996 C2 Buying Advice!

[Exint2]

I have that most dangerous of things - a large cheque from an insurance company (previous car nicked using the letter box trick 2 months ago) Therefore I have about 42K to spend. I'd like a 996 C2 Coupe (I know that much) but I'd apreciate advice on what to look for, what options are worth having (looking at resell) what options are basically worthless - how much does tiptronic blunt the performance, and most importantly - what can I expect to get for the money (I doubt I'll but from an offical centre as thier prices seem way too high)Thanks!

[domster]

There will be a lot of previous posts that cover this info almost to the letter. Try searching the Porsche forum over the last 6 months with '996' and 'options' as the keywords, etc.

One day, when I have some spare time, I will try and set up an FAQ of interesting posts and threads. Until this happens, the search engine will be your best friend, as many of the 996 owners have posted to death on this topic already and may be less likely to wax lyrical on this occasion.

All the best, and let us know how you get on. (Hmmm, a cheque like that would get a nice 993RS, you know... Or spend some extra for the GT3 )

[Grant3]

£42k to spend eh ! The spec. check is always so difficult as it depends on your own tastes. Here are a few "must haves", 18 inch wheels (standard 17 " look weedy) the sound pack/Bose system,as the standard stereo is crap!A few alloy bit's lift the cabin feel, eg alloy handbrake & gearlever.If you are a press on driver then you will need sports suspension, but if you fancy a tiptronic then you may not be a hard core driver & then you may find this too harsh, as it can be "bumpy" on B roads. I also feel a sports exhaust is a must for pre-facelift 996s. At the end of the day buying second hand, you won't ever find the perfect spec, but if you go for something with a boat load of extras it shouldn't cost you that much more. Basically everything is extra on these cars, so heated seats, sports seats, Sat Nav are all nice toys to have but everything costs an arm & a leg when new, so many cars have a basic spec. Personally I have found the sunroof a waste of space (too small & too noisy!).I'd also avoid heavily modified car's as these will be hard to sell to the main dealer network come re-sale time.
Obviously you will go around a few dealers & compare colours/specs to find out what appeals. If you buy privately make sure you pay for a main Porsche dealer 87 point check, you can also buy an extended warranty for around £700-ish. 996 prices are coming under pressure at the moment (because of over supply) so there are some great bargains if you buy now, but as always most private sales try for retail money, the
main O.P.Cs buyers know the real value of any car out there, they are a gold mine of information. All the best with your search for a new baby !!!

[oldtimer]

that's good advice from grant3.
Re Tiptronic, I am a fan of this unashamedly, and I dont think the performance is noticeably handicapped. For sure you wont need to replace the clutch. OK the system soaks up some HP but you never win in that game as porsche keep increasing the HP in the newer models..you are always going to be behind unless you keep buying the latest and the greatest engine spec. If you live in the mythical english country side with marvellous twisty roads and no congestion then the (enthusiasts choice) is 6 speed manual. But there's more to life than heeling and toeing or snatching the wrong gear or slipping the clutch in uphill traffic or motorway crawls!!
I would not rule out OPCs either, you might have to push hard on price but you can always take it back to sort bits out. Have fun looking and trying