Project 996
Author
Discussion

baileybobs

Original Poster:

937 posts

208 months

Wednesday 6th December 2017
quotequote all
I am currently looking for a winter project and the 996 is top of my list,i have had winter projects over the years (Scimitars,Spitfires,928s,imp,mini`s) and have no issue spending money on the right car with sympathetic modifications but keeping it as close to the original car as possible and add that this is to be a keeper...

I would use the car for weekends (i have a daily) and wonder what you think of this (i need a auto due to left leg surgery)

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

baileybobs

Original Poster:

937 posts

208 months

Wednesday 6th December 2017
quotequote all
anonymous said:
[redacted]
It sure is smile ( your not a fan of tiptronic ?)

I gather that the early 996 are less prone to some of the issues that the later ones can have and i prefer the original lights, i did have a pic of these on my wall as a child and its about time i had a real one..



LordHaveMurci

12,334 posts

197 months

Wednesday 6th December 2017
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So much BS will be posted you'll wonder why you ever considered a 996!

They are great cars but like many others, they have known achilles heels which are believed to only affect less than 10% of cars.

The early cars do seem to avoid some of the issues, get a decent car & have it PPI'd or find a Hartech rebuilt car & you should be very happy, they are wonderful cars & values are on the increase.

What mods are you planning?

baileybobs

Original Poster:

937 posts

208 months

Wednesday 6th December 2017
quotequote all
LordHaveMurci said:
So much BS will be posted you'll wonder why you ever considered a 996!

They are great cars but like many others, they have known achilles heels which are believed to only affect less than 10% of cars.

The early cars do seem to avoid some of the issues, get a decent car & have it PPI'd or find a Hartech rebuilt car & you should be very happy, they are wonderful cars & values are on the increase.
Thanks as someone who drives a Alfa as his daily i except people have differing views concerning cars and i did see that the 996 can devide.

I have spoken with Hartech and i am of the opinion that i should just buy enjoy and address the issues as they arise with a engine rebuild budgeted for...

Mods wise i have no idea as i like the original look of the early 996 but as with most cars of this age a suspension refresh would be needed,and i do have some colours in mind for a complete colour change.




Edited by baileybobs on Wednesday 6th December 08:45

EGTE

997 posts

210 months

Wednesday 6th December 2017
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Pretty sure those are Boxster wheels, plus the wood-effect is....(v.) challenging!

Ruffled "black" leather and steering wheel look ropey and the parking sensors are horrific after-market things.

No mention of history and "Drives great" is so lacklustre, it is in reality probably a complete nail.


There are many that are far, far better than this. Probably 99% of 996s, to be honest.

Filibuster

3,399 posts

243 months

Wednesday 6th December 2017
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EGTE said:
Pretty sure those are Boxster wheels
I think those are standard 17" 996 "Twist" wheels.

EGTE said:
the parking sensors are horrific after-market things.
Nope, these where Porsche OEM fitting in the first years. Horrific nevertheless, mind!

EGTE said:
There are many that are far, far better than this. Probably 99% of 996s, to be honest.
That is a rather bold statement. Sure there are better cars around, but not many for under 10k£. I don't think you have a vast choice of better cars fur sub 5 digits!
For someone who is looking for a winter project, this could be a very good car indeed!

was8v

2,012 posts

223 months

Wednesday 6th December 2017
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EGTE said:
Pretty sure those are Boxster wheels, plus the wood-effect is....(v.) challenging!

Ruffled "black" leather and steering wheel look ropey and the parking sensors are horrific after-market things.

No mention of history and "Drives great" is so lacklustre, it is in reality probably a complete nail.


There are many that are far, far better than this. Probably 99% of 996s, to be honest.
Those are 17" standard carrera 2 wheels not boxster, they are some of the lightest 996 wheels and it will handle all the better for them. Black is not a good look IMO but they can be painted.

As said parking sensors are the original Porsche ones.

The wood trim is not for everybody (anybody?) but you could get it all hydro dipped and lacquered (carbon effect? DIY possible) and it will look much better.

You need a tip so that is good - not for most but it brings the cost down substantially, and less chance of being ragged so much.

Its an early 3.4, so should have the most reliable IMS bearing.
The early 34 should have the ferrous piston coating that doesn't break up and score the bores (unlike the later cars plastic coating).

It wears its original amber indicators which look great and mean successive owners have valued originality.

Exhaust tips need throwing away.

Stereo has been upgraded to a desirable becker grand prix (check how much these go for on ebay).

I can see nothing wrong with it really and its on the money really. Check it carefully for rusty ends of sills under plastics.


EDIT: looking again the wood trim may be just "stuck on" aftermarket, so the original plastics may be under there and may clean up.

Edited by was8v on Wednesday 6th December 15:31

EGTE

997 posts

210 months

Wednesday 6th December 2017
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I stand corrected; thought they were Boxster-only and crikey parking sensors OEM - wow!

However, with no comments on Service History, best to get it PPI'd properly.

Filibuster

3,399 posts

243 months

Wednesday 6th December 2017
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A quick search on ebay brings up this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Porsche-911-3-4-996-Car...

Scho

2,479 posts

231 months

Wednesday 6th December 2017
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The radio is nice!

EGTE

997 posts

210 months

Wednesday 6th December 2017
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Good find. Much better vibe from that.

Sine Metu

302 posts

154 months

Wednesday 6th December 2017
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Filibuster said:
A quick search on ebay brings up this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Porsche-911-3-4-996-Car...
How did he get it to 325bho?

was8v

2,012 posts

223 months

Thursday 7th December 2017
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He most likely didn't.

Owner serviced for ten years... what are peoples thoughts? Better than a patchy indy history worse....?

MY99 3.4 won't need an IMS bearing anyway, this most likely had the stronger bearing pre cost cutting.

Looks nice and clean that one. It is a C4 though.

Filibuster

3,399 posts

243 months

Thursday 7th December 2017
quotequote all
was8v said:
He most likely didn't.

Owner serviced for ten years... what are peoples thoughts? Better than a patchy indy history worse....?

MY99 3.4 won't need an IMS bearing anyway, this most likely had the stronger bearing pre cost cutting.

Looks nice and clean that one. It is a C4 though.
In the Ad it states to be a 2WD not 4WD. It's not 100% clear whether it used to be a C4 with the front differential removed or a C2.

Regarding DIY service:
It depends. As we see on the readers cars threads regularly, there are some people out there who meticulously care about their P&J to an extent a normally serviced car would not get. If someone keeps every receipt and photographs/documents everything, bingo!
And then there are people who do service their own cars thoroughly but are too lazy to document their work. This is where it gets tricky whether you believe/trust the seller or not... And this reflects in the price.

It's mostly high mileage cars at the lower end of the price bracket that get serviced at home. If you are looking in that market, you can't be to picky. There are some gems out there cheap. Few and rarely, but they exist!

In this case, an owner who had the car for 10 years is a good sign! Patchy SH and 10 owners would be more off-putting than 10 years of DIY SH.

For reference: I did d the last minor service on my 997.1 C2 myself. Kept all the receipts and documented everything with photographs. No garage would have the time to do it this thoroughly as I did and cleaning every little bit I had in the hand.
I saved a lot of money, I enjoyed what I did, but whether the next owner will appreciate it or not I don't know. (with currently 200k miles it will be hard to sell on anyhow!)