Looking to buy a 996...

Hello everyone, I've been looking around for a higher mileage 1999-2002 996 car for awhile and I've got some questions, so I thought I'd better quit reading and register! I'm looking for what'll be my first Porsche, and I've got a budget that's between 15-20k. After spending hours looking on Ebay and similar sites I'm having trouble figuring out what good market value for these cars is. I'd really like to have a c4, but I haven't seen too many, if any, in my price range. Am I way off on pricing for these cars? There are plenty of C2 cars out there that meet my criteria, but I'm leery of purchasing a higher mileage car on Ebay. I'm looking for a perfect Porsche, I'm looking for a driver. I don't want a car that's been in an accident, but I'm ok with stuff like rock chips and light amounts of wear. The ideal car for me is a one or two owner, with lots of highway miles. I don't want red, or silver, but I love white. Any suggestions, tips or advice? Or better yet, anyone here looking to sell or trade up? Feel free to PM me, I'm based in Des Moines, but I spend plenty of time in LA, and I wouldn't hesitate to drive/fly for the right car. Thanks, -Dave

Ahem. Outside of LA https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...-and-here.html

C4's are going to be above your price range. I've seen a few on Autotrader around 27K with 60 to 80K miles. If I were to buy a 996NA I would seriously consider a car that has had certain maintenance items completed. It will give you peace of mind and save you costs later. Take a look at Ed's car and you will see what I mean. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

Here is a C4 with aerokit http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...-aero-kit.html

I got this one guys Please use the search engine.

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Ed's car is nice, this Aero seems good too. With a thorough inspection, the OP can find a decent 996 in the 20-25K price range, 15-20k price range as he mentioned may be a little harder to find a decent ride. GL in your search...

Dangit, Ed, you just keep torturing me with that ad... Are you SURE you don't want to drive that beautiful 996 until, oh, I dunno, say February or so, and THEN sell it? I mean, I'm pretty sure you owe it to yourself to enjoy it a few more months before you pass it on to the next owner... After all the work you've put into it, I think you've earned that much... (Someone else look at Ed... Is he buying this??)

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Ha! It's going up after the New Year, I doubt there will be a lot of kickers during the holidays. I drove it to work today....There's a traffic jam on the 71 where you're stuck between these high walls.... It opened up and I just gunned it with the windows down.... MMMMMMM sounded sweet. It's tough thinking about what I should do.... I mean there was a pre-73 shell for sale the other day for $2500. It would be a great starting point.... Lets see what the new year brings. Here it is sitting in my spot at work...

"...15-20k ..." I think this is a real dangerous area for 996 ownership. If that is all you can budget then perhaps you need to carefully consider if Porsche ownership is for you at this time (not that it is any of our business). These cars are expensive - both to buy and to maintain. In my experience (and that of a whole bunch of other people...) the 'cheaper' the Porsche, the more money it is going to take to keep it running. As soon as you buy it you are going to start spending money you probably did not budget (my rule of thumb is to assume that a 'new' Porsche is going to cost me a couple of thousand after the intial purchase to fix stuff and get the car to the condition I want it). Current example: My 996 was in outstanding condition with low miles when I bought it a year ago. It has cost me significantly less to maintain than my previous Porsche. And yet I have spent over $2000 on the car in a year. This includes little stuff like oil changes, medium stuff like a window regulator and big stuff like a clutch. If you have a lot of hands-on mechanic experience you can lower these costs considerably, but Porsche parts are not cheap. There are no shortcuts. And the issue of shortcuts and maintenance brings up another real concern in buying a lower-priced Porsche: deferred maintenance. Chances are that a higher mileage car in less than stellar condition offered at a lower price has some issues - issues that the owner knows about and has decided not to address. A good PPI will probably uncover them, but the owner's answer is probably going to be, "why do you think the price is so low?" Don't get me wrong, a higher mileage 996 in less than perfect condition is still a great car. But it is going to cost you money, potentially lots of money. If you are stretching finances to just buy the car you really need to stop and think again. Of course, when was buying a Porsche ever a logical financial decision? Do whatever you want, but just do it with your eyes wide open.

I realize that Porsche ownership is expensive. After repairing and restoring several vintage BMW's I'm not stranger to paying outrageous prices for parts and, when the occasion called for it, labor as well. However, that being said, I do most of my own work, and with a lift, and plenty of tools at my disposal there aren't very many jobs that I'm afraid to tackle. I've been looking for a 911 for quite some time, and I believe that the 996 cars are at the bottom of their depreciation curve. I've read up on the IMS issues, the carrera timing chain tensioners, and other problem areas. I'm familiar with the work that people like Jake Raby do to build bulletproof motors. That being said, I still want a Porsche. I've been watching semi-high mile cars sell on Ebay and other places for low, low money. Case in point, this car sold for 15k, and was a 5hour drive away from me. I would have bought it in a heartbeat. 1 owner 911, dealership maintained, all books, all records. Not a mystery history car like plenty I've seen out there on Ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...#ht_603wt_1165 A recent clutch, the IMS bearing retrofit, fresh tires, lower miles, I'm willing to pay more for all of these things. But how much more? Speaking of Eharrison's 996, (which is a gorgeous car, I'm just not sure I'm sold on the color, here's another example that isn't getting any action on Ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NO-RE...#ht_500wt_1182 Higher miles, less documentation, but look at the huge gap in price.... To be fair, Eharrison's car is much more like the kind of 911 I'd like to own. It's got the shifter/exhaust/wheel choices that I'd consider for my own car. However 7k goes a long way towards repair/maint issues. I'm not trying to insult anyone's opinion, or anyone's car, I'm just trying to give you all an idea of where I'm coming from. At the end of the day, I'm looking for a good driver, something to share garage space with a WRX wagon, and a 72 Skylark. I've been getting rid of all of my project cars, and trying to end up with stuff, but better stuff. Thanks again to everyone who responded.

