2004 996 Carrera purchase/Need some advice

Hi, I have an opportunity to buy a 2004 996 cab Carrera that has 94,000 miles on it. My first thought is to stay clear but it has a lot of things I want when looking for a used Porsche. It is a 1 owner car and it has been meticulously maintained from day 1. All services performed on time, IMS and Clutch replaced as well as struts, window regulators, rotors, pads, calipers erc. The list of replaced parts is both good and bad. Truly makes me realize how these are true performance cars and not the cheapest to own or maintain. My question is how many of you would stay clear of a higher mileage car even if it was well maintained. The price is fair, the dealer is reputable but I still want a 3rd party PPI done. Any thoughts, opinions or advice would really be helpful, since this could be my first Porsche. Thanks, Sean

Price? If right, I would not hesitate!

96k miles doesn't scare me much. Sounds like the PO has done well on keeping it up. You'll be looking at chain guides soon, and maybe some seals, and front control arms maybe. If it rings your bell, and is in your price range($18-20k?), have the PPI done, and write the check.

Thnaks guys. I really appreciate it.

Do you have actual service history documents or just the Carfax? Oil pan gasket (there isn't one) replaced? I don't see IMSB on there either, is there documentation?

The dealer has all the sevice records. The interior is a bit faded but other than that it looks like a good opportunity. I just need to find someone to do a PPI. There aren�t many Indy guys in the area except the shop I may be buying it from.

I can ask about the oil pan gasket and the documentation for the IMSB. I also looked at an 01 with 54000 miles but it had been in an accident and nothing close to the documented service historythat the 04 car has. The 01 looks prestine, actually much nicer than the 04 but looks can be deceiving. The price was the same but no IMS or clutch done.

I paid a nice sum for my car 2002 red targa MT lowish miles. Engine, ims, all seals redone. Wow, great deal. 9 months go by...I have done coilovers, brakes, rotors, tons of reconditioning. I guess the point of my story is that these cars are so old now that pretty much everything needs to be replaced. Find the right car and pay for it. The yearly maintenance is expensive just from stuff getting old. I do all of my own work and follow whatever Jake Raby says for engine stuff. Not cheap, but worth it. I am just happy I just waited to get a red targa. To pay a lot of money for a car that i would have limited interest in over time would be devastating. Just buy the right car. Not the right price. If the interior is faded, check for hard spots on leather. Feel for lips on the brake rotors check to see if it has original suspension the top goes up and down. Everything is expensive on these cars.

Really great advice from everyone. My biggest worry is dumping thousands into it. I want this to be a daily driver since my commute to work is under 30 miles but am quickly realizing that given the age and expense to maintain this may not be the car for me. I am not a mechanic at all so the costs will be even higher. Just the cost of oil changes and tires is expensive and those are routine. I want a dependable car that I can enjoy and not have it sitting in the shop all the time. Routine maintenance I can afford but the repairs that are 2 grand at a pop would be frustrating. Do you find yourself doing a lot of repairs? Thanks again guys.

It's a crap shoot with all old cars...If you're not mechanically inclined, I'd think real hard about it. They are great driving cars though!

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I agree with Bill, but I will add a bit. Bill, correct me where I may be wrong. The typical maintenance I have had to do on mine (about a year into it, a 2000) has been rather easy for a weekend wrencher. I enjoy working on the car (and my motorcycle) when I can. I havent been brave enough to do anything that requires dropping the engine, fully or partially yet. But, I do have to say the support and information provided by the forum has been invaluable. Not to mention other sites and instructional guides. If you are comfortable with a wrench in hand, many of the repairs or maintenance are doable with attention to detail. I researched quite a bit before buying and chose a higher mileage with actual repair invoices vs lower mileage eith little info. I did require that IMS, RMS and clutch had been replaced or upgraded recently in the mileage.

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I think that's an exaggeration. Not everything. A lot of the mechanical parts like brakes, suspension, engine accessories, etc. are actually pretty cheap, certainly no more expensive than any other European car. The stuff that tends to be expensive are body and interior parts that are lower volume, and internal engine components and the work that goes in there. I wouldn't buy a 911 unless you can afford to throw it away, because then you'll have to worry about it instead of enjoying it. But I don't think it needs to be thought of as a huge money pit to keep running.

Obviously I can�t predict whether this car will be a huge money pit or not. It is a one owner car with great service history so I may decide to purchase it. Looking forward to the test drive and seeing what the PPI uncovers.

my only advice is dont rush a decision. there are many used ones available, the temptation to buy the one in front of you is always strong. get it checked out and plan a budget for any immediate fixes to whatever you end up buying. good luck

I agree that it very easy to want to jump into a car purchase quickly. Patience is the best advice. Great forum here and happy to be a part of it. Thanks to all of you for the insight.

