'99 996 C2, too risky?

Greetings: I have been reading for several weeks and have seen both the positive and negative remarks concerning the '99. I have two questions. The first is do you think an 996 would make a great daily driver, even one that will see probably 25k miles per year? Or would an older model be better? The second question is that I saw the below car for sale here in the Seattle area and the dealer is stating the car is under warranty. Though I know it has only 27k miles, what was the number of years on the warranty for these cars at that time, 4 years? I'm aware of the usual checks of oil leaks, getting a PPI and looking at the records, but with a car this low on mileage, my concern is that the potential problems will develop later since the car wasn't driven that much. It is at a Porsche dealer. '99 996 Thoughts on this car and the 996 as a daily driver seeing high mileage, would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance, Brad

1st_Yes, the right 996 will be a great daily driver. A lot of 996 owners on the board have high miles on their 3.4L with very few problems. 2nd_You can always extend your warranty, either with porsche or with another company. Nice looking ride, but its priced a bit high, IMO. That car should be priced in the mid or high thirties but not exceeding 40K. If you like it, get the history checked out and get a PPI. Good luck.

Yes, it is priced high even according to nadaguides. Thanks for the quick response.

The car came with a 4 year warranty new but if its certified pre-owned you can get a 24 month warranty from Porsche when you purchase from a dealer. I have a '99 and drive it daily. No problems other than the coolant overflow tank which is pretty typical. That car looks pretty clean (and wet...only in Seattle would they photograph the car in the rain). It also looks like it has the leather interior (dash, etc) option which is a nice upgrade. I can't quite tell from the picture, but it also looks like it has traction control so it probably has LSD which is only available on '99 and '2004 anniversary editions for standard (non GT3) 996s.

Check the "in service" date for that car. It may actually be 8 years old, not 7 years old. Many '99s were sold as early as March 1998.

For not too much more than that dealership is asking, you could have a 2002: http://tinyurl.com/rn3z7

no, its not too risky but i wouldn't pay more than 37,000...did you drive it yet? ...i would just tell the dealer what you want to pay and leave it at that. i've got a guards red '99 myself and love the car. i think a good deal on this car would be 35,000...i'm sure if you hold out you can find one cheaper if the dealer won't come down to a more reasonable price. one thing you'll have to remember is that this car has amber lenses in the headlights and if this bothers you it may cost 1,500 to upgrade to clear headlights, tail lights and side markers. the '01's have the face lift with different headlights and are considerably attractive to more owners. i love my amber lenses but some other p-car owners would disagree. at the end of the day its still a 911 that had a retail price near 80,000 grand that can be had for less than half that with less than 30,000 miles. great first p-car if you've never had one before.

3.6 liter? Did not know that was an option in 99 C2's.....I could be wrong, as I'm not an expert. Maybe a second engine...my gut says dig deeper into this one's history

I haven't driven it yet. Plan to on Sat. Below is the response from the sales guy I have been working with: "OK.....THE PRODUCTION DATE IS 3-10-98, THE SOLD DATE IS 5-8-98. THE CAR WAS TRADED IN AT OUR MERCEDES BENZ STORE, THEN TRANSFERRED OVER TO OUR PORSCHE/AUDI STORE. IT WAS INSPECTED FROM TOP TO BOTTOM WHEN IT ARRIVED. AS FAR AS THE WARRANTY GOES, THERE IS A 30 DAY LIMITED POWERTRAIN WARRANTY ON IT. GIVEN THE YEAR THERE ARE EXTENDED WARRANTIES AVAILABLE BUT WE PUT A POWERTRAIN ON IT JUST IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT FLEW THROUGH OUR SHOP WITH NO PROBLEMS AT ALL. I PULLED A CARFAX AND IT WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED IN CONNECTICUT AS A LEASE. THE PERSON DIDN'T DRIVE IT MUCH BECAUSE IT SHOWS THAT IT WAS REGISTERED IN SEATTLE THEN BELLEVUE. I HOPE THIS HELPS. LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED ANYTHING ELSE." Sorry for the all caps, that is how he sent it. As you can see the warranty they are referring to is only 30day powertrain. Other than what the dealer has done, do you think a separate PPI is in order? Assuming the test drive goes well, it will come down to price. Matt: I love your car, but need to trade-in mine. Also, you are on the other side of the continent. It would make for a great road trip though. Thanks, Brad

Could the lease company be in CONN, and that is why the carfax shows purchased there? I'm guessing the actual owner is in Seattle, but leased it through a company in CONN.

Check this thread . Its about actual 99 996 owners.

did you do a cylinder leakdown test on it?

Brad, I hope not, I took the plunge today on a 99 C2 myself G-

99s rock.

