First time Porsche buyer looking for advice

Hi all, I have just joined the club today and I am probably posting the most 'FAQ'd' post possible here. I am in now (very excitedly) looking to purchase my first Porsche. Unlike most here, I am not a car guy and I have little to no understanding of what I'm doing. BUT a 911 996 is the car of my boyhood dreams and owning one is a big tick off my bucket list. That said, I want to do it right, or at least as best as I can. I want to keep the car for a while and I want to retain resale value, as is feasible at least. I have done my research and been through several buyers guides (including the one on here). I am pretty well set on a 996.2 Coupe, either C2 or C4 and would love any advice from the community here. I am naturally looking at solid service history examples and reasonable mileage, if poss. My budget is up to 20K. It seems trying to get a bargain at 12 or 13K might be false economy and better to go with something that's had key works done (IMS, RMS, brake lines etc., all the cliche stuff that watching youtube videos has taught me). I understand that a slightly bigger budget would make my life easier but this is what I have to work with. I'd definitely be looking to do a pre-purchase inspection on any car I considered, given my lack of expertise. I'd be using the car as my everyday driver. Beyond the buyers checklist provided on this forum, anything you lot think I need to be considering (apart from whether I should really be buying a Porsche, it's too late for that ) then I'd love to hear it. Many thanks in advance.

Hi. Only sound advice which you have covered get any potential purchases inspected by a Porsche specialist. All the best.

Lovely little car, ours is a 2003 and on 120k miles with no major problems. Once run in i put it on A40 5W-50. A very go karty drive and remember the pedals are a bit offset, getting to the age when a poorly garaged example might be getting some corrosion so i'd advise getting an inspection as above.

Hi Robert, Welcome… I have had my Cobalt blue 2004 narrow bodied 996.2 Carrera 4 for over 20 years now and I still love driving it, with no significant issues to report and 55K miles covered. I think the purists would say C2 over C4, but I went for the C4 which has proved to be extremely sure footed and a joy to drive…. I think you have the right approach above and I would look for a car with evidence of regular servicing and being well maintained. Having the IMS bearing replaced is preferable, but there is a fair argument that if it was going to fail then it would have happened by now…. I think the independent inspection is definitely the way to go. Good luck in your search. Tim

I’m a big fan of the 996 and have a 98 C2 and an 03 C4S and love them both. If you’ve decided on the model you want from reading only, I’d suggest you actually test drive some as they’re quite different, especially between the .1 & .2. Personally I’d be more wary of low mileage garage queens, as these cars like to be driven on a regular basis. The main advice i’d give though is to find yourself a local independent specialist who can maintain and service it for you. They’re worth their weight in gold and can help you navigate the internet scare stories. Also, when you get one put it on Porsche’s Classic Register (which is free) as that gets you a discount on spares when buying from Porsche main dealers, which surprisingly can be the most competitive source around. They’re brilliant cars though and incredible value for money. Enjoy !

Be prepared to travel to look at different cars for sale. Get in touch with all the independents you can find within your search area and provide them with a spec of what you are looking for but be prepared to compromise. When my wife and I were looking to replace our silver Carrera 3.2 in 2014 we were adamant we wanted a silver 996 to replace it and ended up with a manual Slate Grey C2, it just looked great when we saw it. We travelled from Aylesbury to Northway Porsche to test drive it just as a comparison, as one we tested at RPM Technik didn't feel great on the road. Independents will often know of customers who are considering selling and can be useful for matching sellers and buyers. Independent pre-purchase inspection is a must. Aircon condensers can be leaky and debris build up between those and the radiators, the inspection should pick that up.

When evaluating an early 996 model with amber lights, mid-cycle face lift models with turbo lights, or very late versions, it's important to consider the different types of IMS bearings fitted throughout production. Initially, Porsche used a dual-row bearing from 1997 to some time in or around 2000, which experienced lower failures, followed by a single-row bearing from 2001 to 2005, which is suggested was more prone to failure. The Later models, such as the late 996, early 997, and 987 Boxster and Cayman, featured larger single-row bearings fitted internally and oiled internally making them more reliable if the oil was changed at service intervals. However, some owners then went on to report piston slap or bore score wear issues in these later models. So It's crucial to review the full service history, including oil changes, and recognize that even low-mileage examples or any of the range —say doing a low 6,000 miles per year—would accumulate 150,000 miles over 25 years, and we all know no component lasts forever. So keep some cash back for maintenance and fuel. As most of all you will want to enjoy it, you may find you start doing 50 miles + just popping out for milk. They are great cars. Ian

