higher mile 996 C4S purchase?

currently own a GTI and a 944 turbo, thinking of combining them into a C4S. i live in minneSONWta so i do have to deal with adverse, possibly very adverse weather from time to time. my currently solution is above - 2 different cars. the notion is with the price on these 996s so low, to combine everything into 1 car. people are only looking for 25-30 grand on these cars! so im looking at 60-100k mile 996s, particularly for 2002+ and C4s. if i got a C2, i'd have to get a winter set of tires no matter what, probably have to for the C4 too. obviously good PPI, IMS etc etc .... but anything else to worry about on these cars? i have to admit i am somewhat worried about the one car deal, as currently if my porsche is not running, i can leave it sit while i work on it, or save up the money to fix it etc etc. so whats it cost to run one of these, and what kind of stuff will it need in future? i am a fairly competent DIYer. 25, single, no kids.

Welcome. Every question you just asked can be answered with just doing a little bit of searching and looking around in here, as the very questions you just asked have been covered ad naseum. We're all for helping people out, but as a forum community we also expect people to try to help themselves first.

I'm about to roll 120K on my 2002 C4S. It has been a wonderful, reliable car.

Oh yeah, and my '02 C4S has 102k on it. Also, a general theme I've noticed is that those of us with "high" mileage (80k+) cars that actually get driven tend to report fewer issues with our cars and lower overall cost of ownership. Again, this is just a qualitative observation I've made.

so looks like RMS and clutch are the two biggie things that need to be done. IMS is a crap shoot (knew that going into a 996 though). question on the suspension: how cheap/easy to get something adjustable. i'd like something that i could adjust ride height +1 inch to maybe -1 inch. jack it up in the winter, maybe a bit lower in the summer, nothing crazy slammed or anything. would this require a full new coilover setup, or does the stock suspension fit some different springs?

RMS and clutch is normal for all 996s. Expect the clutch to last 50-60k miles on average. RMS can be a crapshoot, but is nothing to worry about unless it is leaking a lot. As for suspension, if you plan to actually adjust it up and down with the seasons, you might as well get coilovers because removing and replacing the suspension twice a year would be 1) expensive and 2) a terrible waste of time. Not to mention needing an alignment every time you do it as well.

just keep in mind when you alter height, a full wheel alignment should be done so you avoid strange behaviours and retain those special on-road characteristics these cars have. EDIt - posted at same time, duh

I've been to Minnesota and just like Chicago, I always worry not on what I'll do or can control but what others can't control in the winter time. All it takes is for that 1 idiot to lose control of their car in the snow and it will be game over. Personally if you're 25 single and somewhat mechanically inclined, I would set a side for a cheap winter beater car. Plus AWD on the C4S isn't nothing to write home about compared to other AWD cars out there(flame suit on). My $.02

Quotes source post: 10087316

i think i would eventually, but i'd rather spend the 2-3 grand now on lowering my payment on the C4S. it would probably only have to make it through this winter. i also live like 2 miles from work, im not commuting much. and yeah, on the ride height, i guess i didnt think of the alignment. damn, that sucks, was thinking that would be a cheap/easy solution.

Two miles from work is hard on any car. You'll never get it up to temperature and end up parking the car with a bunch of moisture in the engine. Buy the C2/C4S, a winter beater Corrola, and a bicycle.

My 996 is typically my only car, must've put 35+k miles on it in the last 2 years. Currently at 177k miles and I love it. I would do the one car thing as when you have a car that's this fun, you'll tend not to drive the others. That's what I did anyway even when I had a stripped/caged 944 turbo. Note on raising/lowering, I think the factory height for an American market car would be perfect for your purposes without alteration.

Stupid C4S problems I've had (not necessarily on same car) as I've owned 4. Clutch spring. $250 70k mi (had it happen on three C4S's) Door lock actuator: $450 ABS Pump: $4k plus ABS speed sensor: $140 installed myself cat converters: factory $900 a side Seat Belt sensors (throws SRS code): $250 (had it happen on all three C4S's) Starter: $600 (had it happen on two C4S's) Water pump: $1200 Some stupid hose (I'm sure that's a factory term) $350 60k service: $1200 90k service: $1200 Most of theses problems happened between 60 and 95k. I haven't had one with higher miles than that. These cars can more than just nickel and dime you, however I have never had an IMS failure.

Quotes source post: 10086991

Running any car in the winter is a risky business. If you hit ice it doesnt matter if you have a 4 or 2 wheel drive. Anyway I spend more on gas by far than ever I spend on parts or labor (approx $2000 a year) and you being a DIY man, you should have nothing to worry about only preventative maintenance cost. Plus if you have to work on the car, you could cycle to work.

