Things to look out for when buying a 996

Hi, Looking to buy my first 911. I don't mind if its a C2, C4 or C4S but needs to be manual and a coupe. I have a budget of 17k. Is there anything to look out for or any known issues other than ims/rms? which model is best? is the 3.4 or 3.6 better? Will 17k be enough to get something decent? if anyone could help or knows of any for sale that would be really helpful. Thanks.

Hi, and welcome to the forum - there are some fantastic folks on here, many of which I owe an enormous gratitude to for helping me when I was in your position just two years ago. I'm by no means an expert on these things, but happy to share what I've learned along the way. Rust - they're 22-28 years old now and whilst fairly corrosion resistant compared to most cars, their useability means most have been used in all weathers and rust can take its toll - wheel arches, sills, jacking points etc. Not sure if you are equipped and capable to do your own mechanical work, but if not, many jobs on these cars due to their design and packaging can be very labour intensive, often requiring removal of the engine, transmission and front / rear subframes. What can seem like a simple job can soon be well into four figures. The suspension can often need a rebuild to replace the numerous bushes, joints and mounting interfaces - this can be quite costly. You could find a very nice example for your budget, however my number one focus would be to look at the maintenance records and see if or how recently any of the more expensive jobs have been done as this can be the difference of £10k worth of spend if you buy one in need of plenty of deferred maintenance. Key expensive jobs in terms of either component price and/or labour include: Clutch Rear transverse brake line (over the transmission) Air / oil separator on the engine Suspension bushes / top mounts / shocks Power steering lines to the rack Rear main oil seal IMS There will be many others, but they're the frequent flyers. As for the engine - you'll get many different answers depending on how you view 'best'. The 3.4 is less prone (but not exempt) from bore scoring, where the 3.6 tends to suffer this more frequently - rectification is expensive. The 3.6 is a little more powerfull, the 3.4 feels a little more rev-happy. In comparison to other 911 motors, they are considered weak, but can last a very long time with correct and preventative maintenance / use. The best advice is to have a potential purchase inspected by a known and respected specialist who will know what to look for and be able to give an objective opinion of the car versus comparable examples. I'm a gentleman of a certain age and have been fortunate enough to have enjoyed many different types of hobby / specialist cars over the years and I'll admit, the 996 is the one I've bonded with the most. They're superb, highly underrated and still relatively affordable. For now. I'm sure others with far more knowledge and experience will give additional advice, but best of luck and I hope you find your ideal 911.

What he said.... Go in eyes wide open - look for last five years expenditure on the top items - if you can do basic spanner work and have a good local mechanic then that will help keep costs down. Some say the 3.4 is a little more desirable long term and they certainly are more resistant to the typical engine issues (bore score and IMS failure). Plenty of good cars out there - you just gotta go hunt them down

Welcome, view as many as you can and buy on condition, not mileage. Service history paramount and the early cars ie the 3.4L require a service every year opposed to the 3.6L . Very early cars were equipped with the more robust dual row IMS bearing and more robust cylinder linings and very very early had cable throttle opposed to the later e-gas electronic throttle. When you scroll through Autotrader etc and customize your spec of car you'll notice that there aren't that many manual coupes , especially in the C4 variant. Both are fantastic cars albeit nor getting on a bit..... both very analogue especially compared to modern day cars. All the best.

Thank you everyone for your replies so far. It’s been very helpful. Just came across this on eBay. Does it Seem too good to be true at the price point? Also should I avoid it as it has 10+ owners or is that a common thing? Pardon our interruption...

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Looks like a friends green advert to me.... have you looked at their website...? After a closer look it certainly was a FGP advert and it's £5-6k less now .

Does look like a decent example.... no sunroof manual coupe in a great colour. Service history has a few gaps , probably due to mileage or lack of . Got to be worth a look at that price and bodywork on the face of things seems tidy.

Yeah that looks OK to me. Lots of stuff replaced inc clutch , IMS bearing , RMS. I'd want to remove the OS rear plastic trim thing to look for corrosion and check the jacking points out , if they're good I think it's a very good buy if you like grey interior. FGP wouldn't have sold a dog.

Hiya I’m not really up on 996 prices, but I would say that car is worth a look for sure. Schwarz Black and grey is not the worst combo (I have a 993 that way) and a lot of the maintenance boxes have been ticked. In my opinion all 996’s could benefit from a change to 997 seats, but for me that’s the only thing the car would really need. All the best Berni

All been said already - go in eyes wide open and take a second pair of eyes with you too - they can look great on the surface but you can easily miss stuff that might cost you later. I'll repeat the advice - buy on condition and maintenance rather than miles - regularly used cars can be better options and have less issues (i say can as nothing is guaranteed). If you want extra piece of mind, buy from a recognised dealer like FGP, Porticraft, Eporsch, RPM, Brookspeed etc - you'll pay a little more in initial outlay but it should have been gone through for the common issues and come with some level of warranty. Prices seem to be softening a bit at the moment so probably a good time to buy - Good luck in your search

Looks like it sold - did you pull the trigger?

1999 Porsche 996 Carrera 4 ~ Manual ~ 23 x Service Stamps ~ Superb Condition | eBay UK Gear changes are smooth and clutch operates well. The cabin is free from any noticeable squeaks or rattles. If you are here, like many of us, he spent months searching for the right car that presented in showroom condition - original, unmolested and with accident free bodywork alongside... www.ebay.co.uk

Worthy of a viewing i reckon.... nowt to do with me apart from i own a similar car.

£16k !! What a car.

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...indeed, quite a 996 for someone.