Test driving a 996 3.4 C4 cabrio

[yeti]

As the title, leaving the safety and warmth of London for cold wintery lands of Leicestershire to test drive a 996 today. If it's a good car and he'll P/X my Alfa I will hopefully be coming home in it.

It's done 71k miles according to the odo (any way to verify this other than old MOTs which probably aren't there?).

I'll be checking panel gaps and overspray for signs of accident damage, signs of rust, smoke on start up. I assume of there's an oil leak he'd have moved the car so that won't help or will there be a constant steady dripping?

Coming from a 964, how do I check the radiator for mayo/head gasket leaks?

What else can I look for visually? Should the C4 drive any differently to the C2 (which I'm used to) at test drive speeds?

Excited!

[Vroomer]

You've left it rather late to ask questions.

Are you picking up any answers on a smartphone?

[bqf]

I have exactly the same vehicle - MY2000.

You're looking for milky emulsion on the oil cap, or very small metallic 'filings' in the oil (need an oil sample for that though really).....

at 71k you are probably over the biggest risk of the nightmare failures - if it sounds OK, is predictable through all the gears, and has a Full History - don't be afraid to buy it!

How much are they asking?

[khushy]

try the gearbox when its COLD!!!!

khushy

[yeti]

Vroomer said:

Are you picking up any answers on a smartphone?

I would have been, yes.

Furious... got there after 2 1/2hrs drive to find the car sold. Had spoken to a salesman the night before who'd put it on hold, today's salesman 'didn't get that message'. Looked like the kind of place that only had one salesman if you take my meaning. Looks like someone turned up with cash an hour before me. Gutted.

Probably should have asked for petrol money but didn't even want to talk to the prick.

The search continues

[bqf]

yeti said:

I would have been, yes.

Furious... got there after 2 1/2hrs drive to find the car sold. Had spoken to a salesman the night before who'd put it on hold, today's salesman 'didn't get that message'. Looked like the kind of place that only had one salesman if you take my meaning. Looks like someone turned up with cash an hour before me. Gutted.

Probably should have asked for petrol money but didn't even want to talk to the prick.

The search continues

How much was it up for sale for?

[yeti]

£9974

Did you buy it?

Looking at another on Monday, better history and heated seats. Sometimes things happen for the best...

[bqf]

yeti said:

£9974

Did you buy it?

Looking at another on Monday, better history and heated seats. Sometimes things happen for the best...

Bloody hell - what year was it? Thats unbelievable for that money...

[yeti]

bqf said:

Bloody hell - what year was it? Thats unbelievable for that money...

Was a 2000MY with 71k miles - hence it didn't even say there long enough for me to drive to Leicester to see it, gone within 2hrs! Massively undersold it seems.

Driving to see another tomorrow, 1998MY, 79k miles for £13k but with heated seats (woohoo) and 13 service stamps - very comforting.

BUT it doesn't have a CD player. Looks like an old Becker unit from photos and I can see the cassette holders, what's the score here, just rip it and put in a normal DIN CD/iPod head unit? Are the speakers up to the job? I'm not a massive audiophile, music kills time on the motorway!

Can the cassette holders be replaced with something more useful, or even just storage space? Prett much every 996 I see has a different centre console layout...