Thinking of purchasing a 996 C4S. A little nervous and have some questions

Hello Everyone I've been lurking around here and various forums for quite a while to prepare for a 996 purchase as I have sold my 944 Turbo. I am thinking of purchasing the following 2003 996 C4S. I am very nervous as I've just moved to the UK and would like to not make a bad decision as I do not have anyone around to really help me. I've been looking at 996's for around 4 months and this is the first one that has really caught my eye. I was looking for IMS/RMS/Clutch done, Carrera 4, and the sport exhaust as main features. LINK TO 996 And this is where the current owner purchased it from LINK TO EPORSCH AD - EPorsch are a very reputable specialist in the UK He is currently the second owner (not including the shop he purchased from), and its had all its regular maintenance done at a Porsche Centre. He has owned it for about a year and put about 5000 miles on it. I will get a Prepurchase Inspection done for sure along with an HPI Check (carfax type thing). He has all receipts which I will check when I go see it. The following is what was done by him: - Major and Minor maintenance carried out + brake fluid change all in May 2014 (Porsche Centre) - The Clutch/IMS/RMS all replaced 19/02/14 - AC condensors replaced May 2014 under warranty (EPorsch) - 4 new Rosso tires, control arms, front top mounts and wheel alignment just done - Has a full 12 months MOT (mandatory government safety test) The ad I have linked above has all the specifics along with pictures. I would appreciate any help at all. Any advice on the price would also be helpful. Thank-you Car Details: 18in Turbo II alloys Porsche Sports Exhaust (Switchable) Bose speaker package Cruise control Ageless Reg Aluminium pack Heated seats Electric Memory seats Crested seats CD player Automatic Climate control Electric heated mirrors Electric windows Porsche system alarm/immobiliser Both keys in my possession

Curious what you are nervous about given the "usual suspects" that stir paranoia have already been addressed?? Plus you also have a good service history and a healthy options list P.S. Only other "common" issue that I have not seen mentioned is the water pump. If it passes a PPI, then I say go for it (sorry no idea about current UK market prices for a 996). Best of luck.

Be sure for "IMS" the actual IMS bearing was replaced or more likely upgraded. Often when ads mention "IMS" with RMS what really is the case is the bearing wasn't replaced or upgraded, just the IMS end flange and its 3 bolts are replaced. This is standard operating procedure as often the oil ieak is not with the RMS but with the original IMS end flange.

Looks like a great deal. PPI necessary of course and if it all checks out go for it if it's exactly what you wanted. If I converted the price properly($28,500) that would be very fair IMO. Seller might be willing to take less so you can certainly bid low and raise if needed. The C4S is a fantastic car...good luck!

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Im more just nervous as I've just moved to the UK, and even though I am on my parents insurance temporarily since I need to use their car for work & I am not really allowed to drive any other cars as I'm just a secondary driver. The way insurance works here is you need to be a primary drive on your OWN insurance in order to drive other peoples cars (and even then you are only covered for damage to the other vehicle ). Along with the fact that I will need to leave a deposit if I decide to go ahead with a PPI. Any suggestions on an appropriate amount for a deposit? Im used to doing this back home and maybe its just being in an unfamiliar place, along with my first car purchase that was just for me as opposed to being a family/dog transporter. Thanks for the tip on the water pump I will be sure to ask. Thank you very much for this!! I never would have known this, never read up about the details of the IMS upgrade/change. I will ask the owner if its an IMS upgrade. Just hearing someone have nothing negative pointed out is very comforting. thanks C4911

Regardless of the car's CV you still should give the car a thorough used car check out. This involves among other things a test ride then a test drive to experience the car in its natural state with the engine running and the car on the road being driven like you intend to drive it. Afterwards give the car and all its systems/options a check to make sure they work. Be sure the the tires are good, ideally N-rated and matching in both brand and size. The wrong sized tires on a 4S (with its AWD feature) can bring grief to the viscous coupling. Check the brake rotor thickness and pad material remaining to ensure the brakes have some life left. After the test ride/drive the car should be lifted up and a thorough inspection of the car from underneath made to check for any leaks. This means from the radiators at the front of the car to the CV boots, water pump, RMS, spark plug tubes, camshaft covers, and so on towards the rear of the car.

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Thanks Macster, the tire size one is a great tip and one that I would have overlooked. I really hope that the owner will let me take it for a drive, but regardless I would also like to take a ride with him as it will show how he drives. I will definitely also check on all your other points, though I'm not sure I will be able to lift the car up?? I will definitely have a proper PPI done (whether its at a garage or a mobile specialist like http://www.porscheinspections.com/po...nspections.php who are very well recommended in the UK) and I'm assuming that during the PPI that they will lift the car and inspect underneath. Is there any options on the car that are particularly difficult to check? How would I check the Stability Control and the Sports Exhaust? What would also be the correct way to check the clutch without driving very fast. I will be in London, and as you can imagine the lanes are narrow along with lots of traffic lights - I will not have an opportunity to really floor it. edit: He's also mentioned that he's had a few no shows, while this might be true and I have no reason to doubt. What would be a reason that someone would walk away. I have never driven a 911 - the only car I've owned that wasn't a family car would be a 944. So I'm not really sure what to expect while driving (also partly why I'm nervous).

Umirza, After all the data is researched, pluses and minuses, etc. just use your gut feel. If you like the car, buy it. I just bought mine sight unseen 1000 miles from home. Love it.

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I guess you're right there. I've looked at a few and got some bad feelings (i.e driveway oil changes etc etc) and didnt follow up. 1000 miles! wow - guess when you know you just know.

Looks as though being able to drive the 996 would be out of the question because of insurance purposes (I am only able to drive the vehicle I am insured on). If I can get him to take me on a decent drive, would anyone be opposed to purchasing a car like that?

If you drive it on private property, rather than a public road, is the licensing and insurance an issue? You probably won't hit 20 MPH, but that may be all you can get. If I was the seller, and I knew you didn't have insurance, I'd be most hesitant to let you behind the wheel.

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I looked that up also, seems as though if the public has access to the property (i.e camp site, parking lot) that insurance is required. Where as if it was my huge driveway/backyard then you can get away with it. I completely agree with you about not letting an uninsured driver drive my car. There are some options with 'day insurance' in the UK perhaps I can look into those. But in the worst case scenario, say I can get him to take me on a decently long drive, along with some motorway. Would anyone consider that a deal breaker? Obviously making sure that the PPI and CarFax type checks are all clear.

There is nothing for you to worry about it, put a deposit (the seller just want to make sure your serious) but make sure if it doesn't pass PPI you get your money back. Test drive is important, the car maybe in great condition but if you don't like how it feels when you drive, is worthless.

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Thanks for all the help and encouragement everyone! I got there we had a great chat, I spent my time going over the car making sure everything I could see worked. He took me for a drive and on the way back he let me drive it for a bit. After we went over the receipts I instantly gave him a deposit and managed to also get some money off of the car. Im so excited, cant wait to get the PPI out of the way now. Also as a side note, I've only ever owned 944 Turbos. And when I drove the 996 C4 it was exactly the opposite of what I was expecting. Which was excellent! I was expecting a nice smooth ride, almost like driving a c-class amg. Boy was I wrong it felt like i was actually part of the car, you can feel all the bumps and twists/turns. It was a great driving experience! Wish me luck on the PPI.

the only thing you should be "nervous" about is making sure you don't crap your pants after driving your new C4S. these are great drivers - grow some ***** and buy it PS - never admit to owning a 944 if you want complete respect from this forum

Update? Have you bought this car? I have a 996 C4S and this looks like a good buy, a little expensive, but a good buy. Try to buy it for �18k. Where abouts are you in the UK? If you are not too far from me, I'll come a look at it with you, I've had mine for 2 years, so know these cars pretty well.

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Not meaning to rain on the party but if he's owned the car for just one year and put all this money and work into it, why is he selling it? Is he super rich and just bored? Or is there something about the car he doesn't like...even after putting all that work into it? How do car dealers let you take a test drive if you don't have insurance? Maybe you should go drive a 996 on a dealer's lot first and see if you actually like it? Riight now you have nothing to compare it to. This car is not the only one in the world. If you don't buy it, you will certainly find another. Perhaps you should wait until you can sample more of them and get a feeling for the differences.

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I did end up getting this car the PPC went excellent, but did need to have the RMS seal replaced again. I did manage to get the price down to just over �18k also so I was happy. Thanks for the offer of coming with, would have taken you up had it been earlier. Im in the Epsom area, and am now thoroughly enjoying the car, where abouts are you? He was actually selling because he was moving from an apartment to a house. I also lucked out and he did let me drive it around the streets by his house - maybe he just wanted to make sure I was serious. Being in central london there is no way to really get on any faster roads, especially around rush hour but I did get a good feel for it. That would have been some great advice to go to a dealer and test one out.