New member needs help!

Dear Rennlist members, I just registered today. I am from Canada and I am looking to finaly realize my dream and offer myself � toy that when I was young i could just dream off. My dream list is not that long: Lotus esprit s4s/v8 Aston DB7 (they still cheap here) 996 (Because of Gone in 60 seconds) I have an opportunity to buy a splendide 996 carrera 4 2000, in a beautiful silver and full natural leather w/ tiptronic. The car only has 65 000 KM (around 40 000 miles). It really looks to be in pristine condition. But the only thing that make me afraid A LOT is the IMS. The owner told me that it's the original one. What should I do? Is there anything else I should be afraid of? I really love this generation of car but I dont want my dream to become a nightmare. Please give all the informations i need. Thanks in advance. G.

Suggest you read the IMS sticky at the top of the page. Some people are less inclined to answer your questions if you haven't done some homework first. Also, search is your friend. The 996 buyers guide is helpful too. Sounds like a nice car, but the biggest mistake you can make (and many have survived just fine) is to jump into a car before you know what look for. Also is a recipe for paying too much.

I just got one myself a week ago without thorough PPI and poised to spend few grand to make it pristine lol. Get a good inspection including trans, RMS gasket, leaks of all kinds, check all electronics, buttons. Does he have service records? If not either drop the offer significantly or walk away. Ims replacement will run you about 2500-3000 depending on a shop (US dollars). Adjust the purchase price accordingly. If IMS fails you looking at 20K for a new engine. Better to replace IMS before hand. good luck and don't rush. A lot of them out there.

What should you do? Not sure, but I can tell you what I did. Before buying: A) Remove the oil filter and inspect carefully in full sunlight for any metal flecks or shavings. If none: B) Remove drain bolt from pan, and drain oil through a white fabric. Inspect white fabric for metal shavings or flecks. If none: C) Remove sump pan cover from engine, and inspect sump cover for metal shavings and flecks. If none: D) Buy car. After purchase: A) Locate an installer of the IMSB. B) Purchase the IMSB remediation of your choice. C) Install in the car following the IMSB system instructions. D) Re-assemble and enjoy.

Don't ruin your first experience by getting awd mk1 996 with tiptronic. Might as well get an Accord v6.(flamesuit on)

What they all said. And, look especially for oil change history showing more frequent than the manufacturer recommended 15K mile interval. FWIW my change interval is 4K miles. Also check history for use of the Porsche recommended Mobil 1 0W-40 full synthetic and a quality German filter (Hengst, Mann, etc.) at each change, and plan to use those products yourself. My '02 C2 with 59K miles still runs the original IMS bearing which will be changed this summer when I perform clutch service. I ran my car through the checks above (with the exception of removing the sump) and everything has been just fine. When I do the IMS retrofit I plan to install an open single row ceramic bearing and a slotted oil pump key in tandem which will correct the original factory design. +1 On the Tiptronic comment. The car has enough power to work through a Tip but manual shifting is where it's at in a 911.

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The funny part is the most expensive 996 you could get in 1999 was a tip, Carrera 4, cab.

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Which is ironic as that is the cheapest type you can get these days in terms of resale. If you have to get a tip and awd as your first 996, get a mk2 model and if you are up on vanity, get the C4S. I'm sure JI will disagree as he really went a weird and confusing route to where he's at now.

Thank you all for your answers. Ive already did some researches but wanted more direct feedback. Unfortunately after reading you guys I am more cold than ever toward the idea of buying a 911. I think that a DB7 must be less trouble. As I've said I dont want my dream to become a nightmare. I dont want to send 30 grands on a great looking car but being forced to send couple of grands more to put it in a safety condition but still worrying. Thanks

Oh wow... DB7 because of IMSB concerns on a 996? The issues with the 996 are well known and documented with readily available fixes, and Porsche made a billion 996's so there are tons of used parts, a huge aftermarket and robust enthusiast base to help with advice. or an Aston Martin DB7. If you're concerned about the cost to keep a 996 running, good luck keeping an Aston Martin on the road without it emptying your wallet in the process. You mention not wanting to spend a couple of grand getting a car sorted, your Aston Martin or Lotus mechanic will charge you $2 grand to get out of bed.....before he even starts working on your car. The cars you're looking at are all sports cars and higher running costs are part of the equation. Drivers that buy these cars and maintain them like Toyota Corolla's are the reason there are lots available that need $$ poured into them, deferred maintenance is a bi*ch. Find one with service records and you'll be ahead of the game.

