Which One Do You Choose? Why?

MY=2002; Desired Color; Price $28k Option1 - 50k mi. regular maintenance, ims upgrade Option 2 - <10k mi. no maintenance, kept in heated garage

I would go with the option 2. Ewen that the car should have been serviced at least twice on that 9 years. Just take it to the shop fast to change all the fluids and tyres. Heat and rubber just don't work.

is this a trick question option 1 reason, you can drive it worry free AND when it comes to re-selling it you have a way easier time (ask me how I know) - plus no sleepless nights (again, ask me how I know)

ok I'll ask.... how?

I had a 996 with no paper trail... when I went to sell it, potential buyers would almost immediately hang up when I answered thier questions RE: history.... the car also had several other issues (on paper) - in fact in person it was/is an absolute beauty with no issues....but the shortcomings on paper made it very very tough to sell...(to be fair the manual did have all the service stamps....just no other history) second, sleepless nights... yea, well I didnt know a motor rebuild cost THAT much before buying the car and didnt have enough in reserves to cover it in the even I needed one...did manage to keep the $20k in savings but that money was "suppose to" be used to buy the car...instead I kept it at the bank and sat on the cash...maybe not the best plan in the end but I had to have some way thru the dark nights - get the stupid bearing (which was not as available just a few years ago)

Option #2 I assume it's a one owner garage queen. I would have a very good look at it, checking under the seats, all around the motor, under the front hood carpets for any signs of rodent damage. Also check the undercarriage for any unusual leaks or seapage. Check all electrical accessories and for CEL also pending codes, OBDll and DME. Check for any possible wheel bearing noise after warmed up on test ride. If this is a clean 1 owner, mechanically sound and all checks out, it could be a very good car. I'm usually not fond of ultra low mile vehicles because most mechanical things deterioate while sitting , rather than being driven. But then the harmful effects of the sun and salt can really take a toll on vehicles. I have a '99 Boxster (wife's) that has been in the garage since '02 and has 24k miles on it. It is started and driven regularly. It has not been driven in the rain, has never been parked more than an hour or 2 in the sun. After a wash it could pass as a showroom new car and drives like one too. My Carrera at 61k miles felt like a squeaky rattle trap with loose and worn steering by comparison after driving the Boxster. Car 1 has at least 5X the amount of sun and element exposure that damages all the plastic and rubber parts, clearcoat, interior materials. 5X the wear on the seating materials, steering wheel, carpets. 5X the wear on the window motors, tracks, switches, door locks, latches, hinges. 5x wear on shocks, springs, suspension bushings, pivots, steering components. Basicly everything on the car has a finite life span. In terms of time and mileage you many be much closer with car #1. What ever your decision, GL. I'd love to find a Turbo, which I'm looking for, in this condition

Option 1, no contest. It has the double benefit of being driven enough, and of having a complete service history. These are not collector cars, and a super low mileage example seems to me a potential time bomb. You might get lucky, but you might really, really, really not. A Porsche with clear provenance, a complete service history and 5-6,000 miles a year of use is the perfect used car buy. The one that's been in solitary confinement is a roll of the dice.

Option 1. Peace of mind = priceless

#1

So here is a question for you - Do you have the extra $$$ to get the extra maintenace that will be needed if you get option #2? If you do then I will say #2. If you want piece of mind on a car that has been (hopefully) broken in correctly then I will say #1. I think either one is fine to me but all depends on your budget. Make sense?

option #1 hands down.

Option2, should show little wear...

wait I miss read the original post. I thought 10K less miles than the first, not under 10K miles. Option 2.

option 2

Option 1. I don't like low mileage cars and I really don't like "no maintenance records". No matter which way you go, if you have no warranty be prepared for the financial impact of an engine failure. Although most on this site scoff at these warnings, I had the experience on a 2nd owner low mileage car with very good service records and a CPO warranty. I won't own one of these cars without a warranty.

option 2. then do IMS, RMS, AOS, clutch, etc. for another 2K

Option 1. IMS is done for you. For any other car I'd take the lower mileage car, but with the 996 it's a different story.

Quotes source post: 8346906

+1...if you have the budget to do so. This way, you know the things were done right. For less than $28K and <10K miles, doing the precautionary work may even be added to loan (if this is what you are doing) and you would still get a good car for the money. Besides, if I buy such a car, I'd make sure I have the service funds anyway.

Any of them can be a good choice. You just have to work with what fate/inspection brings you. I don't like cars that sat unused for long periods seeing it first hand. But the simple solution with that is plan to fix any problems present or fix those that arise like any other car. I don't think of resale value so the higher price for garage queens is anoying. BUT the real value is the engine which its life span is basicly revolutions. If you would plan to uprade suspension then that rubber needs not be worried about. Observation: guys require less info before getting married and trust the sellers answers. Wife can have bigger repair bills than the car especially if the marriage ends in a total wreck with lawyers. Although I'm sure many have test driven their wives in some social situations harder than they have driven their cars before taking ownership of either.

Whats the appeal of a low mileage 9 year old car? imho, low mileage like this is a premium only when the car is 15-20 years old when compared to a sea of 100K+ mile examples. Since they are the same age, I imagine neither can be CPOd? so then it comes to an aftermarket warranty if desired (or "self warranty") and I doubt that cost would be different on either car. A blown motor on a 10K mile car costs just as much as one with 50K or 150K miles. How long do you intend to own the car? How will you be using the car? If as a DD, I'd take high miles and maybe a few dings/scrapes so I wouldn't go insane trying to "preserve" the low mileage example alternative. Turning it into a track rat? Selling it in 2 years when you come to realize you don't "drive it as often as you thought and it deserves a new home " sales approach

With as much concern as there is with potential catastrophic failure and the desire for extended warranty/insurance or preventative IMS replacement investment, why not spend the premium and get a turbo with a better designed engine. Although, this forum seems to have the most active and contributing members between the 996, 997 and turbo forums, (I like this group) if one can afford a $10k bump in $'s do you avoid the catastrophic issues or just have a new set of critical issues? Thanks for your input! Fred

I'd go with whichever one had the equipment I wanted and the color I wanted. Personally, I bought a 14K mile '99 Carrera 4 last year. The car still smells new on the inside. Very little service history, because (as I have since found out) it didn't need much of anything. I took it to the local independent Porsche specialist and basically gave him a blank check to do whatever he thought was needed. He came back with an oil change and a brake fluid change. I have driven it 9,000 miles since then with another oil change, a failed oxygen sensor and a new set of tires being the only expenses I have incurred.