New here, should I buy this 996 Cabriolet?

Hi guys, New to the board. Wanted to get some advice. This post got kind of long, so please bear with me. Your help IS appreciated! I saw this car on craigslist and I've very tempted: http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/2091391901.html 2003 996 Cabriolet with 102K miles. Spoke with the seller and he says issues are: 1. Needs new rear tires 2. Climate control works but some screen pixels are dead 3. Driver side window regulator is going out 4. Top doesn't consistently close right (claim was that it needs cable adjustment and that it is easy) 5. Driver side door compartment missing cover My background: 27 years old. Currently drive a fairly heavily modified 2003 BMW 330i ZHP 6 speed. Fairly mechanically inclined and not afraid of doing work myself as long as I've got the tools. I've been working on motorcycles since I was 11 years old. I've completely rebuilt a Kawasaki KX125 motor by myself (with the exception of having a shop seat bearings in the engine case). I've done all the maintenance work on my 330i myself - oil change, brake rotors/pads, fixed broken window regulator with zip-ties, installed kw v2 coilovers and rear camber arms, etc. Though I tend to neglect things like flushing coolant/brake fluid/bushings. I said all that because I'm willing to do much of the maintenance myself, but I admittedly don't know p-cars very well. Having the engine in the back scares me a bit from a maintenance perspective. I'm not sure that things I'm typically used to doing myself I'll be able to do with this car. I'm also not familiar with cost of parts, which may also be prohibitive. The mileage doesn't really concern me as my last car was a Nissan Maxima that I drove from 140k to 200k, and my 330i I bought with 82k and currently has 107k. What does concern me after I started searching was IMS issues. I simply cannot afford a 10k+ engine failure. I think I've decided if I buy the car I'll get the LN Engineering bearing done first thing. Local shop wants $2100. Either I factor that into the cost, or I try to do it myself for $650. Anyone ever done the swap in their garage? Would I need highly specialized tools/skills? Other factor, I really think I wanted a 6 speed, but the price is right, and the benefit is that my fiance, who currently can't drive my car would be able to drive this. We had a blast in Hawaii with a rented Corvette convertible and have wanted a sports car convertible ever since. She's helping to front the money to buy the car so it would only be fair that she gets to share in the fun of driving it. How's the tiptronic? Is it bearable? Or should I not even walk down this road? Again any advice is appreciated. And dibs on the car if you're in the area and thinking about buying it too! Thanks! Brian

It looks like it has been regularly driven, but not abused from my perspective-which is a good thing. The repairs (that the seller has told you about and some I'm sure he hasn't) could be in the $2K+ region (the top can get expensive depending on what is wrong, but could also just be low on fluid) and when you add in the $2K for the LN upgrade (which is a good idea) you are in the lower-mid twenties. The '03 is a great year and if you want a Tiptronic (not just for the fiance), then go for it. My caution would be to set aside enough to properly maintain a higher mileage Pcar, and even if you do it yourself the parts can get expensive.

I dont know... its cheap but might end up costing more than you think. It seems to be in OK condition and high miles should be OK - keep in mind other things are worn out (shocks, springs, bushings, waterpump, seals, drop links, top, window motors, on and on) I bought an old high miler and it was a pretty good experience overall. I wish I had done more homework on the car, but that is water under the bridge. Trouble is (and trust me this is from personal life long experiences) when we "know how to fix things" we tend to buy things no one else would want knowing "I can fix that, and that , and that.... then we buy a financially draining asset that gives us a headache and sleepless nights worrying. Then to top it off its a Tip....@ 27 if you have any testosterone left I think you will be bored to death so to wrap it up, the car is OK, price is fair for the age/miles, maintenace might bite you, might not, boring grandpa transmission, fiance likes it....go drive 4 other cars (couple of each transmission) and then hand over your ***** and buy the thing - you can always sell it later for something and get a "real Porsche"

