Thoughts on this 911 3.8 997 Carrera 4S Cabrio?
Discussion
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
Never had a Porsche before so any tips appreciated.
Not sure about the red dials though.
Never had a Porsche before so any tips appreciated.
Not sure about the red dials though.
Gosh, it's a bit of an acquired taste with a GT3-style front bumper and vent, and a turbo rear spoiler, isn't it?
Unless you love the look of the turbo's hydraulic spoiler you should be aware it's a common age-related weak spot; the hydraulics are complex, hard to repair, and frequently land owners with a 4 figure bill when they go wrong. Lots of failures of this on 996s and we are now starting to hear about them on older 997s too. The normal Carrera spoiler is much more reliable, if more subtle!
Personally I'd look for a C4S which hasn't been fiddled about with, as it's a very pretty and clean shape with the wide body as standard. I'd also be suspicious about whether this one had suffered a prang to justify replacing the front and rear ends, which wouldn't have been a cheap undertaking. Otherwise, no doubt someone will come along to mention the potential horrors of the 997.1's 3.8 litre M97 engine, but suffice to say you shouldn't buy one without a very thorough inspection from a specialist, a very comprehensive warranty, or a recent rebuild from one of the experts like Hartech. Like everything, the engine failures appear more frequent than they really are if you just go by Internet forums, but they are expensive when they happen.
Anyway, good luck with the search. I'm on my second 911 and I love the fact it's a great driver's car that you can use everyday. There are plenty out there too, which should make it easier to find just the right car for you.
Pete
Unless you love the look of the turbo's hydraulic spoiler you should be aware it's a common age-related weak spot; the hydraulics are complex, hard to repair, and frequently land owners with a 4 figure bill when they go wrong. Lots of failures of this on 996s and we are now starting to hear about them on older 997s too. The normal Carrera spoiler is much more reliable, if more subtle!
Personally I'd look for a C4S which hasn't been fiddled about with, as it's a very pretty and clean shape with the wide body as standard. I'd also be suspicious about whether this one had suffered a prang to justify replacing the front and rear ends, which wouldn't have been a cheap undertaking. Otherwise, no doubt someone will come along to mention the potential horrors of the 997.1's 3.8 litre M97 engine, but suffice to say you shouldn't buy one without a very thorough inspection from a specialist, a very comprehensive warranty, or a recent rebuild from one of the experts like Hartech. Like everything, the engine failures appear more frequent than they really are if you just go by Internet forums, but they are expensive when they happen.
Anyway, good luck with the search. I'm on my second 911 and I love the fact it's a great driver's car that you can use everyday. There are plenty out there too, which should make it easier to find just the right car for you.
Pete
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