Looking a 2002 c2 on Friday, looking for some thoughts

Hi been lurking for a while. Wanting a Porsche since I was a kid. I'm in the position now to get one. Been torn between the old school 930's and the er "affordable" 996's. I was looking at a 930 slant on ebay, had it PPI'd(thanks to this board) and it was a no go. The wife thinks things like working heat and a/c are important so we test drove a 2k 996 I found on line at a dealer. After the test drive it promptly spat coolant all over the place so I walked away. I find the back seat to be important because I want to take my son (18months) old with me sometimes for fun drives since this will likely take the place of a motorcycle. I figure a fun car will be something we all can enjoy. I found this one to look at http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...5&aff=national I plan on having a PPI done if the initial look see goes well. The owner suggested Joe Rizza Porsche where he bought it from. The wife also wants to go look at the 2010 camaro ss... I'll humor her... but I really want a Porsche. -Karl

Good luck with the PPI. It is a nice looking car, that's for sure. I like those wheels on a dark colored car. The price is too high, even with the relatively low mileage. Is this the original owner? Does he have the books and records?

2nd owner. Says he has records. Says it was a trade in and was bought originally from the same dealer. I'll see what Friday brings I'm in no hurry. I'm waiting for the "right car". -Karl

Sounds like you are looking the right way...drive a few, compare them, then pick the right Porsche based on condition, PPI, and price.GL and keep us posted on your find.

It's got nice options, and low miles. Nice all leather grey interior too. I like it! I can't believe how cheap these cars are getting.

Sorry but thats not cheap... even considering the mileage.

I really wish Rennlist would stop routing links through commissionjunction. What a pain in the ***. Here's the actual url if you just want to see the ad: Code: http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp?listingId=17356815

Go with the 911. Yeah a NEW car has some appeal but it'll wear off as soon as that new car smell. VERY few people driving Camaros (ya got a mullet?) but you'll read a lot of folks here say that they're smiling all the way to work, all the way home and all weekend. The 996 is also an extremely 'civilized' car if you want it to be. Almost sedan-like but push your right foot down and wheee! Aircon is stupendous (almost as good as the brakes) and the ride and comfort are surprisingly good for a pure sports car. While I can't speak to price, I will say don't ever, ever, worry about a few dollars for a car you want. If it's a good one and you like it kiss the money good buy (get it?) and enjoy yourself.

Karl, If you're not opposed to a '99, one of my favorites just became available: http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/a...99-996-c2.html https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...-for-sale.html

no mullets here... even back when I had hair. I'm pretty set on having a Porsche...my wife enjoyed the brief test drive on the 996 we did. I'm willing to humor her with looking at the new camaro but at the end of the day its a camaro. It will always be just a camaro. That is a nice 996 for sale, I'm not opposed to a 99 at all, I am opposed to the color. I'm pretty well after black or blue. Red and yellow are options; silver and white are deal breakers for me. -Karl

well, went and looked at it. I didn't ask to see the service records though. The car was immaculate, no leaks or drips. Took it for a spirited drive everything was nice and tight feeling. All electrical seemed to function fine. Does not appear to have been in any accidents didn't see any signs of damage. The guy has nice cars. No spots in the garage where it was parked no signs of recent cleaning of the floor either. The driver side front fender was replaced along with the windshield he told me a deer jumped the car. In the area it was quite plausible he lives next to a forest preserve. I'm going to call the dealer he bought it from (Joe Rizza Porsche) to see about scheduling a PPI. If the PPI goes well it might be time to talk some numbers. It was a damn nice car. -Karl

Karl, I hope the PPI checks out. It is a nice looking car!

Car is going in Tuesday morning for the PPI... I'll post the results... -Karl

If you have the PPI done at Joe Rizza, ask to have it done by Mark. He really knows his stuff

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+1 Aaron Zelinski should probably be able to give you some background on the car if it was purchased from Rizza. He is the sales manager and a great guy.