I concur with the other posts. I look at the IMS as a "routine maintenance item" much as changing spark plugs are. I'm at 37k miles on my 1 year old (to me) '03 C4 cab. I do frequent oil changes (under 5k miles) and have the old oil filter cut open for inspection. Next oil change I'm also installing a magnetic oil drain plug. By frequent inspections, I'm hoping to avoid the engine failure and replace the IMS when I do the clutch. And forget comparing costs of maintaining any higher end British car compared to any (there are a few exceptions) higher end German one. Never forget the old one liner: "Why do the British drink warm beer?" Because they have Lucas refrigerators.

Porsche 911 ownership is expensive. This is not the car for people who don't have $5,000 in cash ready to spend (and not cry about) at all times. It really doesn't matter if the Porsche 911 is a 1970, 1988, 1999, or 2005. They all costs LOTS OF MONEY to either fix or maintain. Only new ones under warranty (which cost $90,000 at minimum) provide "worry free" driving, but then again you paid $90,000 for that pleasure. Sure, you will get owners on here saying I only spent $600 last year, which is true that can happen. But if you are a 911 owner long enough and own 2 or 3 or 5 over the years you figure out pretty quick it's not a cheap hobby. Corvettes are really a better choice if money is a concern. All of the vehicles you are looking at cost big $$$ to maintain. Aston Martin???? You think that's going to be less expensive to maintain? Maybe in Canada Aston Martins are like Toyota (I don't know) but around where I live Aston Martin would be one of the most expensive cars to maintain, more than a Porsche easily.

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i disagree - due diligence when purchasing a porsche eliminates many repairs down the road - makes ownership fun and rewarding

A guy on the Viper forum traded his Viper for a DB7 Volante and took it in for a post-purchase inspection (i.e. he bought it on a whim and then decided to get it checked out)... Of course, not every DB7 is going to need a laundry list of repairs...in the same way that not every 996 is going to require a pile of PM money to keep it on the road. The grass on the other side isn't any greener...it's just different grass. As an aside - the DB7 repair list exemplifies one point: The 996 is in may ways a very simple car compared to many other luxury cars and newer Porsches. When you start spending money on hydraulic ride-height adjustment, ferrohydraulic dampers, motorized rear seats, motorized hood ornaments (!), etc., the costs to keep them running get ever more frightening...

To the OP , It sounds like you're looking for a fun car to drive without worrying about spending money on repairs once you've made the purchase. Maybe you should be looking at a Honda S2000 or something along those lines instead of exotics.

https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...-articles.html Some good articles I collected looking for my 96

He lost me at oh well I'll look at DB7. We're talking a car double/in some cases triple the price of a 996. I smell troll.

Maybe not an early 6 cylinder db7 in the UK is 18-25k pounds and a 996 is 12 to 22. UK there is some overlap. In Canada you see DB7s in the 35-50 k Cdn range . 996 from 17-35 K Problem is the DB7 was built in the dark days of am , and the cars are a great drive but the build quality is the worst that ever came out of the factory . If that's the style of car you want a second gen XK8 jaguar is a much better car . Esprit build quality is ok on the last gen esprit by early lotus standards. Of the 3 only the 996 is robust enough with low enough maintainence costs to consider as a daily driver . The running costs of the porsche are 25% of the costs of running the other two. I have worked on all three , the one I would own is the 996. The parts costs and availability alone for the british cars eliminates them for me. The pound is currently double the canadian dollar The 996 gets a lot of noise about the ims , and this forum is both the best and the worst place to learn about these cars . But there are fixes and upgrades for every issue . I honestly think that a large part of the hysteria around the 996 is that for many people it has been their first European sports car and they expect small block chevy corvette running costs and simplicity . But anyone who ever owned an 70's to 90's ferrari , jag, lotus , 928 , alfa Romeo , masarati will wonder what all the fuss is about . Doing the cam belts on some of those is an engine out job , every 25k miles.