Where are you hiding them?

I've been looking for a well optioned, clean car, around 60k miles, that has been serviced appropriately etc etc. to use as a DD and for DE events. My upper limit is $23k so I can get it on the road in Canada for under $30k! Am I being unrealistic? I keep seeing statements that there are lots of good $20k 996's out there but I can't find them. I've been checking here, Ebay, CL, Kijiji and the good ones seem to come in around $25k+. Where are the secret hiding spots?

1) Be patient. It might take some time for the right car to show up. 2) in the meantime, save some more money you can allocate to the purchase. 3) see if the $25k car can be bought for 23. -td.

I am Canadian as well, just purchased in Dec 1999 996 C2, 24,000km in excellent shape in Michigan for less than what you are looking to spend, keep looking there are lots around, found it on auto trader. I was looking anywhere in the US and willing fly somewhere a have a long drive back (was looking forward to the drive), got lucky and found this one less than 2hr drive away. I also paid for 2 PPI's walked away from the 1st one, you may be looking at a long distance buy just do your home work on the car and get the PPI.

The "secret hiding spots" are in the US. Canadian pricing has stayed pretty firm, thanks to the lack of dealer competition and the relatively small market here. You're going to pay what most Rennlisters would say is a premium. What I'd do if I were you is put calls in to the good independents in the area (Mantis, Autowerks, Engineered Automotive), make friends and get them to keep an ear out for you. They'd likely be the first to hear of a good example going on the block. Whereas I doubt the two dealers in Toronto will be much help. What you've described is my car The problem is, the only way I'll ever get my money out of it is by driving it, so it's not for sale...

The others here may have a better idea of the market. But I was looking for essentially the same thing and found it very hard sledding -- and also with those that I did see there were condition issues that I was not prepared to contend with. In time I resigned myself to spending 5K more and the market opened up tremendously, as I think you've found. At 25/30 you will find yourself spoiled for choice. I still think eBay is the best place to get an idea if your price range is realistic. You may hear of an occasional dream deal but these are pretty rare.

They all exploded, IMS failure.

Have you check in Craigslist adds? Try California main cities (SF Bay Area, LA, Orange, San Diego). I think I saw a clean 996 under miles you were looking at the price range. Are you looking at all types of 996s? From 99 up?

Mike, Check you PMs.

I've been thinking of selling my '99 C4 with 57k miles and a reman engine but haven't pursued it real hard because everyone tells me that it's only worth $20k or so. Not true?

Excellence indicates $16.3K to 21.8K http://www.excellence-mag.com/resour...ide/1041874889 . However, I am thinking a well maintained car with some very recent fixes (like new engine, clutch or transmission or IMS upgrade) might get a bit of a premium....

I'm Canadian and purchaed my 99 996 with 50k for just over $21,000 last April. It's a Florida car.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/ctd/2275962478.html

TOOLOUD10, list your car for sale in Canada, have a look at the Canadian AutoTrader web site you'll be shocked to see what they sell for here.

I am looking for the same thing except $17-18k.

I just posted my 99 996 in the vehicle and when the ad is approved, I believe it is exactly what you are looking for, be patience I guess.

Some of us are idiots and believe NADA / KBB / Edmunds, therefore pay prices that are too high according to Excellence. Live and learn I guess. That sucks up a lot of cars and raises the prices. It also raises asking prices since someone may come in and pay it (or at least give plenty of negotiating room). You could pick a price you think the car is worth and ask for it -- who knows. I think a lot of these great deals are either (1) careful continent-wide shopping over a 6+ month period to get just the right car at a really good price, (2) awesome deals made through a friend / fellow club member / etc., or (3) incredible luck (like the clean low-mile full CPO GT2 for $65k -- why didn't anyone tell me about that?). Plus -- who's more likely to post on the forums: (a) I got a great deal! or (b) oops, I overpaid.

My advice is get in a habit of searching. About everyday I check the same places for 996's. Then once a deal pops up I know. I think 18K is a good deal for a 99 and around 22K is a good deal for an 02. I had a local car that was a steal last week but i missed it, I just got to sell my 930 first!!!! GRRRR

I just typed in the "search" criteria into Autotrader and came up with about 20 cars that fit the criteria. Included in the 20 were 4-5 Cabs and one C4. You're not looking hard enough or in the right places.

most of my search results end up on the left coast. I guess i need to wait until the east coast wakes up their p cars from their deep winter nap.

I have the Hershey swap meet coming up in a month so i might find something there.

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Your 930 is amazing. I would buy it in a second if I could only get approval from SWMBO. I can't believe how much time gets sucked up once you start looking. Mike

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I agree, the majority of listings come from sunny California. The long distance car shopping is a little daunting. I guess one would have to rely on PPI's and Rennlist friends to check the car out. Just missed out on a great deal in LA on a 2000 Cab 42k miles & $20k. My offer was going in as they were signing the deal. "Patience Grasshopper"

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I was between jobs this summer, while shopping for my Pcar. It was seriously a part-time job looking for a car; 10-15 hours a week or more. I looked for a deal in the states, but the canadian dollar was more like .97 and I couldn't make the numbers work. The deals just weren't there at the time (for the very specific range of car i was looking for). I ended up with a Canadian car in Toronto. Paid a little more than I wanted to, but it was that or get something I didn't want (as much as you can not want a C4S...) Good luck. Contact this guy: http://www.autosport911.com/ He's fantastic. No affiliation. I didn't buy a car through him, only by fate.

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You are correct, that is perfect. I will prob wait until after the hershey swap meet to make a decision, just b/c those cars would be much closer to me.

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lol, I wish i could make a decision on a car already. I gave up the idea of getting a 996 in april or so. I think it was probably after hershey when i couldn't find any good clean examples to look at. I am all over the board on cars. I have a problem. I was thinking of trading my dd 03 rl for a new tsx. But after visiting a few dealers and no one really budging i said f it. So I have turned my attention again to a 996. I think i'll look for an 02+ but am not quite sure. There is an 03 c2 cab with hardtop pretty close to me for 28k and 69k on the clock. I'll wait until at least the fall when prices normally seem to fall. I was thinking about an inexpensive boxster, but i want to get something with a back seat for my 4 year old niece. What little kid wouldn't enjoy riding in a Porsche. She enoyed Uncle Rich's yellow car...

In a few months or sooner folks will be ready to give up their 996's due to Winter and in some states Fall so I'd just be patient. I got lucky years ago, after not doing so well with the vehicles on cars.com and autotrader, and found mine by doing a national search on porsche.com. Mine was all I was looking for the same price I saw on autotrader and cars.com and it was CPO'd. I did have to fly to OHIO to pick it up though.