equipped?

Somebody already did your dirty work for you. Between five and six thousand miles is when these motors really start to open up. I've got 8,600 on mine and it sounds and feels better then ever. Good Luck <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

[quote]Originally posted by 996FLT6: <strong>I have no reservations about buying a 1999 model 996 as I do have one and other then TSB's that happened early on which are under warranty- it's been bullet-proof. I've have 31 k miles and gone to 10 DE's this year alone and I hope when you do get it you'll track the car- that will show you why and what this car can do and puts a 24/7 smile. Sounds like a great deal with only 8k miles but make sure you'll get a PPI done. Great car IMO. I plan to keep this car for a long time.</strong><hr></blockquote> Do you use R-compound tires? Have you ever considered using the oil scavenge kit that Porsche Motorsport sells?

Arthur- I plan to go with r-compound for the next year when next track season comes around the corner. In terms of the scavenger kit I never had oil issues(starvation) and so I haven't given it much thought but then with grippier tires won't know til when I try out the r-compounds first and see if there is any problems. I will probably opt for the 3rd radiator though to keep temps down under hot conditions. Are you planning to do that- oil kit? Has anyone who tracked their 996's had oil issues with/without r-compounds? Regards. Mike

THANKS TO ALL WHO GAVE ME ADVICE..VERY NICE OF YOU ALL!!! BE WELL AND REGARDS ERIC

serpico1, you can't get off that lightly!! You've got to tell us if you're gonna get the car? And then get some piccies uploaded somewhere. Sincerely hope that you buy it, you'll never look back. Steve

color and options please!

The motor is really just getting fully broken in at 8000, you get the good part! You might--should--have the seller throw in a fairly complete fluid change, some of which have time limits too, such as the oil and brake fluid. The coolant is supposed to be semi-permanent (oh sure), but given the low use change that as well.

Just got my 99 996 four weeks ago as my daily driver. Has 50,000 miles on it and still smooth as can be. You're getting a good deal with such a low mileage car. Make sure it has the options you want. Mine is an early build (98) and I'm finding it is very costly to go back and add on thing such as clear lights, body kits, interior upgrades etc. Regardless, go for it! Sure does bring the joy back to driving. 99 Black 996 Coupe

996FLT6, I have run 2 DE events on Hoosiers. The last event I turned in my fastest time. I am getting faster after every event. I don't have THAT much experience, and I really never paid attention to the way the oil pressure gauge was when I had MXX3's. I can tell you I slid a LOT on street tires, and barely slide on R's. I also noticed that on the hardest corners last time on R's, the oil pressure gauge dropped to around "2" with the engine speed around 5K. It is worrisome, because intuitively you would think that the engine components need the most oil at high stress loads. Many people at the track tell me that since I only do 2 events a year, that I probably don't need the scavenge kit. So, there you have it. I wish Todd Serota had an opinion about this.

[quote]Originally posted by Arthur: <strong>..... I also noticed that on the hardest corners last time on R's, the oil pressure gauge dropped to around "2" with the engine speed around 5K. It is worrisome, because intuitively you would think that the engine components need the most oil at high stress loads......</strong><hr></blockquote> Wow. Low oil pressure on turns. Now you have me worried. I'm planning DOT R compund tires next year. I checked your profile, Arthur, and I can't tell from your avatar. What car do you have?

99 996 RoWM030

[quote] Originally posted by Arthur: I also noticed that on the hardest corners last time on R's, the oil pressure gauge dropped to around "2" with the engine speed around 5K. It is worrisome, because intuitively you would think that the engine components need the most oil at high stress loads. <hr></blockquote> And to think, some folks have suggested running a lower oil level during track usage. I have made a point to talk to every 996 driver I come across at DE events, not one has ever heard about dropping the oil level. In fact, they all look at me like I am crazy. When the engine is off/cold it should show a full amount of oil, when the engine is running/hot it shows a half tank of oil... now what do you suppose happens when running a half tank oil level in a cold engine? When the engine is warmed/running you would only have about a quarter of the oil in the sump. When cornering hard (especialy with sticky R compound tires) all that oil flows away from the pickup causing cavitation thus the lower oil pressure. IMHO... of course. Arthur... From what I understand the 99 models had the cavitation problems the worse, mostly in left hand turns. What oil level are you running? I would also have to say that your intuition is correct, dropping from 5bar to 2bar at 5000rpm under load can not be good. Porsche does suggest the oil pan baffles if you are going to be running an R compound. Hope this all makes sence. <img src="graemlins/yltype.gif" border="0" alt="[typing]" />