Shopping for 996 - Things to look for?

Hey guys, have any of you produced or seen a good overview of what a seasoned 996 owner would look for when buying? After having too brief of an overview on my recent Cayenne purchase, I want to at least catch the usual things. Looking for Cabrio, price range wise probably something between 2002-2004. Is 4S worth it? Is S worth the boost? I went with the Cayenne S for obvious reasons, but I see a lot of fans of standard Carerras. Thanks

search for chads996 996 buyers guide

Look for a blue one! They're the best! There's lots of documentation on this site about a 996 purchase. Just like the Cayenne, there are good ones and there are bad ones. Do some research and don't buy one on emotion.

everything is worth it..... if you use it what do you plan to use the car for? weekend, summer days, polishing practice, mid-life crisis

Well, you will find ALL the issues on our engines here in this forum with the search option Anyway, what are you going to use the car mainly for? You will find here is not how much horse power you get. I can tell you from having 500 hp cars to my 99 C2 with around 296 bhp that I am having LOTS of fun with. You have options out there my friend

I wish you luck in your search. One thought. On this board you'll read a lot of negative stuff, this is where you come to read about what goes wrong with your car, but I think it could skew what real ownership is like. These are great cars, lots of fun, you gotta plan on maintaining them maybe commit to over maintaining it. Also decide your POV on the IMS issue before buying the car, and then once you do buy it, quit worrying about that issue and enjoy the hell out of your ride. I say pull the trigger. Mine is an 03, it had 32K miles on it when I got it this past Feb, I paid in the high 20's here in the SF Bay Area. There are deals out there, probably better ones than I got, but hang in for what you want color and model wise. I'm not a cabrio guy, I rented a convertible when I thought I wanted one, and found for me, it wasn't right, but you will find many more used ones available. And yes get the 4S if it's in the budget.

A few fairly simple steps to get going: Educate yourself on RMS and IMS - and ignore the hand-wringing hysteria Look everywhere for a while to get a sense of the market - eBay, Craigslist, Excellence, PCA Mart, Autotrader and cars.com. Use a site like Search Tempest to aggregate CL cars from across the county. Learn about option codes and changes from year to year. Depending on what you want, a low option or loaded car may be the way to go. Remember that expensive options don't necessarily increase the value of 8-10 year old car. I found this site to be helpful in my search: http://consumerguideauto.howstuffwor...orsche-911.htm Get a copy of Adrian Streathers' book, "Porsche 996 The Essential Companion." It is not perfect, but a fantastic resource as you get started. Good luck!

Try to find one that has been maintained and cared for. It's easy to want a low mileage Porsche, but beware that so called 'garage queens' can also have issues related to lack of use. I looked at overall condition, service history, mileage, and options I was interested in. Prices are very reasonable, and you ought to have plenty to choose from, but also prepare to have some extra $ for future requirements that you'll want to do or have to do. A PPI is usually a smart idea. GL and keep us in the loop.

Hey guys, the info is more than appreciated. In fact you forgot a really cool aspect - this list and it's community. Can't beat that. Considering options, it seems the 911, though I haven't driven one since 1993 (a new one..) it seems the best deal for price / performance and even notoriety. Cpepper - I too am in the SF Bay area but extended my search to LA.. only to find a lot of 'exported' bay area 911s down there (based on carfax).

Thanks for the info guys. Definitely the RMS / IMS problem, eg, this forum has been helpful in figuring out what to look for now that I have a Cayenne S '06... no oil burn, only the purge valve has gone out so far in 3 mos/3500 miles... from the looks of some posts, thats a good run! haha. Only thing that I can really see needing in the near future are the coolant pipes. Cpepper - also in the SF bay area here, 911s are popular, a ton on the market to choose from. Back to buying, the rule of thumb idea would be good to hear about - seeing as how some will have had their RMS / IMS repaired at an indy shop it might be hard to tell if its been replaced when buying from a dealer. Seems like an almost practical route would be to call my local 'good shop' (I know of 1 or 2) and talk to them about replacement costs. I've just now read here -- http://www.rennteam.com/forum/thread...ree/page1.html that the 2005s don't seem to have these issues which sort of leads to the question, of all the newer 911s out there, is there a model / year that is shaping up to be heads and shoulders above the rest. I'll admit, until now I was a Ford owner (my dad is a gear head so I could always fix my car before with an evening at his garage and $200 in parts...) and a Mitsu 3000GT which never broke except for service schedule items (water pump at 70k miles and 10 years..). So when I had something go wrong on the Cayenne @ 3000 miles - even though its a $90 part (I presume from the p0441 code - just got the part yesterday from Carlsen Porsche...), I'm checking in here to see what usual ownership costs. Like you guys said, I've read and seen too many posts and videos of knocking Porsche's to not get a little hesitant. Eg, Blown engines / transmission would be tough to deal with... I'm a professional now living 3k miles from home, so I don't even have a toolbox let alone a garage w/ bay. As far as usage - 996 for usual cruising, if I get a different gig, I expect to use it as a commuter car as well. Better MPG than the Cayenne (what doesnt?) and probably more suitable for stop / go traffic on the 101. Even then, I'm going manual only as before the Cayenne thats all I've owned. Thanks in advance.

