buying 911 996
Discussion
Hello, Need some advice if possible buying my first Porsche its 1998 with 164,000 miles on the clock with a full service history all mostly by Porsche.
It has been very well cared for its in my price bracket this is why im thinking of buying it.
Is the mileage to high im not really sure ?
Thank you
It has been very well cared for its in my price bracket this is why im thinking of buying it.
Is the mileage to high im not really sure ?
Thank you
The 996 was a £60k car when it was new and so the running costs aren't cheap - budget at least £2k/annum for even for a good one. I'd wager that it needs at least £5k spending on it now, which is most probably why the owner is getting rid. At 164k miles, unless the engine and gearbox have been rebuilt, then those will be on the horizon - budget c.£10k+ for that. If they have, then although with 164k miles it will never be worth that much, then it may make sense. If not, if you only have £9k to spend, I would look elsewhere.
That's a lot of miles. Whilst I'm not one of those who thinks a car is dead after 100k (I'm on 112k), 164k is quite a lot and I'm not sure how much life would be left in it. I'd also want a very comprehensive history showing a lot of work.
I think you could get one with 50k less miles for another grand.
I think you could get one with 50k less miles for another grand.
Personally I'd say that a car like this is really hard to judge without much more information. Some cars of this ilk will have been largely rebuilt and it if that was the case then it might prove a better bet than a c.75-100k mile car at around £13-16k that's had little or no work beyond basic servicing.
'Full Service History' is not a very useful description in a 20 year old Porsche...
'Full Service History' is not a very useful description in a 20 year old Porsche...
Not only that but much of the valuable history is around what has been replaced. My lower mileage 1998 car has had a new gearbox, new clutch, new cylinder head, new IMS, new brake lines, new RMS, many new suspension parts among other things... plus as others have said, all work should be backed up with verifiable receipts.
Edited by jonindorset on Sunday 1st April 21:17
jonindorset said:
Not only that but much of the valuable history is around what has been replaced. My lower mileage 1998 car has had a new gearbox, new clutch, new cylinder head, new IMS, new brake lines, new RMS, many new suspension parts among other things... plus as others have said, all work should be backed up with verifiable receipts.
But yours is possibly a £23k car rather than a £9k car in OP’s case.Edited by jonindorset on Sunday 1st April 21:17
I don’t understand the ‘walk away’ advice. It’s a 9k car! How much do you think, a 160k miles 996 with fully stamped history albeit no receipts, is worth?
There are some sound advice on this thread, namely the £2k avg maintenance / running restoration cost (exc insurance and tax).
Yes there are risks but which performance cars don’t? If I was buying a K-series Elise I would expect the head gasket may fail, ditto E46 M3 with its boot floor / VANOS, ditto SL55 with its ABC suspension, ditto TVR and its Speed-six engine etc etc. A 996 is no different. If you don’t trust yourself then have it inspected but have realistic expectations, as you’re not going to get a mint car for £9k.
Any 18yo cars with 150k+ miles will require some money to be spent on it at some point, let alone a sub5 0-60, 174mph top speed performance car. It’s not just a 996 ‘problem’.
Do your due diligence and go in with your eyes open. Don’t dismiss it just yet! (Unless it’s a tip
)
There are some sound advice on this thread, namely the £2k avg maintenance / running restoration cost (exc insurance and tax).
Yes there are risks but which performance cars don’t? If I was buying a K-series Elise I would expect the head gasket may fail, ditto E46 M3 with its boot floor / VANOS, ditto SL55 with its ABC suspension, ditto TVR and its Speed-six engine etc etc. A 996 is no different. If you don’t trust yourself then have it inspected but have realistic expectations, as you’re not going to get a mint car for £9k.
Any 18yo cars with 150k+ miles will require some money to be spent on it at some point, let alone a sub5 0-60, 174mph top speed performance car. It’s not just a 996 ‘problem’.
Do your due diligence and go in with your eyes open. Don’t dismiss it just yet! (Unless it’s a tip
)gorg said:
The book is fully stamped up but no evidence of what work has been done to the 911
That's ^ sometimes the way with higher mileage cars that pass through the trade that the all important invoices to support the service book stamps goes missing. The dealer has had the car for a while & it's always worth trying a lower offer to see if you can make a saving? In relative terms, it's expensive IMO versus the cars that are say £2k more in price - some of the private sale cars are significantly better condition wise than those being sold by non specialist dealers and with say 60% of the mileage, which is an important consideration when it comes to resale.Also have a look at the online MOT history as its a good indicator as to how well (or not) the car has been maintained in the past.
BrotherMouzone said:
I don’t understand the ‘walk away’ advice. It’s a 9k car! How much do you think, a 160k miles 996 with fully stamped history albeit no receipts, is worth?
To me, sub 9k. I think you'd be looking at an engine rebuild pretty quickly. Which is another 9k minimum.I'd much sooner get an 80k car for 14k which are fairly common and so can pick and choose.
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