Taking the plunge - any thoughts?

After a lot of looking (and longing!) I've finally found the right spec/mileage/price on a late '98 C2. The car is low mileage (& feels it - much tighter than any other I've driven) which has been verified by the supplying main dealer who also serviced since new so feel ready to finally go for it. All the usual checks haven't thrown up any of the usual problems but; - the front tyres have more wear on the insides - same both sides - and the the rear tyres have worn unevenly with one just replaced and the other with c10k left on it - not seen this before - no signs of any crash damage - all panel gaps are spot on and paint is definitely original all over/under so not sure why this would happen. Anyone got any thoughts and/or details of independent specialist inspection in Hants/Surrey/W Sussex. All views much appreciated.

Hi Lawsy Uneven wear is usaully a sign of the 996 needing geo. More technically it can be caused by the ofset with the toe/camber ect. If there is major uneven wear going into the thread of the tyre, this will mean the tyres will need changing. A full 4-set can cost around £800 pending brand/size ect. When you said full service history, do you mean full OPC service history? - What (and when) was the last service carried out? - Minor/Major? - Is there alot of "annual services"?. This as you may know does not replace the above (minor/major services), as there are parts that require change ect as a result of age and not of wear (seals etc). - I would suspect that if the cars been for a annual/minor/major, uneven tread is spotted quite easily and OPC are quick to recommend geo and this should be stated within the invoice under "report" "recc" "advisory" ect. I would be surprised if this has not been picked up. - Are all the invoices present? If not, any reason why not? I would recc spending around 1.5/2 hours labour charges at OPC to carry out the 111-pt inspection check. RAC/AA do similar as well if it is not convenient to get it to an OPC, AFAIK its in the circular of ~£250. -Have a look on some of the Indy near you. Click "porsche service" above to get a detailed list. Good luck with the search and welcome to 911uk!

Thanks for the welcome and that's useful & what I'd hoped/assumed - I'll check for the geo. on the bill as major service just been done by original suppliying OPC. They've confirmed previous service history is through them, to spec. and all bills correct so can quiz them if they've missed it. Hopefully all will be good and can finally scratch a looooong standing itch!

I'm fairly sure that the standard Geo setup on the 996 scrubs the insides first, so I wouldn't be overly concerned about this (unless there's a huge difference between the inner and outer treads). I'd recommend Camtune (Godalming), which is pretty much in the middle of where you're asking for. Further afield you have RSJ (Slough) and Paragon (East Sussex), also recommended. All 3 Indy's price their cars in between the lower cost Indy's (eg. 911 Virgin and Portiacraft) and the OPC. I'd have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Camtune, RSJ and Paragon, but don't have any dealings with 911 Virgin or Portiacraft...and I'd always recommend trying to use a more local dealer (in case there's any issues that need resolving!!). Note that Camtune, RSJ and Paragon don't normally supply 1998 age cars though. As this is a 10 year old car, you can no longer purchase OPC warranty. The main things I'd look for are the usual tyres, brakes, discs, clutch, service history, RMS, number of owners etc. Personally, I'd recommend trying to stretch to a 99 or 00 model, as they have some subtle engine changes that make them a little bit more reliable. 51 saw the facelift, so bigger engine and turbo lights. Cheers, GD

wear on the inner edges of the front tyres are normal for a 996, the same goes for boxsters in my opinion its not an indication of the need for a geo check its just the way they wear and not anything to worry about

Take a deep breath and shakily sign the check .. trying to squeeze the big numbers in!! You only live once so go for it! Enjoy!!

Thanks all and the comments on the wear are reassuring - most of the cars previously seen had new/er tyres so wear not so obvious - had previsouly been looking at facelifted 40-50k mileage but this one is half that, about £5k less and just feels like the 'right' car for me - so here's hoping it's straight!

Phil Raby, editor of Total 911 mag is local to W sussex. Both will do a proper ppi for you. Good luck!

Wear on the inside of the tyres could be a sign that it hasn't been driven hard enough for the camber that the fronts are set at. This is because the wheels are not straightening under load so the contact patch isn't coming in the right place - too much negative camber.

Just to be clear, I'm referring to the fronts only. The rears should scrub relatively evenly.