Buyers Info

Afternoon all. Sorry to those who don't know me (will be almost everyone [8D]) I've been lurking mainly over on the 964 forum for a while. Well after a long and fruitless search for a 964, I'm now wondering whether to put some extra money into the budget and stretch for a 996 ? Not gonna have the earth wealth to spend, so probably stuck at the £18k end of the market, but will this be enough ? A few Q's for people who'll know : What's the majour faults with 996's to watch out for ? (like 964's leak oil - well most of) How well do they handle mileage with good maintenance ? Is a rebuild on the cards at a certain point ? Can it be done, as I've read about binning engines and buying replacements etc. What's the drive like in comparison (for those who've had/driven both) ? How quick are they in comparison ? What's RMS ? (read it somewhere before as a regular issue/fix, but didn't know what it was [ ] sorry) - OK, now realise this is the rear main seal. Is that a crank oil seal to me ? Well, I think that's enough to ask for now - many thanks in advance to those who reply / share info & thoughts. Cheers, Mike

IMO I'd rather get a Boxster S for that money. You're going to end up at the dog-end of the 996 market at that price, and unless you need the back seats, a newer Boxster S would be a much better proposition, they are fantastic cars.

hi mike the tech gurus of 996 will tell you the ins and outs-my only contribution is to say that even with curent downtrend in prices £18 k will get you only the very ropey end of the 996's.if you can stretch to 20-then there are some well looked after bargains to be had of 98-99 vintage-take a look here and on pistonheads good luck

When I say £18k, I guess that's a done deal price, so would think cars up for maybe £19 - £19.5k ish can be had down to near that. It's not an exact figure, more of an aim point if you know what I mean ? For arguments sake something like this : http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/195089.htm Have been and driven a Boxster, but would much prefer a 911 to fulfill the dream, and the 4 seats will be needed at some point even though it'll be rare. Cheers guys. Mike

Mike, There's a comprehensive buyer's guide on the 996 forum accessible to member's only. Are you a member?

Non-members can download the Buyer's Checklist via here: http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/fb.asp?m=269468

Good job - thanks guys. Not a member yet as I was waiting till I'd actually purchased a car. 6 months on nearly and it still hasn't happened [ ] so maybe that was a good move. If anyone can answer any of the points in the initial post though please feel free to let rip with your thoughts. Cheers, Mike

Hi Mike, In December I bought a 1998 Carrera 2, silver with black leather, pretty standard apart from 18" alloys, full leather interior, climate, heated seats and computer. It had covered just under 90K with a full main dealer history. For a 10 year old car it is in very good condition and has obviously been well looked after. It was on the forecourt of a local dealer (non-Porsche, but a real enthusiast) for £24,995 and I paid £22,000. I looked at loads of 996's on the internet and 4 (I think) in the metal, but I wanted to get one locally. I have paid a bit more than the going rate, certainly if I had bought privately, but it came with a warranty and the dealer had given it a full service and fitted new front discs and pads, along with a full Waxoyl, and he did a few other little jobs under warranty. It also has nearly new tyres. I am not an expert and not really in a position to give buying advice, but I gave it a really good going over and asked a lot of questions. The oil pressure is good and everything works as it should. It does have the ubiquitous RMS leak but no other problems as far as I can tell. General advice would be if it looks cheap there is probably some sort of problem (a lot of Cat D's for example), and a couple I looked at had lower mileage than mine but were not in as good condition. Based on my (limited) experience if you buy a good one you won't be disappointed - fantastic to drive and still over 20mpg! Running costs appear reasonable for a car of this type, and mine certainly looks as if it will last another 10 years! Good Luck - I hope you find what you are looking for. Doug

You can spend time looking for a nice well cared for 996 with full porsche service history... and then buy a new engine at 44000 miles [ ] But I might be a bit negative at the moment. There is a huge difference between the 964 and the 996 as an ownership proposition. Performance wise there is nothing in it on public roads - if I follow my pal's 964 I can keep up with him but if he's behind me I don't him leave him behind. The 964 is very much more involved as a driving experience, it is noisier (but sounds sublime) and lacks some of the modern creature comforts of the 996. They are so different that you will need to drive both and see what you prefer. This may well depend on how you intend to use the car too.

My guess is that £18k will buy you an excellent 964, and for £14-£16k a very acceptable one. Whereas £18k will buy you a ropey 996. Personally, I'd keep looking for the 964. Be patient! (and join the club- the club mag sometimes reveals gems for sale, and you can tap into the registers for members looking to sell)

Mike, largely concur with Rob K's comments 2 above. I've had 3.2 Carrera, 964, 993 and now 996 in past 3 and a bit years. My 996, ocean blue/grey C2 manual with 66k miles and full OPC, cost £19995 4 weeks ago. Dealer (non-Porsche) sold with new tyres (car has 18" wheels fitted), warranty new MoT, 6 months tax and serviced (£2k) in Dec. Difficult not to see that as a reasonable deal, so you are not too far off the mark, but I think if you can come up a bit you'll be into a decent 996. 996 v 964 - I think the 996 is a bit quicker - not much though. The 996 feels more planted through the bends to me and I think the sound of the 964 was ok, but the 993 was best of the lot, followed by 3.2 Carrera in my book. 964/996 sound very different but aurally about equally satisfying. I really loved the 964 shape, a real classic looker. The key thing though, as Rob said, is how are you going to use it? 964, 993 and 996 have all been used as daily drivers - just depends what sort of daily driving you are talking about. Don't reckon there's much depreciation left in mine and it costs less to service at a specialists than the 964 from what they are quoting in the mags. Mechanically, all models have their quirks/achilles heels, a decent warranty and/or inspection by someone like Peter Morgan will provide some peace of mind though. Sorry there's no answers, just some thoughts. Martyn