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Hey y'all. Long-time lurker and first time poster. I think I’ve finally found the Porsche I’ve been patiently waiting for, a 2004 996 4S cabriolet 6-spd. But as with everything in life there’s a catch and I’d appreciate your Rennlister opinions on what you’d do in my situation.
TL; DR version: In 2013 and 2017 the car’s wiring harness around and under the intake manifold and oxygen sensor were chewed up by rodents. All wires were replaced and there were no other traces of rodent damage then or since. Would you buy this car for the right price?
Turning 40 next month and I’ve been looking for a 4S coupe 6-spd since January. I’m in western Canada and a few have come up for sale here. They were either neglected, had been in serious accidents, or were clean but priced in turbo territory. Fast forward to this week and I came across what looks like a nice 2004 cabriolet. Not a coupe but that’s not a deal breaker. Specs below:
Originally sold and serviced by Porsche Beverly Hills
Imported by the current owner in 2010; had 51K km at the time
Full service history up here with a well-regarded Porsche independent shop
Complete Carfax report validates all sales and service history in the US and Canada
All known issues completed and documented: IMS (LN), RMS, water pump, etc.
Only accident on record is $1,500 spent on the right front fender
Asking CAD$30K (USD$22K)
The owner is a nice, retired gentleman and he provided me with access to his shop’s online service history for the car. He’s spent almost $25K on it in the nine years he’s owned it. Within the past couple of years new parts have included an alternator, water pump, ignition coils and O2 sensor. New ContiSportContact 2’s were put on in 2015, 15K km ago. IMS, RMS and clutch were all done in 2013, 20K km ago. That service alone cost over $6K.
In 2013 and 2017 the shop noted there was wiring damage in the engine likely caused by rodents. The damage was to the wiring harness around and under the intake manifold and oxygen sensor. Over a dozen wires were replaced; there were no other traces of rodent damage then or since. I spoke to the tech who’s always serviced the car and he said he’s confident all the damage was addressed at the time but that you can never be 100% sure where the little ***** may have gotten to or what they sunk their teeth into. FWIW, when he asked me how much the owner was asking and I told him, he said the car is a steal at that price and he would buy it as is.
But after reading on here all the horror stories of rodent damage and the longer term risks, I’m now scratching my head on whether to pull the trigger. I’m less concerned about the risk of breathing in rat poop from the A/C vents than I am about electrical wiring and fuel lines crapping out on me down the road and costing me thousands. Do you think the risk is overblown? If it were your money and it passed a PPI, would you go for it and just hope for the best?
beautiful looking c4s and $22k seems like a great price for that level of mileage, especially with all the service documentation. wiring issue is above my knowledge level but if its not resulting in any issues like check engine light or other codes, i personally wouldnt worry about it. best of luck and i'm sure you will receive plenty of opinions.
I'd probably give the seller credit for disclosing the wiring issue and buy the car. Have the IMS solution done and drive it. Looks like a really nice car.
With the caveat that I only read your TL;DR: If you're looking for something to drive for a while and then cash out for something else, it probably doesn't matter. If you're looking to hold the 996 long-term, I'd pass.
When a Nissan dealer wanted to perform an engine bay harness swap as a diagnostic step, I refused. Even if the technicians only crack one connector, water may eventually intrude and oxidize those pins. Imagine trying to diagnose something a year (or 10,000 miles...or another owner) later, when the engine bay is once again full of engine.
I'd offer him $20k cash in hand on the spot (200 - $100 bills - 2 stacks of $10k ea.) - take it or leave it. My bet is, he takes it...You gotta be willing to walk...
......d. Even if the technicians only crack one connector, water may eventually intrude and oxidize those pins.....
That's not how this works. The connectors are weather proof. You can take them apart as many times as you want as long as you damage the seals. They are not one time use.
They're only weather-proof as long as none of the plastic retaining those seals cracks. If ANY slop is introduced into the closure, moisture gets in.
Even if nothing gets cracked, forcing two parts together when one has 15 years of heat cycling and the other still has release compound on it is going to sometimes result in an imperfect connection. Mismatched connectors do not mate the same way that brand-new connectors will.
Originally Posted by Imo000
That's not how this works. The connectors are weather proof. You can take them apart as many times as you want as long as you damage the seals. They are not one time use.
Sadly Rodent damage is a very very very common occurrence on all makes and models now a days. Manufacturers make the insulation out of a soy based product and the bastards love it. I have repaired or replaced dozens if not hundreds of wire harness on all makes and models. As long as it was repaired correctly and weatherproofed i would not even slightly be concerned. Wiring repairs are a daily occurrence in the shop for all types of reasons. Do them per the service manual and its a permanent repair.
And also to put the cars value into perspective, I purchased almost the identical car 1 year ago for 28k with the same mileage. I think 22k is a steal for a C4S.
08-11-2019 | 07:29 PM
What would you do?
and I’ve been looking for a 4S coupe 6-spd since January. I’m in western Canada and a few have come up for sale here. They were either neglected, had been in serious accidents, or were clean but priced in turbo territory. Fast forward to this week and I came across what looks like a nice 2004 cabriolet. Not a coupe but that’s not a deal breaker. Specs below:
