Noob questiond for a 996 I am looking to get...

Alright guys,, here it goes. Ive wanted a 911 since I was 12. And have finally come to the point where I can afford a used one. I just got out of college and have been driving my POS for like 5 years now and finally landed my first good job with a solid paycheck. A guy I know well who knows the family happens to be selling his '01 911. It has some stuff like an aero kit etc.. but is mostly in stock config with less than 40,000 miles. He wanted 25k for it but for me he would cut me a deal. Heres the dilemma. Everyone I know, who doesnt have a 911 has told me that these cars are problematic, cost too much for repairs and are not a realistic everyday driver. I on the other hand believe it to be a very well crafted piece of machinery that if taken care of will last a long time. SO my question to you guys is A) should I get it?,, B) are the 01 911's reliable and worth the money? C) will this car if properly maintained (mobil 1 etc) last me a while. Anyway, its a slick looking one black on black garaged etc.. And of course I would have it checked out by a porsche guy I know of in town.. thanks in advance,, I am 22 and single,, I want to build up some equity, get a 911, build my wealth up before getting married etc...Not that it matters but I like the thought of being a bachelor and having my 911 along with me.

These cars are not cheap to own but they are not terribly expensive either if you have a good indy.

In the context of a $25,000 car, the 996 is pretty expensive to maintain. In the context of the $100,000 car that it was originally, it's not bad at all. Even with a good Indy, you're looking at a couple of thousand $ per year of maintenance.

At 22, I would imagine the idea of buying a $22K car and then having to buy an engine for $15k can be pretty daunting. Make sure whatever choice you make it is smart and sustainable. Being only 10 years your senior, I sought out a car with a CPO warranty or I was going to make sure i budgeted for a really really solid warranty. They are largely trouble free from my short ownership experience. Mine is not my DD. A 40K mile car with a factory aerokit is easily worth what you would pay for it with the "deal" your getting. Just make sure it's the right "deal" for YOU. Oh, and I thought I was fortunate to snag a 996 at 32 and here you go and get one at 22. One more thing. a good warranty for a decent length of time will cost you a couple grand.

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Great perspective. Outside of normal maintenance expenses for me was ~$300 on a MAF sensor, ~$125 for idler pulleys, ~$125 on an air/oil sperator from what I can remember. Did the work myself so if you have to pay for work, labor is pretty high. I had 102,000 miles when I sold it.

You sound like a good canidate for an MY01 911. If you have to do anything other than maintainance, it can be expensive as mentioned.Have your Porsche friend do a PPI to highlight any potential issues ie; brakes,MAF,RMS,IMS etc.You can spend less doing your own oil and filter, or find an Indy that knows Porsches. I have owned my 09' for 3 years now and have not (yet) had any big expenses, but i've only driven it 12k miles in 3 years.GL

Everyday maintenance is still something to consider. You're going to go through more tires than you do on your "POS" - and they're going to cost a lot more ($1,000+ for the set). An oil change, even at an Indy, is not a $39 Jiffy Lube job - at least a couple hundred bucks. New brakes aren't $250 at Midas. I just had my hood and bumper resprayed to deal with some trivial stone chips - another $1500 (a repair I wouldn't have made to a $25,000 car). And this doesn't even get into the potential multi thousand $$$ costs (engine, transmission, etc. issues) which are unlikely but possible. I'd budget about a $5,000 reserve fund for 'just in case' kinds of issues that might come up and render you carless.

Brakes costs around $1200 just for parts when I did mine last year. I had a $10K budget to clean up the car when I bought my car with 66K miles. Ended up using $1.5K for service and spent the rest on mods the second year.

If you're going to buy one, and you don't have extra money to pay for the unlikely catastrophic failure out of your pocket, make sure and buy a 911 that an after-market warranty company (like www.warrantydirect.com ) will cover - try and get at least a 2 year warranty. Remember, with high-performance cars come expensive parts, maintenance and labor. Make sure you understand this going in. All that said, these are some of the *best* "sports cars" for the money and also some of the most reliable. They can make absolutely wonderful daily-drivers. GOOD LUCK!!

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I understand it is an expensive car to maintain and I have done my research on this particular car. The owner is actually a porsche enthusiast who owns a few. He mentioned to me last night that he would be willing to go with me to a well known porsche shop or a porsche dealer and let them run a test on it completely which is like 150-200. Tires are fresh and brakes were replaced at 34000 I believe. Overall its been my dream to get one and this deal seems pretty legit. Of course I am going to have the techs look over her for a day or two to see if any problems exist. I will only use this car to go to and from work which is like ten mile each way. I am not looking to race it or anything just to take care of it and use it for around town and maybe a car trip or two. The interior is flawless and looks like its rarely been used, he actually still has the sticker for the car from a local porsche dealership from the day he bought it.. I called the dealership today and they said for 187 they will do a complete check of everything and tell me what they think before I buy it. The guy said that year is overall a good year and he had one. He said in general if you take care of it and dont abuse it, it will last for a while... thanks for your inputs, of course my mom thinks im nuts and wants me to get a toyota but I have to fulfill my dream. My dad was going to get one when he hot out of school but decided not too when his friends porsche conked out on the highway with them in it.. he got a corvette instead and never went to a porsche dealership again..