Update: I have to ask here because this car is for the most part what I want and is being sold a few blocks from my house however - its higher mileage @ 77k miles, probably missing a lot of the latter year service records, But! is probably obtainable at less than half of others I've been looking at -- http://www.carsauto.com/1999-porsche...rera-c-602.htm I imagine getting it for the high teens... from this vantage point that seems like a decent value and low risk - but is it? A pile of metal that doesn't run in 2 months isnt really a good deal for $19k either heh. Whats the take on things like suspension parts? Does ride decrease over time? I remember seeing something on bushings of some sort... As well, seeing as how many issues were with the first year 2004 Cayenne, does the first year 996 carry a lot of bad mojo the same? thanks again

I have talked to one of the guys a this dealer. They seem to have decent prices and they try to disclose as much to the potential buyers. I think if cars checks out ok and you get it under $20k seems a reasonable deal.

Clearly an enthusiast-owned car. The offset front plate on the tow hook point is a give-away. But from the pictures, the interior wear does not match the exterior. Even for a cab in a sunny climate that interior seems badly worn. That would be a concern. I suspect a full repaint at some point.

If you can afford to read Adrian Streathers -Porsche 996 The Essential Companion- You will be a fairly well informed buyer and owner.

$20k for this, or $50k for a 2005+ Cabrio. Seems sort of trite when compared like that... Then again, those are probably all city miles and perhaps in a warmer location (across the bay would cause serious wear like this as it is typically 90-110 degrees in the summer). Guess thats sort of out, plus owning a tan interior car before I can honestly say that you dont want that. As far as the paint, thats more of a mystery. My Cayenne has been fully repainted and easiest way I spotted it (after purchase, sorry to say) was the lack of original door jamb stickers. This one has originals it looks like... I figure its near impossible to reprint those legally in porsche fashion and its hard to hide paint lines around the doors so we shall see, going to look at it today.

techowner, let's meet up sometime when you get your 996, I'm looking for others in the bay area who want to go driving and talking 996's from time to time.

techowner after I bought my Cab, I wrote a few pages on what I learned during the process. PM me if you want me to send it to you. A few other folks have found it useful.

[QUOTE=techowner12;8910562]Update: I have to ask here because this car is for the most part what I want and is being sold a few blocks from my house however - its higher mileage @ 77k miles, probably missing a lot of the latter year service records, But! is probably obtainable at less than half of others I've been looking at -- http://www.carsauto.com/1999-porsche...rera-c-602.htm I imagine getting it for the high teens... from this vantage point that seems like a decent value and low risk - but is it? A pile of metal that doesn't run in 2 months isnt really a good deal for $19k either heh. Whats the take on things like suspension parts? Does ride decrease over time? I remember seeing something on bushings of some sort... As well, seeing as how many issues were with the first year 2004 Cayenne, does the first year 99 carry a lot of bad mojo the same? There's no doubt the '99 is a different car from an '02. It comes down to knowledge of previous owner. If you had a jerky boy teen racer as the pre owner your gonna get a jerky boy car. Everyone that buys these cars rolls the dice to one extent or another. At first blush this car looks decnt, but paint can hide allot of trauma.

I can't speak for the C2 guys. But I have C4S Cab and it is everything I ever imagined and more.

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I am also trying to gather a few 996's owners in the Bay. Count me in for a meet. I am North in Walnut Creek

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Count me in as well, I am in Dublin.

awesome guys, let me plan a get together ! I had hip surgery this past Thursday so I'm thinking in about 2 weeks I'll be up and running again. In the meantime I'll ping you guys and we can brainstorm on a meet up location !

Cool that this thread inspired some car club style dialog. Count me in when the time comes...

Here is a clean one with sport seats http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/2623848004.html And another one http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/cto/2604439432.html

Check my engine rebuild thread out on here. Car is going up for sale tonight. Finished the 2 month project this morning and did the break in. Car is running tip top. No smoke no leaks. New crank, all bearings and seals. New ims bearing. New clutch. Black on Black 99 C4 6 speed 77k miles.

I live in Saratoga if you want someone to go look at that one for you. Looks nice, I worry about the 99 model year though, so be careful.

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Why would you worry about 99 model year?

it's just the first or second model year of the 996, and just from observation (I have no real stats to back this) they seem to have a few more issues than the 01 - 04 years. BUT when it comes down to it, stats really only give you an idea, your individual car could be fantastic, so it's just what you feel comfortable with I think. For me, I worried a lot before I bought my car, but have complete faith in it now and everytime I drive.

When I searched for my 996 I looked at newer models as well but I tell you they were beat up. When I found my 99 I searched all records/history to its original owner. I was pretty happy with the car and what was done it. I had my mechanic inspect it before and he even gave me the blessing to go for it. Of course, as people say buy the newest model you can afford. I probably could have stepped up to a newer model but my 99 was what I looked for. Its the lightest of the 996 models and YES its first year but I tell you it handles and drives perfectly. I have had no issues whatsoever.

that's great for you and sounds right to me. Stats are just stats, I'm reminded of my daughter who was diagnosed with cancer when she was 6. For a long time I would try to have conversations with her Oncologist about her "odds" and he'd tell me, Chris what matters to you is that your daughter lives, and it really doesn't matter what the odds are" Same with the car, each case is unique and you can only use stats to guide you. I'd agree that a well maintained 99 model is going to outlast on 02 or 03 that hasn't been maintained. I'm glad you love you 99 996 ! (daughter is in full remission for 1.5 years, that's how I'm able to talk about it )

[QUOTE= (daughter is in full remission for 1.5 years, that's how I'm able to talk about it )[/QUOTE] Amen to that man!

and she's my "co-owner" on the car, that 9 year old girl knows more about 996's than most

BTW... I sent you a PM a few days back

just buy mine and be done with it... p.m. me for info

I'd love to add a 4S to my stable