Quotes source post: 8106505

You're not doing yourself or the cars you own any favors neglecting coolant and brake fluids. Cooling system corrodes, a leak develops, engine overheats, head gasket (or worse) results. Pay for a new head or a replacement engine and you'd wished you'd not neglected the cooling system... If you want the car... I'd have new tires fitted and car treated to an alignment (preferrably by a highly experienced Porsche tech who has seen it all...), top fixed, A/C system fixed, door panel replaced and door regulator/lock fixed as part of the deal. I'd like the tires replaced and at the same time the car treated to a full alignment. What I'm concerned about is maybe the tires are just worn due to miles/usage with maybe a misalignment contributing to the wear rate. But I'd like a qualified Porsche tech to align the car and advise me regarding how straight the car is. If not done recently and with paperwork to prove it, budget for vital fluid changes: brakes, coolant, Tip/diff. Got to say though, I'm a little leery of an older higher mileage car without regular vital fluid changes, and this goes for the Tip fluid too. I'd like a very knowledgeable tech check the Tip fluid to try to determine the condition of the Tip. Given all that has been said I can't believe this car is the best example you can find and afford. Sincerely, Macster.

Great advice from the group as usual. First of all, as the new-to-me owner of a 2000 C4 Cab Tip, the tip is a very cool experience. I just got it less than a month ago. I was really surprised as to how much fun I have with the car, especially around the city. I am a 22-year PCA member and have only owned (911) manuals during my Porsche tenure. You have to drive a tip to know whether you like it. For me, as a DD commuter car, it is perfect. It also helps that my better half really likes the tip and disliked the 6-speed in my last 993. It came down to either getting a Porsche with a tip, so that she was happy, or another anemic sports sedan (until we can afford a Twin turbo and an anemic sports sedan!) I would suggest that if you balk at the price of a catastrophic engine or other failure, DIYer or not, you should probably not buy a car like this. The 996 is an evolution of many years of Porsche engineering and is not a car to consider cutting one's teeth on lightly in the DIY department. You clearly have a lot of mechanical know-how, but marque and model-specific know-how is also important especially with a complicated vehicle that may have some potentially major issues down the pike. On to price- as my fellow Seattle-ite IvanGene said, it is an okay price, given the issues and miles. My general rule of thumb is this- I will consider buying a car that has things that need to be addressed soon, but not immediately. Immediately means a project and I personally have plenty of those at home to keep me occupied. The other rule of thumb is this- I generally don't buy cars that have things "broken" because it shows neglect. It is one thing to have wear and tear, but it is another to have things missing or broken off. Porsches that have been taken care of may have a very low miles or very high miles or somewhere in between, but the serious Porsche owner rarely leaves something in a "broken" state for long. If the door pocket door is missing the cover, there are probably other items that are broken or missing as well. Be well aware of this and check out every component and system carefully. The tires are no big deal- factor that into negotiations. The climate control is very easily fixed and IIRC, a couple of hundred bucks from a wrecker- factor that into negotiations. The window regulator is fussy to replace- again, factor that into negotiations. A PPI is a must at a shop that really knows 996s. It is amazing how many Porsche Indy shops say they know 996s and really don't have a clue. What would I do? It is a nicely optioned cab in decent condition. If you are willing to accept that you might have to drop $5-6K on a used engine or $9-11k on a rebuilt one, then move forward. If not, rethink what you want to do. These cars get expensive in a hurry, both in time and $$$$$$. I didn't see reference to a hardtop- that is a fantastic item to have. If it is not included, factor $700-1000 for a used one plus paint. If you decide to move forward and the PPI checks out, offer the owner $18k for the car. $18.5 would be a nice deal on a car you obviously like. Best of luck in your decision.

Thanks for the advice guys. All excellent input, and much of it common sense that I just didn't really consider. Leaving things is in a broken state is probably one of the most tell-tale signs that the car has not been properly maintained. And maintenance items on a 100k mile car can add up quick. Money is really not an issue from an "i'm going to lose my house if I blow an engine" standpoint, but I tend to make a hobby out of finding the best value for the buck, and having to spend 10k on an engine would substantially negate that value. I have the means to fix such issues if necessary but would never go into the deal upfront if I expected that to be the case. Generally I would just go look at the car and test drive it to get some of the answers that I'm looking for, but I'm in San Jose and Sacramento is a 130 mile trek. I may sit this one out and wait for a cleaner example, but I'll keep you posted if I buy it. Thanks again!