vitaminC

I'm starting to look for a 911, and for price reasons I've mainly been looking at 964's, however today I saw a 1996 with 150k miles for $21k. I haven't seen it in person it yet, but here are some details:
black/gray
1 owner with all records
cup wheels, CD changer, power seats
clutch at 89k miles

What are the potential problems that I should look for in this car? Does the price seem reasonable? I would of course have a PPI done before parting with any cash...

mrbill_fl

price sounds failr.. this isn't the SF city car that has lots of dents, posted about 2 weeks ago here?

lots of threads on buying 993's in last month.... read next 5 pages of threads would be start..

https://rennlist.com/forums/993-forum/290018-what-needs-changed-after-ten-years.html

adding:
https://rennlist.com/forums/993-forum/390088-95-993-fs-priced-right.html

https://rennlist.com/forums/993-forum/388270-looking-for-a-high-miles-and-or-low-price-993-a.html

RallyJon

Wear items, wear items, wear items!

After all the usual PPI stuff, pay special attention to any of the following that hasn't been replaced. Doesn't matter if it's still "OK"--if things haven't been replaced yet, they will need to be at some point:

clutch (as you said)
clutch slave cylinder
clutch master cylinder
wheel bearings
cv joints
steering rack
ball joints
struts
suspension bushings
shifter bushings
spoiler drive mechanism
seat motors
etc etc

I would also get a statement in writing about how much oil it uses.

A higher mileage 993 could be a gem and a bargain, with plenty of trouble free miles ahead, or it could be a money pit, with $10k of work needed in a year.

Falcondrivr

If the PPI with leakdown checks out. Buy it and drive it every day...

vitaminC

Thanks. No, this is definitely not that car. Supposedly the body is quite nice. The owner is selling because he currently has three pcars and just bought an older Lambo...

Good info! I will keep these things in mind while checking the service history.

RallyJon

Also buy this book. Lots of self-done inspection tips.

http://www.amazon.com/Porsche-Essent.../dp/1904788947

vitaminC

Just got back from checking out this car. Cosmetically it was very nice, though apparently something fell on it at one point, as there was some roof/bumper work, as well as a new rear window.

I only took it for a short drive. The driving position was quite different from what I'm used to ('04 MCS). Didn't go far, so didn't have a chance for much evaluating.

There wasn't much in the way of maint records, and the dealer will allow an inspection- but only if done in Half Moon Bay! Well, there's certainly no pcar specialists there! Never mind, then.

It's the first 911 I've driven, so I will definitely need to check a few more out to get a proper baseline. If anyone else is interested, here's the link:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/car/479157262.html

niche

I bought mine with 137k... I LOVE IT.

RallyJon

Ya know, if the body/paintwork was done well, and the top end rebuild was done properly by a reputable shop, that one could be a winner. He says he has all the receipts. They'll tell you most of what you'll need to know.

ste993

+1. I have 100k + on mine now and it doesn't leak a drop and only needs half a quart of oil every 3,000 miles.... 150k miles is just getting broken in!

vitaminC

Well, the reciepts he showed me were mainly for oil changes and scheduled maint. I didn't see any for the big ticket items mentioned- clutch and valves.

Work was pretty much all done at RMG Garages, anyone familiar with them?

Terry Adams

RMG is one of the best.

black ice

Just remember if you're buying anything with miles on a budget to bargain for wear items mentioned above, then bet on $3K in general maintenance as a bare minimum for the first year (just a guess, my number was higher). It'll be driven by whether the PO was very meticulous up until he sold the car (like a lot of the RLers here) and how **** you'll be once you buy it. I use mine for a daily driver (at about 25K miles a year) and there was a period where all of the typical failure items started going and I had to work through them.

If you're planning to drive regularly keep a close eye on tires - they wear quickly anyway and any misalignment or key worn suspension components will really accelerate this.

Best of luck, be sure to post a picture of your new baby when it comes.

FlyYellow

vitamin C - buy my 993cab. And at the very least you should drive it so you know what a nicely done 993 should feel like... https://rennlist.com/forums/showthread.php?t=392277

vitaminC

While I love the yellow, I don't want a cab However, I certainly wouldn't mind driving it!