Need some advice on possible 996 purchase

Hello all. Great forum. I hope to join you all very soon as a proud Porsche owner, one way or another. I've got somewhat of a dilemma that I really need some help with. I've been doing quite a bit of searching and researching on the 996 cars off and on for a few years now, but really focused more in the last month or so. I'm pretty familiar with the big issues to look for (like RMS), or at least I think that I am. While I'd really prefer to pick up an '02+ car, I've got an opportunity to pick up an '01 Cab for what I think could be a good deal. Of course, nothing is simple in life and this situation fits the rule extremely well. Here's the deal... I'm driving around 1500 miles per month and this car will be a daily driver- at least 50% of that being interstate. It is a 6-speed and currently has about 46k on the clock. I'm not too concerned with putting miles on the car (or should I be?), but want to make sure that when I get close to 100k, it'll still be running strong. Also, I'm a little curious about driving 3-4 hr. trips and the comfort level. I've driven a few 996's and have been very impressed with the "feel" of the drive on short runs, but never have driven it for more than 20-30 minutes. Also, what kind of annual costs should I be expecting in an 'normal' scenario? I'm figuring $500 for a dealer oil change/service every 15k or so (unless I do it myself more often- is this possible and easy for a novice?) and probably another $1500 in the first year for a clutch with I'm sure I'll need to replace after getting re-adjusted to a manual transmission. There's a major service at 60k, right? What should I figure as a cost to replace the breaks? Now, here's the biggie... The car has been wrecked in the front and is currently being fixed by a dealership. No frame damage, clean title. OK, so in any normal circumstance, I wouldn't even consider the car for that reason b/c I'd be concerned about resale down the road. But, that point taken out of the equation, and assuming that the dealer says that all is mechanically solid on the car, what should I be thinking about to decide whether or not I want to get into this car? Or, would you say absolutely not since it's been wrecked. I'm really looking at this as an opportunity to get into a car that I really love and to increase my cash-flow at the same time. It honestly doesn't make any differnce to me that the car has been repaired, as long as it still looks great. I'd probably drive it at least 2-3 years before doing something else, maybe longer. So, what do you all think? I really appreciate any and all help with this.

My 2 cents... 1. Changing oil and the even the "major" services are pretty easy to do on your own. 2. Hopefully you wouldn't ruin the clutch just getting readjusted. I think the clutch on these cars is pretty strong so you'd have to really abuse it. 3. Brakes are easy to do yourself but my local dealer just quoted me $300 to do the fronts (and I'd assume it'd be a similar amount to do the rears). You can do it yourself for 100-150 an axle. 4. As to the wrecked front end - that could be a bitta trouble. If you are confident that there isn't any frame damage and that everything that needs to be repaired is cosmetic then I'd say go for it. Given the number of miles you'll be putting on it monthly (+1500 ) you're going to depreciate faster than normal anyway. That and the fact that you plan to hang on to the car until you have 100k miles. 5. I've taken a couple of 3-4 hour trips in my car and think the seats are pretty comfortable but if the roads aren't great the suspension can beat you up pretty bad. Good luck!

Thanks Tim. You've pretty much confirmed my thoughts. Since this will more than likely be a high mileage daily driver, I'm not concerned about depreciation. I'm definitely still open for suggestions/comments, though! On a side note, I can't believe how quickly I've turned to consistantly watching this board for updates/new posts. Coincidentally, my mbworld traffic is WAY down

an '01 w/ 46k wouldn't scare me off, just make sure you get it certified or an extended warranty to 100k if possible. my '00 996 had 95k miles and still drove very well. you will not necessarily need a new clutch (mine was orginal). if you skip on a warranty, put aside at least $7k or so for a catastrophy...replacement engines and gearboxes (rebuilt) are only available through a dealer. i was putting ~40k miles a yr and maintenance costs were about the same as an e-class mbz or 5 ser bimmer. btw, the 996 is a very comfortable car on long trips w/ lots of room for luggage. my wife and i did more than a few 500 milers.

Rob- That's exactly what I was looking to hear. I'm in an "E" right now and was in a "5" before it. I really want something sporty and this looks like a perfect opportunity for me. Plus, it's a cab with a hard top for the colder months. I'm glad you brought up the warrenty, too- I forgot to ask about that. Can I still get Porsche to certify an '01? I'll do a search here, too, but any other info on the limitations to which cars can be Porsche certified would be great! Thanks!

What is the exact condition of the car? Radiator damaged? Interior clean? Mileage? Price? Someone seling the car right after the accident isn't a good sign. If it's not in excellent condition, walk away. There are just many good examples out there. Fixing is really expensive. 01 cab is not my preference since the top is vinyl. I'd hold for an 02. 996 has very reasonable maintenance needs but dealer price on service is a bit expensive ($500 for 15k mi and $700 for 30k mi). It's more important for you to get a good car since you put a lot of miles. I'd spend more money and get one that's in mint condition.

Car is in the family and this definitely isn't a case of dumping- more an opportunity before being sold elsewhere. If this were a real "open-market" sale and others were avaiable within 5-10k of the price point, things would probably be different. The car isn't being sold as a result of the wreck, it just presentated an opportunity. I plan on taking the car to another Porsche dealer to have them do a PPI for another 3rd party evaluation. Car was serviced regularly, interior is in great condition. I want to make 100% sure that the frame hasn't been impacted in the least. If I can get a warrenty on the car, I definitely plan on doing so. As for the top issue, I plan on using the hard top for the majority of the time that a top is needed. Otherwise, I'd be absolutely looking for a glass window or a later coupe. Thanks for the response DJantlive; I appreciate the feedback and considerations. Quick Q on the maintenance- how big of a deal is it to do the routine stuff yourself, for a novice?

all the service can be done. you need some tools, car ramp or jack, some drain pans etc. not too difficult if you have changed oil before. there are instructions w pics to guide you. you don't want to use hard top *all* the time since your rag top should be up to keep it in shape. also hardtop rattle more. have the rag top adjusted and lubricated if it rattles.

djantlive raises a really good point about the radiators. Make sure that they check out okay but it sounds like barring a bad ppi you've made up your mind. Post some pics once she's yours!

Thanks to all for the suggestions and comments. I'll definitely be checking into the radiators more. I'm not 100% sure on this yet, but I definitely have a direction that I'd LIKE to go. I'm trying to make the best rational decision, though. I've got a lot more searching on the boards to do, as well as anywhere else that I can find info. There's still some things that I have questions about like the warrenty availabilty and possibility of a glass window replacement for the soft top, but I'm sure that I'll find the answers here somewhere. Please don't hesitate to post any more comments or suggestions, though... this is far from a done deal. I do get more sure each day, though, that my next car will be a Porsche- either this one or another.

Don't forget about tire costs. A full set runs over $1,000. Rears seem to last 8,000 - 15,000 miles, and fronts go twice as long. With your mileage, you could be going through them pretty quickly. And, not to beat a dead horse: just want to make sure you realize the radiators are in the front of the car and might have been damaged by the accident. Sorry for the repeat, just didn't see anyone else clarify this. Good luck!