996 purchase: is 'certified' important? miss my turbo?

hi folks, i'm wondering about moving from my 89 951 to an early 996 (99/2000) - specifically, a tiptronic coupe is preferred but a cab isn't out of the question. must be a tip, tho. a couple of questions: what is your opinion concerning a 'porsche certified' vehicle? - i like the idea of having the additional warranty, but this takes a LOT of vehicles that are offered by private-sellers out of the picture. what am i actually getting for the 'certification'?? - i've heard of dealers that would actually purchase a private-seller vehicle that i designate, perform the certification process and then re-sell the vehicle to me, passing on their costs, plus a small profit. thoughts on this? am i making too much out of the 'certification' thing??? generally, should i be treated 'differently' by one of my local dealers if i didn't purchase the vehicle through them? i know it shouldn't be a problem, but what's reality? i see a fair number of '00 996 lease vehicles coming back in (finishing their 48 mo. lease) and i'm wondering if/when the 996 market might soften due to the 997 introduction.... while i love the 911 in general, i've been driving 951's for 6 years now and i'm wondering what the transition from my 300 turbo-driven HP to normally aspirated 300 HP would be like - am i going to miss the 'rush'???? thanks for your thoughts!

Next time I will buy mine though a dealer. They treat you like crap when you bring it in for service, if you didn't get the car from them. No loaner car no courtesy service no nothing. Then wait 3 weeks for service.

I think the used market for 996's has been soft for awhile, mostly because of the ample supply. I don't think prices will get much softer because of this, and also because most people will take a wait and see approach to the 997. As far as the driving experience, I think you'll find the 996 quite nice from a drivetrain standpoint. The difference is really the torque. Although you won't get that sudden "whoosh" feeling, you won't have that big flat spot off the line or the powerless feeling when you want a sudden burst of speed and find yourself in too high of a gear. Handling wise, the 951's are hard to beat, and most 996's will feel soft too you compared to your current car. You may well want to consider an optional suspension for the 996. I'm curious though, why you're looking for a tip, since as I recall, all the 951's were manuals. Anyway, good luck on your search. Andy '02 Targa Previously '88 Guards Red 951 S

I think Jumper had an isolated incident. I bought my car @ Beverly Hills and I take it to McKenna for service. They treat me just fine, and I most recently got an appointment in 3 business days. I would get the newest 996 that you can afford. Stay away from 1st year cars (1999). If possible, I would avoid 2nd model years as well. I am not speaking from personal bad experience with Porsche, but it's just common sense for any car. If you buy from a private party, I would DEFINITELY suggest getting a car with at least 6 months factory warranty left (and get a PPI). That way, in case there are any problems that don't surface on the test drive you can have a little peace of mind. Also, if you make friends with a dealer, take the car in for "service" about a month before it runs out of warranty and ask the service writer to help you out by really looking the car over and seeing if it needs any repairs before it runs out of warranty.

yeah - all 951s are manuals, but my girlfriend will be driving this car a lot (mainly her daily driver) and she doesn't drive a stick - despite my best efforts - and since it'll be a commuter car a tip would be best. i can live with that - call it a 'gateway 911' - we'll get her rowing that 6-speed in time....plus - its HER that reallllly is pushing the move into the 996! the handfull of 996's that i've driven have felt a bit 'soft' but i'm ok with that - i do not track my car and sometimes the suspension can get a bit harsh. don't get me wrong - i love that car, but it can't be all things to all people at all times.... thanks for the input.

There's been plenty of threads covering this topic. Link provided. In our town the local PCA club keeps a Porsche shop busy. If you're in the club he will fit you into the schedule. If you're not you're on the waiting list. Porsche certified mechanic who opened his own shop. The local PCA outings are frequent and fun and I get my car worked on for considerably less. https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...hreadid=136472

https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...hreadid=120603

lex - thanks for the links. good reading.

My dealer charged me an extra $1600 for a two-year Certified Warranty on my '99. It's worth it to me. I don't have to worry about any problems. -Bill

https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...hreadid=138960

yeah - just saw that...i guess it really is a roll of the dice.

I bought my car from a private party and prior to titling the car had the my local porsche dealer run it through the Porsche certifcation process. The warranty cost $1595 and the labor to certify it was another ~$500. Even though I did not buy the car from the dealer I could not have received better service. Loaner cars, rides to airports, etc. etc. Service is an attitude. Someone who does not give you good service if you buy the car somewhere else will probably only give you marginal service if you buy it there.

are most dealers open to doing this - is there a standard price?

I only asked one dealer and he had no problem with it. The warranty price of $1595 is Porsche list price. The cost of the certification labor can fluctuate.