95k mile 996.2 C2 as only car?

I am a track and autocross guy, and at the moment I live in the south with three cars (�10 Forester, �99 Miata and �93 MR2). I am in the process of preparing for a move near downtown Denver and am expecting to be in a place with limited garage space. I want to downsize from a daily with two high maintenance clapped out track cars to a single reliable �practical� sports car. My original intention was to buy a 2022 GR86/BRZ but a friend of mine convinced me to test drive a 2004 C2 at a local dealership and I have to admit I love it. It�s way better than I expected. The car has some nicks and dings inside but the exterior is pristine and it has 95k miles. It�s listed for $30k. The IMS has not been done. I have always heard that Porsche is known for great longevity and build quality, but the infamous bore scoring issue has me a bit worried. I�m used to having access to Miata engines for $1k and a surprise $20k rebuild would make things difficult for me. So my question is, what does the community think of a 996 as an only car? How prevalent are the bore scoring issues on the 996.2 and how likely is a PPI to catch the issue? Does $30k sound like a solid price for the car I described?

Any 20 year old car shouldn�t be considered a daily driver, unless there�s a backup. Mechanical things just don�t get better and more reliable with time and use.

You can do an expensive PPI and scope the bores to at least get a look, there's a recent thread for someone looking to do this and it was like $1500. IMS / bore score are real problems, but there are plenty of 996s out there driving without these issues, so its not a foregone conclusion. That said, if/when the engine goes you are strapped in for an expensive bill or selling a roller. I similarly downsized to one car for a move, replaced a 2000 miata and camry with a 2000 996 for pretty much the same reasoning you've laid out. Given the age/mileage of the car you can expect to have medium scale maintenance items come due over the next few years, but at least in my experience every dollar I've put into the car has been for planned maintenance vs an unplanned failure. As a daily its a ton of fun, practical for 2 ppl with some backseat storage. One potential upside I'd give the 996 over the twins is the factory roof rack, if you do winter sports in denver or just need more capacity occasionally its a useful thing to have.

It can be done, but will require a little more legwork, and likely more inconveniences. It�s not my only car, but my daily for any season it�s not snowing is a 1987 560SL, so for for anyone making the age argument, you can daily it, but you really need to stay on keeping up on inspections and checking everything almost weekly. I don�t daily my 996, but there at least a handful of people I�ve met who do up here in WNY year round, snow and all. Some have been since the car was nearly new, others fairly recently.

Have had my 2004 996 C4S for a month and change now; purchased with 78K, but incredibly well maintained (IMS/RMS done, waterpump, brakes recently done, etc), and turn-key ready. I daily it and AX/track. My commute is ~35 miles each way, and I installed the PCCM + for the modern convenience. I have a separate set of Turbo Twist with snow tires for the winter season; the car is ceramic coated with PPF for added protection. Point to all this is you can look for the right car and kit it out to keep up with 2023 Honda Civic commuters. Again, it can definitely be done, and I recommend it; this really is the all around package. But invest in a good log to keep up on maintenance/checks, and find a good indie mechanic to keep up on that service. I am having my spark plugs and coils done in NOV, along with a fluid purge to get fresh liquids onboard before hitting a late season track event. There is a price to pay to keep it going, but like anything, if you take care of it and treat it with respect, it'll love you back. Take the time and look for a well cared for example. I was pretty damn picky in both my options and, more importantly, who I was going to buy it from. Service records going back to at least 20K were a requirement for me (figuring the dealership was likely used prior to 20K when it was new). This included not only a PPI, but a "post-purchase" inspection after a month to see where we stand. I will have to do the suspension next year, but I know that now and overall, she has a great bill of health aside from a highly capable, OEM turbo suspension that is just approaching its age. Take the time and good luck!

