996 Decision...

Looking at two potential 996s here in LA. One is a 99 for 23k and only has 31k miles on the odo. Guy is second owner and barely drives it though he's done the 30k service and a couple of oil changes (actually had the battery replaced twice I assume from non use). Other 996 is an 02 and has 103k on the ODO but only 10k of that is on the reman engine. Sounds like there is still two years left on that warranty, though he's checking. When I asked if the water pump /AOS/IMS/RMS had been done he said he didn't think so. Calling his wrench tomorrow to discuss details. Obviously will need to get a PPI, but I feel like the preference here is to go with the Reman engine, right? 31k on the clock isn't terrible, but you have to assume that the car is breaking apart from non-use and it's just waiting for a cylinder head /IMS/RMS issue to sneak up, right? Or am I being stupid?

Early cars (99' and 00') have been said to be less susceptable to the IMSB failaure since it is a dual-row unit and suppose to be more durable than the single row bearings in the engines starting 2001. While the remaining warrantee on a re-man'ed engine is attractive, this car will have had 80K more miles worth of wear on everything else such as transmission, drive shaft, clutch (if not yet changed), and shocks. However I thought all the AOS/IMS/RMS would all have been done on a reman engine from Porsche? I guess you will also have to decide if you like the MK.1 or MK.2 headlights, MK.2 will also get you a glove box!

All else being equal, the 02 hands down. If he just had the engine replaced then it comes with a 2 year warrantee from that point. Was it just replaced a few months ago? Doesn't sound like the car had the engine replaced under CPO due to the age (Porsche only CPOs cars up to 8 years old) so was it a goodwill replacement or did the current owner cough up the cash for the reman?

My vote would be the 02 if its in good condition other than the engine and if it does indeed have a two year TRANSFERRABLE warranty.

As most have already said the 02' if it comes with a transferable warranty. Are they both C2's ? Keep us posted and let us know what you end up doing.

I'd still consider the "99 .. Just budget for clutch , ims, seals , aos, water pump (due to age) and you have a car with only 20k more miles on engine .. But 70k less on shocks, gearbox , interior wear etc. Sure there is higher risk of block/head cracking etc. make sure you get good ppi

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It truly amazes me that anyone who reads this forum actually buys a 996. No, you are not being stupid. Just paranoid. Contrary to what you read here, very few 996's blow up. Relax. Have fun with your search. Be smart with your due diligence and remember: "Porsche...There is No Substitute!"

I don't see the ultra low miles as being a big positive. I'd go for the 02 + as long as the engine was replaced by a reputable source. Even if it doesn't come with a warranty, since the 99 car doesn't either.

i think an important part of the puzzle is missing here - whats the price of the 02 w/103 miles w/reman engine?

The 02 is going for 24,250 but the guy says he is willing to potentially come down on that price. Personally, I'd like it a lot more for around 22 or 21. Just saw a 99 with a reman engine that has 100 miles on it selling for 21,900. Again, I'd love to get that down to 20 or even 19 and am trying to find out if the engine is the 3.4 or the 3.6 Assuming that it will be a 3.4. Like both body styles but slightly prefer the 02 with the glass back window and the improved headlights. Also trying to do some research on the wrench for the 02. It's a guy named Otto Von Bulow (not sure on spelling) who works out of Orange County.

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So the 02 is a Cab? Boo...

That is WAY high for the '99 and the '02, even with the reman engine. Was it a Porsche install reman, or just an indy?

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Well said.^

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+1 ^

02 has had work at both an indy and a Porsche dealer. Sounds like the Indy was the one that did the engine. It was a Porsche core and a rebuilt engine according to the ad. the 2000 I was looking at just sold for 21900 with 77k on the clock. These SoCal prices for the cabs are killing me. And they're also Tips which I thought would bring down the prices more. I guess not.

The Cabriolet - tops down!

the 02

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Ask the seller to take a pic on the bottom of the block by the drivers side exhaust manifold. There will be an engine serial number which you should be able to verify if it was rebuilt by Porsche. In my observation the cab + tip combo have been the cheapest with the lowest resale but its probably different in your area due to the weather.

