groovzilla

not sure where you were looking for your car but every 996 i've ever looked at before i purchased had an excellent interior. perfect dash, nice seats and most wee in the 90-110K miles range. perhaps the cars you looked at were in florida with hot sun?

500

The people I know with 996s up here (Canada) for which I have been able to have a close look at the cars all had cars that looked pretty decent inside. The 997 definitely has a nicer interior, but the 996 is not that bad. My opinion is based only on cars I have actually seen.

Having had the opportunity to completely take apart my 3.2 Carrera, I would say these cars are fairly well built, but I wouldn't put them on that high a pedestal either.

Joe6pack

My two cents. I recently started a post about my experience driving a 996, so I won’t rehash except to say that if you want an exceptionally fast car, a 996 is a good choice. For handling and the joy of driving, however, stick with the SC/3.2s. That said, the interior on the MY2000 996 I drove was awful. This was a highly optioned car with wood, leather and aluminum trim everything. The wood (which looks more plastic than wood) was cracked and delaminating. The covering on both armrests was missing completely as it had fallen off. According to the salesman, you have to buy a complete interior wood kit as each car is different, so beware. The aluminum trim, which was not aluminum at all, but was instead a silver decal was also delaminating. The leather looked ok except they had opted for leather covered vents which were obviously done by hand and looked kind of cheesy. So maybe the thing to do is to stay away from the highly optioned interiors. The asking price for this car with 94,000 mi. was around $19,000. I don’t think it will be long before you see more 996’s showing up at the track. That’s where they are probably headed and they should do well.

In the spirit of the original poster’s question, I will add that I bought my ’87 cabriolet a little over two years ago with 146,000+ mi. on the clock. I have put around 8,000+ mi. on it in that time and have probably spent less than $1,000. I do most of my own work, so triple that number if you have to pay someone. I will also add, that I spent well south of $15K for the car, but I think I got very lucky as I see similar cars for close to $20k these days. Also, keep in mind that cabrios are cheaper than coupes as everyone seems to want a coupe.

fronesis47

Just to follow-up on the thread I started here, but which turned a bit into an air-cooled vs. 996 discussion...

First...The 3.2 G50 car that I spotted may well have been a very good deal. It showed up on Craigslist Monday around noon and I e-mailed the seller immediately, gave him my phone number and said I could look at it Monday night. He called Monday around 5 and said the earliest he could show it to me was Wednesday. I said, fine, I'm there, and we set up a time. On Tuesday around 3pm he called and said that someone had come by and paid him MORE than his asking price...

As for the 996 debate, I can't really weigh in. I've owned two air-cooled 911s and still waiting to drive a 996. I'm set up to test drive a 986 tomorrow.

I also just drove a very fairly-priced 89 944 S2 this afternoon. I liked it A LOT (I hadn't driven a pcar in about 6 years, and the switch from my GTI to the S2 was like switching from a video game to my GTI) but if I'm going to own a Porsche that is that old and requires that much attention, I think it needs to be a 911.

That said, I also see the appeal of owning a car that's 10 years old rather than 20 or more (I think the 993 is just out of my price range...). That's why I'm very tempted by a 996 or a 986.

GPTurbo

My comments were meant as a caution to someone considering buying an older 996 as they are now +10 years old, out of warranty and likely to need mechanical or electrical work which could prove to be very expensive. The very early cars were known to have sub-par interior leather and Porsche was forced to upgrade it in later years. If someone is looking for an older car, then a well maintained or refurbished sc or carrera could provide a lot of fun for less money - though obviously not be as fast.

I definitely enjoyed my 996s and as I stated had good luck with them, but IMO they will likely become the least desirable variant as time goes on based on repair/maintenance costs and looks. Still they are Porsches and provide a great driving experience.

BlackSpyder

I agree with you that if I'm going to own a old Porsche it needs to be a 911.

Have you considered a 964? I know I'm in the minority but I prefer their looks over a 993. Just a thought.. Let us know how the 986 test drive goes.

Mike

fronesis47

Yes, I previously owned a 964 (and an SC) and I'd happily own another! And I guess we are both in the minority: I'm not a big fan of the looks of the 993s.

I'm set up to test drive one and maybe two 986s tomorrow, so I'll report back.

aadrew10

A "cheap price" is a good deal after you've enjoyed the car and had a blast for as long as you wish. Problem is you never know how good the deal is until years later, but it does happen.

Jay Gratton

I like the way the 993 looks, but my favorite is the 964 as well.

Joe6pack

I didn’t mean to add to the 996 v air cooled argument again. I confess that I am still going back and forth on the 996 as a daily driver. They are just so darn cheap these days for what you get. And, like most cars, if you take the time to learn their problems and properly sort them, you can probably have a good long term relationship. The 996 really is a known entity now. Truth be told, you can probably find a 996 coupe for less than a G50 coupe with similar mileage. Will the 996 suffer the fate of the 928, 944 and Mercedes SLs of the world (i.e. high production numbers, high depreciation and high maintenance cost exacerbated by owners without means)? They look to be going in that direction. If so, though, that means you will be able to find well sorted examples in the bargain bin.

fronesis47

I drove the 986 today. You know you are on a good test-drive when you get the car almost completely sideways going through an intersection and the owner of the car, sitting the in passenger seat, is just grinning.

I absolutely loved the 986 S. There's just something about the way that flat 6 revs; there's nothing like it. And I was surprised at how "non modern" this new Porsche was: heavy clutch with tons of feel; very stiff brakes; transmission that didn't feel like a video game.

He had another guy coming to look at the car, and that guy might be bringing a check. I wasn't quite ready to pay full asking price (there was a pretty good shimmy at 75mph, probably just needs the front wheels balanced, and every now and then the car wasn't all that happy about going into second gear). If the other guy doesn't take it, I may make an offer and do a PPI. Even if I don't get this car, I see myself in a boxster or a cayman in the future...

Prices are hard to figure out right now since there are lots of folks asking astronomical numbers, and yet kbb and edmunds show really low numbers (as do some sales here and on ebay that I've seen).

BlackSpyder

Cool...nice to hear you enjoyed the car. From the prices I have seen they are a lot of car for the money. Be patient and find a good..

Mike

sennasixty8

I haven't posted here in ages, and am contemplating a move from an ///M-coupe to a g50 car, I have had numerous 996's, a 964 and now heading full circle towards the aircooled arena again.

Best of luck to you!

Ed Hughes

Evidence of rust is usually the tip of the iceberg.

I drove several 996's (2000-04) when I bought my 993. I think I went into them with an open mind, while simultaneously looking at 993's. The 996's (except GT3's) are surely lacking in soul, feel and the fun of air-cooled Porsches, in this case 993's. Yes, they are fast enough, drive well, yada yada, but they come up short for me.