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YOUR RESEARCHYou have 12 hours to talk me out of buying this...
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Replace = $$$
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You have 12 hours to talk me out of buying this...
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Leading evidence: 'Replace = $$$' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'po just replaced the hu and amp' (1 discussions; 0 report identifying it and 1 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Clean tracks' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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I've replaced both motors on mine, about $2500 all in with dealership labor.
You have 12 hours to talk me out of buying this...
Run through all the options in my head
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You have 12 hours to talk me out of buying this...
Set alarm
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
I set my alarm for 2:45 am and put my head down to...
You have 12 hours to talk me out of buying this...
po just replaced the hu and amp
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If it is, then probably the PO just replaced the HU and amp...
You have 12 hours to talk me out of buying this...
Replace bundle (spin
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Suggestion · Original poster
I think the only things I will do in the next six months are the LN Engineering Oil Change Bundle (Spin on filter conversion with magnetic blanket and drain plug) and a low-temp thermostat.
You have 12 hours to talk me out of buying this...
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75 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
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No PSM and what's up with the strip of pubes under the HVAC control but otherwise I see no obvious reason why you wouldn't be running down there right now with a fistful of dollars....
Are you going to share the Cayman S you had lined up against this?
Yep- here was the competition...
http://www.hallbowling.com/2006_Pors...TN_6609625.veh
Plus I was looking at a local 2002 996 Cab with 90k miles at $16k, but needed tires and the top was reaching the end of it's life cycle.
For god's sakes, man - it has a glove compartment. Have you no DIGNITY? It's a sports car, not a vacation home.
Why stop there? Why not just get one with a built-in EZ Bake Oven and a disco ball hanging from the headliner?
(sorry, I got nothin' - buy the damn thing!)
I'm guessing the passenger side door just wasn't completely closed when they took the photo?
Big divot in the driver's seat?
It will be a lot of the fun on the Natchez Trace Pkwy!
Car looks good in the pics.
Go kick the tires and light the fires.
Test ride then test drive. You know the rest.
Find a reason to talk yourself out of the car.
I gotta admit, that picture bothers me, but I hope you're right about the door being ajar. Nothing about it on the PPI and I asked the dealer about it and he said the door is aligned fine. CarFax indicates no accidents. The driver's seat does look like it's got a little bit of a sag to it. The only way to really be sure of whether I am happy with the interior is to go look at it. I would say, based on the pictures, that the interior looks to be in pretty good shape.
Great colors, apparently good condition, handful of nice options, good price considering the higher mileage. Get a thorough PPI possibly including compression and leakdown tests before buying. I also recommend you visit the car cold and watch and listen to the cold start for unusual noises, smoke etc... Good luck and keep us posted.
That sag in the driver's side seat is from the PO's wallet. The fatter the driver and the bigger the wallet the bigger the sag.
FYI impossible to repair without major work. Leather gets stretched and foam padding is destroyed. Needs to be replaced = $$$.
I always drive with my wallet removed from my back pocket due to this.
Nice choice, good luck.
That's a very specific root cause that sounds like a joke about Porsches and money, but actually makes complete sense. And now I'm going to think about this every time I get into my car.
the car looks really good, good color combo, just keep that targa top close forever to avoid expensive repairs
Aside of that that is one hell of a car for the money. Are they willing to go even lower on it ? if you can get this for $15k ! worst case scenario, it breaks down, consider it a garden ornament and you are still ahead
Hey Scott,
Dude, this is a great deal on a Targa. I'm honestly surprised coming from a Porsche dealership. Let's hope all the known problems are dealt with aside from the IMS bearing which we all know Porsche is probably not going to install non-factory bearing, but that would be a good question to get answered. Also, the 996 Targa tops are known to have finicky mechanisms that tend to lock up and not open. You really need to test this thoroughly. The stereo system has been upgraded with what appears to be a very nice Kenwood, but I would check and make sure if functions properly. The car originally had the Bose system and so a good evaluation of the frunk would answer many questions about the system... like, "Is the Bose amp still in the car or was it swapped out". It will be hard to tell if the PO removed the Bose speakers, but you could always look behind the rear seats and see if the Bose subwoofer is still there. If it is, then probably the PO just replaced the HU and amp... or just the HU.
