wildbilly32

The "free fix" from Porsche was only offered if your engine hand grenaded within warranty or during the settlement period which was from a lawsuit.

Your prospective car has other issues which would be too much for me. It's your money...

CaptJD

Haha this was the best explanation of Porsche corporate culture. Thank you for making my day. I agree I'll look another brand weekend toy car a BMW or Mercedes etc...

dporto

Ha! Good luck with that…

wildbilly32

I'm not saying a 996 is a bad weekend toy. It is a great weekend toy. You just need to find a good one, be aware of the car's needs and realize repairs/maintenance can be expensive. As far as Porsche corporate culture...no comment.

CaptJD

Thank you!

CaptJD

I agree but like I mentioned before I was not thinking to buy a Porsche specifically for a weekend/toy car. I am not fond of older Porsche models in general. But this Millennium Edition interior and dash setup/design with being produced in limited numbers kind of points caught my eye.

So in my personal taste I think any other model 996 of that era looks like an ordinary car and interior is boring look to them.

I am not planning racing. So I don't really need a "performance car". But of course I'd like a sporty looking car as a weekend toy and not a Toyota Corolla.
A mustang GT, or an older Corvette or even a 2007 Mercedes SL500 or like the 2011 BMW Z4 I've found for $23k with 50k miles will satisfy my weekend toy car need. That's what I meant...
There are plenty of cars out there with proven reliable engines and clean titles and also with newer model year other than a 20+ yr old 996...

Still, if there was a 2000 millennium edition for sale with clean title, less than 50k mile, new clutch and IMS has been taken care of I'd fork out $30k today but the one for sale on this forums classifieds asking for $47,500 unfortunately.
Oh well...

charlieaf92

I don't believe there are many differences between the ME cars and the rest of the 996s. But, if you want some exclusivity and special add-ons you should check out the 40th anniversary edition. That one came standard with more power. Honestly, the 996 and the other cars you're considering (SL500 and Z4) are totally different beasts. A well sorted and maintained 996 should hold it's value and even appreciate over time. The Z4 and Mercedes will most certainly depreciate. The Porsche is also more purpose built for tracking - but as you said that isn't something you're interested in (although I would HIGHLY recommend at least trying it if you get a Porsche). The Porsche also comes with the PCA which is presents great social events as well as track days (see earlier point). Ultimately you have to pick what is right for you. I previously had a 996 C4S and I absolutely loved the car. It's was a very well built car that gave me almost no issues outside of routine maintenance and a few wear items that needed to be replaced (it had > 100k miles on it).

CaptJD

I agree with you 100% they are very different beasts in many aspects.
But when it comes to weekend fun factor issues I care about, then those differences becomes minimally important to me.
I have to agree with you that I've heard lot of good things about PCA and their social activities.
Like I said earlier let's see what will come out of this new endeavor of mine.
It has been cold and rainy in CA since weeks and i am stuck at home bored to death and jumped into this field of search. No rush decision or action needed anyways...
Thank you for your kind response. Appreciated!

wdb

BMW E86 (2006-2008) Z4 M Coupe. Mid $30's will get you a stellar example. There were only every 1815 made for the North American market. They're severely underappreciated as collectibles, not to mention they're a superbly focused piece of M engineering with driver engagement being first and foremost.

That said: I don't recommend that anyone buy a weekend/fun car with investment fairies dancing in their head.

365jon

I do not own a 996, but in the market, have done a ton or research and my first post here is below:
https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...ity-check.html
But I will give my thoughts…if you can get this 996 for the price range you mention, IMO it would be a good buy as long as you intend to keep it for years and not buying to flip in a year or two. It will never hold the same value as a non-salvage title but if you like it, it’s hard to go wrong at that price. You can have any variety of IMS repair done from $1k to $3k+, monitor the engine for any signs of bore scoring (google M96 bore scoring if you need some reading materials) more than likely enjoy years of service with the normal maintenance needs of a 20+ y/o car. I’ve owned rebuilt/branded titles and drive them until the wheel fall off. I had a ‘07 Volvo S40, branded title, bought for $6k owned it for 8 yrs, my kids put 80k miles on it and I maintained it well. I sold it in 2 hrs on FB marketplace last summer w/ full disclosure of the branded title for $2800.

por944trs

you certainly summed up your expertise in that statement !

cdk4219

what make you think they are better? They’re all German and that means extensive and expensive “maintenance”

CaptJD

Well, I think the short answer is going to be "my personnel experience". Extensive and expensive doesn't bother me as long as it ends up being for a "reliable" product.
I don't think I'd like to drive a car while feeling like as if I was walking on egg shells and worried about what may go wrong with my "expensive and extensive car" if I use it a lot and therefore limit my usage to a minimal level. Otherwise face a lot of problems with that vehicle.

In the past I owned 745Li, 750Li, SL500 and SL550 and I never experienced or heard the possibility of seized bearing issues or oil leakage problems or clutch wearing out in abnormally in short periods of time even though I used those cars on a daily basis and not only on weekends to go to car club meetings... On average I drove them a little over 15000-18000 miles a year.. My 2007 SL500 had almost 70000 miles after a little over 3,5 years. I see most Porsches from 2000 era doesn't even come close to that mileage after 23 yrs of ownership. That tells me something.
Of course I agree most Porsche owners do not use their cars for daily commute and since it is more "performance" oriented car it's like a boat in the marina. More Porsche models spend more days in the garages rather than on the roads in their lifetimes. That's understandable and it may be the reason behind being a rarely used vehicles compared to many other BMW or MB models.
By the way I came across today reliability index for cars and they (MB-BMW & Porsche) got 2 stars out of 5.
In a way, they may all suck at certain level and I was only talking about my personal experience from the past ownership with those other two brands of German engineering marvels.

Again, I am not a car guy and I may be totally wrong. It won't be the first time in my 65 years!

Mike Murphy

Yes, that is why no doubt. But on the flip side, used 911s with low miles are often in super good shape compared to, let’s say BMW M cars that can be beat to death.

e30rapidic

right here!

https://rennlist.com/forums/market/1339849