Is buying a 996 C4S with 100k+ miles a good idea?

Hey everyone, I am hesitantly looking at a C4S as my first car, I know it sounds like Daddy's money, which isn�t 100% wrong but I am still going to put a decent amount into it. That�s besides the point though, I have seen many C4S� for relatively cheap, almost all are over 100k miles. Would buying one of these with a IMS replacement be a smart idea? (Also if anyone has some extra tips or advice that would be greatly appreciated!)

I bought mine with 98K and just did the IMS.

I would say having the IMS already done is a good thing, but it does add to the asking price. Usually I see IMS and new clutch at the same time. If it's not done, it's a good bargaining chip.

It's not a bad idea. It also might not be a smart idea. Depends on previous ownership and what kind of maintenance records are available. You can get equal opinions on why or why not, service information available can tell you more than random people on the internet.

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True this. I'm not sure if I'd mess with a car with those miles and no info. The more you know, the more you know. Mine had lots of records and an enthusiast owner (he's a member here as well) who really cared about the car and even though the IMS hadn't been done (@98K) I knew I was getting a good car.

There's a lot more than the IMSB to worry about, do your homework and good luck...Fantastic cars if you get the right one! Get ready, 20 year old German sports cars love money!

My first car had close to 100k miles (Pontiac Fiero) and it was a great decision. Higher mileage cars will likely require some repairs when you own them, and provide a great opportunity to learn to work on your car yourself. My time spent learning to work on my Fiero enabled me to continue to buy amazing higher mileage cars at huge discounts knowing that I can fix just about anything myself and avoid paying crazy high dealer repair fees. That being said, I bought a C4S with 95k miles 4 years ago and it has been a FANTASTIC vehicle. I started off by immediately installing the IMS solution and replacing a few wear items and fixing a couple small leaks. Aside from that, it has been rock solid reliable with almost no issues to speak of. A Porsche is a lot different than a Fiero in terms of price of parts though. I would say as a first car it would be incredible assuming: 1) You have the desire to turn a wrench yourself 2) You have a source of income that allows you to buy replacement parts when needed (these can be expensive depending on what it is) 3) You aren't in a situation where you are relying on it as your sole means of transportation (you can go a week or two without it while you fix something) Full disclosure, I recently listed my 100k+ miles C4S for sale. Good luck with your search! Charlie

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What's next on your list, Charlie?

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Exactly this. There is no way to determine if it's a good idea without knowing your situation. If you work on it yourself, learn everything you can about these cars, and can afford to have it on jackstands in your garage for few weekends, then go for it provided the car is in decent mechanical condition. If you aren't mechanically inclined and it's a daily driver, that's a whole different situation. If you have to pay someone else to fix it quickly, you can get hit with repair bills for thousands of dollars for relatively trivial repairs. Not only that, if you don't know these cars then some shady shop (and I'd venture more are shady than not shady) may try and bilk you for thousands of dollars in repairs that aren't needed. There was a recent thread where a guy bought a 996 and took it in for a post-purchase inspection (not pre purchase unfortunately) and they claimed the car needed $14k in repairs. Total BS. You hear a lot of people on these boards say these were $100k cars, and even though they've depreciated, they still have $100k maintenance costs. That's true if you pay for ridiculous $400 dealership oil changes and what not. If you do your own work and shop around for parts it's absolutely not true. But if you don't know what you are doing, and don't have some money in the bank to fall back on, repair costs on these cars can financially ruin people. These are great cars but you need to go into a purchase like this with your eyes wide open and understand what you are getting into.

I don't think these cars are too bad on maintenance for at one time being $100k cars. Pricey but not not all that bad for a 20 year old German sports car. What you should really ask yourself is if my engine blows up can I afford to fix it or take the loss selling as a roller?

As other members have stated, if you aren�t mechanically inclined or have time for the car to be under repair you�ll get eaten up in maintenance & repair costs. I own an �02 C4S with 98k. I just did the IMS Retro Pro, RMS, flushed the brake fluid and changed the front differential oil. Because I had a local tranny shop pull the Tiptronic and replace the Fluid and screen I came away spending ~$3,500. Keep in mind that�s with ME supplying parts & labor for all but the transmission work. *But boy she sure is fun to drive*

Can your dad afford the maintenance/repairs? If he can, it�s the perfect first car for a new driver 😳

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I bought a 996 C2 as my first car, so don't feel too bad. I would advise doing so if you're also doing the clutch to make it worth your time, or if you want to be 100% on the peace of mind. I didn't do mine, so lessons learned. If you're doing clutch and IMS, get the oil fed Solution, do the RMS, and the AOS upgrade. Don't be stingy -Matt

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Yes, money is not a issue for him. But, what good is it if he puts all the money into it, and I just get to drive it, honestly the more I put into it the more I will value the car.

