New Guy

Hello, just joined your forum and have enjoyed the threads and comments. I have read the RMS / IMS and AOS posts. I'm interested in buying my first Porsche and I'm looking at the 996. I've driven a 87 a few times as my buddy has let me have his for a day here and there. I definitely want a cabriolet as I'm buying this instead of a touring motorcycle.The wife is getting to old to get on the bike and ride any long distance. I ride an R1 so that is why I'm at this point (she stopped getting on that years ago). I have a couple of questions for the group and wanted to say thanks in advance for the responses. My budget is $20K to $25K and I want to get one with around 50,000 miles. I'm willing to go any where in the US to get one, but I don't like cars coming from large cities where they can have low miles, but sit in traffic for hours. I live in Milwaukee, WI. 1 - Is there anything about the 1999 that would make you say go to a 2000 or 2001? With that being the first year of the new model. 2 - Would you not buy a car if the RMS is not taken care of? I know the history is more important, but it would be nice if that was taken care of up front. 3 - Is a standard better than an automatic? I would prefer a stick, but wanted to know if there are any issues with the auto. 4 - Anything else you would recommend being aware of. Again thanks for any input you can send my way. Andy

Hey. Welcome! I used to live in Milwaukee also. Not a lot of owners around there, but then again I live in Iowa now and there are even fewer it seems. Take your time in finding one and really look hard around your area.I happened to find mine right in town and absolutely love it! You might also trying talking to Dennis or Matt at Matt's Foreign Car Specialist in Wauwatosa. They were good customers and friends of mine when I lived there. They specialize in MB, BMW and have worked on many Porsches. Good luck and be patient!

a nice 996 cab should be well within your budget including fuel and hotel for your drive home if you decide to buy west coast. enjoy the hunt!

Hi Andy, good luck with your search. Your budget should allow you a well maintained 996. I'd suggest driving a manual and a tip so you can decide which you prefer.

enjoy your search. when you find the right one you will know. ask questions here. best of luck!

1. I like 99' ... throttle by cable... a few other very subtle differences like interior color contrasts 2. fix RMS if it leaks..if it doesn't leak why fix it....if it isnt leaking and isnt "fixed" what's the difference 3. yes sticks rock - autos are for old ladies 4. Be aware of internet forums...they suck your life away - stay clear of tracks, they teach you how to drive and really suck you into the abyss, be aware of your lack of driving skills in a rear engine car...it can be fatal, be aware of Ed, he's a ***** lastly welcome - I suggest posting potential cars pics and info on here- these guys will rip it to shreds....if you just buy it, they will say.."Nice car" and think it to shreds - get in touch with a shop...an independent PORSCHE ONLY shop and get to know them, start the relationship so when you find a good candidate you can trust them to give you an honest PPI..then use them for repairs and service...even if you do your own, its good to have a place to go for things you dont wish to do or cant.... and last of the lastly's - stay away from buying crap for your car to make it better...it isnt worth the humiliation you will get from thinking it was a good idea and telling all your rennlist buddy's so they can laugh at you for years and years

Thanks guys, I will definitely post any cars I find and look for feedback. The search is on!

Welcome to the loony bin! Ivangene = Ed by the way. He has a habit of speaking in third person. We are all crazy gear heads here. I would budget for a 60K major service in your negotiating. Brakes and clutch usually need replacing within 20 to 30K miles at that mileage. Do the LNE bearing upgrade when doing clutch/RMS service.

Hi guys, here is a car I looked at yesterday. Emailed the guy and he said he would get it under 25K. RMS and clutch just replaced, new top and tires. Let me know what you think. Thanks http://s1134.photobucket.com/albums/m603/Zenski1/[/IMG]

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false

so for a 99' she's a nice one...clear headlights and tail lights (as opposed to amber, not like) 3 spoke wheel nice color inside...I dont see many all black interiors in 99' (maybe I dont look) looks stock, low miles, clean. The drivers seat pic is a little blurry but looks a little worn on the bolster. they are asking big money (imo a couple thousand too much) but I see no red flags that would stop me from giving it a thumbs up - I think price is second to finding a good car anyhow....I would rather overpay a little for a nice car then get a bargain on a POS lets see what other people think

I am with Ed. I really hate when people selling these cars purposely not photograph the high wear parts of the car. I just automatically assume the worst wear. I would also prefer to get a car that has not had the clutch/RMS done unless the LNE bearing and AOS also has been replaced.

Welcome! I had a '99 cab for 7 years and loved it, I currently have a Turbo and a GSXR. My first choice would be a '99 or '00 which I believe are the same. The best points are the throttle by mechanical cable which gives "real feel" to the throttle and instant responce. My Turbo is electronic and feels delayed, hangs, and is out of sync compared to what your right foot is doing. The '99 is also lighter which makes a big difference in the way the car handles and feels. I'd look for a late '99 with the all clear headlights and all red tail lights. There are other improvements as well. Many '99s were very highly optioned as it was the first year, there was a waiting list, many cars were custom ordered with pricy options, lots of extra leather and carbon inside. Look and you'll find one with Lithronic headlights and a PSE (exhaust). Be patient and you'll find one with a new motor which is a huge benefit as you get all new accessories attached to the motor as well and the updated IMS, AO separator, coils, starter, alternator, injectors, ps pump, etc. It's still the same motor but has all the latest updates. My '99 had a new motor in '06. You also will get the GT1 headlights (the best looking) and the most raw, best driving visceral machine. You'd be ahead looking in Az, Nv, Ca, Ut, for a low mile car. Cars from these states may show absolutely no rust or corrosion on the undercarriage. When I sold my '99 18 months ago, it still had green colored nuts and bolts under the chassis and had only been driven in the rain less than 4 times. The wipers were still like new. Good luck with the search

I guess I should have asked up front if anyone on the forum has one for sale. Thanks for the input and the search goes on.