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If driver's side front fender replaced check edge of fender that bolts to shelf next to trunk. Look to see there are no depressions in the paint of the fender where the bolts were loosened and the fender moved when paint soft. Run clean finger along edge of fender along gap next to front trunk and around a-piller and along door edge feeling for roughness. Front trunk, front bumper cover and driver's door should have had their base coat paint blended and clear coat reapplied. Therefore check all panel gaps for roughness. Next with good light check a-pillar brace -- where door fastens -- for accident scratches. Check very carefully there is no paint damage where fender edge runs close to the a-pillar. Also check fender didn't make contact with leading door edge. At PPI be sure tech checks all front bumper cover fasteners are correct. Very common when these cars repaired to have the wrong fasteners put in the wrong holes. I'd suggest you have tech remove front bumper cover and check mechanicals underneath ok. Radiator and A/C condenser headlight and its in fender connector and washer can all get damaged from deer hit. Be sure all fasteners are present too. Body shops typically do poor job with the mechanical repairs. Ideally to preserve any existing warranty on car or any warranty on new parts parts should be bought from PCNA -- no reconditioned/aftermarket parts used -- bought through Porsche dealer and installed by Porsche tech. Many body shops skip some or all of the above. If front glass replaced check operation of wipers, washers, head light washers, and radio reception. Have tech check for any signs of water getting past windshield. Lastly be sure windshield glass "factory". I do not know if aftermarket glass available yet but it might be and you don't want it. If tech can find no signs of any repair then repairs high quality. Sincerely, Macster.

Good luck - gotta say I like the color & wheels....

Just got off the phone with "Charles" from Rizza. Results as follows Hi-tone horn not working Rear Tires at tread wear indicator needs a new battery Brake fluid flush. They recommended the 30k service sooner rather than later. No signs of accident damage, no rust. They commented it was "really clean" -karl

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All small items, really. Except the 30k service will set you back and you should consider that "part of the price." So - only thing left finalizing price, right? Good luck - you won't regret your decision - beautiful car and so much fun. ADDED NOTE - Is that a built-in Radar/Laser system under the front bumper???

yep on the built in radar... -Karl

Just got off the phone with the tech. Rearmain seal seepage bank 2 valve cover seepage as well.

cool photos from the biltmore!

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Mmmm. Not sounding so good... It's tough with a car that's almost 8 years old, what do you do? If no one's mentioned it, you can always search for one with a recently replaced engine. If I were shopping again, that would be a strong consideration. A factory replacement engine is a relatively easy, direct swap and comes with a new/rebuilt starter, alternator, and more importantly new/updated seals, etc. Contrary to what I thought when I was shopping - I was staying away from cars w/replaced engines!

Tech said its not a full blown leak yet and that he would wait until the car needed a clutch to address it. I'm a bit hesitant at this point does RMS=new/replacement engine? I haven't spoken to the owner yet, I don't know if he got the report from the PPI or not but I intend to talk to him tomorrow or so. Thoughts from the crowd? -Karl

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Agree - if you really want that car, you should be able to get it for around $30K. The market is incredibly soft. Believe me, I know. That is a nice c2 however.

make them fix the stuff. or take down the price accordingly

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Sorry - Really! I didn't mean to imply you shouldn't purchase, nor that an RMS leak implies you should have a replacement engine... I only meant that IF that was enough to scare you off, then you could consider the option of finding a 2002 with a replaced engine... and that could be an attractive option for some. It sounds like a great car and if you like it, what's the worst case? A new RMS with a clutch when you're ready? I'm not sure about the leaking valve cover, but again, with age, probably just a gasket replacement... Others may know more - I was just trying to be helpful but I'm no expert.

RMS leak is not a big deal. Internet hysteria syndrome. Just monitor oil usage (as you should do anyway). The reason the tech recommended to wait until the clutch needed replacing is probably due to the labor cost. Works the other way around also: If he felt that you needed to have the RMS leak addressed immediately, he'd probably say "hey by the way, this would be the best time to replace the clutch if you think you might want to do that any time soon". eDoug is spot on re: replacement engines. Fear Uncertainty and Doubt says "replacement engine = bad car". The reality is just the opposite. You not only get minor improvements from the newly designed parts used on the same engine design (RMS is one of them), they are also the least likely to have future problems, and probably come with a new 2-yr warranty that the previous one likely did not have due to age. Since most replacement engine cars for sale do not command any higher price, everything else equal, FUD can lead you to pass up thousands of dollars worth of unpriced value.

Oh I wouldn't have a problem with a car with a replacement engine. I do have a problem with this one, and its leaks though. I don't think its a F.U.D. thing. I'm looking for the "right car" and to me that is one with out leaks. I'll take higher mileage with records any day of the week. This car was certified until January 09, these issues should have been addressed. Rizza's service dept didn't have records since 07 on it. Original belts and spark plugs... This isn't my car. Which is a downer as I'm ready to buy, but I can hold out for the right one which will have a black or tan interior anyway -Karl

I'd suggest either having those issues fixed before buying, or as mentioned, at least reduce the asking price by that amount. I'd venture most of us have similar weapage problems with our 996s, but that shoudn't be a deal breaker unless these PPI results scare you. All of my reading in Excellence, Total 911 etc. have detailed these exact occurences, so these aren't uncommon by any means. Seems that all 911s have their share of oil leaks or other nuances that can be listed by model and year. GL