Advice needed - buying a used 996

I am considering the purchase of a used 996 and am looking at w reg or younger. Obviously this will be a big investment (upwards of £35k by all accounts) I want to make sure whether I buy thru a dealer or private that I dont get ripped off. Can any of you kind souls give me some tips on what to look out for, what checks it is worth getting done (HPI, AA inspection etc etc) or any other advice generally on my dream car! Thanks :? Migration info. Legacy thread was 8942

HPI is basically useless. A PPI is what you want, from a porsche dealer or specialist. I don't think it's worth buying officially as the prices are more expensive, and there are plenty of specialists around who offer same/better warranties and touch up the cars before selling them, but less pricey. As for the car: you decide whether you want C2 or C4, cab or coupe etc, and colours. There really isn't much difference in all of them, just whatever tickles your fancy :wink: Avoid nephrite green interior though....... I would recommend a C4 coupe for 24/7/365 use. Migration info. Legacy thread was 8950

prices seem to be falling a little, so you should be able to get a cracker for that money. Migration info. Legacy thread was 8953

What checks on a 996... 1. HPI. Get a fresh one done, if its with a dealer, they can do it there and then for you. If you have to do it, you can get a multiple check from HPI for a discount, allows you to check three cars and saves money. Please dont take the view that HPI is perfect, its 95% good and the best we have. 2. Have the car inspected: it really should be done with a Porsche dealer, or a good independant (thats getting to see plenty of 996). Porsche dealers can be a bit picky and rectification work might be worth pricing else where. 3. Accident damage: Some get crashed...yes really. But there is no central register for repairs, even Porsche approved repairs. Spotting accident repaired damage may well be up to you. So go in with your eyes open. Pre Purchase Inspections should find it, but not all mechanics are good at spotting paint or body. Check the bolts on the front wings, the textured sealant on the sills, the spot welds on the rear quarter panels (when you open the lid), 996 have water based paint and many/most will have had paint rectification. So check colour match between panels. 4. Rear main seal. Take a peek under the back, it should be clean and dry. The rear main crank seal (between the motor and the gearbox ) fail. 5. Service history, you can call the people in the book and talk to them. 6. Warranty. You may be able to put a genuine Porsche warranty on the car, if its got a full main dealer record and you take it into your main dealer to be checked (and rectified). Any bits you dont rectify they wont cover. Two things to bare in mind; The warranties dont cover oil leaks (but porsche do have a good rep for goodwill claims); A Porsche warranty is transferable between private owners....in other words if the car is under an extended warranty (not a new car warranty) it can only be passed to the next owner from the private seller . not if they find out its passed via a dealer. 6. Always take a look at the cassis numbers,(see £52000 mistake on my site) including the one under the plastic cover on the rh side bulkhead. (open the 'trunk' and you will see a black plastic trim panel running up to the base of the screen). There are plenty of other things but hope this helps. 996 buyers guide will be ready in a week. Adrian Crawford. performance2qnd4.co.uk 911secrets.com Migration info. Legacy thread was 9047

If I might pick up on Adrian's reply regarding the Porsche warranty. In my somewhat limited experience it has proven to be worthless. The £1000 premium would have been better spent rectifying the numerous problems that the car was supplied with and which the main dealer promptly washed his hands of. Beware the small print! Problems with the CD/radio, oil leaks of the main seal variety, the DMF, brake disks that are worn out mysteriously only 1000 miles after purchase, problems inside the exhaust system etc. etc. The only warranty repair carried out was to corrosion that was evident before purchase, and that took months of reminders. Don't get me wrong, the car is fantastic but Porsche Main dealers.......they leave me speechless (subject to the moderator!) Migration info. Legacy thread was 9174

Jas I would be tempted to save yourself some time and let AdrianC get youa car - other than that I bought mine from a Porsche Specialist and found it a better route than using the main dealers. This site has a good list of all specialist. Mine was bought from Northway Porsche and they were excellent - ask for Sean Always get a PPI if you can although I did not bother with Northway as they have a very straight reputation. I would also agree with Peter that the main dealer are Scum and their warrenties are not what they should be Regards Migration info. Legacy thread was 9185

Hi all Thanks for all the advice, the considerations are obviously many and varied, all confounded by the huge waiting list for new cars putting pressure on the used market. When I have a better idea of what I want to buy I think I may well take up jonny's advice. Thanks for such a friendly forum guys/gals Jas Migration info. Legacy thread was 9243