The P-car fever is back - how much $ should I pay for this 01?

Ok, its been 2 years since my last P-car and I can't stand it anymore - I want to make a Porsche my one and only car and daily driver. I am in the market for a 996 and have come across this 01 Carrera and I want to get a reality check with the board: 01 Carrrera 22k miles, lease turn-in seal gray / black 18" wheels not sure if it has hi-fi sound (how can i tell?) Porsche certified pre-owned orignal in service date of 9/01 so have ~ 9 months left of the original warranty before the 2 year/100k mile CPO warranty starts for the "mechanical" part of the car maintainence done from new at current dealer with nothing outstanding in service history car has a mild steering wheel vibe @ 70mph and some oil dampness on the left side of engine case - dealer has assured me that these problems would be addressed rear tires with 10/32" tread depth What should I pay?

if you are considering an 01, might as well get an '02 with the facelift.. not to mention, you will still have a warranty... lots of improvements.. of course posts like these have been posted over and over, so i'm just reiterating what everyone else will tell you... keep in mind, it will also increase resale value, vs the 99-01 look.. so in the end, it may be worth the extra few thousand...

Bob- I'm at my $$ limit with an 01*; I don't think I can afford a good 02. Franck *unless I do a lot more to my wife (actually, I don't think that'll help anyway!)

if you are at your $$ limit with an 01, get an 00 with an extended warranty.. that will be your best bet... there really is not much of a difference between the two years... use the few thousand you save for a good solid warranty imho.. just because you can afford the cost of ownership, doesn't mean you can afford the cost to maintain the vehicle, which sounds like it may be an issue with you.. just some advice.. no need to reiterate what i or others have been through...

This from December edition of black book. Based on the 997 release the market trend for 996s is down 2% in the past 60 days, and you can expect to lose 4k in value over the next 12 months, if you're lucky. With 22k miles this car should fall into the clean range, unless that oil dampness is an RMS leak or the car has not been taken care of. Since it is a CPO the dealer is probably wanting retail clean or a little more. I would hold out for a deal in the forties since you are on the east coast. West is quite a bit different. This is assuming there are no major issus with the oil dampness. If it is an RMS leak, I would pass no matter what they are willing to sell for. You could buy an 00 much cheaper. 5 to 6k in every category below. Retail clean 53025 retail avg 48975 wholesale clean 47300 wholesale avg 43800 loan 44675

I assume RMS = rear main seal. Am I correct? Why is this a fatal flaw in a car still under factory warranty?

Yes, RMS is rear main seal. It's not a fatal flaw but a car with RMS leaks can hurt you in at least a couple of ways. First, there's the hastle of getting your car repaired.This is at best a day at the shop and it could be much longer if an engine replacement is required. Second, if your car has an RMS leak, the value of your car has gone down significantly. There are many buyers out there who just won't buy a 996 with a history of rear main seal leaks. Do a RMS search and you will find a lot of RMS horror stories on this Board.

Hmmmm..... Now I'm getting worried about this car. 1st, the oil dampness is distinctly on the driver's side of the case, and looks to be near the front (front of car/close to trans) - IIRC, is the starter on the driver's side - if so, it might be near the starter (I looked at the car on Thursday, and will have to confirm). Silly clarification, though - is the REAR main seal on the end of the case closest to the trans (towards the front of the car) or closest to the back of the car. I can't believe I'm asking this, but what is the "front" and "rear" of the engine on a rear engined car? (My 914s, as mids, weren't confusing me! )