As others have said this better than I can, these cars are not inexpensive to maintain. That does NOT mean that they are unreliable, but just more expensive than a new $25K econo. car. Heck oil changes are expensive and tires wear out quickly and cost lots $$$. Remember that the purchase price is only the beginning, you will need to maintain it. Nothing makes me laugh and cry when I see a way cool expensive car run down because the owner can't afford to keep it up. There are lots of examples of this out there, don't be one of them. Your mom's advice about a Toyota is pretty good advice for you. Heck, you are young and have plenty of time to get your dream car. I waited until I was 54 to get my first Porsche, and it was worth the wait!

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Exactly. If you want to play the, "I own an $80k car (but I got it cheap)" game, the #1 requirement is that you can write a moderately big check for a repair that's out of proportion to the value of the car. That's why 20-somethings buy GTIs instead of Porsches. They cost the same, but the potential variable cost can break ya'.

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I know many people who have alot of money and many cars. None of them have ever gone over to a Porsche dealership and bought a new one. Im not trying to own an "80k dollar car and play a game" If I wanted to go buy a new Porsche I would, but based off of the depreciation rates on these its a dumb financial move and I would rather invest my money.

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I think you missed Jon's point, simply put: Make sure you can afford to maintain and pay for any repairs that come up. Be prepared for the possibility of big bucks. If that is not a problem, than go for it.

Do it - DO IT!!! If you are uncomfortable having it as a daily driver, buy a $1,000 grocery getter and have it for those nights and weekends. It's better than drugs! Maintenance, well, learn to change your own oil, figure out how to clean the MAF, change the O2 sensors, etc. It's a Porsche, a well engineered straight forward car, and not some anti gravity space ship. Have yourself some fun. Doitdoitdoitdoitdo

eh... just hang out here and Renntech. Learn to DIY. Most expensive is tires... need new rears every 10K and front every other season. Other than that... do it! Seems like you made up your mind anyway.

buy one - or wait 20 more years, buy one and wonder why you waited

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Alright guys, looks like Im all in. Am now deciding between an '01 and an '03, the '03 is around 30k the '01 as the guy offered is way less than that. Most likely Ill go with the '01. Hopefully within the next month Ill have her out front. There is this guy who has had an old 911 from the early 80's parked in his driveway for the past 13 years (in my parents neighborhood where I grew up) I was in town this weekend and noticed its still out there,, when I bought my first car the POS I often thought of knocking on his door and asking how much lol.. anyway IM surprised the guy has left it there all that time.. now hes got kids and mini vans .. wonder if thats how mine will turn out.. haha I will keep you guys updated and post pics of her when the day comes. Ill probably be up all night the first night reading over old records and polishing her in the garage..

dont polish before reading.... you might have to learn how first.... but yes, fequent trips to the garage are normal. - GL on the search

Congrats! I was 29 and single when I bought my 996, you'll enjoy it. Not sure you'll enjoy the insurance premium at 22, but you only live once. Buy some kind of warranty if you aren't mechanically inclined or especially liquid. And please, for the love of Stuttgart, learn how to change your own oil or at least learn that you can bring a case of mobil 1 and a filter to your local independent and he'll probably do the work for somewhere between a six pack and 20 bucks. I can't believe guys pay dealers 200-300 for what is a fifteen minute DIY job. Also, don't buy 19 inch wheels, your tire budget will become completely insane. Otherwise just have fun with it, and if you're serious about investing the balance of a new car purchase instead of suffering new car+tax depreciation (which is a very good way to look at this), be sure you pay cash for the car. Don't go paying interest unless it's lower than the yield on your investment of equal liquidity time horizon. Best, Hans

+1 on the oil changes... my first cost about $250-275 at an indy shop ? then I did it myself I was SO pissed at those guys!!! But thats the nature of things

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May I ask what you have had to replace each year that brings you to such a figure? Or, are you averaging maintenance figures over a given period?

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Well, I'm almost exactly a year in; bought an '04 cab last October. Car is my daily driver. Snow tires (last winter): ~800 New summer tires (this summer): ~1,400 30,000 mile service: ~900 Respray to fix stone chips and scratch: ~1,500 That's all I can think of off the top of my head. So that's $4,600. Now, some of those (snow tires) are multi-season investments; some I probably paid more than I *had* to (doing the 30K at the dealer); some didn't *need* to be done (respray). If I look back on it, I had to get the summer tires (but probably could have gotten cheaper ones), and had to do the 30K service (which probably could be worked down to $250-$300?). So if I wanted to totally cheap out and skimp on maintenance, it probably would have been ~1,200 - and that's with absolutely nothing going wrong on a car with <35,000 miles. In the next twelve months, I figure I'm probably up for brakes, an oil change, and hopefully a new stereo...

