newbie help, teach me what i need to know for a 996

Hi there, my name is Aaron and I am new to this website but have been reading over it the past couple days to try to inform myself about the 996. I would love to purchase one within the next year (hopefully ). I feel it is my duty to carry on the tradition in my family because my dad has restored 356's his whole life. He bought his first porsche when he was 17. Anywho, I was looking at the 1999 996 c2's because I figured those would be the best price wise. I was wondering if this is an ok year or if some years are better than others etc. I am currently driving a 95 m3, which i do love, but i think if i was in the position to get a c2, i might have to let it go, although keeping both would be nice . anyways, thanks for anyones advice, just trying to get informed.

Aaron: You came to the right site because there is a wealth of information here. I hope you don't think that this is a cop-out but I would advise that you do some searches. You are sure to find many posts regarding anything pertinent to the 996. Some general information. There was a nice HP increase in the '02 model. A small percentage of 996 owners experience rear main seal leaks. If you do an RMS search, you'll find a lot of info. Many 996 owners believe that it is prudent to buy a 996 with an extended warranty. If that's not possible at least get the car inspected thoroughly by a Porsche certified mechanic. One last observation. If you find a 996 with a price that is far lower than other 996s with comparable mileage, be careful. This inexpensive car could get to be very expensive very quickly. Bottom line is that the vast majority of posters on this Board are very happy with their 996s and believe that their cars are worth the premium that 996s command. Good luck in your search.

Welcome Aaron. I concur with the fast1 above. A key difference between the 1999 C2 and the 1999 C4 and all new 996's is that the 1999 C2 does not have egas. This, IMO, is an advantage in turning and performance, but a minor one. Also, the 3.4 engine is a strong engine, considerably underpowered from the factory, allowing alot of room for home improvemnets. If you grew up with Porsches and worked on them, or any other car, the 996 is a simple machine and can easily be worked on at home. Specific to the 1999 C2, there is little history of major problems with this car and most were corrected by the dealer through TSB's. Operational costs are no more than any other car of that vintage with the exception of the rear tires. These will need to be replaced every 10,000 miles or so due to the aggressive camber setting. Front tires should last 3 times that long on street driving. Bottom line is to find the car you like, get it checked out, buy it, drive it and enjoy it. Disclaimer: If you will require a dealer to do all maintenance, repairs, etc, purchase a supply of vasaline with the car. It will hurt less.

Vaseline!!! I love it!!!

I think the important points have been made by the above two posts. I would recommend that whatever car you settle upon...go to a reputable Porsche service establishment for a pre-purchse inspection first. Even take your Dad with you to check out the car. He probably has a lot of first hand knowledge of how these machines are supposed to work. Get a written report of the PPI. This can cost anywhere from 300-400$. If it looks good to you then go with it. I would recommend also that Porsche Service centers associated with Porsche dealerships be your last choice for someone to work on your car. My general experience for dealership service centers has been less than satisfactory. Good luck.

What are the improvments that help so much?

That's wrong! It will still hurt alot and you'll have a mess to clean up