911 996 c4s ???????

[david-cpao3]

Hi guys and non guys

At this time in my life i think it is time for my first 911
Had most things on a budget
At the moment looking for a 996 a c4s coup no sun roof i have 20k to spend would like to spend 18
seal grey would be good not keen on the dark ones

any advise would be good i know all the RMS IMS stuff the basics

any advise or critisum gladfully recived

[Mankers]

Is your budget realistic? I m not fully up to date on C4S pricing, but is that level (18-20k) the bottom of the market? Also many will need a bit of money spent at that end, suspension, brakes, rads, condensers, clutch.....could end up with a BIG spend first year.

Great car by the way, if you can stretch your budget another 5k or so would give you more choice of better cars I would suspect.

Quick look on AT, cheapos are virtually all tip, high milers or with some mods.

This beaut jumped out, with the fabled nephrite green interior!

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010285...

Edited by Mankers on Tuesday 9th February 18:52

[david-cpao3]

Thanks my friend I know your right may have to cut my cloth to suit my needs
A basic c2 996 is very affordable at my price point I guess

[Darranu]

C4S looks stunning, probably the best of the range.

However at the price point in question the C2 manual is the sweet spot, especially when compared to a tip C4

[david-cpao3]

Thanks I have the issue we probably all have rolls Royce taste and mini money

[g7jhp]

david-cpao3 said:

Hi guys and non guys

At this time in my life i think it is time for my first 911
Had most things on a budget
At the moment looking for a 996 a c4s coup no sun roof i have 20k to spend would like to spend 18
seal grey would be good not keen on the dark ones

any advise would be good i know all the RMS IMS stuff the basics

any advise or critisum gladfully recived

Might be better to tell us a bit more on what you want if for?

Presume you want a manual or do you want a tip?

A manual 996 C4S coupe in Seal Grey is a great LOOKING car with the turbo body and full length rear reflector.

I'd expect the majority of 996 C4S would come with a sunroof (if not all).

Why choose a heavier body if you want to save weight with no sunroof. If you want to track if go for a C2.

For £20k I'd suggest going for a manual 996 C2 coupe (with or without sunroof) which will have less weight and you'll have more choice. Or even a manual C4 coupe.

[MrC986]

There have been 996 C4Ss at specialist Porsche dealers last year within the OPs budget although I think the market has moved on slightly (the likes of Friends Green Porsche have helped move the 996 market values up quietly as well). I’d agree that a well sort Carrera might be more achievable, especially if the OP wants a manual car.

[david-cpao3]

Looking for a non sunroof mainly because of the roof line
Manual would be nice but is at a premium on my limited budget will I get a good one

[guyvert1]

..or a curve ball


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2006-PORSCHE-997-911-CA...


Yes, cat s but doesn't appear to be all that bad!

[g7jhp]

david-cpao3 said:

Looking for a non sunroof mainly because of the roof line
Manual would be nice but is at a premium on my limited budget will I get a good one

Sorry but I really don't get this.

The gearbox choice is a massive part of a Porsche and is make or break compared with a sunroof.

I wouldn't mind if a car had a sunroof or not, but a manual gearbox is a must for me.

[david-cpao3]

I guess it’s a budget thing yes would love a manual but a good manual may be out of my price range as opposed to a good tip

If that makes sense it’s bang for buck

[g7jhp]

david-cpao3 said:

I guess it’s a budget thing yes would love a manual but a good manual may be out of my price range as opposed to a good tip

If that makes sense it’s bang for buck

Not really. I'd have to have a manual 911 coupe.

If I couldn't afford a manual 996 C4S coupe (if that was my choice). I'd look for a manual 996 C4 coupe.

You could have a manual 996 C2 or C4 coupe for £20k, which would be more fun than a 996 C4S tip.

The widebody looks great but adds weight, better to take a nimbler narrow-bodied car.

I'd think about the driving experience over looks.

[theoriginalpaul]

I was looking for a manual C4S and expecting to spend £22-£25k for a decent one from a specialist dealer.
I managed to find a private sale car which fitted my requirements (manual, no sunroof, switchable exhaust & sensible mileage at 75k) for less than £19k.

It’s had a tonne of money spend on replacing all the obvious stuff over the past 2 years, so mechanically it’s spot on.
I had to compromise on colour - it’s black/black, which actually looks great but wouldn’t have been my first choice. Also cosmetically it’s not perfect - definitely not tatty, but needs wheel refurb and a few minor paint rectifications.

Cars do come up in your price range, just be prepared to for a long search.
My only advice would be put a good maintenance history above colour/no sunroof in your priorities.

Oh yeah, and it has to be a manual!

[jonny996]

OP it does sound like you value the shape & look of the car over the driving experience, unfortunatly that is most likely true of all C4S buyers so the difference in price between a manual & Tip would not be as much as in say, a 1998 C2.
As for roofline, I dont see the sunroof altering the roofline, are you sure you are not looking at the targa?
Finally watch out for the C4S & "C4 S tiptronic" , the latter being the name for a narrow body C4 automatic.

[gd]

Had two of these (996 C4S)... absolutely bloody brilliant cars, and I can't recommend them enough.

Forget the sunroof, but definitely buy a manual, the tip box is awful and ruins the feel of the car. But buy on condition... I'd suggest a private sale of a well looked-after car is probably better than a stealer at this point, the stealers are adding 5-6k margin on good cars and bad, and I'd take one that has a good history and a careful, knowledgeable owner over them any day.

But wait, be patient, drive a few, then buy one and enjoy! It was my first new 911, the memories are still fantastic.

G

[shalmaneser]

Buy a really decent C2 or C4 manual coupe for that sort of cash. Any C4S at that price will be very ropey indeed, if you can find one.

Although I admit I don't really see the appeal of the C4S, heavier and slower than a C4 or C2 but much more expensive as far as I can see. Although the rear reflector does look cool.

Highly prone to bore score too, with the weaker IMS bearing, buying at the bottom of the market would require big balls and a significant engine rebuild fund.

[trackdemon]

What's the point of insisting no sunroof? Roofline looks exactly the same, the weight is minimal and if that's a concern then a C4S is the wrong car anyway - and if you think you can tell the difference behind the wheel then you ought to take up racing The upside is a lovely airy interior on a warm day.... what's not to like?

[Huntsman]

trackdemon said:

What's the point of insisting no sunroof? Roofline looks exactly the same, the weight is minimal and if that's a concern then a C4S is the wrong car anyway - and if you think you can tell the difference behind the wheel then you ought to take up racing The upside is a lovely airy interior on a warm day.... what's not to like?

Less headroom inside? I'm 6ft 3 with short dumpy legs and a long body, I've had 911s with and without sunroof and without suits me better.

[nunpuncher]

shalmaneser said:

Although I admit I don't really see the appeal of the C4S,
.

This. Unlike the 997 there's no power gain with the C4S over the standard C2/4 so I don't really get the appeal. Or to be more exact, I don't get why you'd pay several thousand more for a slightly wider rear end that only serves to make the performance slightly worse.

Just buy the very best condition manual C2 or C4 coupe that you can get for the money. I wouldn't worry too much about sunroofs or factory parts that will/have worn out and been/need replaced such as Mo30 suspension and PSE.

[AyBee]

guyvert1 said:

..or a curve ball

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2006-PORSCHE-997-911-CA...


Yes, cat s but doesn't appear to be all that bad!

Just a bit of suspension work on the rear right to fix...assuming it's just suspension and not frame!