Mine is a '99 996 and I drive it everyday.....65K miles right now and going strong (knock on wood!!) Make sure you don't overpay, like I did~~! I had restrictions: black/black/black cab...and tip tronic...if you are open to colors (inside and out) and 6 speed or tip...then there are soooo many 996 for sale.....the hardest part is to be objective...because it is like going to a puppe store...with only one breed of puppies....you are going to fall in love with all of them!!! While you should be picking the strongest, best looking one! Goodluck...it is going to be a fun project...check out www.cars.com they have 100's of 996's listed..just to get an idea

sid: I saw that post which was why I made the reference to positive and negative. But thanks for pointing it out as well. c70Pete: I haven't looked at the car yet, but will on Saturday. The leakdown is one of the first questions I will be asking the service tech about. Nicolaas: I have been looking at cars.com as well as autotrader. I would prefer buying local, but all of the cars here are way over priced. Matt's car would be a steal compared to what the locals are asking. Maybe the actual price after negotiating would drop a lot, but I doubt it. I'm in no hurry. gjb: congrats! Do you mind telling me how much and how many miles? Pictures? This will be my first P-car, and I want to make sure I do it right. Thanks, Brad

The link in the original post isn't working any more....... The 996 makes a great daily driver and 25k miles a year is fine. Just make sure the PPI checks out ok. Based on somebody else's comment it sounds like the ad says the engine is a 3.6 liter, which would be very interesting. But I'm betting that's just a typo and it has a 3.4.

I noticed the link doesn't work anymore as well last night. I'll repost it. Here is the link again: '99 996 C2

Here's some small pictures, will post more when the transit is done. Enjoy! http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/9b_0.jpg http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/a3_0_copy2.jpg http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/d7_0.jpg http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/00_0.jpg Grant

Production months 01-98 through 06-98 had amber lenses and were prone to an issue with engine block leaking water. The issue was resolved starting production date 07-98. The lense color was changed from amber to clear to signal the change in production in buyer's minds, as the issue was quite pervasive and publicity about it was spreading in the automotive media. Also, horsepower was increased from 295HP to 300HP with the 07-98 revision. So the late model 99's have a whopping 5HP advantage over their older brothers! If a buyer knows this a 07-98 and later build date could be a buying criteria. Howerver, few do.

bdronsick: Excellent info and very important to me. I haven't driven a 996 yet and looking at this car will be a great opportunity. I assume the engine leak occurred over time while the car was being driven. Since this one has such low mileage, it could still happen. Any additional info on this problem would be appreciated. Is there a past thread on this topic that someone can direct me to? Thanks, Brad

Brad, FWIW, it's the first time I've heard of the correlation...

I bought myself a MY99 (early prdocution), a MY00, and a MY02. They were all daily drivers and trackers. My wife is drving a MY99 late production. Curiously, the two MY99s have been the most reliable year for us, and the MY02 the most problematic. I seems to see from what people are posting here, that there are a lot of people with high milage MY99 with very few problems. So, conspiracy theory goes, MY99 is actually a pretty good year to own. Cheers,

I totally agree with this. I'm in Portland and look at Seattle's listings often. The Dealers seem to think their cars don't depreciate and they seem to have the bulk of the cars.

Somone could get Matt's car to the left coast for around $1000.00. I looked at an '02' C2 in Dayton for a fellow Rennlister. He purchased it and had it shipped to his home. As I recall he saved quite a bit off the local pricing in his area.

what color is that 996? pretty unique looking...

The color is red, though I don't know the exact Porsche name. The car is mint inside and out, with no leaks or blemishes. It has the PSM, but not the full leather interior. I can't understand why a P-car would have vinyl, especially one that looks like it has sun damage. At first I thought it was the particular car, but after looking at four of them, they all look the same. I drove it on Saturday and loved it, but the price is real high - I'm negotiating with a sales guy that I have been working with. However, after driving a Cab., I think that is what I really want - the wife would love it too, which helps. I have been looking at this one as well '99 CAB C4 I drove a C4 over the weekend and felt like I was fighting the steering a bit with the grooves in the road, compared to the C2. Here is the link to the red P-car since the prior post no longer works '99 C2 Red Coupe How difficult or expesive would it be to replace the vinyl interior with leather to match the factory full leather? Thanks, Brad

busaganashi: have you heard anything about Front Row Auto in Portland? They have a '99 C2 Cab in the same blue color, similar mileage for about $5k less.

Check out this one: it is a bargain and I know first-hand it is in very good shape. It's mine! http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...ice=&cardist=0

Sure looks like it is in better condition than this one that I looked at today. 99 C4 Cab I prefer the lighter colors, but thanks for sharing and best wishes.

i bought my 2000 with 19000 miles. Love the car as you see it today. Great for daily driving, just watch out when you go to the Grocery store!!!

Vove: I received a reply from the sales guy and it looks like you are spot on for pricing. Remember, they are asking $41,995. IF YOU WANT THE RED 911, YOUR PRICE WOULD BE $35,917.00 PLUS TAX AND LICENSING. I WOULD HAVE TO TALK TO THE GM TO DO ANY BETTER. I HOPE WE CAN EARN YOUR BUSINESS. It sure helps to save money by talking to the internet sales manager instead of the first sales guy you meet at the dealer. Brad

bbeck, It sounds like he is asking you to give him a firm offer of 35,000 to me. Let him actually talk to GM, I bet it would at least save you 500 minimum.