what is an 'early' 3.4 996?
Discussion
Fast Bug said:
Chris needs all the headroom he can get too!
It's true... I'm not exactly vertically challenged 
Jamie Summers said:
An invoice from last year pointed out most of those as issues for future action........
Thus this could be a car with every single one of the age-related issues that early 996s can suffer from......
The question then becomes how much money does it make sense to spend both at purchase point and then on getting it to how I want it. I get to £10k on bits and bobs without trying very hard - and that would not create a £25k car ! I think a lot will come down to how willing the dealer is to put things right, though I really can't imagine they have a lot of margin in it.
Yep... there's the risk with these cars. As I know from my own experience (10 years, 110k miles) you can get a long list of advisory items when the car is in for a service, or some urgent repairs, and then you have to make a decision - do I go all in, or do I cut my losses and sell before I need to spend £3/4/5k just to keep it running.Thus this could be a car with every single one of the age-related issues that early 996s can suffer from......
The question then becomes how much money does it make sense to spend both at purchase point and then on getting it to how I want it. I get to £10k on bits and bobs without trying very hard - and that would not create a £25k car ! I think a lot will come down to how willing the dealer is to put things right, though I really can't imagine they have a lot of margin in it.
was8v said:
richthebike said:
Hot engine, light weight flywheel, stiff mounts everywhere, and crucially the AC is on (which brings the fans on, loads engine, and elevates idle from 650 to 800 rpm). The chatter is the LWFW.
It's even louder in real life, especially in the cabin.
Ah right didn't know it had a lwfw. It's even louder in real life, especially in the cabin.
Give me a standard dual mass and a bit of refinement any day!
One of the reasons we love the 996 is that it can cover so many bases
Let's indulge another photo...
Jamie Summers said:
An invoice from last year pointed out most of those as issues for future action........ Dealer will sort A/c (properly, not just "re-gas") as it is not working (condensors), clutch seems ok - prob still original, but pedal not heavy - will get it changed if IMS / RMS are being replaced and may throw a LWFW at it. Some suspension parts were replaced last year to cure a knocking noise, but it wasn't very clear what. The shocks are almost certainly original (the bump stops looked quite perished). I agree that replacing shocks and all rubber and links in the suspension could easily run to £4k. There is also a blow from one of the back boxes.
Thus this could be a car with every single one of the age-related issues that early 996s can suffer from......
The question then becomes how much money does it make sense to spend both at purchase point and then on getting it to how I want it. I get to £10k on bits and bobs without trying very hard - and that would not create a £25k car ! I think a lot will come down to how willing the dealer is to put things right, though I really can't imagine they have a lot of margin in it.
I have had a very similar debate recently on a car with less miles, which I have decided to go for. The most recent 2 owners had owned it for a combined total of 14 years, it has clearly been cherished and maintained. However they haven't gone nuts with preventive maintenance, which I can appreciate, if it isn't broken then don't fix it!Thus this could be a car with every single one of the age-related issues that early 996s can suffer from......
The question then becomes how much money does it make sense to spend both at purchase point and then on getting it to how I want it. I get to £10k on bits and bobs without trying very hard - and that would not create a £25k car ! I think a lot will come down to how willing the dealer is to put things right, though I really can't imagine they have a lot of margin in it.
In the end I have just accepted mine will probably need a clutch, RMS & potentially IMS at some point. Hopefully nothing more serious, but that is always a risk with a 20 year old 911.
I am going to sort the condensers on mine, pop on some new tyres on and then enjoy driving it. Then next spring I will look at the crusty exhausts and the suspension, my bump stops are perishing too.
It is also worth remembering they won't hopefully depreciate, whilst you could spend a total of £25k, the car will hopefully be worth late teens all sorted? I guess the difference is the price of owning a 911.... it sort of makes sense in my head... I think!
Good luck with the search.
I like them as well but I think they are very sensitive to the body colour of the car.
Mine for example is a ocean blue non kitted car sitting on sport classic11, I liked it for its plain elegant lines but I dint think it would suit the Fuchs, if anyone's got a picture of a blue car on Fuchs please share
Mine for example is a ocean blue non kitted car sitting on sport classic11, I liked it for its plain elegant lines but I dint think it would suit the Fuchs, if anyone's got a picture of a blue car on Fuchs please share
Jamie Summers said:
An invoice from last year pointed out most of those as issues for future action........ Dealer will sort A/c (properly, not just "re-gas") as it is not working (condensors), clutch seems ok - prob still original, but pedal not heavy - will get it changed if IMS / RMS are being replaced and may throw a LWFW at it. Some suspension parts were replaced last year to cure a knocking noise, but it wasn't very clear what. The shocks are almost certainly original (the bump stops looked quite perished). I agree that replacing shocks and all rubber and links in the suspension could easily run to £4k. There is also a blow from one of the back boxes.