Quotes source post: 10087316

Well, Alpine did put his flame suit on - but I won't be too hard on him! You can now buy the 996 (especially the 99 to 01) for less than $20,000 in most places. These cars were meant to be driven, are fun to drive, and (like it or not, as I own one too so I'm in the same boat ) will never be classics. We love them, just as our moms loved us (lol). Life's just too short to drive "cheap winter beaters" - just buy one and drive it. Next, the AWD on the C4 / C4S / Turbo is great. As a guy who had three 4WD trucks/SUVs prior to getting my C4S, I can honestly say that this is the best winter car I've driven (but I've never taken it out in the deep deep snow). The low stance/CoG and the fact the engine is over the drive wheels makes it awesome. It is not "perfect" for sure - but is what you would expect from a sports car. My favourite is when I'm at the lights with some hick in a 4x4 pickup who looks over thinking "what's that guy doing driving that in the winter" and leaving him in the dust as he struggles to get through the intersection when I'm already a block away. As for the idiots, that's why you have insurance.

Quotes source post: 10087316

Seattle to SLC in February on street tires. The expressions on peoples faces were priceless.

Have the guys that think the c4s awd is superior, live in a snow state and have driven in heavy snow? I did a back to back comparison on friend's c4s, Audi, mercedes 4matic, Evo, Subaru and guess which felt the least confidence inspiring in the snow? And yes my friend's c4s had snow tires on them too. I'm not talking about a "dusting" of snow either. I'm not saying the c4s isn't capable in snow but just don't feel that it's superior in anyway compared to other systems.

The 996 AWD is good in the snow but it needs a proper winter tire set up. 225 front and 265 rears. The issue you will run into is not enought front bumper clearence for snow. And dont kid yourself thinking that it is as good as the Quattro and BMW x-drives. 4-matic is the worst of the bunch with the most computer intervention. Change your IMS and you are good to go and wont lose any sleep. Good Luck with your hunt.

PS. I will agree that it isnt superior to any of the other products but most of the time it all depends on the tires themselves. Much better then a C2 tough...;-)

Quotes source post: 10090449

Yes, but who wants to own an Audi? It's the German Buick.

LOL..... That pretty much sums it up. My Audi Quattros felt like a tank compared to my X-drive. But in all fairness, when It snowed hard.... The Quattros are the King!

Quotes source post: 10090787

You might want to be careful with that statement if you truly think that, as VW owns Audi and more recently Porsche. So by your logic if Buick=German Buick, then what is VW=?. The only "Buick" I see in Audi is it's weight penalty. BMW was smart in that aspect of proactively partnering with one of the largest carbon fiber companies(SGL)to produce their own CF and better control cost and research(latest joint venture with Boeing). VW/Audi I'm sure will head in that direction and catch up eventually. We've already seen how much VW/Audi influence has made itself to some Lamborghini models(both good and bad). It will be interesting to see what they do with Porsche long term. Btw, I don't own an Audi.

Quotes source post: 10090787

Now hey there. A tool for every purpose... For what the OP spends on winter wheels and tires he could drive a perfectly serviceable B5 A4. 5 speed, 1.8 turbo. Or he could drive a C5 A6 avant and never have to borrow another pickup truck for Home Depot runs. Great cars. Not Porsches. Still great cars.

Real world consideration... if you suffer a flat tire on either of the rears, it takes about 2 days to get a replacement. So if the C4S was your one and only car, a simple puncture will mess with your daily routine.

Quotes source post: 10090787

With both my Boxster and Turbo laid up waiting for tires my local (Livermore) dealer gave me a courtesy car to use, an Audi A4. The A4 a Buick? Hardly unless Buick has improved dare I say a great deal recently. I don't care if you think it the unified Germany equivalent of a Trabant. This Audi is a nice car and much better than tons of other cars, including a real Buick. What it ain't is my Turbo. Sigh. Come on new tires!

OP, If I were going 996, I'd get the Turbo. You get the GT1 at a bargain. Otherwise I'd wait for the older 997 C4 prices to come down. once in, I think those 997 values are going to hold up well because of the 991 pricing pushing many towards used Carreras.

Porsche vs. Audi - two totally different philosophies even though they share some similarities. Living in Finland I have driven both an Audi and Porsche. An AWD Audi (any model) runs circles around probably any car out there during the snowy winter. Summer time is different then - nothing beats Porsche's unique feeling when Audi feels more like a "normal" car regardless how much power it has.

10 year old argument solved thank you