Sub £25K 996?

Hi Guys, Forgive this newbie for asking a question you've prob seen a million times but i'm looking to get my first 911 - have an itch that needs scratchin... What can I expect top get with a top top top budget of £25k. Ideally looking for a 996 2000/2001, don't think I'd get 2002 facelift would i? Also is sub 60K miles possible? Do you think the credit crunch brings with it some bargains? I'm guessing I should be looking at private sellers but I'm keen to get OPC warranty after PPI. I'd prefer something that at the very least can give me OPC warrenty for atleast a year, preferably 2. What sorta compromises am i going to have to make and can i make the budget work to get something in mint condition that will give me a couple of years of weekend driving pleasure atleast. Hope you guys (and gals) can pass on some wisdom... Cheers ASV

If it's a weekend driver, why not look at a 993? From what I've read and have now come to believe on these forums, you'll probably have more fun in those. A third party warranty might only become available on these models tho.' As always test drive what suits you, you might find the everyday appeal of a 996 more alluring to you. Currently and only generally speaking of course, 993 values are holding steadier than 996 ones and certainly those that fall within your budget. To answer your question, a 2002 facelift maybe possible but it'll be high miles or a Cat D or C type. However with most 996's an OPC warranty is possible to buy after it's had its 111 pt inspection (by the OPC). Ideally, get it privately inspected (do a search on the forum for Peter Morgan) before you buy because one time, these were all £60k + cars to begin with and their servicing costs reflect this. ~ Maxie

FWIW I purchased an immaculate (Oct) 2000 Carrera seven months ago for £25,250; with 49k on the clock, great history, Seal Grey over Black leather with a nice spec. The previous owner had not long had new disks, pads (all round) and a new clutch fitted. I bought it from a small Indy with a fresh service and 3 months warranty. Strikes me it's a bit of a buyers market at the moment so you should be able to find a great car within your budget.

Cheers guys, great stuff. Wow a 2000 for just over 25k so my budget would be about right if that if that was about 7 months ago. First of all, not that i know much about 911's but regards to 993/996 reading alot of posts on here, i'm thinking I really want/need an OPC warranty as opposed to 3rd party - for peace of mind. I'm also shamed to admit that i want something post 1999 in terms of "newness". Can anyone recommend any Indy's they think have realistic priced 996's in an around London (east), that they'd recommend. Gettin a PPI and 111pts from OPC is what i'll def be doing. Will the PPI tell me whether or not it would be pass the 111pt from an OPC? I mean i wouldn't want to purchase anything that needs many £k's to be spent on for it to pass 111pts but it looks a little like a chicken and egg situation or it is? I'm thinking its better to buy from a small indy and somehow negotiate based on (PPI or 111pts???? offering to pay for it ) Can anyone offer some advice here please. Again sorry for the newbie questions

Hello mate, Let see : avoid 2002 facelift : their base price its a few notches upper and common Porsche sense says buy the best possible car not the cheapest one. Good news : 25k for a pre-facelift car is 100% possible PLUS you have few key points - pre 2002 carreras start at 16-18k, so 25k is where the good ones are. More good news is apart from the GT3, you can choose pretty much on the entire range - a quick search in PH showed that both C2, C4, Cabrio and Targa's fall within your price bracket easily. Good news galore : it's a buyers market, test a few you can afford to be picky with color and spec, there are tons available, be picky, get the one you really really want. OPC warranty on these I wont recommend - get a reputable ( reputable, reputable ... ) indy and go from there. Unless it was a Turbo or GT2, where stuff can get REALLY expensive. If you were not born with 996 knowledge from birth ( I wasn't ) I do highly recommend a inspection once you settled on a car that you viewed and pass your checks - I do highly recommend Peter Morgan, its 350 quid but its ultra "*****" about it - he spot few things that neither me ( very geeky with a checklist ) and neither the owner was aware. Dont see it as a 350 quid loss but an investment. Haggle - its a buyers market at the moment, you going to get a very nice car at that price - nice budget. If you need any further help just let us know !

forgot to say , for 25k a 2000 with sub 60k miles is entirely possible. Just avoid 2002 facelifts, I know its tempting but you will entering danger territory ( very cheap facelifts or any other types of Porsches usually mean a vortex to your bank account ). Unless you are ok with Savanah Leather and Green outside , triptronic and LHD - I know a spot on example for 30k, facelift , with all the extras you can imagine. I was really close to buy that car.