Thus this could be a car with every single one of the age-related issues that early 996s can suffer from......
The question then becomes how much money does it make sense to spend both at purchase point and then on getting it to how I want it. I get to £10k on bits and bobs without trying very hard - and that would not create a £25k car ! I think a lot will come down to how willing the dealer is to put things right, though I really can't imagine they have a lot of margin in it.
That’s why the 996 is a £20k car. You can buy one for less, but you’ll end up spending £20k all in. Is it a good base car? When sorted is it a colour and spec you’d really want? Are there loads of others to choose from? Thus this could be a car with every single one of the age-related issues that early 996s can suffer from......
The question then becomes how much money does it make sense to spend both at purchase point and then on getting it to how I want it. I get to £10k on bits and bobs without trying very hard - and that would not create a £25k car ! I think a lot will come down to how willing the dealer is to put things right, though I really can't imagine they have a lot of margin in it.
It looks ok to me, but don’t kid yourself you could buy that car from a different source with everything sorted for £15k. The question is what really needs doing, and is a it a good place to spend more money?
Good luck.
jonny996 said:
thanks for the picture, is it yours? I think it is helped by the fact they are 2 tone & the silver rim does lift it but I am still not convinced enough to change.
not a great picture but this is its current look
Not mine, I googled blue + Porsche + 996 = fuchs for you last night not a great picture but this is its current look
Mine is Ocean Blue, but I've got OZ Alleggeritas on mine. I like the look of them and they're really easy to clean, I can imagine yours aren't!
Fast Bug said:
Mine is Ocean Blue, but I've got OZ Alleggeritas on mine. I like the look of them and they're really easy to clean, I can imagine yours aren't!
They are not to bad, they were fully refurbished only 2K miles ago so I am starting from a clean base but you have to use a brush to get in about the bolts.1 thing that really gets me is the get dirty very easy & lose there shine after 1 drive.
Jamie Summers said:
Chris Stott said:
Happy with no sun roof in mine as it give a bit more head room, but I have a panoramic roof in the Touareg, and that gets used a lot.
At 76k, you'll be looking potentially at things like (if not already done) rads, AC condensers, clutch, RMS, wheel bearings, coffin arms, shocks (though mine are still original at 170k), general suspension bushes, top mounts. These are most of the bits that I saw fail on the approach to 100k.
Also have the manifolds checked - expensive job to change them.
If you're going to lower it you'll want new shocks, and you may as well do most of the other smaller suspension components in the process arms, tie rods, top mounts, bushes etc) as you'll save on overall labour costs. Pretty easy to run up £4k on this in parts and labour.
Can't tell what exhaust is on it, but those tip are not from a narrow body 996.
An invoice from last year pointed out most of those as issues for future action........ Dealer will sort A/c (properly, not just "re-gas") as it is not working (condensors), clutch seems ok - prob still original, but pedal not heavy - will get it changed if IMS / RMS are being replaced and may throw a LWFW at it. Some suspension parts were replaced last year to cure a knocking noise, but it wasn't very clear what. The shocks are almost certainly original (the bump stops looked quite perished). I agree that replacing shocks and all rubber and links in the suspension could easily run to £4k. There is also a blow from one of the back boxes.At 76k, you'll be looking potentially at things like (if not already done) rads, AC condensers, clutch, RMS, wheel bearings, coffin arms, shocks (though mine are still original at 170k), general suspension bushes, top mounts. These are most of the bits that I saw fail on the approach to 100k.
Also have the manifolds checked - expensive job to change them.
If you're going to lower it you'll want new shocks, and you may as well do most of the other smaller suspension components in the process arms, tie rods, top mounts, bushes etc) as you'll save on overall labour costs. Pretty easy to run up £4k on this in parts and labour.
Can't tell what exhaust is on it, but those tip are not from a narrow body 996.
Thus this could be a car with every single one of the age-related issues that early 996s can suffer from......
The question then becomes how much money does it make sense to spend both at purchase point and then on getting it to how I want it. I get to £10k on bits and bobs without trying very hard - and that would not create a £25k car ! I think a lot will come down to how willing the dealer is to put things right, though I really can't imagine they have a lot of margin in it.
As an interested onlooker I struggle to see the rationale of paying a premium to buy from a dealer if the car needs the same £5k + of worth a private, or even auction, purchase may need for a lot less.....there's a p/ex C4 on autotrader for 5k less.
It does appear that these 60-80k mile cars perhaps are ultimately the most expensive. You pay a premium for the miles to buy in at a point when the car will need money throwing at it.
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