My new 996? Please help me decide!

I found a great looking '02 996 Cab TIP (see pics below) and I really like this car! Unfortunately the car is in TN and I'm in AZ. If I buy this rig it will be the first time I've ever bought a car sight unseen which is why I'm reaching out to all of you for some guidance. Please take a look at the pics and details below. Any concerns/red flags here? What more should I ask about? I'm not excited about the prospect of paying $2K to transport a car across the country but NOT having to pay $2K for the IMSB is certainly helping my cause here. From the original ad: Tiptronic transmission, L&N IMS bearing retrofit, new water pump & coolant recovery tank, new Bilstien shocks & Eibach springs, Victor Equipment 18" wheels, 9/10's Potenza RE-11's, leather power 8 way seats w/memory + lumbar, premium Bose sound w/6 CD. PCM navigation, xenon headlights. 2 keys & owner's manual. Garaged. Very good condition. Mileage: 62,750 miles Exterior Color: Arctic Silver Metallic Interior Color: Graphite Grey Price: $25,700 I reached out to the current owner and he is willing to help me facilitate a PPI. Do any of you know any shops in the TN area that can do a PPI for me? I'm assuming the current owner has a shop in mind. Should that be a concern for me? I can always have his shop talk directly to my shop too. CARFAX is clean. Current owner purchased the car in June 2011 with 43K. Unit now has 63K. During that time he has, as stated in the original ad, " replaced the IMS bearing. The coolant tank is replaced. Also the water pump. Bilstien shocks, Eibach springs and rear swaybar are new." Any concerns about these updates? How about the non-OEM wheels? "Victor Equipment 18" wheels" Thanks so much to all for you assistance on this!

I would find your own shop. Seller of a car I was going to buy sad ppi sure we can take it too my shop. I said no another shop. Turns out engine had big problems and many other concerns. So you never know. I guess you don't have time to drive home? That would be great road trip, plus you get to see in person before payment

Looks like a nice rig. I like the maintenance and upgrades. I'd say go for it. If you need transport call my brother and mention Rennlist Coastal Car Transport BTW, I know you want a tip, but I'm also selling my car but it's not a tip. https://rennlist.com/forums/vehicle-...85k-miles.html

Bro you should drive a local cab/tip to be sure thats what you want. The tip powered 996 is very sluggish compared to the coupe 6 speed.

http://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/cto/5193645920.html no affiliation, also manual trans

Nice options. Year, mileage and price all seem to be in line IMO. If it passes a PPI and perhaps a personal discussion with the shop doing the inspection while they still have the car ("hows it look", "corrosion underneath", etc.) then I wouldn't worry about the long distance aspect. Where in TN? Maybe a nearby Rennlister could take a look for you.

Thank all. Great info. Please keep it coming! Rubik, I have looked at your car nearly every day. I love it and it's even my first choice of color. You're also so much closer to me! Really want the TIP though. My wife isn't comfortable driving a stick which means the car sits around too much. Thanks for the lead on your brother's transport company too! rockhouse66, Good point. Car is in Pulaski, TN. If any Rennlister knows of a good shop for PPI in that area please let me know.

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Sure thing. He'll give you a good deal.

We got a 04 Targa with a TIP for my wife The TIP is a great transmission and performs great I drive it often when I go up to LA for business and having a TIP beats the hell out of a stick in LA traffic While it might be a fraction of a second slower than a stick, unless you are a professional driver, I doubt you will notice the acceleration difference. In fact, it might even be faster unless you make perfect shifts at just the right part of the torque curve

Looks nice! I've always liked the look of the Victor Equipment Zehn wheel on a 911.

I've bought my last 4-cars from other states, with no issues. IMHO... 1) Drive a similar car local before you buy from afar 2) get an independant PPI from someone not affiliated to seller. $250 to $400 and you get what you pay for. Ask them to drive and pull records for over-revs if manual 3) get TONS of photos. If you see an area not represented like center console where paint on these cars chips easily, ask for MORE photos. 4) Shipping from the coasts to midwest, open flatbed, has been in the $700 to $800 range. 5) There will be a surprise; needs alignment, a rock chip you did not see, bulb out in interior, something, just expect it. 6) NO NOT BE AFRAID to walk away. The right car is out there for you.

