Need Buying Advice between One and Multiple Owner 996

I'm a newly paid member and have finally made a decision to purchase a 996TT over a 993. I've further narrowed my choices between 2 local 996 Turbos: 1. 01, 6 speed, one owner, sold by owner, full service record, 62K mi, no mods and minimal upgrades 2. 03, 6 speed, six owners, sold by finance/lease co., no service records, 52K mi, wheels doesn't look original, full leather, navi, suround sound upgrade, touring suspension, motivated seller and cost $4,000 less than first vehicle. Does the one owner vehicle carry any real advantages? And is it normal for a car to have six owners? I've seen 3-4 owners but 6? Is that a red flag? Minus the sperm whale sized SUVs I've driven in the past 2 years, I've been driving manuals since I was 15. I'm double that now. After driving a 6-speed Ferrari 360 for a day and participating in the AMG Driving Academy, my heart yearns for more... actual ownership of a high performance vehicle. Please do lend your opinion and advice. I welcome constructive criticism but please mind the flaming. I thank you all in advanced Rita L

Car #2 sounds obviously like the best deal, with these disadvantages: no service records and that many previous owners leaves you with sharply reduced later resale value, if that's a concern. Both can be somewhat abated with a very thorough PPI. A carfax or autocheck report can be enlightening about the previous ownership, i.e., were there that many actual owners or has it simply been through that many hands. Often times the lease is just an alternative financing strategy and a car may have been well cared for, turned in to the dealer at lease end, turned over to a broker, then to another dealer/auction, etc., etc. Most buyers will heavily favor a documented service record; personally, I'd favor a good evaluation of the car's present condition throughout. Also much of the service history might be recoverable with some investigation. GL with purchase plans.

get a solid PPI and it will put your mind at rest. Some favor the later motor on the 03, and many 99-01 owners will tell you it doesn't matter. I would be a bit concerned about six owners, but remember that when you lease a vehicle the "owners" can be inflated due to leasing companies. Might be less than 6. That said, go with the car you like and make sure it has a solid PPI. Personally - I like maintenance records. It tells me that the owner respects the car and not only takes good care of it, but takes the time to document it. My used vehicles always sell for more due to the records I keep. Rob

To me, the lack of records is a bigger issue than the number of owners. As Rob pointed out, leasing can sometimes make the numbers look a bit off...

The miles seem like a wash to me... Both are low. Nav on the '03 is a negative; hopelessly out of date and ridiculously expensive to update. A Carfax might shed more light on owners and even service completed. You don't mention color or interior. Any pluses to one or the other? And with that in mind, interior wear and tear will tell you a lot about previous owners, no matter how many. A serious PPI, perhaps for each, will probably answer the question for you. Good luck, and welcome!

Did the '02 have 60k service already? That is worth around 2k ... plus if it already had clutch and recent brakes that is another 3k plus. In general I would go for the 1 owner well cared for model ....even if slightly more .... carfax might show history on other car ..plus if it was really 6 owners or only really two owners plus a bunch of trade transfers ....

Btw. Where are u in norcal? You should ask the board for ppi recommendations.. I can recommend heyer. Performance in moutainview or flintworks in Campbell .. great experience with both shops

FWIW, I owned two different 993s, and both were great cars. But my 996 is a much more comfortable car, especially for road trips; no comparison. I would definitely favor the one owner 996 example. Used cars with 1 or 2 long term owners are invariably maintained as cherished possessions. With complex cars, like 911s, thats very important and worth a premium price. relinuca

First of all, welcome to the group I would gravitate to the one owner car based on the amount of care by a commited owner; however, the mileage being similar, and the 2 years of improvement advantage of the '03 makes the cars even. The bottom line would be the results of a comprehensive PPI done by a reputable mechanic . The wheels are one of those things that are in the eye of the beholder . Once you make your decision, remember the most important part, post photos!!!!!!!!!

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The 03 if it passes inspection.

I appreciate you all and love the instant knowledge overload. When I wrote this post, I favored the one car owner but after considering each and every morsel of wisdom you veterans have shared, I think I'm going for the 03. Well, provided that I get the thumbs up after inspection which I've scheduled this coming Monday. The 01 had a blueish exterior which I think is pretty but a bit loud vs the silver 03. I'll post a pic of the vehicle if it decides to come home to Berkeley with me. It's exciting coz there's like a whole new world to explore (after realizing how little I know about competitive driving) Cheers RitaL

Are Porsches allowed in the PRB?

I personally would go for the unmodified car with the records and one owner. I know I got myself a clean untouched car provided that the PPI checks out tops. Insist that every part including electrical is working correctly. Read up on what that model 996 is supposed to do and check that it does it. It is unbelievable on how many safetly features are included in these vehicles. No use finding out something is supposed to be working and its not after you buy the car. A PPI only sees as far as the person doing it wants it to see. And I am not talking about the obvious things like light bulbs and brake pads. Get them to check out every working part. Read through the manual if you can get hold of it for that year. Good luck and welcome to the pages. I wouldnt be too concerned about the color or the milage. But then again I think all 911s are nice, just some nicer than others lol. They have to work right for me.

Car # 2 may be the best deal but because of no records should be checked out closer. Number of owners really means nothing other than just that. It arouses all kinds of speculation but in reality all 10 owners of a given Turbo could have given it much better care than a sole owner for the whole duration. I looked at hundreds of Turbos for sale over nearly a year before I bought mine. I had a half a dozen PPIs done and spent $hundreds$ only to find out how trashed some "Pristine, one owner" cars cane be. The thing is, some very wealthy individuals who plunk down $160K for new Turbo, think nothing of eating greasy french fries and sipping a Coke while driving and throwing the golf bag in the rear seat. When the car's dirty it's into the auto car wash that scratches the hell out of the insides of the wheels. Next it's off to the beach and the sand and tan lotion on the babes that want a ride are no worry. It goes on and on, doesn't matter if it's a clean one owner or clean 10 owner. Records or not have nothing to do with it's present condition. Look, look, look. Look till you're sick of it and no longer have any emotion to sway you. I bought my least favorite color, heated seats was the only option I got out of a long list that I wanted. I hated the chrome wheels. But I got a mint 14K mile car that was like new, 4 keys, all books and service records, no accidents, 100% passed CPO checklist on PPI. So now a year later, 20K miles on the clock, car is still like mint, looks, smells and drives like it's brand new and is going on 9 years old. I'm happy as can be, my work searching paid off. My previous 996 took 15 months to find and same story, it kept me smiling for 7 years. Good luck with the search.