Btw, if it was rebuilt by Porsche then they should be able to tell you how much warranty is left on it based on the engine serial.

Weirdly in LA, you can find Coupes at much lower prices than you can find cabs....

If I can get them to come down on price, this doesn't look like a bad example. Would want to make sure that it has all the proper stuff / maintenance done to it though http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1-OWN...item19d94f8715

None of the above... Patience is your friend when looking for 996's. My advice is shoot for a 2002-2004 C2, under 70k miles, perfect interior and nearly perfect exterior, decent service history, original engine, under $27k. The eBay car is a tiptronic... Is that really want you are looking for? If so, you are probably in luck. Much less demand than the manual transmissions.

Two quick picks from the current eBay selection... (personally, I like996 MkII coupe six-speeds) http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2004-...-/370769153991 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2002-...-/190801376962 And one near you in long beach on autotrader... http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...ngId=332664648

Really appreciate everyone's help. I know this stuff can get annoying. Honestly, am looking for a tip (LA's stop and go traffic is killer) and a Cab (what's the point of having 300 days of sunshine if you can't enjoy it). Still looking for a good cab, though many people out here with the 996 aren't Porsche people, just casual buyers that got one because of the name. The result is a terrible service history - found a 99 996 with only 30k miles where the owner said, "I've only changed the oil twice because that is what Porsche recommends." He's had the car for it's entire life. Honestly, that is the bulk of what I"m dealing with out here.

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Generally I found people that were buying a cab with tip to not be Porsche people hence the reason why you might be facing a uphill battle. No disrespect to you or anyone else but that seems to be the reality. I've ran into no less than dozen people with that configuration in my area that were clueless about cars in general but were brand ****** more or less. I even pulled up next to a couple grandmas as well. Good luck on your search and we'll all keep our eyes open.

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Agree 100%! But for the same reason, a fair number of tip/cab's will be 100% serviced at the local porsche dealer exactly according to recommended service intervals giving the car a pretty clean history and full documentation of any issues. While most agree 10K miles is too long of an oil change interval, I wouldn't avoid a car just because a dealer has only done the factory recommended service intervals. Plus PPI'ing a car that has 5K+ miles on the oil will give actually you more info than a car that recently had an oil change... Have the PPI shop pull the oil pan and cut the filter and look for non-fuzz magnetic material to check for signs of the always feared and often overhyped IMS bearing deterioration.

I think hes just being realistic about maint costs. Even a well kept 996 is indeed a bottomless money pit.

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I only caution anyone picking a car up from an AZ 'dealer' on ebay that doesn't have a company website or email address. There is a TON of these guys on ebay and they ****** up whatever they can at auction knowing nothing at all about the cars. Store them outside in the desert near the airport. I've gone to look at a handful of these ebay sellers only to be seriously scared off. That said if there is one in AZ you'd like more info/hands on with I might be able to swing the time to get over and look. Most of these ebay 'dealers' are 15 minutes from me. And I agree 100% on the Cab/Tip owners usually not being car people. I actually hadn't thought about it that way but I'm quite possibly looking for exactly that Oh good to know, but I'd be happy if it costs me less than 25 cents a mile

Here's an interesting 2003 996 tip/cab on ebay with a buy-it-now price of $25K... Relatively close to you as well. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2003-...-/330873089623

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I'm wondering, do you just try and scare off potential 996 owners so you can scoop up a really nice one for yourself? I don't get why you seem to be enough of a 996 enthusiast to regularly post in this forum, but constantly tell everyone that they are 1) ridiculously expensive to maintain, 2) doomed to failure, and 3) only suitable for owners comfortable pulling their own transmission (none of which I agree with...)

pfbz, of course it sounds bad taken out of context.

Didn't he already say that it was an indy that replaced the 02 engine? If there is a warranty you can count on with the 02 engine, that's the right one, but I'd probably keep looking.

The 2002 would be the better purchase, but I'd recommend being patient and finding one with fewer questions surrounding it. Check here, Craigslist and classifieds on pelican parts regularly and the right car will become available.

I too am noticing that this should not be a rushed decision