Sounds like you have a plan... and that you are not one of the clueless 22 year-olds that show up here occasionally ;-) Good luck!

As you probably seen from your searches there are lots of cars for sale. You probably will see more after the holidays as most of the owners are either waiting for better weather to sell. I think the prices for these cars have come down to the lowest we might see. Based on my experience I have had better lock on craigslist and Autotrader. Nothing against Ebay cars as I am sure there are great deals to be found. On a range of 15k-20k you will find good condition cars but due your homework on the car as some of them might have deferred maintenance. Check VIN#, service records, etc to determine how much money you will have to put in once you purchase the car. This is a "want" item, not a "need" item so does not matter how much you spend as long as you can financially afford it. Buy what you like and don't look back!!! Good luck on your search and let us know what you end up with!!!

Sounds like the fun I had working on my car is what you want to do yourself. Makes perfect sense. You'll fit in here really well if that's your game plan. I wish you luck. Oh and F-you regarding not being sold on the color. I get a lot of compliments on the color. Just Kidding..... It's a color that grows on you slowly, like back hair. Good luck with your search *******.... Kidding again. You'll have to grow a thick skin here too. Not everyone is peaches and cream. ONe more point. Starting bid on that car is 14,000. But it doesn't state that there is or is not a reserve.

I kind of like that color, though it is riskier I agree. To each his own. I'd suggest an MKII car, they seem more reliable and easier to repair in several areas, not to mention all the other improvements. I'm not saying that just because I have an MKII car for sale. On the flip side, MKI represents an outstanding value nowadays a, and I think it's a great idea to buy higher mileage cars with good maintenance records, I've done that many times in the past. Many common issues would've likely sprung up, and taken care of. Also, the way the MKI cars look has been growing on me for a while...

After looking at this months Excellence mag. A 2000 C2 on the high side is about 23800, and the C4 about 25K give a little. Then if you find one with low mileage it adds a little more. Once you decide, you then better do your homework, and know which updates have been done to he car. IMS, RMS, etc.. Along with service history.

I'm curious why your preference is a C4?

It snows in Iowa and will be used as a DD?

OP: I'm in exactly, I mean to-the-letter precisely the same situation as you. The only difference is that you want a white car, while I'm looking for a black one, which is good because neither of us will buy the other's car out from under the other. My two cents after surveying pricing for the last year+ is that you won't find a good C4 in that range, but you'll find solid C2s all day long. Right now there are two or three cars out there that meet all of my criteria -- black/black C2 coupe, three-spoke steering wheel, 60-90k miles -- but none that exceed them. I'm hoping that some good candidates will pop up after the holidays when the bills come in. Anyway, good luck in your search, I'm enjoying mine! -vik

http://santabarbara.craigslist.org/cto/2076306186.html

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Wonder how many miles it has. Everytime someone does not give too much detail on a car makes me wonder what they are hiding

I thought the samething.

Don't forget to check pca.org classifieds. You'll need to be a member first, but there are some great enthusiast cars for sale on the site. Good luck! I love my '99 996 - I'm sure you'll love yours too. Bob

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Because I'm going to be one of those people who drive the car everywhere, and I do mean everywhere. Hence, why I'm not concerned about rock chips, and higher miles. I'm going to take it to the movies, to get grocercies, etc. I'm not going to buy it just to admire it in my garage. And honestly, I like AWD. My current stable includes a fully restored 89 bmw 325ix, and 2 02 subaru wrx wagons. They handle better, they're more fun. And since I'm not that interested in tracking the car I don't think I'll really notice the performance dip. The 911 that I buy is going to be a driver, in fact, if I find it sooner than later I'll be asking you all questions about what kind of snow tires to get....

i agree with you on 4wd. the system in the 996 is much better than the 993. i almost bought a 993 c4, but it was not a good system. i have a c4s, 2002. it is a great car. if you can move to a MK2, you may be like it better. again, no matter how much you pay for it, as others have stated, you will have "surprises" in store. good news, it is a rather easy car to work on. I bought my car 2 yrs ago, and have replaced several switches and sensors - one cat, and other stuff. and it eats rear tires. i finally settled on 2 sets of rear wheels; one set has Michelin PS2 for summer and track driving, and the other set has used, cheap tires which I go through every 5-7k miles. oh, yes. when you do get one, budget some funds for drivers' education events. I have been driving P-cars for 35 yrs, and my 2002 is the best I have driven. it changes completely on the track, and it will light your fire. good luck with your search. Surfer161

^^^ what he said, the C4 is a great car, plenty of feedback on the wheel.

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Hell, you've got to wonder about someone who can't even spell "wear" right...

Thanks for making the case on the C4. I always wondered because max dry performance is my preference so I wouldn't want to give that up and pay a premium for it. I don't drive my 911 in bad weather (have a yukon for that) and snow is certainly not an issue. Good luck finding your car!

I deliberated the C2 or C4 issue when buying my car and ended up with a C2. The feel is different between the two. I only drive my C2 in the winter only when its dry out anyway. A C4 would work in the winter but begins to plow on different parts of the road when snow accumulates more than 2-3 inches high. I enjoy being able to throw my car around as a C2. A C4 is great in the wet when tracking and pushing the car though.