The high mileage is probably why they discounted it and so maybe you can shave off a little more on that number. But it's priced right and they may stand firm on their price. But you know all things to listen for on the engine since you've been on RL for some time now and have Porsche in your blood. But for $18,971, it's a screaming good deal and hopefully the dealership put some time in replacing many of the wear and tear items (e.g. brake pads, rotors, battery, belts, etc.)
Let us know how it works out!
Gray unadorned coupe. Over 100k miles. Later model, poor bearing. "Oval exhaust tailpipes".
Paint drying, root canal, dump RV toilet, replace bathtub P trap. All things I would rather do than buy this car.
Meh - go get a VW beetle.
What do you people put in your 2" thick wallets? Jesus, the "Dad wallet" phenomenon needs to die.
License. Two credit cards. Maybe a photo of the wife. Everything else can go into the phone.
And get a bi-fold wallet so you're not jamming six layers of leather reinforced with paper and plastic into your sciatic nerve.
My grandfather's wallet go so ridiculously fat that he had to keep a rubber band around it to keep all the sh*t from falling out. Don't be that guy.
Ditto. It's an automatic motion at this point. Key in left hand before entering, wallet in right, drop into cubicle. For this finely tuned car, the offset from my (admittedly, on a diet these days) small wallet would be too much and I'd end up in a tree.
LOL! I can relate... My life has gotten much simpler since my wife got me one of these a while back:
http://www.bigskinny.net/the-skinny....2kgaArI78P8HAQ
The OPs link shows a car with a 6 sp manual. At least, that's what I see when I pull it up.
Agreed the price is a bit tall. Also, there's the issue with it being as boring as a 40YO hooker with herpes.
The seat sag could be from a torn under support. There is webbing stretched from front to rear under the seat bottom. It tears and the bottom falls. Mine was this way and looked like the guy before me had a 2" wallet. My local upholstery shop fixed for 100 , I dropped off the seat.
It's been a long day... Was up at 0245 to catch an early flight to Nashville, bought the car and drove back, all today. Will have more stories and pics later, now must sleep.
Congratulations Scott! I was a little surprised you found one so soon, but you did land a great deal on a nice Targa. Question... were you able to shave a little more off the top? I know you wanted to be closer to the $15K range. I'm sure you're going to have a blast. Let us know how it goes.
Cheers!
Alright, I finally have some time to relay the end of my Porsche-hunt saga.
At 5:30 pm on 12/13/2016 - I made the decision to go to Nashville with the intention to buy a 2002 Porsche 911 Targa I had found. I booked a flight for the next morning at 5:20 am out of Destin. I let the salesman at Porsche of Nashville know I am coming the next day and if I intend to purchase the car and drive back to Florida in the same day. I set my alarm for 2:45 am and put my head down to... well, let's be honest. Panic. Don't get me wrong, I was excited also. The combination of panic and excitement was not conducive to sleep.
Why panic though? I had done a ton of research and looked at dozens and dozens of Porsches. On this particular one, I had pestered the salesman with question after question. They had sent me all the service records they had and there were plenty of things to like. Brand new tires, battery, ignition coils, spark plugs, catalytic converters, belts, brake pads, and a fresh oil change. The previous owner had replaced the AOS, brake rotors, and put in a REALLY nice head unit (with Android Auto which is the greatest thing since sliced bread- but that's another post). The car had been extensively inspected. However, at the end of the day, it's a 16 year old car with 100k miles on it. While I contend that, if well-maintained, Porsches are some of the most reliable cars on the planet, there is the real chance this could all blow up in my face. You simply cannot account for all the variables. Which is why the warranty industry exists. Nevermind that ALL of our current cars have 90k miles or more. This one is the one that everyone thinks you are crazy and irrational for owning. Is it going to prove them right? Is it going to be a ticking time-bomb of financial ruin?
