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YOUR RESEARCHHigh Mileage 996s - Good / Bad / Indifferent?
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Suggestion · Original poster
A few very minor notations, but all in all a very clean car despite the mileage.
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Suggestion · Original poster
a lower mileage car that has changed hands several times over?
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I did a search and browsed several posts from the past on this topic, however, even the more recent posts are a couple of years old. Thus, here goes.
I am looking into an '03 996 with 96k on the odometer. It is a 1 owner car and has all the documentation. Full maintenance records, etc. The clutch and RMS were done at 76k.
My questions are:
Is the 996 reliable if properly maintained?
Is it better to buy a slightly higher mileage car with full records that was cared for vs. a lower mileage car that has changed hands several times over?
Should I steer clear of anything over XXXX mileage?
Thanks!
I've got around 96K on my 996 now, and it's great. It has been very reliable. I also had the RMS and intermediate shaft seal replaced around 75K miles, and I've had no leaks at all since then. I think that if you have all the documentation, and the owner took proper care of the car, then a high mileage car can be very good. It has had all the issues sorted out by that point.
Some might say that a higher-mile car is a safer bet than a garage queen since a lot of the bugs are discovered by then.
I bought mine with 80k and it now sits at about 102k. Been a great car so far and got it at a very fair price because of the miles.
The only thing that scares me about a high mile car is the resale value. As long as you buy a high mile car right then there is nothing to worry about when you go to sell it.
I got mine at 60k mi. it now has 86k mi. I intend on driving it to 150k mi.
over the past 2 years I have gone through the car and fixed all the little "bugs."
So, if the PPI is fine, and the price is right, then no worries.
JB
That's the always the key... Getting it for the "right" price. At the end of the day, something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
That said, based on all the research I have done comps that I have pulled I feel that if the PPI checks that I am getting a good value for my $.
Perhaps it's a false sense of security, but I feel better about purchasing a car that I can visual review 8 years worth of history from the original owner. Many of the alternatives on the market have 3+ owners with less miles and little to no maintenance records.
Got mine with 95K and at a good price....
As long as you have the documentation on repairs and you can look at the interior and exterior and see if the Owner took care. By all means have your mechanic check it out.
Good luck and keep us posted
The car is in FL. I have a PPI being performed first thing tomorrow morning. Upon receipt and review of the PPI information I will make my decision on whether or not to proceed with the purchase.
Then I need to figure out retrieval.
I just bought my C2 (about a month ago) with 80k miles on the clock but everything checked out fine. Maintenance, records and it was still under CPO (I am the third owner).
I would not have felt comfortable buying an older car with some miles on it without paperwork and maintenance records, but having proof that everything was well done and taken care off put me at ease.
If everything checks out, go for it.
Agreed with this. I bought my 2002 in Nov. of 2009 with only 13,500 miles on it. Good thing it was a CPO because there were many non-catastrophic things that went wrong. Just from memory: RMS, fuel pump, window regulators, fuel components in the filler tube area, alarm horn always buzzing, chain guides, sway bar end links, plus a few others items I can't think of now.
PPI came back with high marks for both mechanical and cosmetic condition. A few very minor notations, but all in all a very clean car despite the mileage.
Plane ticket purchased, check in hand. Looks like I am off for an adventure on Saturday.
Here's an article I wrote on the common failures and problems with these engines, particularly high mileage ones:
http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti...e_Failures.htm
-Wayne
Long story short... Flew to FL on Saturday morning. Met my new ride for the first time. Drove it for a bit, happily paid for it and off I drove.
12 hours later I arrived in NC with my "new" to me 2003 996!
Thanks to all the advice on the thread. I will put up a new post once I get some sleep
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