New - would you buy 996 with rebuilt engine?

Hello, First post (been lurking / reading for awhile), so please excuse the generality of the question. I'm finally going to take the plunge and purchase a 996. Think I have narrowed it down to 99-02 C2 Cab based on price points. I've driven a C2 and C4 so far, and both had just enough issues to pass on. There is a high mileage 00 cab with a lot of work done too it, including a rebuilt engine. Cosmetically it looks great and I'm meeting the owner to go over all the paperwork on the rebuild this week. Would the fact that the engine is rebuilt put you off? I understand needing to know more about what was done and by whom, but in truth I will only have a piece of paper and the sellers word that it was done correctly with high quality parts so now wondering if it's the right move. Thank you, Thomas

A lot of these cars have engine work done - even major work such as a rebuild or a replacement engine. If the car has a documented rebuild by a reputable shop then I would actually consider this a plus. Just do your homework and get records.

Will do - thank you.

I purchased a 996 cab from a private party who had purchased it from the local Porsche dealer. Turns out the dealer had rebuilt the engine due to an IMSB failure just prior to the PO buying it. There was other damage (timing chain tensioner, oil pumps, etc) so it was not real clear what failed first. In any case I viewed this rebuild, knowing the Porsche mechanic that personally did the work, as a plus. But not a huge plus. I like cars that have "no stories", meaning no major mechanical problems, no accident or paint damage, etc. I also took some comfort and courage from the fact that the car had 20K trouble free miles or so on the rebuilt engine at the time I bought it.

Having gone through an engine failure, I would consider the engine rebuild as a plus, providing it was done by a reputable shop and it was a complete rebuild with documentation.

As long as its thoroughly documented. The term "rebuild" is a really nasty one.

Depends on who did it but it wouldn't put me off if it was a good shop.

I'd be down for one with a rebuilt engine. You may want to get some opinions on the shop's work from PCA members in the region where the shop is located.

If done by a reputable shop, yeah, I'd jump at it. If done on the cheap by a buddy as his first-time Porsche engine build...naw, I'm good.

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Depends on the buddy and if they took Rabys class. :P But really, I'd assume that if the person wanted to take the time to rebuild it, and spend the money to do it right, and had the skills to even attempt it, then I'd be fine with that. Assuming they drove it a few thousand miles afterwards and it's still running.

Make sure they didn't do a sloppy build just to sell the car. I have people ask me to patch things up all the time for this purpose. Most who "rebuild" and spend the money to do it right, have no intention of selling the car. Have an invasive engine specific PPI done, for sure.

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I have seen more than one car show up @ the indie shop across the street on a flatbed, with boxes full of engine parts in both front seats and the rest of the stuff piled in the front trunk. Sometimes, "skill" is inappropriately combined with large amounts of Natural Light. If you find yourself in the garage after 25 or 30 Natural Lights, and you start pulling the engine hoist over toward the car, SAY NO. The life you save might be your M96's.

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We call those "trunk jobs". I get two a month or so.

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That is incorrect, because you will follow up on the piece of paper and speak to/visit the shop that did the work, and you will do your own PPI (done by someone else) to cross-check what you learn from the seller and repair shop. Put me down as another vote that it can be a huge plus.

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And so what then? Other than a few loud people online saying it's wrong to prop up whatever ego they have, what is really wrong with someone who honestly feels they are up to the task of working on their own car, finding out that it takes too much time or they weren't ready, and getting it to someone to put together? In the case of boxes of parts, it would be pretty easy to inspect everything and plan a course of action. In fact, that's the way I like to buy vintage motorcycles - the last thing I want is one put together with unkowns. I just don't find it offensive, or bad, that someone took the dive and wanted to do the work themselves.