997.2 Buying suggestions/guide/tips
Discussion
Hi
Having had a 997.1 many years ago, Im looking at the 997.2 manual before maybe I cant afford one given they seem to have gone up 5-10k in the last 12 months alone.
Are there any key weak areas or points which should be focused on for the search? Any engine issues or points to watch for?
Finally are there any specialists you'd recommend speaking to who tend to sell good quality cars and have great aftercare?
Thanks
Simon
ps sorry i cant imagine for a second this hasnt been asked before but I havent found the thread yet.
Having had a 997.1 many years ago, Im looking at the 997.2 manual before maybe I cant afford one given they seem to have gone up 5-10k in the last 12 months alone.
Are there any key weak areas or points which should be focused on for the search? Any engine issues or points to watch for?
Finally are there any specialists you'd recommend speaking to who tend to sell good quality cars and have great aftercare?
Thanks
Simon
ps sorry i cant imagine for a second this hasnt been asked before but I havent found the thread yet.
Very early (late 08/early 09) Gen 2 DFi engines were afflicted by bore scoring issues ... the engines that failed were replaced under warranty without any quibbling (and no doubt the cause of the fault established quickly to enable the faulty manufacturing process to be rectified) Speak to Baz or one of his team at Hartech for further information. They'll also be able to advise on the best oil to use to avoid LSPi :
https://team.valvoline.com/diy/maintenance/what-yo...
The rear light lenses are a two part assembly, water can find its way into the join between them and cause moisture/condensation to build up. A new pair of lights is both very expensive, and one of the assemblies is seemingly on backorder currently.
A well regarded Porsche indy suggested that it would be worthwhile fitting paint protection film to the lenses to "cover the join" and stop any water ingress.
Some reckon part availability will bean issue (if not now, then in years to come) I remain to be convinced that this is/will be the case. Watch this space.
And finally a thread about the early DFi engine failures (Rennlist is probably the best technical resource for these cars) :
https://rennlist.com/forums/997-forum/1120276-997-...
https://team.valvoline.com/diy/maintenance/what-yo...
The rear light lenses are a two part assembly, water can find its way into the join between them and cause moisture/condensation to build up. A new pair of lights is both very expensive, and one of the assemblies is seemingly on backorder currently.
A well regarded Porsche indy suggested that it would be worthwhile fitting paint protection film to the lenses to "cover the join" and stop any water ingress.
Some reckon part availability will bean issue (if not now, then in years to come) I remain to be convinced that this is/will be the case. Watch this space.
And finally a thread about the early DFi engine failures (Rennlist is probably the best technical resource for these cars) :
https://rennlist.com/forums/997-forum/1120276-997-...
Thanks for the info.
Always a concern reading such engine failures one supposedly solid blocks but I guess no car is invincible. Just have to limit the risk with a car that has been well maintained and comes with plenty of history etc. (think I preferred my previous ignorance that bore scoring didnt happen in a 997.2!)
Always a concern reading such engine failures one supposedly solid blocks but I guess no car is invincible. Just have to limit the risk with a car that has been well maintained and comes with plenty of history etc. (think I preferred my previous ignorance that bore scoring didnt happen in a 997.2!)
SJR202 said:
Thanks for the info.
Always a concern reading such engine failures one supposedly solid blocks but I guess no car is invincible. Just have to limit the risk with a car that has been well maintained and comes with plenty of history etc. (think I preferred my previous ignorance that bore scoring didnt happen in a 997.2!)
Compared with the first generation 997 engines, the DFi is pretty much bullet proof. As I mentioned, there were some isolated bore scoring issues in the very earliest Gen DFi 2 cars, but the issue in the manufacturing process was quickly addressed, and there are very few occurrences nowadays. Always a concern reading such engine failures one supposedly solid blocks but I guess no car is invincible. Just have to limit the risk with a car that has been well maintained and comes with plenty of history etc. (think I preferred my previous ignorance that bore scoring didnt happen in a 997.2!)
I think you'd have to be very unlucky indeed to get caught out with bore scoring issues with a Gen 2 engine now.
I've deliberately not purchased a Gen 1 997 because of the high incidence of the bore scoring issue. I'd have no such concerns with regards to the integrity of the engine whatsoever when buying a Gen 2 car.
SJR202 said:
Great, thanks for that. Do you know a year/age when the scoring on the DFI was meant to be fully addressed. With .2 cars c10k more than .1 the last think you want is a 10k bill on the .2 car
I'd give Baz at Hartech a call and speak with him or one of his staff members, they're all very helpful and knowledgeable. In addition to fixing thousands of M96 and 97 engines, they carried out a lot of research on the failures of the Gen 2 engines when they were presented with examples with the dreaded bore scoring issue. I'm sure they'll be able to tell you when production process was changed to address the issue.
I've owned my 997.2 manual for nearly 5 years. It's a great car and I love it. I simply cannot think of another car I could buy for the money which would be as good. It also seems to have done its depreciating and running costs are reasonable. It’s maybe even going up in value but I don’t really care because it’ll probably never be sold.
Other than routine servicing I have had a couple of issues:
The High Pressure Fuel Pump failed which I understand to be a common issue. There was a recall on these and mine had previously been replaced but failed again. Replacement was about £1000 (can't recall exactly).
The other issue I have had was a combination of bad luck and a gamble which didn't pay off! The passenger side silencer started making a blowing noise. My indy offered me a used one which had been removed from a car they had upgraded the system on. It was a fraction of the new OEM retail price and meant I didn't have to wait for the part to be ordered. It was a gamble and it failed because the same side silencer failed in the same way about 18 months later! I've since replaced both sides with Dansk.