100% you can have a 996 as an only car. I did it for a while. Get a thorough PPI. Check for bore scoring and leak down. If you want to front load maintence do the IMS, RMS, AOS etc and you should have years of worry free motoring. In the current market $30k is high for a car with no maintence records and the big items not resolved. You can get better cars for less on pcarmarket or BAT, Cars and bids. Keep your eyes open

This the really main issue. Also, people that are tracking their cars should be able to walk away from their crashed cars and recover. Or a money shift mistake that insurance doesn�t cover. Tracking can be expensive, costing thousands or tens of thousands a year. Miata�s don�t coat as much, sure, but there�s always a possibility that you would need to fork over $10k on a crash that insurance somehow wouldn�t cover, or it�s an accident or fault that is yours, and your insurance already forked over the money to pay for the other person�s car. Or you hurt yourself and can�t work for several months, etc. Point is, a 911 is an expensive choice in an already expensive sport, even if plenty of people have low expensive tracking their 911. I think it�s too much of a stretch for you. While I won�t be happy paying $20k or $30k for a new engine, I would write the check in cash and it would not really effect on my life when it comes to paying for bills or anything else of that size that could come up. It�s like a roof on a house, or a concrete repair (new driveway), a surprise AC unit or heater in your house failing. If you cannot afford a surprise repair like this, it�s a good idea to start saving some emergency funds for that purpose. Otherwise, I�ve been using my 911 as a daily for the last 6 years, but not every single day. I use it maybe once every two weeks at the extreme low end, and 5 times a week on the high end, but do have another car for a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids)

Apart from the IMS, bore scoring is really the issue here but with a scope from the sump you can check for it. There's a series of videos by Jake Raby / Knowledge Gruppe going into this in extreme detail. After three years of 996 ownership with ups and downs, I think you can be lucky or unlucky regarding engine rebuilds. Even with the most thorough PPI you can always get unlucky and need than engine rebuild anyway. I needed that engine rebuild but in retrospect, I think it could have been avoided if I had known more when I purchased it. Note also that you shouldn't track a stock 996: it needs extensive modifications to combat all the inherent weaknesses in the engine. It's a shame because they are really great cars to drive.

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Sure you can turn a 996 into a daily driver. But it will cost you by either (1) purchasing a car that has been well serviced with refreshed parts throughout. Or (2) by putting 15k into it by refreshing the parts. All of which should be predicated on getting the complete service history of the car to see what was done and when, as well as a PPI and most importantly a bore scope from a Porsche shop that knows what they are doing. Remember, it is a very dureable car, but its a 20+ year old car. So past service and parts replacement performed properly is critical to its durability going forward. With the constraints you mentioned and having to deal with winter weather, I would find another awd daily driver with a maintenence warranty, save your money, and then buy a 996 when you have the purchase price plus 15k-20k set aside for a refresh.

Thanks for all the perspective guys. What I�m getting as a takeaway here is that it�s not inherently a bad buy but the chances of issues are high enough I should go into it prepared to buy a new motor. While a motor rebuild wouldn�t destroy me financially, I also don�t have the savings to easily cover it either. So I think I�m gonna go the 86 route since it comes with a warranty and $2k short blocks available from Subaru. It�s a bit of a shame because I love the 911, but I can always come back to the idea in 5-10 years when I�m a bit more comfortable financially. Thanks again for the advice.

This thread will go 1,000 different directions. It is a great idea to buy a 996 as a daily. I daily mine - the only car I own. That said, I would look at early 996's (preferably '99's). A few reasons off the top of my head - less than 1% failure rate on their dual-row IMSB, pre-fire cylinders/blocks, throttle cable.... For $30K, you're overpaying. There are a few really solid examples on Rennlist right now that you should look at - off the top of my head, there's a black on cinnamon '99 listed for ~$21K right now that I can't believe hasn't sold already. Granted I don't know anything outside of the ad but looks to be a nice example. I would buy directly from the owner. Don't go dealer. My 2 cents.

A C2 in Denver? I lived in CO for a few years. Sometimes I couldn�t go anywhere without chains. At least think about a C4.