I know it's tempting, but that car and color combo are not terribly rare. The price is a little high IMHO. Buying a car out of state is tough, but lucky rennlist is here. Don't do a PPI at a delearship. They will do their 50 point inspection which is utterly useless on the 996. Indy shop only. You can trust the shop if it's an Indy, but probably the best advice is ask for a ton of pictures throughout the PPI and even a video of the engine running for noises etc.. Also, fully expect to replace the AOS soon too.

I like the car. But you cant buy it w/out a inspection. Try to find a porsche dealer to take it to. They should be able to find the complete porsche service history. have a complete cpo inspection done. call 1st base auto transport, they are a transport broker, they select reputable independent transporters in their system and get lower cost rates, door to door pickup and select covered or 3 car or 6 car etc trucks.

Of course, the info you have provided it is limited. But, based solely on this info., looks like a very good deal. Personally, I won't buy a car without seeing it in person, unless some trusted person looks at it for me.

Fly there, buy it, drive it back! If you wouldn't trust it on the road trip dont even bother looking at it. Have the seller take it to a mechanic of you're choosing, and if it checks out throw down a deposit. Then you drive that baby back. Do not settle there are a TON of 996's out there. Be picky and get exactly what you want. That being said I wouldn't pay over 23k for that car. The road trip driving it back will the best drive you've ever had, so don't take that as an inconvenience.

I bought my car out of state and drove it back with no issues. I echo what others have said though did not follow all of the advice. For instance, my PPI was done at the shop that serviced the car because the other shop I found fell through. I was there during the inspection and was talking to my Indy on the phone at the same time. If there's a local Rennlister perhaps they'd check it out for you. I did this for someone here recently who was looking at a car near me. The best advice is to not fall in love with it until you own it

While I'm a firm believer of PPIs, a wise man once said - not too long ago - "You know how many failures we see after a PPI? A **** ton." No guarantees!

A PPI doesn't diagnose potential issues - it (hopefully) provides a list of existing issues. If properly done, all a PPI does is provide some assurance that the car is acceptable in its current state. One of the things I asked my indie to keep an eye out for was any parts that looked recently replaced, any areas that looked suspiciously clean, and any parts that were not OEM. My car had been extensively modified aesthetically, with full aero, full suspension, etc. - but the engine was umolested. The PPI provides me some confidence that (a) there are no current OBVIOUS problems; (b) that the car was not patched up to get it ready to sell, and (c) that the car hadn't been "put back to stock" by the PO immediately prior to selling it - the three things that might prevent me from buying a car that checks out otherwise.

Just face it, almost any 996 is a crap shoot or roll of the dice. The best you can do is be diligent before purchase. A PPI merely lessons the odds of a MOF or CEF not prevent it. Oh and if you depend on an "Indy" or "dealer' for everything, forget it. This isn't the car for you.

I love Rennlist! Thank you all for such great info and insight. So glad I found Rennlist and joined. I have spoken with the owner now, cool guy and willing to help me on the PPI. I agree, no guarantees, but it would make me feel a bit more comfortable. Especially if I decide to drive it back instead of ship it. We'll see, sounds like fun but 1,600 miles is a trek and I've heard from a couple of folks with contacts on shipping too. Cart before the horse though...need to buy the car first.

You have all been incredibly helpful, Thank You! Here's where I am in the process... - Looked up shops on pcarshops.com. Found a half dozen places within 60 miles of the current owner. Called them all to get a feel for their business. - Current owner has agreed to get the car in for PPI at shop of my choosing. Looking to make that happen next week. - Current owner also gave me the name of his current shop. I have call into them so we can chat about the car as well. - Assuming all goes well with the PPI the next step will be getting this rig moved home. Flying and driving would be great but timing makes that tough for me. - Just called Rubik's brother at Coastal Car Transport. Super cool guy and very helpful. If I get this rig, they'll be handling the move for me. Well, that's it for now. Hope to have exciting news to share on this next week. Have a great weekend, Rennlisters!

Good luck, but I can't emphasize the importance of a leak down test. No PPI is complete without one. Might cost a bit more, but I would rather have peace of mind before a piece of cylinder wall bouncing around.

Good Luck! Hope all goes well with the PPI.

Sounds great, good luck with the PPI, and post pics if you buy it!

Car came back with a strong PPI and we inked the deal last night. When I finally get the car here from TN I'll share some pics. PPI showed what I hope ends up being horn frame (posted about this in a separate thread). I'll also be replacing the drive belt and coil pack when I get the car. Other than that it looks great. Thanks, Rennlist!