High Mileage 996 Question?

A friend has found a '99 tiptronic with 82K. Good PPI and all maintenance records. Price is in the high $20s. The car is at a high end dealer. Would you guys consider a car with this mileage? Thanks

No way Jose.......

Hello, I bought my '99 with about 150,000 km's on it (so about the same as what you are looking at) last year and am decently happy with my purchase. Having said that, I've heard that you can find low mileage '99s in the low 30's, so I'd look into how much it would cost to get something a bit less used.

If the PPI is good, then I would say go for it. Of course he has to remember, even though he bought it for 20k, parts and labor prices are still for an 80k dollar car.

high 20s for a 996 huh.. next thing you know, they'll be selling these things at used ford car lots!

I can't wait to get my hands on one for low 20's for club racing.

That's a lot of freakin' miles, that cars best days are behind it, stay away, far away. It's a money pit waiting to happen!

If it was a 6 speed I would consider it as a track car.

Just a thought, if it's odometer is like mine with a 10% over reading error? .. It's done only 76K. AD

Sounds like a steal to me. Test drive it hard and if your like it...buy it and enjoy it.

I think (and hope) that these engines can last a hell of a lot longer than 100,000 miles if you maintain them properly.

i dunno - that's only 68 miles/day based on a 5 day 'work-week' so thats a 34 mile commute. not bad mileage in my book, all things equal. as said above, if the PPI checks out, go for it. i'm keeping my eyes open for a similar car - but a bit newer, lower miles 996/tip in the 30's......

Sounds like a good deal if all checks out

100,000 miles for an engine? no comment <g>

After buying a 8k mi 99 996, and also being the one owner of a 99 Boxster with 72k mi, I can say that the Boxster feels smoother, and looks just as new. I know they are not the same car, but they are both 99 Porsches with Boxer engines. If I had to bet on which would need maint sooner, I would bet on the 996! I have really come to appreciate the way I (and people like us) really take care of their cars, as opposed to some that really don't. If the car has ALL maint records, the tip tranny and brakes feel strong, the seals are all good, and you don't have that suspicious feeling, go for it. You MIGHT be able to get it a little cheaper by bargaining, BUT either way, put a good chunk away for repairs, upgrades and mods. Depending on how much you drive it, five years from now, a ten year old 911 with 100k mi won't be that rare, and should still command at least $20k. Just look at some 993s with similar mileage. As a supersticious aside, if the seats, carpet and paint look sh**ty, the previous owner might not have been the fanatic type to perform all maint and upkeep as well. If the car feels like a 9 or a 10, good chance that person kept it up properly. Also, get the carfax. That can help quite a bit. Just my .02.

I'd go for it if the PPI and maint records are fine.

If all the maintenance has been done and the records prove it, it indicates the car has been properly cared for. These cars are very dependable if properly cared for.

You can also look at the high mileage as a proof that this car works properly and has not had any serious problems stranding it weeks at end. I still believe that our cars do better when driven regularly, even daily, rather than once a week or less.

my car looked like a 9, had a perfect carfax, and had all the maintenence records and everything was taken care of perfectly.. at 49k miles.. at 50k miles and $47,000 in repairs later... i've learned not to judge a book from it's cover... just because a car "looks" well taken care of, doesn't mean much with the 996... the problem with these vehicles isn't necesarilly how the owners maintain them, as most of the people on this board especially are fanatical about it.. which doesn't help at all when it comes to problems... it's all the luck of the draw from the factory... some got the lucky end of the stick from the factory... others such as myself... got the decaying branch...

My own experience with high mileage German cars has been quite good. Porsche cars seem to have a least as good or better build quality. Bought '74 240D Mercedes 250,000 miles, for $2K sold it with 10 years later for $2k with 460,000 miles. Sure I put a motor in it, and some maintenance too. With some concern, I bought my 5 year old BMW 535i with 120,000miles. The previous owner maintained it very well. At 220,000 miles I damaged the cylinder head (my fault) and then rebuilt the engine and cleaned up the drivetrain. I still have it with 268,000 miles and running fine. The steering box and the transmission have a little play but are acceptable for the moment. It's market value is low with both age and those high miles, so I will likely keep it for many more years. My suggestion is for a thorough inspection to assess it's value. Rubber, plastic, paint, etc degrade with age alone. Highway miles in the US on P-cars don't stess the engine/drivetrain too much, but track time will of course stess them a lot more. Higher mileage cars rightfully have a lower value, as more maintenance can be expected. Crashed cars can often present problems with incompetent repairs. If you cannot perform maintenance items yourself you will need to pay a fairly high rate $75-100 per hour for competent mechanics. NADA and other used car purchasing guides will give a specific price reduction for higher mileage. Each used car has a certain market value and there can be good bargains.

really...how did you determine that? my car has over 90k miles and is a a lot more reliable than other rennlisters with 996s under 40k miles. i'd be skeptical about a dealer car, but would consider a private, well-documented and maintained car w/ a tracable chain of ownership (important). ...i've got such a car. it will go cheap and make an awesome alternative to a well-worn m3, new evo, sti or whatever else $30k buys you.

