Thinking of getting a 996, things to look out for?

The Porsche bug has bitten me again after having my 06 Mustang GT for 2 years after selling my 944. I'm able to pick up a 996 and have been reading up on them and saw that the 996's big flaw was the rear seal failing which causes engine failure. I was just curious if you guys could give me some insight into some of the other things to watch out for on the 996 cars when looking to purchase a used one. Thanks for your help!

If you check the 996 forum over at Rennlist there is a pretty good buyer's guide there. The RMS is actually a fairly minor issue. One of the bigger failure points seems to be the Intermediate Shaft failure caused by a poor bearing design by Porsche.

Does it have service history? Who owned it? You know there are few Porsche techs in your area. If its been serviced you will be able to know it (you will have dealer receipts) and what else it needs (such as belts/fluids/brakes) to continue to be as new. Cars run great!

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Yes, I'm very familiar with how important the service records on Porsche's are. I have a mechanic and good family friend who owns a Porsche shop here in our area that had cared for the 944 for about 8 years before I sold it. Was more so curious what things were the most common problems so that I can make sure they've been addressed.

Are ou looking for a 3.4 or a 3.6 ? It seems the later 3.6 cars have had fewer engine failures than the earlier motors. If buying a 3.4, I would budget for worst case motor replacement. Beyond the engine, they are pretty reliable. If they are like boxsters, there could be niggling electrical issues (ignition switches, seat belt switches), coolant tank failures. All the joys of ownership though! Do a search for Jake Raby - an engine guy out of Georgia. He's really getting into the M96 series motors (986/996) and has lots of info about the motors issues.

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Present and accounted for :-)

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Hey, Jake. Off the cuff and not trying to hijack the thread, but what kind of things would you watch out for in shopping for a 996 GT2? Electrical, etc.. Just curious.

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Hi Jake - your website has a lot of dead links....I'm interested in doing some research ahead of buying another 996. This time around I'm looking for a 199 model specifically because of the cable actuated throttle. In my simple mind it should provide quicker and more direct throttle response - what's your take on that? I've also heard the 1999 cars were the lightest of the bunch and adding lightness is my motto. My aim is to build up a street/track car. Strip out some insulation and other useless weight, some track seats, a harness. Some brake cooling ducts...plan to keep the (excellent) brakes stock otherwise. Some wheels of course, the five spoke liteweight Carreras are nice and functional. Ideally I could get one with a Porsche reman engine already, but in the back of my mind I'm thinking an oiling system upgrade would go a *long* way to keeping an M96 motor running. What's your view?

Yes, the site has recently seen some issues and a lot of links were broken and some info lost. We are rebuilding it as we have the chance, but my primary focus currently is engine development, assembly and application. The 99 is the lightest of the cars and has the mechanical throttle. The 99s have historically had the most engine issues and failures, so finding a broken one is fairly easy, then send it to me for an update. I'd be happy to contact you with any info you'd like to know.. It'll take months to rebuild my site and get it to the level it needs to be at...