what is an 'early' 3.4 996?

[LaurasOtherHalf]

ATM said:

richthebike said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233505278893

Did we post this already?
Something very 90s about the jade

Yes we did assuming this is the same one or could there be 2 Jades for sale?

shalmaneser said:

roca1976 said:

Splendid...

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/48517113...

Wow

I quite like ocean jade, when I was after a 993 targa a few years ago there was always a few of them about in that colour-always low mileage too. There may be a reason for that!

I like it I just don’t think I could live with it and my other 911s were orange and yellow.

[GT6 Jonsey]

Great turn out at RPM this morning, even managed to find my cars twin

[nunpuncher]

Chris Stott said:

The colour is really nice.

Negatives... it does have a sunroof (?), and it has grey interior. I’m not a fan of those wheels, plus it needs to be lower with the aero kit.

Looks really good if the underpinnings are right.

When most of these are now being bought as cars to enjoy on high days and holidays rather than to track I no longer see a sunroof as a negative.

I never thought I'd say this about a purple car but that is VERY nice. And for the first time ever, I think the 80s business shoe grey interior looks good. Previous owner must have had a mate who was a trimmer.

[nunpuncher]

LordHaveMurci said:

No reason to buy a C4 IMO, but if the right car comes up & it is a C4 there’s no real reason not too.

Hope that makes sense!

That's a good way of putting it.

Probably won't notice the difference unless you're a super sensitive and skilled driver. And if it niggles away at you knowing it's a C4 you can remove the front running gear easy enough.

[EGTE]

was8v said:

GT6 Jonsey said:

Lovely rare colour
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...

oof. The perfect 996?

Early 3.4 tick
manual tick
coupe tick
no sunroof (potential tick)
Fab colour tick
sports seats tick
aerokit (tick)
sport classic II wheels tick
a few miles on it so you won't be scared to drive it tick

Just noticed it's a C4.

[steve gom]

was8v said:

oof. The perfect 996?

Early 3.4 tick
manual tick
coupe tick
no sunroof (potential tick)
Fab colour tick
sports seats tick
aerokit (tick)
sport classic II wheels tick
a few miles on it so you won't be scared to drive it tick

Is there still a premium being paid for early 996s if they do tick all of the above then?

[ATM]

steve gom said:

was8v said:

oof. The perfect 996?

Early 3.4 tick
manual tick
coupe tick
no sunroof (potential tick)
Fab colour tick
sports seats tick
aerokit (tick)
sport classic II wheels tick
a few miles on it so you won't be scared to drive it tick

Is there still a premium being paid for early 996s if they do tick all of the above then?

I'd like to say yes but the reality is they are very rare anyway and therefore dont come up for sale too often. Especially if you want a really early so 97 or 98.

[Chris Stott]

steve gom said:

Is there still a premium being paid for early 996s if they do tick all of the above then?

A premium should be paid for cars that have all the proper jobs done.

The rest are just nice to haves... if a car doesn’t have them it doesn’t completely ruin the experience... other than an auto box for me, and I wouldn’t have a cab either.

[nunpuncher]

Agree on the aero kit but it seems like a bigger is attached to colour. Speed yellow and guards red 996s always have a few extra £s on them over an identical silver or grey car. Admittedly those cars nearly always have the aero kit as well.

[steve gom]

OK - So cable throttle, dual row IMS and the better material lining to the cylinders are a given, as this will apply to all early 996s.

Does a LSD, the MO30 suspension and Hollow Spoke Twists make any difference, or are these just nice to have's?

[nunpuncher]

Many factory LSDs will be past there best now and similar could be said of M030. Most twists on Carreras are not hollow, they are just that style and I don't think any standard wheel style merits a premium or extra level of desirability. There's no point holding out for a car with a 20 year old serviceable/easily changed item fitted.

I think the change with the IMS bearing and the shift to Lokasil coating was 2000. It's patchy though as I have heard of cars as late as 2001 having a dual row IMS. It could be they were built 2000 and registered 2001 or maybe Porsche found a load in the back of the cupboard. Either way, the earlier it is the more certain it is.

I'm not so sure how much truth there is in the early dual row IMS bearing being less likely to fail. There was a recent poll on the 996 owners FB group and the number of failed dual row IMS bearings was almost identical to the later models. Worth saying both numbers were relatively low.

Edited by nunpuncher on Monday 9th March 15:46

[was8v]

steve gom said:

Is there still a premium being paid for early 996s if they do tick all of the above then?

No

But its what the anorak like me would look for.

Buy a 97/98/99 C2 manual on condition. Anything else is immaterial.

m030 will be worn out, lsd will be worn out, aerokit I think looks rubbish and can easily be added if you like it, sunroof makes no difference. Certainly tip/c4/drive by wire all dull the experience by different amounts. But then I never ran mine on N rated tyres so maybe that ruined it anyway.

[Chris Stott]

steve gom said:

Does a LSD, the MO30 suspension and Hollow Spoke Twists make any difference, or are these just nice to have's?

As Nunpuncher says, an LSD will be well past its best now, and it's not something a road going 996 really needs IMO - they don't really have the power to break traction unless you're driving in a way that's not safe on public roads.

M030 is desirable, but only if it's in good condition. A car with new, stock suspension parts for example, will drive much better than a car with old, worn M030.

Hollow spoke are desirable... because they fetch good money 2nd hand. They don't offer anything significant to the driving experience.

If you're buying a 996 there are so many other things that are more important than LSD/M030/cable throttle/no sunroof etc etc etc. Buying a car based on those factors, and not on the quality of the maintenance could end up being financial suicide... I'd be looking for evidence of replacement of a whole heap of things on a 20 year old/100k mile car before I'd be looking for those.

They do seem to get quoted as 'has desirable LSD/M030/non sunroof' etc in adverts though... often on the 1st or 2nd line.

[skinny]

Didn't the earliest of the 3.4s ('97, maybe '98) suffer from d-chunking? Don't really hear of it on '99s and later

[steve gom]

Might be selling mine with some of those options fitted. Loads spent in the last couple of years, I can't bring myself to add it all up but its more than I paid for the car in the first place!

[steve gom]

Might be selling my 97 C2 with some of those options fitted. Loads spent in the last couple of years, I can't bring myself to add it all up but its more than I paid for the car in the first place.

[Chris Stott]

I'd be far more interested in the 'loads spent' than the M030 etc.... there don't seem to be loads of cars for sale that have been properly maintained.

[tobie]

GT6 Jonsey said:

What you up to tomorrow morning ? Pop over to RPM technic between 9-12 for the 996 meet. Lots of cars to look at and people to talk to

Damn, I can’t believe I missed this! Looked like a great turnout (and didn’t realise RPM was that close).

Where can I find events like this? I’d definitely like to join for another (in the lowly Clio 197 )

[roca1976]

Usually a good turn out of 996 at Bicester Sunday scramble. Join 996 Carrera Facebook group - worth sticking some 996s on your profile photo because the admin team can be a bit overkeen at restricting who joins. I have always found a wanted add in the right place sometimes tempts out hidden gems who can't be dealing with usual wasters. I bought a C2 however in hindsight a C4 would probably been slightly better all weather option.

[ferrisbueller]

Chris Stott said:

steve gom said:

Is there still a premium being paid for early 996s if they do tick all of the above then?

A premium should be paid for cars that have all the proper jobs done.

The rest are just nice to haves... if a car doesn’t have them it doesn’t completely ruin the experience... other than an auto box for me, and I wouldn’t have a cab either.

Same. All of these offer a level of involvement and basic raw feel and character that nothing modern does. Nice ones are arguably worth a premium but different people have different views on what "nice" actually means.