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If the snow is that deep you should be driving something else. Snow tires are plenty. Recommend OP look for a nice 99-00 C2

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A couple of my friends have said the same. Based on conversations I have had with coworkers who daily RWD cars in the city, I think I�ll be okay with proper snow tires. My job allows remote work so I can just choose to stay home if the weather gets bad enough.

With proper winter tires, the 996 C2 has plenty of traction on snow. Better than my BMW (although that is a very low bar).

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Do it. If you don't, every time you see a 911 on the road you'll be kicking yourself for not getting one. Your time is too valuable and life too short for that negative energy.

The only shame is that Toyota hasn�t found a way to get 250-300HP into the 86. Because then, we�d have a bunch of folks switching to the 86. It�s that good. Granted, traction would have to be improved on the 86 at those HP levels, but that�s not a hard problem to solve.

My man maths: $30,000 car + potential $20,000 engine + thousands of dollars for other stuff = 60,000 dollar $30,000 car. I'd rather spend $60k on a 996 Turbo. Then again if I was living in Denver with limited garage space and a $30,000 budget, I'd buy a nearly fully loaded AWD Ford Maverick and pay to store my track car.

I would hate to see OP buy a piece of plastic that the 86 is.... come on guys. These cars do not simply "blow up" and always need a rebuild. If it does blow up, buy an e46/e36 325i for $2K off of Craigslist and drive it to 500K (not kidding).

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An E46 325xi wagon would be a prime Denver car. Better yet, drop an M54B30 in there.......yassssss.

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lmao at a 996 owner thinking a twin interior is bad, and the solution to a $20k rebuild is buying another ****box that will require constant coddling. The E46 is a great car but the long term maintenance is just as bad as any other german car. I replaced five window regulators in mine over the five years I owned mine, and another ~$5k just in parts, no labor. Mine was a peach too, only drove it from 50-100k miles and by the end of it everything was falling apart.

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Haha, just saw an e36 wagon for sale that went in a day or two on Bimmerforums - first one I've seen - pretty sweet.

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What?

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Yep, they're trickling in more and more thanks to our 25 year rule, plus they're just damn cool.

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You are wrong on every account aside from the window regs. The "BMWs are a lot to maintain and require constant coddling" is nothing other than mainstream opinion. an xi wagon for the OP and a 911 as a fun car would probably lead to nothing but smiles and sound sleep.

The 996 has long been known for taking heat for having a less than desirable interior.

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Sounds opinionated... Just like everything else on this forum! Kidding.

It�s widely known by the general public that owning a German car outside of warranty is a financially troubling disposition. However, a secret is that the most basic BMWs that are entry-level can run trouble free for a very long time. The trick is knowing which ones are which.

It�s not my opinion, nor found only on Rennlist. Check out many reviews from a dozen sources over the last 20 years.

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Didn't say it was yours, just in general. Those reviews are also opiniated though, haha. If they're taking aesthetic approaches, then yes, that is opinionated. Beauty is most often in the eye of the beholder.

Agree, 100%

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-Cooling system replacement (radiator, water pump, exp tank, all hoses/etc). -CCV system replacement -Intake elbows -Driver side mirror glass burned out -front endlinks 2x -VANOS rattling -full suspension refresh due to shocks blown/clunking -DISA valve replacement -Valve cover gasket -Final stage resistor replacement -Oil filter housing gasket -Sunroof shade off track -LCA bushings, rtabs -AC recharge -All window regulators + 1 -transmission return to center starting to fail, need to drop trans to fix detent. -precat o2 sensors -front sway bushings All of that broke over 5 years and you're telling me that's just as much maintenance as what a Twin would require over the same period? Really? The E46 is hardly a reliable car. And again, mine was a "nice" one. Single owner, turned over to me at 50k miles, all service done at the dealer up until that point.