So that is about 6,500 miles a year, certainly driven but well below the average of 15,000 miles a year. Sounds like the maintenance is good, if the price was right I would take this over a car with 20k, 30k fewer miles and an unknown history.

A daily driver and you don’t work on cars? That is nuts for any 10 year old plus European car. Everyone will disagree with me, but the car you are looking at is a weekend or seasonal car at this point. It will still be expensive to run 4,000 miles per year.

I live in Florida so obviously the weather is decent year round.

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The 996 has become sort of a DIY car-lovers car. Paying the stealership for service is nonsense, and even paying an indy for the upkeep can get a bit daunting. I mentioned a few things that will NEED to be done soon, but others have mentioned things that they WANT done. Upkeep on the 996 is non-trivial, but it's not as bad as some other hi performance cars of the same vintage. Right now for similar money, but less hassle I would be looking at the Honda S2000. Very decent performance, very dependable, and bargains for those who find a well documented example. It's not a Porsche, and it's not a 911, but certainly lower cost of ownership. https://miami.craigslist.org/mdc/cto...834114641.html

The other road to take is to buy a set of simple tools, use this forum and start simple. I usually have a newbie do a brake job. It's dead simple work, can be done in an afternoon(provided the parts are on hand), and is very rewarding. After a brake job, maybe get some good jack stands and a cheap jack and go after the front control arms. Or, do the rear motor mounts. Both are wrench turning, and pretty obvious work. Build up the skills bit by bit and take time. Sadly, for a DD this is kind of tough because if one gets stuck during the job, then it's not going to make the commute to work on Mon. Almost need a second car, or bike to get around in case of delay.

Sounds like it is a car I should keep in my garage, hooked up to a tender and try to do as much maintenance myself. Do most of you guys have a lift?

I doubt most have a lift. I don't, and I do a lot of car work. If there's a job that needs a lift, it's a pretty big job. Like the IMSB change, would need a lift(not really NEED, but so much easier). Motor mounts done on the ground, Front cooling work done on ground, brakes done on ground, etc. A left is a very nice thing to have, but not required. Now, a friend with a lift is what's ideal!

My advice would be to go the dealer, hand over $10 bucks and tell him you want to leave the car on for an hour. Doing this could reveal: oil leaks coolant leaks overheating engine light on dash etc. Then take the car for a drive and really listen closely to the engine and transmission and make sure they run as they should and make sure every singe thing works including the convertible top. Test everything 3x.

Your love of this 2004 Porsche Carrera Cab and the joy of driving it will far exceed any potential future maintenance or repair expense worry. Written by a proud (second) owner of a 2004 Porsche Carrera Cab! /X3

The reason I have always wanted one is simple. They are beautiful machines. So much so that it can often cloud my better judgement. The crazy thing is I am looking at two cars and need a PPI. The 2 dealerships are close by. I make ask each dealership to do a PPI for on each car which is the competition.

You will find things to fix as you spend time with it. I purchased my 99 two years ago with 89k miles on it. There was very little I HAD to replace on it, but the suspension bushings were worn out. When I pushed to car on the track, it became self revealing. Knowledgeable owners on this site have recommended having about $5k available to get one sorted. I have spent a lot on mine, most of which I didn't have to. I left the car with a speed shop to redo the suspension and install RSS adjustable rear lower control arms (approx $1200 for the RSS arms, as I recall) at a total cost of $4300. I have also installed a deep sump (approx $800 for the kit), Meyle rotors and Textar (OEM) pads (approx $350), braided brake lines (approx $100), Ohlins coil-overs (approx $2800 for the kit), LED headlights (approx $1000), spare sets of Sport Design and 996.2 GT3 wheels (approx $4000 for both sets), plus other stuff. I know I have spent more than I paid for the car. I love it though. I am going back to Road Atlanta for a track day in two weeks. Can't wait!

Nice additions to your car. A little bit above my budget.

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This makes no sense, find an independent mechanic that knows these cars inside and out. Can you post a link of the two cars?

Looks like the 01 sold but here is the link to the 04 https://www.deboldauto.com/inventory/

$32K for a low optioned car is a bit much in my opinion! But, if you can get them down to $28...Just my worthless opinion.

It�s the car under that one for $21 and change

I would discourage using the stealership on a 996. Same with a 928. In most major metro areas, there is enough indy talent to get a better job, and better price for anything including a PPI outside of the stealership. Some stealerships have canned 'inspections' they perform, that have very little to do with valuation for sale. Do they drop the sump on a 996 and check for metal? Do they connect the diag tool and check for over-rev? etc. 996s are not well liked at stealers. Sure, they will take your money, and give you a nice hand-job, but everything 996 can be done at indys for better price, and better work.