As I stare at the ceiling of my bedroom, I swing like a pendulum from excitement to terror. But finally, I fall asleep. And an hour and a half later, my alarm goes off. It's here. They day has arrived. Am I finally going to own a 911? My loving, gracious, and increasingly understanding wife sacrifices precious hours of sleep to drive me to the airport in lukewarm support of my hair-brained scheme. I'm in the Destin airport a 4 am. The security checkpoint isn't even open yet. It does a little while later and I get to my gate to find out my flight has been delayed. Here we go.. this is stupid... what am I doing? Now I'm going to miss my connecting flight in Atlanta and not get to Nashville with enough time to buy the car and drive back. I tell the Delta lady that if I don't make it to Nashville by noon (and that's really pushing it) it's pointless for me to go. I ask her if this is going to set off a sequence of tragedies that will result in me being stuck in Atlanta all day for no reason whatsoever and if that happened, would I get my money back. She tells me it will all work out, but in her mind I'm sure shes thinking "Get on the plane and stop whining insane Porsche buying person." This is going to be a disaster, I'm an idiot. Hey, good news, the flight takes off in just enough time to make me think I could make my connection if everything goes right. I ask the stewardess if she think I am going to make and if anything can be done. Good news (I think)! Your flight out of Atlanta has been delayed also. I make it to Nashville with out any further issue. A little late, but I make it - at about 9:30 am.
The salesman was nice enough to come pick me up at the airport. He apologized that it was too early to have done so in a Porsche. Ha! That's a thing? I think I'll be ok. I get to the dealership and my heart absolutely skipped a beat. There it is. Right out front. Pictures of a car never really tell the story. You have to see it in person. I expected the appearance of the car, both inside and out, to not be as good as it looked in the pictures. Nothing prepared me for what I found. It was in GREAT shape. Especially the interior. Someone had really put some effort into keeping the interior nice. The one problem was that the driver side seat bottom is, indeed, partially collapsed. The dealership seemed very worried about this. I let them think it was a significant problem. In reality, I planned on (and did) fix it with a throw pillow from our couch. Seriously, it's super comfortable and perfect. I'll fix the seat properly and some point, but I'm in no hurry.
Porsche of Nashville was very accommodating. They let me put the 911 up on a rack and go through the underside of the car with a flashlight until my heart's content. They answered every one of my question with professionalism and never sounded irritated or exasperated. And I can be downright annoying.
Everything was great. Right up until it wasn't. And that was when I went to open the top... or more precisely, when I went to close it. It opens a little slow, but it needs help to close. I was pretty unhappy. This was a potential show stopper. I ran through all the options in my head. And essentially, I had decided to buy the car anyway, but I didn't let the dealer know that. I wanted to see what could be done. They took it back into service and their tech looked it. He said the motors are fine, but the tracks likely needed to be torn down and cleaned. The labor alone made it worth replacing the motors, as well. $2500 job. The dealer said they simply couldn't include that in the deal, mostly because they just didn't have the time to do a 7 hour job that day or even the next. I was considering buying anyway... at the worst I just had a really cool glass roof, right? Then the dealer said they'd take $2000 off the price. Done. I bought this car for $17k. I recently saw someone post a guide on how to disassemble the roof and clean the tracks. He said it wasn't hard but just time consuming. If that's all it turns out to be, then this is a MAJOR win for me. If not, then it essentially cost me an extra $500. The dealer told me that there typical clientele was looking for newer, higher end vehicles and I was the only person they had come look at the car since they've had it. He really wanted to move it. So I bit.
From here on out, the rest of the story is pretty much happily ever after. I bought the car, closed the deal and pointed the 911 south. Paperwork, my own tedious inspection and a few other very minor hiccups in the process put me leaving Nashville later than anticipated but still home before 10 pm.
Obviously, I was very tired and concerned about driving too drowsy. My backup plan was to stop in Montgomery, if needed. But it wasn't. Driving the 911, even on the Interstate kept my adrenal gland pumping at I didn't even get the slightest hint of sleepiness until I was about 40 miles from home. A quick stop, a few pushups and laps around the car got my blood pumping and got me home.
And the car was fantastic. It hummed along perfectly all the way home. It's crazy, the car feels like it is new. It's in good shape, the steering and suspension feels as tight as the day it rolled off the showroom floor. It really is a testament to German build quality.