If you get a well documented, serviced, maintained with proper parts refresh, one with a scope that says they are in good shape, the need for an emergency rebuild is slim. Your issue is it's CO and unless you build a 996 safari, your front end will behave like a snow plow. These things are great in the snow with snow tires. But even the c4s doesn't like more than 3 inches of snow. Get yourself an Audi Quatro if you only have room for one car.

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I still respectfully disagree. They just aren't.

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DFGH (deleted for getting heated... just made that up lol) They're good cars - have owned a few. To each their own.

I daily drove my GT3 as my only car for about 10 years. I live in Florida, so no winters, and the car had an extended CPO warranty when I got it in 2006, so the dealer always had a loaner car when I needed it. What you are suggesting is going to leave you without a car for periods of time. Why? Because the car is 18 years old and things break. Furthermore, some parts are no longer available or more likely need to be sourced from Germany. Keep in mind that any Porsche requires not only more maintenance than your father's Oldsmobile, but significantly higher cost of parts, specialized tool, and labor. Porsches are a dependable sports car, but that's a relative thing. Old cars of any manufacture will need work on a periodic basis and you will get stuck waiting for parts or the length of time for completing repairs will put the car off the road for days or longer. Denver gets cold and it's not fun working in a cold garage. If you must have only one car, I would buy something new or at least something new enough to have a warranty (CPOs are great). Then you can at least have a courtesy loaner while the dealer makes it right.

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Hey, I still miss my E46. It had everything I needed, was comfortable, sporty enough, ate up miles like nothing else I had up until that point. I loved that car.. but then I got tired of fixing my daily and bought a Toyota Everyone will have a different experience but mine was not all that great. ANYWAY I still encourage OP to have a good time and buy a 996. Just do your DD (maybe buy a 996 turbo instead!)

So the rebuild scenario is a "doom n' gloom worst case" scenario. I'll give you an objective take on my 996 as my "3rd car" as if it were my only car. There would have been a few times this year I'd have been uber-ing because it has been a pain in the **** to source a few parts during the shortages, having to take the time to diagnose things because I do my own work.. If you have a lot of resources to pay to have issues taken care of quickly - then I'll give you a firm maybe!

I personally wouldn�t do this. When I was younger and more �adventurous� I had a �85.5 944 as a daily, which I later replaced with a 2000 Boxster. Both provided lots of trouble free miles and smiles, interrupted by periods of troublesome miles and big repair bills. You will definitely be left without a car much more frequently than if you bought something more modern and reliable. For me, that puts a slight damper the fun of these cars. But to each their own! Just go in with proper expectations

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I'm on the "don't buy a 996 as your only transportation" side. I always thought it was a huge blunder on BMWs part not to export any 3 series Tourings to the US. I think they would have sold a LOT of them. Especially in the '80s and '90s before the SUV craze took off. There are a couple of e30s that show up at local meets.

I have dailyed of 02c4s for over 7 years here in Colorado Springs. It�s been great. Did the IMS and things have been easy and a whole lot of fun. Definitely get snow tires.

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i recently found a 99 c2 with a engine replaced by the dealership in 2001. Car has 84k miles. I have a 2022 brz and thinking of selling it and buying the 996. Am i crazy?

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Maybe!

My 996 is my only car and DD and has been for the past 6 years. It�s dead reliable, and maintenance/repair stuff can be scheduled around needing to travel. My wife dailies a 560SL, and despite it being fairly reliable, it leaves her stranded much more often. Life�s too short to drive appliances.

