Is it possible to buy a descent 996 for £12,000i just
Discussion
Most definitely. A good friend has just bought a nice 3.4 that has been very well maintained for £10k, it's a lovely example and I'm picky. A private sale though which seems to make a difference.
Arguably they're all money pits!! Any porsche driven properly attracts porsche sized bills. The elephant in the room will always be the possibility of engine issues, but I've noticed the internet seems to have gone quiet on this so I do wonder a) actually what the real percentage of cars suffering major issues actual is and b) whether the issues affected a number of cars that had their card marked from day one and suffered the issues early in their life, I.E. fewer higher mileage cars will present major issues moving forwards. But I could be wrong and companies like Hartech et.al. may well be churning out 996 engine rebuilds at a rate of knots...
Sorry to bring up the old 996 engine cliche! They're still very good value for 911's even if you are hit with a big bill, just make sure you can afford one before running the risk. Unfortunately this is the reason why I've not been able to buy one to date...
Arguably they're all money pits!! Any porsche driven properly attracts porsche sized bills. The elephant in the room will always be the possibility of engine issues, but I've noticed the internet seems to have gone quiet on this so I do wonder a) actually what the real percentage of cars suffering major issues actual is and b) whether the issues affected a number of cars that had their card marked from day one and suffered the issues early in their life, I.E. fewer higher mileage cars will present major issues moving forwards. But I could be wrong and companies like Hartech et.al. may well be churning out 996 engine rebuilds at a rate of knots...
Sorry to bring up the old 996 engine cliche! They're still very good value for 911's even if you are hit with a big bill, just make sure you can afford one before running the risk. Unfortunately this is the reason why I've not been able to buy one to date...
thegoose said:
You can definitely buy a good 996 for £12k, or even under £10k.
Hiwever, it's much easier to buy a bad one, even at £15k, so do your research and choose carefully (and accept the risks or do something to cover them).
Good comment. Hiwever, it's much easier to buy a bad one, even at £15k, so do your research and choose carefully (and accept the risks or do something to cover them).
My personal experience. I bought mine 2 years ago for less than 9k and spent less than a couple of grand on it so now I know it's in good nick:
- updated IMS
- thermostat
- suspension bits refresh
Prices for everything on www.sportsandclassic.com but it may depend whereabouts you are. Mike isn't the cheapest either but the fact that he's so busy and has so many satisfied customers speaks volumes.
I purchased my '00 996 C4 for around £8.5k about 10 months ago, although it did have 129k on the clock. Other than a Major Service and a change of brakes all round, the car has been fault free. The car is on 139k at the moment and to give you some perspective I am not one of those soft drivers babying the car around just below the speed limit on a Sunday afternoon
Edited by Jivaldinho on Sunday 21st September 20:10
i'm looking at the same budget and same car as you (996.1 C2 or C4)
it looks perfectly doable for £12-14k, I've even seen one with a new Porsche engine and one with a full £8.5k Hartech rebuild in budget.
I have been advised to consider putting aside £1.5 to £2k a year for maintenance and servicing.
I thought IMS upgrade was more like £2000 at a specialist though, £700 is a lot more palatable.
it looks perfectly doable for £12-14k, I've even seen one with a new Porsche engine and one with a full £8.5k Hartech rebuild in budget.
I have been advised to consider putting aside £1.5 to £2k a year for maintenance and servicing.
I thought IMS upgrade was more like £2000 at a specialist though, £700 is a lot more palatable.
skinny said:
i'm looking at the same budget and same car as you (996.1 C2 or C4)
it looks perfectly doable for £12-14k, I've even seen one with a new Porsche engine and one with a full £8.5k Hartech rebuild in budget.
I have been advised to consider putting aside £1.5 to £2k a year for maintenance and servicing.
I thought IMS upgrade was more like £2000 at a specialist though, £700 is a lot more palatable.
I had the IMS done for less than £700 including parts. it looks perfectly doable for £12-14k, I've even seen one with a new Porsche engine and one with a full £8.5k Hartech rebuild in budget.
I have been advised to consider putting aside £1.5 to £2k a year for maintenance and servicing.
I thought IMS upgrade was more like £2000 at a specialist though, £700 is a lot more palatable.
But out of those cars, I'd surely go for the Hartech one.
I'm after a 996 next year, budget is around 10k but I can spend a bit more if needed. I know they have a bit of a bad rep for engine probs but I'm going to hold out for a car that has had the IMS/RMS done already plus most definitely getting this chap to do an inspection http://www.porscheinspections.com/index.php. Initially i wanted an Esprit Turbo however I'd like to have a car I can tour Europe with and has space for my for my 2 year old daughter in the back. A 911 is perfect
mollytherocker said:
Fella, the 996 engine problems pale into insignificance compared to an Esprit Turbo!!
I agree they are certainly more temperamental than a 911 however it's only going to be a second car and not required as a daily driver. Engine rebuild on an Esprit Turbo (Giugiaro shape) is about 4k (99% have been rebuilt by now). On a 996 it's about 8k plus I think?Gassing Station | 911/Carrera GT | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff