996

I am thinking about buying an early 996 Porsche, probably a 1999 with under 40k on the clock. Having never owned a Porsche before, are there any items on this body-style that I should be aware of? How reliable should I expect it to be as a weekend driver? What is the service schedule like, and what should I expect to pay?

Thanks for all your help.

 

I had a 996 with the aerokit, stunning car on the outside, and I miss it. Interior was absolute cr*p, and a hyundai had better quality. Everything squeaked. Car didn't feel all that fast either. It just didn't have that feel of coming on the cam like the earlier prosches do.

Good bang for the buck, get one for less than $30k and have fun. I actually prefer the looks of the 996 to the 993, and its a more pragmatic daily driver.

Downside, oil seals leak, engines randomly fail. See the prosche boards...

I think it would be a great/cheap track car .

 

Go to Rennlist.com they'll help you out.

 

DOH! Beaten to the punch by 1 minute by senna!!!

Great Porsche site with LOTS of good info and helpful people.

Good luck!

 

Brakes pads and rotors $2K
Clutch and flywheel (they commonly fail together) $5K
2nd gear transmission failure (around 40K miles it usually happens) $5K+
Major service $1K
Tires $1K
Glass $1K
RMS leak $1K

Etc...etc...etc....

It is a boring and ugly car with a rapidly falling price point.......earlier 964 and 993 models are usually worth more. 996 Turbos are dirt cheap $50K +/- and are the best bang for the buck.

Bo's right.....there are a lot at around $30K. Buy the newest one you can afford. I am buying a 996 C4S in Dallas on Monday for well under $50K.

 

So would you pull the trigger on a 993 over a 996? I've heard that the last of the air-cooled are starting to command a small premium.

 

Do the turbos have a lot of those same issues? I have been looking and around 60k they seem like a great deal. Are they?

 

A "small" premium? Perhaps your definition of small is different than mine, but decent 993s are quite a bit higher than a similar condition 996. Hell, my '93 964 C4 is probably $2 to $3k higher than a similar condition 996...

 

you are better off buying an 03 Boxster S than a 99 996.

 

You can get a 99 boxster for less than $15,000, and run it into the ground....

 

+1

 

Yes.......except for the RMS leak, as the 996TT engine uses the 964 case....not the one piece block that comes in the normally aspirated cars.

They are much cheaper than $60K........if you want one with 30-50K miles.

In a New York second.

 

I was looking for something with a little "oomph." Not sure if a Boxster is going to give me the thrill I am looking for in my first non-American sports car (which I hope to get into for under $30k).

 

A Boxster "S".....say 2001-2002 will give you a lot of ooommpphh.

 

Good idea, the the boxster will outhandle a 996 all day, in fact, you can find the newer 987boxster s,this will as good power to weight ratio as the 996 and will smoke it on the track with superior handling...

 

I have owned many versions of the 911. The 996 was a huge disappointment for me. The steering felt isolated and disconnected when compared to my 993. The abysmal quality of the interior materials was unacceptable in a car with a price north of 75k. The squeaks and rattles would have been understandable in an '86 Chevette, but not a Porsche.

Do yourself a favor and buy the best 993 you can afford.

 

All day long