911 Newbie from BMW E39 M5
Discussion
Hi, after four good years with my trusty intergalatic mileage M5, which i have just sold its now time to step into unfamiliar territory with a Porsche. I know that the 996 911 isn't particularly the best looking 911, and everybody loves a good 964 but prices have fallen so much recently that they are just too tempting. Is spending £10k and hoping to get a decent example asking too much?! As long as they can take it high mileage doesn't bother me.
So just after a few pointers from 996 owners really, what to look out for and common problems. I don't mind the early cars but I like the facelift models with the 3.6 engine but cant seem to find any this side of the 10k mark. I know that is asking a lot to get a decent facelift 3.6 911 for that money but these cars must be out there somewhere?!
Thanks in advance for any advice given!
Andy
So just after a few pointers from 996 owners really, what to look out for and common problems. I don't mind the early cars but I like the facelift models with the 3.6 engine but cant seem to find any this side of the 10k mark. I know that is asking a lot to get a decent facelift 3.6 911 for that money but these cars must be out there somewhere?!
Thanks in advance for any advice given!
Andy
Yes, i've been reading up on the rear main seal leaks (RMS) but then again there were lots of threads with people talking about Vanos failiure with BMWs and i never had a problem and if the car has got to over 100k miles then i'm sure things like that would've rear their head already and been resolved. Well thats what I would like to think anyway. In relation to performance, as i've not had a chance to test drive one yet does the 3.4 feel torquey at all and is it worth going for a manual over the tiptronic?
andy3781 said:
The way i'm looking at it is to buy the best serviced history car for as little as I can and keep some money in reserve incase the inevitable happens. Like I said mileage doesn't bother me and i've always bought on service history / condition over miles on the clock.
Get a specialist inspection too, well worth the cost on one of these. Reserve money needs to be at least £5k if the engine does fail without warning (which, whilst not common, should be far more uncommon than it is). If you get one inspected that's worth buying (for an appropriate price) and are happy with the risks then you'll really enjoy it, they're great cars. Torque levels not quite as high as a big V8 but they are very good and the engine pulls well at nearly all speeds - certainly from 1000rpm, it's just a little strained at very high revs compared to an earlier air-cooled car.supermono said:
Make sure and test one first, I couldn't believe how slow a C4S felt compared with the mighty M5 I had. It was necessary to get a turbo.
Carrera was nimble enough and fun enough to let me know I was onto a winner with a 911 generally but just way too slow.
SM
^^^^This....I did the same 6 years ago, E39 M5 to NA 996 then on to turbo, coming out of an M5 the NA 996 (albeit a better driving experience) will leave you underwhelmed from a power perspective.Carrera was nimble enough and fun enough to let me know I was onto a winner with a 911 generally but just way too slow.
SM
Thanks to all for the comments, I was afraid it might feel a little underpowered compared with a big v8 but theres noway i could afford a decent turbo at the minute. Might have to skip the 911 for a while obviously i'll never know unless i drive one but then i don't want to shatter the illusion either!!
I'm not entering an opinion on the do they / don't they all self destruct - but just thought I'd mention that earlier threads mention IMS and you said you've read about RMS. They are very different things.
From your posts, I don't think it will alter your view - but while RMS is an inconvenience, IMS is very much more if you're unlucky enough to have it happen.
From your posts, I don't think it will alter your view - but while RMS is an inconvenience, IMS is very much more if you're unlucky enough to have it happen.
andy3781 said:
Thanks to all for the comments, I was afraid it might feel a little underpowered compared with a big v8 but theres noway i could afford a decent turbo at the minute. Might have to skip the 911 for a while obviously i'll never know unless i drive one but then i don't want to shatter the illusion either!!
C2 is no slouch as it gets to 100 in 10.5s. Reasonable power and pretty lightweight too remember certainly vs more modern machinery.TX.
PS Don't forget the sound
smj996c said:
^^^^This....I did the same 6 years ago, E39 M5 to NA 996 then on to turbo, coming out of an M5 the NA 996 (albeit a better driving experience) will leave you underwhelmed from a power perspective.
This is why I've somewhat discounted the NA models, coming from an E55 AMG I didn't want to take a step backwards performance wise so am cutting out the middle man and going straight for a Turbo then probably remapping it to boot!!.Hi Andy
I just bought a 996 as a daily, a 3.4 on 1999, paid a lot more then £10k for it, perhaps too much, but having owned, and still do, a 964, buying the cheapest porsche can often lead to spending more in the long run. PM me if you want more details
i only drove an M5 for a short run, very awesome, but i think the C2 is quite a different experience, down on power but more of a sports car sensation perhaps ?
I just bought a 996 as a daily, a 3.4 on 1999, paid a lot more then £10k for it, perhaps too much, but having owned, and still do, a 964, buying the cheapest porsche can often lead to spending more in the long run. PM me if you want more details
i only drove an M5 for a short run, very awesome, but i think the C2 is quite a different experience, down on power but more of a sports car sensation perhaps ?
Yeah not sure why people think the M5 is noticeably faster, because it's certainly not. It has more low down torque, something I missed when I changed to a 911, but trust me when the big M5 starts hitting the aerodynamic wall at about 150 the little porker will keep pulling all the way to 175. The Porsche is a fantastic driving experience yet a tad impractical, whereas the M5 is very practical and is a special car but in no way is it as special as the Carrera.
Edited by goldblum on Wednesday 9th January 01:20
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