99/00 996 911s for < 30k.. bargain or moneypit?

My observation is that the 996's are still pretty well built cars. The complaints of specific issues & weaknesses are certainly true, but apparently apply to a still small population of cars. Remember, Porsche had gotten to the point that 993's were bulletproof, so any rise in failure incidents would cause a lot of talk.

 

for a high perf sports car , the 996 are well made and reliable...they do have some rms issues in a small perc. of the cars ..keep in mind that the 993s are holding their values and the 997s are still very hot,so the 996 is in the middle..with that said, the 997 is a big improvement over the 996, in very way,,and its not even close...i have driven several 996s over theyears, and was even looking to buy a used one, just never was crazy about the car..esp the pre 2002s, the steering can feel loose on some of the older 996s and engine sound is not that great....the car just didnt have the typical 911 spunk or feel...but they good deals now..i would recommend a complete test drive and a ppi before inspection...the 2002 and later cars had a stiffer chassis, more hp and improved exhaust note...they just felt tighter in general and might be worth the extra money...........

 

Lots of transmissions failed (5th and 2nd gears) so watch for that........and as the engines are not the separable type (case/cylinders...etc) as in the earlier cars (or GT2/3 models) they are also expensive to repair/replace.

Lotsa car for the dough.......hard to resell due to the amount in the market however.......which is why they are cheap.

And as always.....get a PPI.

Enjoy !!

 

Huge value. My wife has a '99, and it's been the most reliable car we've owned! Lots of track time, and it's been trouble free. Had to replace a MAF sensor, due to the K&N air filter being oiled too much (since replaced with stock filter), but that's it. If you're really interested, go to 6speedonline or Rennlist and do some research. For a better maintained, lower-mileage car, you're looking at mid $30k, but it's still a huge bargain.

Oh, and it's amazingly fast at the track. Will easily crush any regular Ferrari before the 355, and it's only a tiny bit slower than that.

vty,

--Dennis

 

Thanks for asking this question. I feel the same exact way! Need a new car come summertime and a Porsche would not be half bad for a daily.

 

Just checked Cars.com and came up with 25 under $35,000 with less than 50K miles. Most are in the Mid $30's. Still a good deal though for a Porsche.

 

I'd go for it. I love the 996 though the closest thing I have is 1:18
Good prices to.

 

Porsche's iconic "sports car" has become a GT and its so-called GT cars are really sports cars.

Unless you prefer the GT experience, do yourself a favor and pick up a nice 993 -- the last real 911, imo. Besides, the 996 will continue to plummet in value, as well it should.

 

If I may...

I've heard variations of this for a long time. IMHO, it's a "lazy" opinion to hold. Why? Because Porsche fans have been lamenting the "end" of the "real" 911 ever since the 996/993/964/Carrera/SC came out. Heck, the 356 fans were dismayed when the 911 came out. And the SWB fans think that LWB 911s handled too well! And the SC, available with all of these luxuries? Hah! Boy, and the 964 had ABS and all of these fancy electronics?!? And the 993 was a pure luxury car!

What really makes the 996 different from the 993? Well, aside from (a) being noticeably faster, (b) accommodating taller drivers more comfortably, (c) being quieter, (d) getting better gas mileage, (e) being more dependable (yes, really, the 993 has its share of problematic areas too), (f) being significantly safer (side airbags, PSM, better crashworthiness), and (g) having way better ergonomics?

Is the 996 fun to drive? Absolutely. All of the fun of the 993, with many fewer shortcomings.

And, hey, this is coming from a guy who loved his RS America, not to mention his 1st gen 930.

It's one thing to say that "I think the 993 was the best iteration of the classic, air-cooled 911 design", or "I think the 993 is much better looking, in my opinion", but to say that the 996 leans too far in the luxury/GT direction, compared to the 993? Please. The 993 is every bit the luxury/GT that the 996. Just as the 996 is every bit the sports car that the 993 is. And, for the record, the 997 is better even yet.

Face the facts, everyone - almost every new generation is better than the one before it. In the Ferrari world, lots of people prefer the 355 to the 360 (as do I, owning two), but I don't think that the 355 is a BETTER sports car. There are those who say that the 328 was the last best Ferrari, yadda yadda.

Whew. Sorry, just venting a bit.

Bottom line - the 996 has depreciated a whole lot, to the point where it's not any more expensive than a 993, and may even be cheaper. But it's not because it's a "worse" sports car, but I think it's because there are a LOT more 996s running around than 993s. Remember, when the 993 was finally phased out, Porsche couldn't sell them anymore. So lots of 99/00 996s around, and a huge bargain for the price.

vty,

--Dennis

 

I spent some time on Rennlist researching the newer water-cooled Porsches, and came away with the conclusion that the engines in these cars were under-engineered pieces of junk. From multiple RMS leaks, bad intermediate shafts leading to catastrophic engine failure and the dreaded crankshaft out of alignment diagnosis leading to engine replacement, the M96 engine has been a disaster for Porsche owners.

The kicker for me was a long time 996 owner who suffered a bad head gasket. In most vehicles this is a straightforward if time consuming fix. The Porsche dealer told the car owner that the factory forbid the dealerships from rebuilding an engine, and the only repair was replacement with a remanufactured engine. What in most cars should have been a $2,000 to $3,000 fix cost this poor fellow $12,000 for a new engine. And this was the second engine in the cars 100,000 mile lifespan. Its quite telling that Porsche finds it cheaper to replace the engines rather than fixing them when warrenty claims pop up.

Talk all you want about how the 996 is faster, more comfortable, better handling, etc than a 993, but the fact remains that the engine powering the vast majority of 996's has some serious engineering shortfalls. Unlike the 1970's and 1980's when Porsche was building a car that catered to the true enthusiast driver, the current crop of newer Porsches is primarily designed to be leased until the warrenty is up, and nothing more.

 

At least the 996 still had a dip stick!

 

Great example Dennis. Personal preferences on aesthetics and design aside, there is no question that the 996 is a step-up from the 993.

 

I agree with Dennis' comments also, but for some reason a large segment of Porsche (and Ferrari) fans are extremely conservative and never take to the newer designs. I have a friend who has 4 "911's" in NJ, all air-cooled. He stopped buying after the water-cooled ones came out. Look at the big sigh of relief fans breathed when the 997 came out and they went back to round headlights!

 

The 996 is a good choice for a daily driver beater car. You could look for one that has already had some of the common problems already fixed, that way you shouldn't have to worry as much about it.

 

The problem with that is that Porsche hasn't really fixed the car, even when they replace the engine. I looked at six 996's; two had replacement engines. They are just as subject to RMS leaks, snapped intermediate shafts and non-concentric crankshafts as the original engines that came with the car.