When I went to the garage this morning and opened the door to step into it, it took my breath away. I laughed a little. It wasn't a dream... there is a Porsche 911 in my garage. I am so blessed to have an opportunity to make this dream a reality.
Congrats again...welcome to the fam, we do put the fun in dysfunction. You'll be jaded, paranoid, and a bit mentally unstable sometime in the near future, but totally worth the ride :-)
Ahhhh that's a great deal for a Targa. What a nice looking car, and a good story behind it.
Nice that the dealer was so accommodating about it, I assume that it was a trade-in on a newer one. Good time of year to buy.
Congratulations! Great story, and one I'm sure you'll never forget. Yes, these are awesome cars - I still feel the same about mine after almost 4 years.
Yes, it was a trade on a new 991. Thanks for the kind words.
And to everyone else - thanks for all the advice, humor and well-wishes. This is such a great community and I am so glad to be back in it.
I have no records of the clutch ever being done. And despite the fact that it feels pretty good, I'm starting to save to get the grand trifecta (IMS/RMS/clutch) all done at the same time. But there is no way I won't be doing some smaller things between now and then.
First up will likely be Fister sports exhaust and the Fabspeed intake tube with a BMC filter. Other big ticket items in the future are sports seats from a recycler and a cat bypass pipe. Let's see... black floormats with red stitching, red seatbelts, white gauge faces, some NICE aluminum trim pieces, re-tinting the windows... hmmm... that's all I can think of for now. :-)
Honestly the cat bypass pipe will do absolutely nothing for you in the power or sound department. All it will do is make you pollute more for no good reason.
hey congrats! i purchased an 02 Targa this year as well.
Its been a great car so far. Im in southern california and it was priced at $22 with 109k miles. Got it at $18,500.
Although there was no mechanical or interior faults and the exterior was in 9.5/10 condition, have some upcoming fixes in the works. Front tires in 1000 miles (ps2 or pzero not sure which yet), brake pads in 1000 miles, and just did an oil change yesterday ($189). Going to start doing my own oil changes, I just wanted the independent porsche mechanic I did my PPI with to check the car out again and tell me if he sees anything different after me driving it for 2,000 miles.
120,000 service will be $200 worth of parts, $500 worth of labor. My coolant has a crack but no leaking so should be good for another year (quote $600). Front control arms are squeeky but if I don't mind it doesnt need to be fixed (quote $700).
Enjoy your targa. Its truly a blessing to have a full glass roof. Great views and good drives. I also want the floormats and tinting done sometime soon. Also I think you should look into getting clear side markers and get rid of the orange
I suggest driving the car for a bit and getting to know it before going too crazy with the mods. That being said, definitely do the Fister's ASAP. That is how the car should have come from the factory!
Solid advice of which I will be heeding. I think the only things I will do in the next six months are the LN Engineering Oil Change Bundle (Spin on filter conversion with magnetic blanket and drain plug) and a low-temp thermostat. Then, I might get to the Fisters in that time frame, as well.
From their website:
If you are a Porsche owner, chances are you're all too familiar with the problem. You toss a few weekend bags in the luggage well for a trip to the country only to find out later that your cargo has left a permanent impression on the underside of the car's lid.
Interesting; I dinged up the inside of my old Boxster's trunk this way, I'd rather not do the same with my 996 so I will have to pick up one of these liners as well.
Congratulations on the excellent buy Scott, and great write up too! You'll thoroughly enjoy the car, as does pretty much everyone haha.
When you are ready to start tackling upgrades, be sure to drop me a line. The intake and exhaust have a lot of room for improvement on these cars, and i'd be happy to go over the different options available and answer any questions you may have. Forum members get discounted pricing as well
FYI, deleting your factory cats most certainly makes a significant improvement in sound and performance. They are the biggest restriction point on the car, and are quite prone to failure from factory on the 996/997.1.
Absolutely loved your story! Beautiful car as well. I am going through the same currently and I am set to fly to Northern California from Tucson Az on the 26th to pick up a 02 C4 cab from a private seller. I too am terrified and excited all in one.
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