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I think it�s honestly pretty close to this. The engine is rated for 230ish hp but the 2022 dynos at around 215 whp on average. Assuming 15% drivetrain loss we get to about 250 hp. ​ I have done the cheap track car and nice AWD daily for a bit now. Besides the garage space, I have two issues with it: - A dedicated track car, for me, means an inexpensive high mileage car and in my experience that means constant repairs. - I�m tired of driving a boring daily and letting the fun car sit because it�s too track prepped to be useful as a daily driver. I�d rather have one fun car I can enjoy every day worry free, but which is reasonably suited for a track day, than a dedicated track car that only gets rolled out for events.

at the end of the day you can daily drive anything .. I know a guy that daily drives a Carrera GT and his weekend car is a Bugatti Chiron.. so yeah anything can be. 966 as a daily is doable and like everyone says just do the maintenance that needs to be addressed. I'm the type to redo it all the maintenance even if it's been done. The one trick i will tell you is that working on a 20 year old car is a little different. Whatever part of the car I'm working on i just replace everything available while working on it for that area. example is if you are working on suspension just replace all the arms with new bushings etc... it's worth the extra cost as you are already in there.. same for when I replaced the water pump, thermostat, as i just replaced all the hoses being removed and replaced with new.. Did this also with the center radiator install as i had to remove the fenderliners to get better access and i just replaced with new... Bolts and all .. don't forget the bolts and plastic clips .. Is it more expensive yes, but all that plastic and rubber is 20 years old and no matter the mileage it's been through a ton of heat cycles so its brittle and won't last forever..

That�s how I feel. The 911 does this really well, as does an M. My 06� M5 was not as great in real life as it was on paper, but that�s a car you can drive your grandmother to church in, go across country, and then put it into sport mode for tracking up to 8,000+ redline on the weekends.

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That is exactly what intrigued me about Porsche in the first place. Superfast Matt has a video where he goes around ant interviews a bunch of Porsche guys about what makes Porsche special and the answer was always that they design cars as a system with usability and subjective feel in mind instead of just chasing performance numbers. I dig that. It�s also what attracts me to the GR86. To update everyone, I put down a deposit today on a 2023 GR86 allocation a local dealer has on the boat right now. Should be here in 3-4 weeks. I�m sad I�m not gonna have a Porsche but will revisit the idea in a few years when I am more established and have more savings.

I saw that Superfast Matt video, it was great. Congrats on the GR86. Maybe come back and post about the car, what you like, how it compares to the 996, etc.

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I can actually comment on that now. I rented a 2022 BRZ for a trip recently so have had the opportunity to compare them fairly back to back. I�d say the biggest difference is just in the feel. The BRZ is sort of boy racer aggressive in its looks, the suspension is very playful, steering is fast, it really feels like a car built to have fun and hoon around in. The Porsche feels much more refined and buttoned down. It has loads more rear grip, more power, a better sounding engine, and the simplistic Porsche styling. The Porsche has better steering with the fairly heavy hydraulic PS, although the 86 is also great in this regard. The 86 has a much better shifter. I was kind of disappointed with the sloppy shifter in the 996 given Porsche�s reputation for great shifters but I have a feeling it just needed a rebuild. The interior build quality and usability seemed pretty similar, with me giving the edge to the twins. I remember in 2005 or so thinking my uncle�s 996 felt amazingly refined inside, but today it looks dated and has all the small flaws of an older car that has seen plenty of use. The 86 is similarly plasticky but it�s obviously new and has all the modern amenities.

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+1. Use my 2001 C2 Cab all year in CO mountains. Even in heavy snow. Is my DD. Just use good quality full winter/snow rated tires and you won�t have issues. Only time it was a problem was with the rare early or late season heavy wet snow over 8� deep, but then every vehicle would have issues.

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Congrats! Probably the right choice. There's a lot of joy in just using something and not having to think about what will break next. Switch to either the 996 or 997 GT3 shifter and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

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THIS. In the winter, CO uses something closer to gravel than sand, so expect rock damage. In the summer, we have hail that leaves dimples. Also, Denver is America�s car theft capital (how I lost my Mk7.5 GTI). There�s a reason why car insurance here is insane. Anyway, I have a pristine 996.2 C2 that I drive when conditions are acceptable and just picked up a CPO Macan as a daily to replace my GTI. I love my 996, but as a year-round daily in Denver, I�d really think hard about it. Golf R would be an interesting alternative, imho.