Thanks for the breakdown.

Make sure you budget for a new motor.

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becuase 100% of them explode.

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Aside from the service (which could have been done for much less yourself), I wouldn't factor in a re-spray, and two new sets of expensive tires into the "maintenance" catagory. Someone who buys a car with new all-season tires and clean paint would only have had the service to worry about. I wish I had a 911 at 22! Of course, my parents wouldn't have appreciated the insurance premium in 1987 Brooklyn!

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I think buying the 01 for a "deal" (if the car passes a PPI) and then buying a comprehensive warranty is a good move. Do not skip on the PPI just because you "know the guy" or he's a family friend. Most of the folks I know don't know their a** from an orange when it comes to vehicles but, most drive nice cars. Good luck.

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I could not agree more with this comment.

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I partly agree with this, but partly not. If you're planning to use the car as a daily driver, you're getting a new set of tires (at least a rear set) every year. That's maintenance. Now, two new sets of four in a given year - that's not really an annual expense. On the respray, I'm on the fence. I bought a car with clean paint and picked up a small, but deep scratch while parked. If you plan to take the car out of the garage, stuff happens. Same repair on a Toyota would have been ~$400, but you want to do it right, and it costs $1,500. It's not routine maintenance, but was an expense I could have done without. In terms of doing the 30K service myself, frankly, I think that's a bad move in the long term that will impair resale value. I'd put a big discount on any car that hadn't been serviced at either a dealer or a reputable indy. (For me, also not practical because I have CPO, and the service is a good opportunity to get warranty items double-checked, but obviously that doesn't apply here). At the end of the day, I wouldn't recommend making the purchase unless you have a reserve fund of $2,500 - $5,000 for repairs and maintenance. Just look at the wear items - tires, brakes, clutch - none of them are 'cheap' fixes, and if you plan to own the car for any period of time (and drive it daily), you're going to have to pay for them.

I think it all depends on your future income expectations. If you see yourself doubling your income every 4-5 years, I'd say take the plunge.

i'm lucky enough to have an indy that charges $70/hr and is on the local PCA board. my costs per year for maintenance: oil change (if i don't do it myself): $150x2 (i do it twice a year). coolant flush (when necessary): $100 (estimated. i've got it scheduled for november). brake fluid (every other year): $70, i don't track my car. so total maintenance is from $400-$470 / year depending on the maintenance schedule. now i've had other 1x costs: winter wheels and tires: $1000 (got a great deal on winter rubber hear on rennlist), including mount and balance. 60k maintenance: $500. all charges include fluids. some semi-regular maintenance: brake pads and fluid flush: $560 (includes cost of hawk ceramic pads). so all in all, i'd say the maintenance costs are about twice what my old audi cost me at similar mileage. my car is a DD.

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This I agree 100% with.

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100% of all 996's engines have exploded? haha. I mean the guy Im buying it from has a binder with every service done on it.. including oil and stuff. I called up the place where he bought it and the guy told me (mechanic at porsche) that there is a woman here in town who owns a '99 996 and has meticulously brought it in since purchased it. It has a record 160,000 miles on the engine. He said it is the highest known mileage on a 996 he has ever seen its a tiptronic model..

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I should mention he said its the highest known on the original motor.. I just want a car thats is of high quality, one that I can baby and keep for a while.. Plus that 911 poster has been above my desk for like a decade so either I get one now or spend roughly the same initial cost on a honda or something.. I mean If I have two PPi's on the thing one might be from a place similar to Roock I assume this car will not be a lemon if it passes both..

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This is the statement that makes me think that you have no idea what you could be in for. It's a great car - but even a perfect 996 is not a Honda, when it comes to either performance or maintenance costs. If you're thinking "hmm, $25K, that's either a new Honda Accord or a PORSCHE in GREAT condition!" you're going to be in for a surprise come maintenance time. I'm not saying that you shouldn't buy it. Just don't expect that you're buying a "great piece of machinery" that will never have a problem. Even a perfect 996 will have problems come up (as an 8 year old Honda would), and they are not cheap fixes.

22, single, no kids, minimal responsibilities, time to learn car. 32, married, kids, house payment, car seats, beach trips with lawn chairs, etc. 50, kids in college, working to get retirement money Message? It's an emotional irrational decision. Get the car

Get it and deal with the costs. You're only young once and whenever you do meet the woman of your life she'll know she has a package deal.

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...with a blown engine?

wait, you just got a solid paycheck, but you can spend $80k for a new porsche? Then you talk about financing...must be a good job to support an $1100 monthly payment. If you're rolling in the cash like you claim, then go buy the car, and keep some cash in fairly liquid instruments if you have a major repair. I get the feeling that buying this car may be a stretch and that the first time you experience a major repair, or an engine failure, you may be reconsidering. I would make DAMN sure that you can afford (both financially and mentally) a $12k engine replacement. If you can shrug that off as the price of admission, go for it.

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Are you reading the same thread we are?