Thinking about a 911 996 C4S?

Hi all. - I'm a newbie here so hoping to get some tips from those that are much more knowledgable! I've been thinking about getting a 996 C4S for many years, but they have always been too$ for me. I have started looking again in the last few months and see that they have come down a fair bit in price. I've seen them as the best compromise between the great but probably traffic-impractical 911TT, and the standard carrera. I have seen the following C4S on carsales, and on the dealer's website as well (prestige auto traders at rozelle). It look swell optioned and based on the 5 minutes I had to look at it the other day whilst I was driving past, appears to be in reasonable condition. http://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/porsche-911-carrera-2003-13171422?base=1216&vertical=Car&cr=11&eapi=2&__N=1216+4294696630+1246+1247+1252+1282+4294963765+4294963638&num=15&silo=Stock&sort=~Price Of course I'd be getting a PPI on the car, and have done all the usual "research" on various forums and websites over the years, so know about the potential RMS and IMS issues on these models i'm also keen to know whether anyone else out there who has owned one or has one thinks there is anything else specific that I should be keeping my eyes open for, specifically given the 115k mileage on this one. Tanks. Jed

Oh and I should say, having a 10 year old S6 with 155k on it, I know there will be a need for repairs and fixes as the car gets older, and so I fully expect it will need work from this point onwards. Thanks Jed

Yes get a PPI.................. Looks the goods, alot of car for the money - 996's appear to such great value.

I believe that Autohaus Hamilton used to do PPI, they are probably the most knowledgeable peeps around and it would be worth a phone call to find out

The car looks nice Jed. It's looks too good to be true. I'd love to upgrade mine to that!

Hi Jed, I love the 996 C4S I think they are a terrific car and have watched the prices free fall over the last two years. I have to say that's the cheapest one I have seen which would make me just a little cautious as most are around the 80's but it does have relatively high Km's which might explain why. I guess if you were to proceed, as the others have recommended a good PPI would be a must. Good luck and let us know how you go. C

That a massive amount of car for the money!! As long as RMS and IMS check out with a PPI then you are AOK!!!

Hi all. Thanks for the welcome and your comments. The dealer is happy for me to get a PPI done anywhere so long as I flatbed the car there. Autohaus Hamilton seems the sensible place to go, being located on the northern beaches myself anyway. I've managed to get a copy of the service history on the car from new, and contacted the service providers ( Porsches centre and a Motorsport place I knew of already) and seems ok history wise. There is also the option of getting a warranty with it for a few grand. Doesn't seem to cover everything but does give some coverage for any potential issues. So long as I can get a break in the work schedule now hopefully I can get it organised! Cheers all Jed

Gee that sounds promising Jed. Let us know how you get on with the PPI. C

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Hey Jed... sounds like a great car. With the warranty, if its from some third party company. Make sure you do some research on them first. I noticed some of the Luxury wholesaler types use National Warranties. I thought that sounded interesting, UNTIL I googled them. Hundreds of very angry people who have had nothing but issues with claims. In fact, I don't think I read one account where someone actually had their claim filled. The company was full of excuses.. they also demand 6 monthly service intervals, even tho porsche have 30,000km or 2 year service intervals on most of their modern cars... that isn't good enough. They even make you send a copy of the receipt within a week of the car being serviced! Just thought I'd say that in case you hadn't performed any research yet. I'll edit this post with the exact name of the warranty company I'm referring too shortly EDIT: This is the one I researched - here's the link to Lorbek in Melbournes page where it talks about the company - many used car dealers use this company for warranties

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Found one of many http://www.truelocal.com.au/business/national-warranty-company/traralgon Not worth the paper it is written on. Save your money and dont bother with this type of inferior product. PPI a must.

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10k max for engine cover! You won't get much Porsche engine for 10k - these warranties are a waste of time, get a good PPI, spend on regular maintenance, and look after the car.

I'm with tekno star as if my 78 model costs 25 grand for a rebuild then 10 grand on your probably gets you a gasket set. Re getting it organized pm me if you need a hand as I drive past the dealer daily on my way to work . Ps a friend has bought a Beemer from them and had nothing but good things to say about the buying experience from them in relation to service and follow up.

I agree with you both. PPI and maintenance really important, Doish, sounds like you wouldn't even get 10k from that mob. Sounds bad if so many people complain about it. Haven't read one good comment, nothing but complaints all over the internet regarding National Warranties.

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I wondered if these warranties weren't a good way for these car dealers to fob off al further after sales service. So it's good to hear Lorbek looked after your friend. Those warranties are expensive too. I'd rather have $5 k off the purchase price and they can shove their crappy warranty!

Hey all. I took the car for a test drive today for about 30 minutes. Seemed pretty tight, albeit there was a bit of tappett noise. Drove well, very responsive,all good. My only concern is at the end of the drive I, after i had stopped the car, i took off the oil cap to have a look. There were a few wispy smokey bits wafting out. Not a lot, but enough to notice. The oil also looked quite orange which I thought was quite weird. I guess I'm wondering now whether I go for a PPI, or whether signs like that are a big issue and I just leave it be! Appreciate any thoughts. Cheers all Jed.

Just for the record I was referring to the dealer which I thought was Prestige Wholesaler in Rozelle / Balmain. Have no feedback on the warranty side of things.

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Oil should be either black, or new from the bottle colour. Anything else is a big problem. I would most likely be walking away at this point, or if you want to buy a car that needs work - getting the PPI done with a quote to rectify the issue/s and then negotiating down from there.

If tranny oil was red, red+yellow (motor oil) = orange. Was the car a tip tronic? If so might have a leaking gasket or crack that is mixing tranny fluid with motor oil. Coolant usually green but have seen red coolant. Again, a gasket leaking into the head? Oil would be like a milkshake then, pale and frothy... Either way, a PPI will report it. I would keep looking though, wouldn't waste my $$$ taking a car for a ppi with a discoloured oil issue..

All. Thanks heaps for your input. As it turns out looks like someone else has bought it. I'll keep my eyes open for another one now! Cheers Jed

Hi All, I am also new and would like to sell my C4S... I currently have a 2004 Porsche 911 C4S convertible in Red. It still has a few months of extended new car warranty left! Model Features Only Traveled 33,000 k's!!!!! One owner Full porsche dealer service history Near new Michelin tyres all round Black Leather interior Heated Front Seats GPS navigation CD Stacker Tiptronic Transmission If anyone is looking for the best Porsche 911 C4S convertible in Australia here it is. Please contact me on 0448 899 450

Hi all - looks like the car was sold to a Vic dealer. Here it is on carsales for 12k more! Same ViN. http://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/porsche-911-carrera-2003-13329475?base=1216&vertical=Car&cr=2&eapi=2&__N=1246+1247+1252+1282+1216&num=15&silo=Stock&items= [Make:PORSCHE,Model:911%20CARRERA,BaseEnabledBadge:4S]&sort=~Price Oh well. Here's to a long hard look I guess! Cheers. Jed