Thanks so much for the feedback guys, this is fantastic. Thanks Nick for the advice in reaching out to independents, that's a great idea and I'll get on that. I'm actually quite happy to travel a good distance to find what I'm looking for, so I'll get a bit of a portfolio of specialists together as I find options. Ian, thanks for the advice and thoughts on the IMS, I'll definitely bear this in mind. I plan to set aside a couple of thousand for expenses and maintenance. And Darren, I'd also heard from others to be a bit wary of some of the lower mileage cars as they do seems to do better when they have been kept running. Thanks for that heads up. Just as an example, a couple of autotrader links here that to my untrained eye look like worthwhile considerations. Maybe you guys have thoughts? Also, I am finding a couple of Targas that are piquing my interest. Anything in particular I should have an eye out for in these? I've attached an autotrader post for one below too. Oh and final question, then I'll leave everyone alone. Any thoughts on manual vs tip? So far I've been sticking with manual but again very conscious of necessary compromise. Carreras: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202510016799787?sort=relevance&searchId=3511f735-b917-49f0-b11d-f98f1f340f96&aggregatedTrim=996%20Carrera%202&make=Porsche&maximum-mileage=125000&model=911&page=1&postcode=HU10%206PS&price-to=20000&transmission=Manual&advertising-location=at_cars&fromsra&backLinkQueryParams=aggregatedTrim%3D996%2520Carrera%25202%26channel%3Dcars%26flrfc%3D1%26make%3DPorsche%26maximum-mileage%3D125000%26model%3D911%26postcode%3DHU10%25206PS%26price-to%3D20000%26sort%3Drelevance%26transmission%3DManual high mileage but great apparent condition with key works done https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202509256610599?sort=relevance&searchId=2bbf85f7-03c0-4492-94c2-5a8d49ab1dc5&aggregatedTrim=996%20Carrera%204&make=Porsche&maximum-mileage=125000&model=911&page=1&postcode=HU10%206PS&price-to=20000&transmission=Manual&advertising-location=at_cars&fromsra&backLinkQueryParams=aggregatedTrim%3D996%2520Carrera%25204%26channel%3Dcars%26flrfc%3D1%26make%3DPorsche%26maximum-mileage%3D125000%26model%3D911%26postcode%3DHU10%25206PS%26price-to%3D20000%26sort%3Drelevance%26transmission%3DManual seems like fantastic condition but cabriolet, I'd be willing to compromise though Targa: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202509256610599?sort=relevance&searchId=2bbf85f7-03c0-4492-94c2-5a8d49ab1dc5&aggregatedTrim=996%20Carrera%204&make=Porsche&maximum-mileage=125000&model=911&page=1&postcode=HU10%206PS&price-to=20000&transmission=Manual&advertising-location=at_cars&fromsra&backLinkQueryParams=aggregatedTrim%3D996%2520Carrera%25204%26channel%3Dcars%26flrfc%3D1%26make%3DPorsche%26maximum-mileage%3D125000%26model%3D911%26postcode%3DHU10%25206PS%26price-to%3D20000%26sort%3Drelevance%26transmission%3DManual Least information on condition but looks bloody good to me Maybe spent the most time in hibernation.

The last 2 links are the same? I’ve had a 996.2 C4 tiptronic cabriolet in the past. I’d say the steering felt wooden compared to my previous Boxster (I wanted to go C2 and probably should have) drive both back to back if you can and see for yourself if the difference is big. The cabriolet is great if that’s what you want (and is glorious when you have a sports exhaust as you can hear the engine in its full glory) but don’t buy one as a compromise because it creaks when the car twists and is less stiff. The tiptronic works well and is great especially if you’re driving in town a lot. But I would go manual. The 911 is a driver’s car, this is a dream come true, go for the pure driver’s version it’s just so brilliant.

I love the idea of a targa and the rear opening window would be great to access the difficult to get to parcel shelf area, but I hear horror stories of the sliding roof mechanism and the cost to fix when it inevitably goes wrong. I also chose tip over manual for both of mine, although I’ve added paddle shifters. I just find it more suited to typical UK driving conditions. However, if just using as a weekend toy, manual might be the way to go as more engaging - my wife has a 986S manual and it’s a joy to drive when in the mood, but I find tip a much better all-rounder. So it really depends on how you want to use it.

Ah thanks for catching that Rodney, Targa link here. https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202504071073672?sort=relevance&searchId=f04c280f-0e91-49cd-87a6-8dfecb8bebc7&aggregatedTrim=996%20Carrera%202&make=Porsche&maximum-mileage=125000&model=911&page=1&postcode=HU10%206PS&price-to=20000&transmission=Manual&advertising-location=at_cars&fromsra&backLinkQueryParams=aggregatedTrim%3D996%2520Carrera%25202%26channel%3Dcars%26flrfc%3D1%26make%3DPorsche%26maximum-mileage%3D125000%26model%3D911%26postcode%3DHU10%25206PS%26price-to%3D20000%26sort%3Drelevance%26transmission%3DManual

I prefer a manual box but I believe Tiptronics are more plentiful? There are times when I wish I was driving an automatic (I'm 64) but those are few and far between.

Hi Robert, I've had a 2004MY 996.2 Targa with Tiptronic gearbox for the last nine years. I bought it with 44k miles and its just passed 80k - it's been (and still is) an absolute joy. As others have said, it's very easy to nip out for a "quick run around the block" and then you'll find somewhere further to go to. The Targa is a nice feature and does make the car light and airy, also having a powered sun blind inside the cabin. I can guarantee that the opening rear window does make it a very usable hatchback; we can get everything in for two weeks away including icebox, food, collapsible chairs, clothes, boots etc. I get mine serviced at Dove House in Rushden, Northamptonshire - highly recommended. As others have said, the independent garages are worth looking at. The cars on AutoTrader may well be very good however they'll be "sold as seen" ... Happy hunting; the 996 is a brilliant car! Chris