Jackkerr, I will give you some good life advice. Never put more than 10% of your total amount of money into cars, ever. It is a money pit that will make you poor. Never take loans to finance a car and never have your dad or anyone else finance it for you. If you follow this, your car ownership will be stress free. As a first car I think it's not a good idea since you will probably want to learn(wrenching, driving etc) on it. Learning on a 911 is just expensive when/if you damage it. Get an old *insert your favourite reliable safe normal car*, keep it stock and well maintained and with fresh/good tires. Use this car to learn how to drive properly(the way you drive rear/mid engine cars). I learned to drive on an old 80's Audi 100 Avant with 74hp. It saw It's fair share of visits to the ditch(learning the limit of grip) and lots of hand brake/Scandinavian flick over steer in the winter. Speed was low, damage was low, fun factor high. And remember, you can't impress any girls with it because cars are not allowed inside the bar

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That is good advice, but I do have a solution. We have an 05 Wrangler that I am gonna drive and work on before I get my real first car.

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Great advice for used Honda Civics 50-100K car that can be financed at 2.5% vs 7-10% ROI , not so much

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These cars take quite a bit of money to keep running. It depends on the previous owner and what is left to be done. The C4S commands a healthy premium over the C2. The improved styling is the main thing you are paying for. You should buy the newest car you can with the money. With that said, where the price of the C4S is, you might as well try for a base model 997, or get a lower miles C2. As a first car, there is a plenty to learn about. You could also consider a newer Cayman. They all will teach you a lot about driving dynamics and how to improve your driving. It is just that some take more work/money to stay running. I owned Honda for years, and saved a ton of money owning Hondas.

First question is 'how much you paying' Second question is 'what the condition of the car and how has it been treated' 100k miles for a 15-20 year old is low, but was it someone driving it on highways or its all city miles. End of the day, if its cheap... sure... otherwise you're likely going to be a sucker for someone dumping their problem. The right owner who has a 996 and took care of it isn't letting of the their car.

Here is what you will be looking forward to with a 996 C4S with 100k+ miles. Make sure you have a good mechanic nearby as you will be calling him often. Front diff will conk out on you soon, get money ready You will have engine leaks, get money ready A window will not go up/down correctly, get money ready You will need a new clutch, IMS and AOS, get money ready You will need new brakes and tires, get money ready Better off spending more money and getting a car with lower mileage that has all of the above already addressed. Just my two cents.

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What car in the 50-100k gives you 7-10% ROI with a 2.5% loan?

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If you have good credit there is no reason you shouldn't be getting a loan, even for a sports car, at 5% or under. Historically the market returns 6-7% so unless your interest rate is very high it makes more sense to take a loan than to tie up cash in a car. Loans are fine for people that know how to budget. I have three loans right now for cars, one of which is 0% and the others I owe less than they are worth so it doesn't make sense to tie up the cash by paying those off.

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I'm got my eye on the Model 3 Performance.

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Like in Tesla Model 3 or BMW 3 Series???

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Tesla

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You'll miss the Porsche. Mark my word. But all the best to you and your family, Charlie. I remember when you made your first post here on Rennlist. The photo at the dealership in your flip-flops. hahaha Cheers!

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haha. I 100% agree - I already miss it just thinking about selling it. Nothing is set in stone yet, need to find the right buyer. But I suspect it�s just a matter of time. With a new (first) baby I�ve found I don�t have the time/energy/desire to wrench on a car. I suspect I�m just getting old but there is something very appealing about a car I can fit a stroller in, take on trips, and repeatedly launch from a stop over and over without feeling guilty about stressing the drivetrain components.

If you go in with you and your father's eyes open, go ahead. What kind of maintenance records does this car have, have you had it thoroughly inspected? Owning a Porsche isn't cheap and if you go into the engine for the bearing, you're going to find that the "while you're in there" repair bill can add up quickly, clutch, pressure plate, throw-out bearing, seals. Also discs, pads, bushings, every wear item in the running gear. At 100k miles, lots of stuff comes due if it hasn't been done previously. Before you buy, step back and take a hard look at the purchase before you write that check.

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If I understand you correct you assume that you let your stock market invested money stay and instead take a loan to buy the car? Well, that makes sense of corse, you where just thinking ahead of me. A was thinking the car was the investment which gave 7-10% ROI...doesn't make sense.