996 Turbo/997 Carerra

[Belle427]

I've read the previous threads and it seems if you can put up with a slightly dated interior then the 996 Turbo is where to put your money.
My next car will probably be a 911 996/997 with a budget of around £32k.
Im not interested in climbing values but the car will be a weekend toy that needs to excite just looking at it.
I'm Currently in a Tvr Chimaera so lightly older interiors etc don't bother me much, it's all about the event when you put your foot down!
Alhough I'm not a huge fan of the 996 headlights I'm sure I could put up with them if I owned one!
Has anyone gone the Turbo route and never looked back?

[Belle427]

T1547 said:

Have you considered a 987.2 Cayman S? £30k would get you a very nice low mileage well spec’d example. Otherwise 997 Carrera S you’re looking at gen 1 and everything that (possibly) entails. Gen 2 Carrera base may just about be in reach for a leggy one at £32k.

Still a bit undecided but the engine problems with the n/a 996 and 997 scare me a little.
Im not sure what it is but the cayman does not really appeal to me as much.

Edited by Belle427 on Wednesday 16th January 20:47

[Belle427]

griffter said:

I went from a Griffith 4.3 BV to a 996 Carrera via some other stuff. The 996 is a great blend of usability, capability and character. It’s far more confidence-inspiring and safer than the TVR - if those things matter to you.
It doesn’t quite get my heart racing as much when it turn the key, or give me the same sense of achievement (!) when I get back from a run but it’s a great car to own and run.

The only thing that worries me a bit is your budget of £32k. If you’ve got £32k that sounds more like a budget of £25k to spend on the car, the rest to address the inevitable “to do” list and as a just-in-case.

I just wondered where the money goes when people say you need £4K a year to run one.
I can afford to run one but there is no way I’d buy if that were true.
My mileage would be less than 3000 per year and I do all work myself.
A n/a 996/997 would need to have an engine rebuild for me to buy one, which complicates matters.

[Belle427]

Whats the average cost for Turbo refurbishment?

[Belle427]

I suppose any supercar has the ability to give you a big bill at some stage, you just have to go in with your eyes wide open.

[Belle427]

neutral 3 said:

shantybeater said:

Had my 996T for over 6 years now, and I usually change my car every year or two.

I won't bore you with the usual biased owners view of how it drives, the fact I have kept it so long is proof to me of just how incredible it is.

In terms of cost, I get mine serviced at the OPC for the stamp and report, then do all I can myself. I do not earn a six figure salary, and enjoying such a luxury is completely reliant on me being hands on (plus i enjoy it). That said the car has been remarkably reliable up until now and the usual 'servicing' costs are cheaper than an E46 M3 (not to mention the overall running costs!!).

In my six years~. over and above servicing:
- £4000~ spent at 9E getting a major service, boost leak check, oil weep fixed, rear coffin arms, turbo actuators+calibration, replacement of rusty headstuds, turbo nuts etc... and a few other bits and bobs to get the car in healthy shape (can't remember what)
- £600-700 for replacement of all three front radiators (DIY fitting, parts only)
- £200 to renew all radiator pipes - which was the actual cause of the radiator leak (DIY, parts only)
- £80 Pedal potentiometer (DIY, parts only)
- £100~ Clutch accumulator (DIY, parts only)
- £100 ~ Rust prevention - piece of mind after seeing my 2 years younger M3(DIY)
- £300 - Titanium headstuds / SS turbo/exhaust nuts- to avoid difficult maintenance down the line(DIY)

And thats about it......In SIX years. Granted she is a summer car only but i still do 3-4k miles per year on average.

I will update this with any additional costs when i get home.

Edited by shantybeater on Friday 18th January 16:41

Edited by shantybeater on Friday 18th January 16:42

Interesting stuff !
Re your M3, i ran a late 03 E46 M3 manual for nearly 5 years ( superb cars, I Loved it / Miss it badly ) and 30,000 miles and spent v little on it. If I don't go down the 996T route, then it will be another M3, as @ 3 times the £ price, no way is the 996T 3 times the better car.

I must admit that part of me thinks its ludicrous to spend £30k on a 15 year old car when there is so much good fun machinery out there.

[Belle427]

That’s a mid to high twenty’s car at best, lovely colour though.

[Belle427]

neutral 3 said:

Belle427 said:

That’s a mid to high twenty’s car at best, lovely colour though.

My thoughts as well!
This one is simply stunning, love the exterior / interior colour combo, but I usually go for non stand out, dark colours. [/quote

Yes that's very nice, I think the black inside breaks up the red a little. Seems most Porsches come in black or silver exterior colours!
I'm not the biggest fan of silver but it really suits some cars and this is one of them.
I'd still personally look at 997 s too, every now and again one pops up with a hartech engine rebuild or even a gen 2 for Turbo money.

[Belle427]

shantybeater said:

I'm afraid I disagree. I have alot of love for both cars but they are poles apart and fulfil different needs. the E46 is my daily and the 996 my weekend toy. The M3 is a jack of all trades but a master of none. It is compromised in its abilities because it has good boot space, fits four, and is comfortable/more refined. It also makes a lovely noise, has a better built cabin, and winds up really well on country roads. It is very enjoyable because you can quite easily reach its limits and get it squirming about controllably.

The 996 on the other hand is a more honed sports car. It won't fit adults in the back, the interior is of poor quality, but the performance and feedback is in a different league. It is also way way beyond just a straight line warrior. The most impressive drives I have had in the turbo are wet country roads where its ability uttlery outstrips my talent. An e46 m3 in any scenario would not see what direction it went in. I suggest driver skill played a part with your experience, but perhaps its the perception of what how quickly you expected him to disappear? I have toyed with 12C's and Aventadors in similar scenarios and been blown away by how well the 16 year old pork held its own.

Edited by shantybeater on Saturday 19th January 16:08

Hell of a garage there!