Thinking about buying an 01 C4 Cab

Hi, I must admit I know very little about 911's and I currently own an 01 Boxster S. I really like my Boxster but I have a desire to own a 911. I have my eye on an 01 C4 Cab with only 4k miles on it. The asking price is 66k, but I think I can make a better deal. Is there something I need to know about this model year or specific model that would prevent me from buying this car? Is the 01 a good year? Should I stay away from a c4 and only look at C2's? Your comments are welcome, thanks for your help.

My 01 C4 cab is for sale 45k miles $60k asking MSRP was $99275 the car is loaded!

If you are willing to spend mid $60's, I would definitely look for an '02. You get a glass rear window, 20 more HP, and hugh improvements to the chassis. The models look the same, but Porsche made a lot of improvements to the '02 model. You should also be aware that Porsche is an a la carte car - there are dozens of options. Make sure you understand which ones are a "must have" that you want, i.e., Litronics, heated seats, 18" wheels, PSM (a definite "must have": optional on the C2; standard on the C4). Don't be surprised if it takes you a while to find the right car. It took me four months.

I LOVE my 01 C4. It is my only car, I use it year round, including ski weekends in VT. With snow tires it is a tank in the snow. As CLL said, you need to pick the 'must have' options and then go look for that car. Many of the option can be added later, but there are a select few that are better factory installed. PSE (exhaust) is great from the factory cause then it has a quiet/loud switch. Heated seats are difficult to add after that fact. Xenon's can be added later, but will not self level. PCM (Nav) cannot easily be retrofitted. Most everything else can be added later on, tho may be cheaper to find a car with them. As far as an '02, there were a lot of improvements, but some become a wash. There is more HP, but there is also more weight, due to increased rigidity, so performance is about the same. There is a glass back window, but you'll probably want a hardtop in the winter anyway. There is a glovebox, but does you wife really need to keep more junk in the car? As far as price, I got my baby a year ago. It had 12k on the odometer, had 18" turbos, hi fi, power heated seats, 6 spd, xenon's with washers, porsche floor mats, colored crests, small leather package, and it was 62k. And that was a year ago. So any 01 should be in the 50s about now, since you have one year less factory warranty. Which brings me to my last point, if you buy the car from a dealer MAKE SURE you get it certified. For an add'l $2k you get 2 more years/50k more miles on the factory warr. Also, get a PPI done on the car (pre-purch inspection) at a local p-car shop, should be about $250. Enjoy and post pics when you get it....

MY01 is the best year of all the 996s . MY02 & 03s have the Variocam Plus "surge" at 3200 rpms. This appers to have been fixed on the recent 04s. Seriously, if your thinking of a cab and you like the turbo style headlights I'd look at an 02. (The Varicam Plus surge varies from car to car) The glass rear window is a huge plus. It kills me that I paid over 100k for a car w/ a plastic rear window.

I love my c2 cab...but it doesn't snow much in phoenix

Thanks for the feedback, I have been looking at 2002's but they seem to be in the low to mid 70's range. Is the 02 that much better than on 01? The car I'm looking at is loaded with all the "must haves". Does the 02 handle or drive significantly better than an 01? Thanks for your help guys, it's appreciated. Bob

Bob, I went to one of the dealers in my area that had a large selection of used cars. I set an appointment up with a salesman and spent some time test driving C2/C4/01/02 (Actually, an '04 C4 with PSE, basically the same as an '02). I liked the steering feel of the C4 better than the C2 (definitely a personal preference) and felt that the '02 just was a little stronger - the 20 extra horses helped a little. Then it was just a matter of finding the car. I gave the dealership every opportunity to find what I was looking for, but they couldn't and I actually found it back east and had it shipped to CA. My mileage was a little higher than normal, 27K, but that didn't bother me because the car was loaded (original sticker of $104K) and it was Porsche certified. I picked it up for $66.5K, including certification. Of course, it helped that it was December and they weren't selling a lot of Cabs with 2 feet on snow on the ground.

I'm going to PA on Saturday to look and test drive it and.......... maybe buy it if the deal is right and the car meets or exceeds my expectations. I'll report back and let everyone know my findings. Thanks again for the feedback. Bob

Drove the car on Saturday and fell in love! Test drove it for 25 miles in all kinds of road conditions and in the pouring rain too. I'm picking it up next Saturday! Going to break out the Zaino......I'll post some pics next week. Thanks for everyones feedback. Bob

Bob, Congratulations! What did you land in the end? Barry

It's an 01 C4 Cab in like new condition for with only 4k miles. Silver with a blue top and interior.

Congrats Bob...hope you did a little haggling on the price... Great color combo...