Don't forget the tax issue. Post mid 2001 cars will be hit HARD, earlier cars should be exempt due to CO2 emissions not being regulated before that time. So a late pre-facelift 996 would fit the bill, except for the warrantee issue:?: You could always go down the Hartech route, they offer a lifetime maintenance plan. Don't know if anyone in the sunny south :bandit: offers the same as we get here in the grim north. :thumbs:

996 pre facelift Hi i am a newbie too but i recently went through exactly the same as you, i spent months looking for the wright car, engine, gearbox, colour, cab not cab, interior the lot. I then found one that matched the bill intierly, but i have to say i took a gamble. but i picked up a 1999 carrera 4 tip s cab/hardtop it had 60,000 miles and had been serviced constantly (very very important) also as an added extra it has the gt3 kit, which i have so far been very lucky to own. I love this car, totally converted to being a porsche nut, i always liked them but to own and drive one is a must..dont go facelift unless you are going to spend 30k plus, but then that is only my opinion, and i am a newbie too ? :roll:

VERY wise words!

Try this one, slightly above your budget but a 2003 model for less than £29k !!!!! http://911uk.com/ads_item.php?id=306 Andy

Thanks again guys. Having read all your comments - have narrowed it down to early to mid 2001 to avoid tax and it being pre facelift. Then this morning I read that 2008 facelift is coming out in June. Do you think price drops are around the corner too? Should I be waiting a few months to get a better price? I think the 2003 £28k is a little beyond my budget, budgets are sometimes meant to be broken but i really want to get something with existing warranty or 25k to include purchasing warrenty..so thanks for the suggestion. But if there's a deal to be had... :wink: Am still torn on 2 things 1) TIP or Manual - which would give greater driving pleasure cos i've read on here that some of you would go for TIP each time. I would not be commuting pure weekend and evenings driving pleasure but i do live in london. My thoughts were manual but i do not want to discount the TIP because I'm quite ignorant of what it could add. 2) Buy private / Indy? Think i could buy private and get Peter Morgan or equivalent (prob peter morgan from what i've read on here) to do a PPI pre purchase and then use that to further negotiate if there are issues? OR is that really only possible with an Indy?

On point 1 - This depends on a few factors - - What the car is used for? If you planning to do regular London/m25 commuting, then the clutch can cause a bit of a strain. I drove both before deciding and strongly recommend you do the same. I found the clutch a bit to stiff for my liking (previously car was manual) and considered it to be too much for the commute and hence went for a tip. Should I of been using the 996 mainly as a weekend car, I would go for the manual for the greater driving experience. That said, you do have the gear-buttons (or whatever they called!) on the steering wheel and the tip gearbox is quite intelligent (reacts to driving habits, fast change a high revs or slow changed a low revs ect- depending on the drving style). Likewise, if you've got a few trackdays already booked or a keen to regularly take the car on track then the manual might be the better choice. 911 die-hards will be strongly against the tip (and the 996 - watercooled!) but, ensure you pick the right car for you. On point 2, If your going for a pre-2002 facelift then Im sure you can get a good example within your budget. If you buy from a reputable indy, then it will give you peace of mind should you have issues (as it does occur (a certain member here can confirm!) even when sold in good faith). Also, not all indy are keen to oblige fully to the SOG Act and therefore if you buy from a unscrupulous indy you may need to threaten legal action to get something done. This isn't just with porsche's so dont let it put you off. If you buy private, you can buy possibly less then your budget and therefore have more change for maintenance/upgrade/ insurance ect. However, if its your first 911, then it is worthwhile getting it inspected. At the least get it looked over by OPC (or equivalent) for the 111pt check or Mot equivalent checks (RAC/AA). Go for Indy and you will also have less fuss when paying then when doing privately (cash/chaps/draft/ ect). Personally, I kept an open mind for the right car within my budget (or slightly above - to test bargaining powers) and took it from there. Does you budget include a buffer for emergency repairs (usually max about 10% of the value should something go wrong). Thus for a £25k car, it is recc to ensure you have 27k in total available. Enjoy the search as it part of the journey to your 911.

that last comment was very true, but from my opinion of having a tiptronic, it is very very smooth through the gear box which is a pleasure to drive, wish it had 6 gears but you do get the best of both with a tiptronic. using the manual gear box with PSM switch off you can experiance some great driving (but be very careful), but then if you are on your way to work stuck in traffic you can just switch it to auto, sit there chilling out while everyone else gets leg cramp.....love it.... It made my experiance of driving a heavy clutch (m3) manual, a very very distant memory. thank god.. If its a driving car for the weekend, manual 993 2s all the way..you may get one for 25k but its very doubtfull..also one other thing to look out for on your 996 as many optional extra's as poss..always a bonus.

Also, the facelift 996 has the up-rated Turbo tiptronic S gearbox. Still 5 speed, but has more modes.