With all the IMS failures of the 996, why not look at a 997?

don't be afraid to ask someone that is local to look at a car for you.... Its mostly friendly here.

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Maybe he looked at the poll results in the 997 forum asking if their IMS failed.

As the new guy, what is the difference between a 996 and 997? Also would it be in my price range?

Hey there and welcome! I will tell you all the statements on the 99s are true! And great deals out there for sure! The 997 started in 2007 for the C2 and S models. You are looking at mid $30ks + for these.

Thanks, would love to go to the 997, but not in the budget. What is the % of IMS failure on 996? Thanks

Now you're going to get into it. Nobody knows, but everyone is an expert with that answer. The internet has blown it out of proportion IMHO, but some quote between 5-10% failure rate, some higher. My 99' has just 56k miles and so far no issues to speak of other than routine repairs.

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we now have the exact answer.....somewhere between 0.001% and 100% % of 996's I have owned that had the stock IMS bearing and over 130k miles that failed - 0% % of 996's I would own and not change the IMS - also amazingly - 0% you can read for months about it, worry till your sleep is disrupted, change it, ignore it, get a guardian, or not but the 996-997 (also known for IMS issues)

Thanks, love the %. Just wanted to ask, as I have been reading more and more... it scared me a bit. As a BMW owner I have spent a fair amount of $ for repairs, so I guess if you want to play you have to expect to pay. The bottom line is the 911 rocks and who wouldn't want to own one, just need to find the right one for me. Again want to say thanks and I'm really enjoying this forum. I joined a BMW forum and ask some basic questions and got slammed because I didn't use the right lingo. Glad to see a new guy can come in and you treat them well.

Well thats certainly one reason 996's are selling for less than the 993.

IMO - With a 25K budget, I'd be looking for a low mile, super sweet 964 ! Classic design ! I just traded a 1990 cab into a dealership for 25k a couple of months ago. It was a great car !

Hi guys, I found a car in Santa Clara, CA at the Stevens Creek BMW dealership. It's a 2000 with 68k for $20,972.00 My plan is to offer them $23,000 if they would have the RMS/IMS and clutch redone. They don't have any maintenance records, but the carfax looks clean. Let me know what you think. Also I was wondering if anyone lived near there that would be willing to take a look at it for me. Thanks Andy

I would hold your money and head to an indy shop in the area; get recommendations here and do not have your BMW dealership offer to do the retrofit, no no and no. Don't offer them more than they're asking, offer less. Better, tell them you'll need to do "maintenance" on it, so lower the price by the cost of the retrofit (2-3K). You can offer $19 and see what they say, then take the $2K you saved, head to indy and get your new IMS. Alternatively, you can ask for $19, save your money, don't do either fixes, and hope that the 90% chance that nothing happens ends up being true for you (as it does for, well, the 85-90% of those that also choose to do nothing).

+1 , good advice Peter 642.

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Welcome Andy! Use the Search feature on here, it will answer a lot of these questions you are asking. Also, go to the classified section & you can pretty much find any type of Porsche you're looking for. Good Luck!

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Pretty sure the 997 started in MY 05.

Thanks guys, My thought was, I have a pre-approved loan for 24k and if I had the work done right away I could add it to the price and then not have to worry about it once its in my hands. I wouldn't have the BMW shop do the work, but get suggestions from here for a shop in LA. But I agree on the lower price and wait to fix it when it needs to be fixed.

Ok, now don't misunderstand me. If you wait to "fix" it when it breaks, you're out a ton of money. If the IMS goes, it's gone, with your engine. Read about this on the sticky; I'm not talking more about it here. You take your chances if you don't retrofit in advance; I can't give you numbers but they're between 1-100%, closer to 10-15% according to absolutely no posted or published data. Good luck; this is a great car and for $18K it's a steal in general (methinks). What else can 18,000 USD get you these days? A new Mini? A Smartcar? I guess so....a gently used Lexus? I'm waxing eloquent. Someone stop me. Go buy a car. As you can see I drove mine today. It's 52 degrees and bloody brilliant outside. I managed to squeak the tires just a "little bit" heading off the off-ramp at a respectable but legal speed, with foot on gas pedal, never on brake.

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FYI, if you are looking at the Santa Clara car, that's the SanJose area, not LA. I could *possibly* go see the car this week, but as a newbie myself, I'd be more apt to tell you about the physical condition, and anything major I found on a drive.

Did I read this right? You're going to pay for repairs it doesn't need? I've read about plenty of guys doing the IMS upgrade only to find out theirs was fine. I need to go back and reread your post. I may have missed something, but I didn't see where you said it leaked oil or had a weak clutch.

Thanks, I just PM'd keytohwy to have him check the car out. I will definitely offer a lower price and do the maintenance when needed.

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Think of it as insurance. You carry car insurance right?

I agree, I will see what they will take for it with the contingency that it passes a PPI.

Do your deal first Zenski, then worry or not about what else your Porsche might need. Not everyone on Rennlist believes all that has been written concerning IMSB failure in the 996.

FINALLY a fellow cheese head! I grew up in Brookfield and than lived in Belgium just North of Port Washington. I also wonder why you want to fix something that ain't broke. Get a PPI and go from there. Good luck with the search!

Hi Guys, they are not moving on the price. They came down to $20,872.00. It is still the lowest price one I have found with what I'm looking for. What do you think? It's still winter in Wisconsin, so I'm in no hurry. Hi Pete, we will have to get together once I find a car. Andy