"my car looked like a 9, had a perfect carfax, and had all the maintenence records and everything was taken care of perfectly.. at 49k miles.. at 50k miles and $47,000 in repairs later... i've learned not to judge a book from it's cover... just because a car "looks" well taken care of, doesn't mean much with the 996... the problem with these vehicles isn't necesarilly how the owners maintain them, as most of the people on this board especially are fanatical about it.. which doesn't help at all when it comes to problems... it's all the luck of the draw from the factory... some got the lucky end of the stick from the factory... others such as myself... got the decaying branch..." Bob - I agree, sometimes it is luck of the draw, but I would be amazed that the seal looked good at 49k and went bad at 50k. Either way, I still feel for you!

my rms seal never went bad actually.. my car never had an rms leak.. that i know about.. the first engine blew a rod threw the core and then caught on fire, the second engine had a head gasket leak and then a cylinder fell out of the internal sleeve in the engine.. all internal engine build faults which i could have not prevented according to the porsche dealer... but that didn't really mean much to me.. still had to pay $25,000 to replace the two of them in 1,000 miles.. then on the way home after installing engine #3, the $9000 tranny blew up on me... ha.. oh well... on engine three now, and sofar all looks good.. under warranty for the next 2 years with everything.. which is nice to have for peace of mind.. live and learn... bob once said, once a 996, and no more porsche ever again..

Bob. PLEASE do not start the whole story over again. PLEASE!!!!

I have a 97 Boxster with 102k miles and a 2000 996 with 47k. Both cars have been highly reliable thus far. The Boxster still feels tight in every respect, and actually seems to run better than newer, less used Boxsters I've driven. This is particulalry true on the highway from 70MPH up. It doesn't use a drop of oil, but I change it at 4 to 5k miles on everything I own, no matter what the book says. Due to a family illness, I have had to take three 400 mile trips in the past two weeks and drove the Boxster every time. I have six cars at the house to choose from. Three are Porsches and I have driven the Boxster because it gets the best mileage for getting there quickly. I trust the 996 will fare as well, if I keep it that long. I have had 8 Porsches over the past 25 years and and I have never replaced an engine. Hope I'm not jinxing myself by saying that in this forum, but I can't help but believe a well cared for Porsche will last as long as it is properly maintained.....factory tolerance issues aside! The horror stories I've read here have worried me and I am disappointed in Porsche for not having stepped up to the RMS issue, but the 996 has convinced me that the old adage of buying the best example of the newest model you can afford is still applicable. It is quicker, handles better, and is more comfortable than any 911 I've ever had and I've been fortunate enough to have owned some very nice examples. Statistically, I would think the percentage of people who have experienced critical failures with the 996s are more likely to post on this forum than those who have experienced no such failures. I do wish there was some way to determine just how frequently major failures occur in 996s. I would venture it is much lower than most people think.

if one ventures into buying a high mileage car, simply buy an extended warranty.. there still are a couple warranty companies out there that will warranty the 996 till 100,000 miles... (although not many) it may cost a bit, but it will be worth that price in gold... if i was driving an 82,000 mile 996 without knowing the service history, i'd be a bit worried myself with no protection

Bob (and others buying used)- Two words (actually acronyms)....PPI and CPO. If you do this and not buy at a Ford dealer based on looks alone you will not have 47K in repairs. Get it from an individual that has maintained it meticulously with no gaps in the records, the car looks as good as new and drives as such and buy an aftermarket warranty OR....CPO from the Porsche dealer. Piece of mind. And for crying out loud, don't get scared of buying a used P-Car because of what you see on this board (or any others) since people on these boards do not represent the whole (just passionate stories). Just use some common sense and get it checked out properly and warrant it. Simple as that.

My '99 996 C4 CAB has 66K on the clock. I got pissed when I checked my speedo with my GPS and found I was a fixed 4 mph over. I thought (like you) that this translated to a odometer over-read but checked it as follows: assumptions: at a lower average speed, 4 mph is a higher % error. Drove a fixed distance (5 miles) one way at 20 mph (or close to) and returned at 60mph (approx). Odo read exactly the same!!!!! Went online and found the speedo has a software offset that doesn't affect the odo reading. Bad news is...your car mileage is your car mileage with no error!!! I was pissed too!