I also have no aircon at the moment which may or may not be condensers failing due to debris in the front air intakes. I need to get it looked at but this is another common issue, although not unique to the 997.2 I believe.
In summary, I would buy the same car again every time. Mine is just a weekend toy but you could easily drive it daily. Brilliant car.
Other than routine servicing I have had a couple of issues:
The High Pressure Fuel Pump failed which I understand to be a common issue. There was a recall on these and mine had previously been replaced but failed again. Replacement was about £1000 (can't recall exactly).
The other issue I have had was a combination of bad luck and a gamble which didn't pay off! The passenger side silencer started making a blowing noise. My indy offered me a used one which had been removed from a car they had upgraded the system on. It was a fraction of the new OEM retail price and meant I didn't have to wait for the part to be ordered. It was a gamble and it failed because the same side silencer failed in the same way about 18 months later! I've since replaced both sides with Dansk.
I also have no aircon at the moment which may or may not be condensers failing due to debris in the front air intakes. I need to get it looked at but this is another common issue, although not unique to the 997.2 I believe.
In summary, I would buy the same car again every time. Mine is just a weekend toy but you could easily drive it daily. Brilliant car.
Thanks Chris
Glad to hear you're enjoying your 997 so much, I feel the same about my 987 Spyder, its a forever car but only gets a bit of use in the summer so thinking a 997 will enable me to enjoy motoring more of the time through the year.
Im quite prepared for the running costs and general wear and tear and the usual weak spots like pumps and air con/rads are expensive but not ruinous I guess. A few friends have 996/997.1s and every noise that isnt 'normal' creates a whatsapp panic, Im not sure I have the nerves for that ;-)
911's have all gone a bit pricey in the past 12 months though...
Glad to hear you're enjoying your 997 so much, I feel the same about my 987 Spyder, its a forever car but only gets a bit of use in the summer so thinking a 997 will enable me to enjoy motoring more of the time through the year.
Im quite prepared for the running costs and general wear and tear and the usual weak spots like pumps and air con/rads are expensive but not ruinous I guess. A few friends have 996/997.1s and every noise that isnt 'normal' creates a whatsapp panic, Im not sure I have the nerves for that ;-)
911's have all gone a bit pricey in the past 12 months though...
I've had my 2010 997.2 C4S for 2 years and I have had no issues with the car at all - albeit I've only done about 6000 miles due to lockdown etc.
It's a fantastic drive and can be used as a daily driver as well as being an exciting sportscar. I bought it from RPM Technik who were good to deal with and the car was exactly as described. Mine is not a manual but is PDK with Chrono and a very good spec. Unless you're absolutely wedded to having a manual I would at least give the PDK a try - now I'm used to it I really, really like it.
Happy hunting.
It's a fantastic drive and can be used as a daily driver as well as being an exciting sportscar. I bought it from RPM Technik who were good to deal with and the car was exactly as described. Mine is not a manual but is PDK with Chrono and a very good spec. Unless you're absolutely wedded to having a manual I would at least give the PDK a try - now I'm used to it I really, really like it.
Happy hunting.
I had a 997.1 C2S with a rebuilt engine with a lot of options and it was great, the gearbox was a bit notchy when cold in 2nd and the PCM finish wasn't good even after changing all the buttons which are expensive. It could have done with the coolant pipes changed for peace of mind but I took a decision to sell it a few months ago......................a decision I would regret!
Only a month or 2 had passed and I wanted another one but it would have to be a 997.2 C2S as I don't believe in getting the same car again as you always compare it.
Only 6 weeks ago I bought a silver 997.2 C2S again with lots of options and a Carnewal exhaust. It is a more refined feeling car to drive and has much better finished PCM. The gearbox is still uncooperative in 2nd when cold but otherwise it feels very similar, actually no different when it comes to the engine even though on paper the gen 2 has another 30hp. Its a 3rd car to me and I'm going to 'TRY' and keep it! I have a habit of taking notions to sell things I don't need........... IMO its the best water cooled 911 ever in the same way a 993 is the best air cooled 911, I hope future values prove this.
Nice options are heated, electric memory seats, sports exhaust, Bose, multi function wheel, mine has a sunroof too which I like but don't put value on.
Basically I wouldn't rule out a Gen 1 car but for me it would have to be a rebuilt one for me to want it. The Gen 2 manual is a rare thing as the financial crash was 2008 when it was launched and the want for automatics was growing. I would not want a PDK, fine for an everyday car but not for a car that I bought to enjoy driving for driving's sake.
Only a month or 2 had passed and I wanted another one but it would have to be a 997.2 C2S as I don't believe in getting the same car again as you always compare it.
Only 6 weeks ago I bought a silver 997.2 C2S again with lots of options and a Carnewal exhaust. It is a more refined feeling car to drive and has much better finished PCM. The gearbox is still uncooperative in 2nd when cold but otherwise it feels very similar, actually no different when it comes to the engine even though on paper the gen 2 has another 30hp. Its a 3rd car to me and I'm going to 'TRY' and keep it! I have a habit of taking notions to sell things I don't need........... IMO its the best water cooled 911 ever in the same way a 993 is the best air cooled 911, I hope future values prove this.
Nice options are heated, electric memory seats, sports exhaust, Bose, multi function wheel, mine has a sunroof too which I like but don't put value on.
Basically I wouldn't rule out a Gen 1 car but for me it would have to be a rebuilt one for me to want it. The Gen 2 manual is a rare thing as the financial crash was 2008 when it was launched and the want for automatics was growing. I would not want a PDK, fine for an everyday car but not for a car that I bought to enjoy driving for driving's sake.
Edited by mike150 on Tuesday 16th November 17:24
Edited by mike150 on Tuesday 16th November 18:03
Gassing Station | 911/Carrera GT | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff