vove

I just bought my 99'c2 a few weeks ago and Im loving it(although I do miss that 964). That thing was a beast to drive.
Get a PPI and if things work out, get it. I would try to bring the price tag down to atleast 40K with the owner though. Good luck!!

Jim Harding

Great thoughts, great ideas and great responses from everybody. Thank you all for assisting me. I am very happy to be a member of Rennlist. To everybody who took time from their day to help, I salute you!

I will give the Easycare people a call. Sounds like that might one insurance policy that will be worth it.....at least to sleep better.

I should hear by Monday or Tuesday from the seller. I'll figure out how to post a pic and let you all see my new set of wheels. I am really excited about doing this but very sad about having to let go of my 968.

Have a great weekend everybody. For those of you in Florida, I wish you well and my prayers are with you.

Jim

Renoir

I think the price is to high for the miles. I just sold my $95k sticker '99 C2 Cab w/ 21K for $45k. It's a buyer's market, take your time to find the pefect car.

Good luck.

mlambert890

I dont see a "glut" of 996s and I was in the market all summer. The commentary on the boards rarely reflects reality and I found two things to be true:

1) For really clean cars, the difference in mileage between 20k and 30k isnt going to make a whole lot of difference. Differences seemed to be a few grand when the spread was like a 12k car vs a 40k car

2) When you are talking about certified cars from Porsche dealers (which admitedly does not apply to the car in this thread), the estimates on car "worth" seemed to be generally $5k off.

I know that people want to believe that there is a strong buyers market for 996's and that they have no value, but having just experienced searching for one for months, this really doesnt seem to be the case unless you are willing to accept any color and accept cars with no options and a dubious history.

Also, some people I spoke with who purchased "cream puff cars" on EBay for a song or at auction purchased cars with an accident history that was very evident to me as soon as I looked at the car even though they would swear up and down that the car was perfect and had been "checked out by a body guy".

Use a lot of caution and have the car checked thoroughly as well as checking it yourself. If the car is truly an honest and clean car and meets all of your needs, price should really be secondary as long as its in your budget and mileage should not scare you off.

As for RMS, its seems quite evident after reading all of the horror stories that it is far more likely to appear earlier in the life of the car. In this case, I would say a car with mileage in the 30's that has never had an RMS history (and it's hard to hide), is much more likely to be in the clear...

Gery NJ

Bottom line, it's a car to enjoy and not an investment. Finiding a right one, is like a marriage. You can always find a younger and better looking one for more money.
So if you like it and it offers everthing you need, go for it. Life is 2 short.

Stevo'99

mlambert-

I didn't find that to be the case at all. My car was had for $40k in May w/ 25k on the clock and loaded to the bejeebers. It has approx. $13k worth of options and other than two nicks in the paint (that are really hard to find) and one good scratch in the leather (back of pass. seat down low), the car was in perfect condition. I get asked all the time if it is a "new" car. It looks, drives and even smells like a new one. I began my search in March of '03 and these cars were in the $55k - $65k range. They've taken a $20k dump in a little over a year on average. I had it checked out at IRA Porsche in Boston and an independent body shop before buying it sight unseen off of ebay. It gives me a pretty big grin feeling like I'm driving a $90k car that goes like hell! I still can't get over how beautiful it is!

There are a lot of 996's for sale. As has been said, drive several and get a feel for what you want in one. That will help you make up your mind. A few grand doesn't really matter when you're getting a car that is the color you want, the condition you want, has the options you want and has the mileage that you feel is acceptable. Getting that "right" combination could be considered priceless. I would say you have a strong chance of finding "the one" once you decide on what you really want.

Good luck!

mdrobc1213

Prev post to another inquiry but the gist is still the same.....
I got my '99 996 in mid-June with 38k on it for under $40k. Great care, great car. No problems so far. Clean history and also checked Carfax and the dealer took it to the local Porsche dealership for servicing and evaluation (Bought from non-Porsche dealer.) My only major expense has been for an extended warranty which is essential from everyone I've talked to on the board and all other owners. (try 1st Source Warranty and Ultimate Warranty Corp is the one my dealer offered but I went with 1st Source).

I did look extensively for about 2 mos at 99-02 cars which were in my price range and I agree you can get a '99 996 for mid 30's to mid 40's hell I even saw one in Florida for like $31,000 for a 02 C2 Cab but THAT one was just too good to be true so I ignored the listing (it came of Porsche's website search of all places). The key is to drive the car...many cars and cast a wide net...you'll definately get the car you want AND under your terms that way...otherwise caveat emptor DOES apply! Stay away from crazy low prices and in my opinion to purchase a $40-50k car online at auction seems to just be waving your hand in the air asking for trouble (see ebay 99 996 for $12k posting on this board also to get an idea). So remember you DO get what you pay for.

Also I did read all you can especially posts on any boards such as this. There is also a buying guide out online for pre-owned porsches which has an FAQ which I downloaded. I forget the address but the whole text is purchaseable at like $40 which is a small price to pay to avoid a $4000 problem you can EASILY find yourself buying a 996 that you THOUGHT looked clean.

So far tho...no RMS...no leaks. and my only expense has been $40 for a new set of manuals as mine were not in the condition I prefer and a $100 speeding ticket...NO COMMENT!

Enjoy and good luck...

rob
------------
'99 996 C2 (mine)
'01 BMW 3 series (mine)
'04 ML350 SUV (hers)
2 kids BOTH<5 y/o (ourz)

Jim Harding

UPDATE! I did it. I have purchased my first 911 series Porsche! I want to say THANK YOU!!! to all the great Rennlist folks who took the time to respond to my thread and express their opinions. It's great to be able to toss out a topic on Rennlist and learn from the experience of Porsche people from all over the world.

As soon as I can pry myself out of the drvier's seat, I will take some photos of the car and post them here.

Thanks to everybody!

Jim

BrianPA

You should be thinking more along the lines of $35-36k for a 99 with that kind of mileage IMO. $43,000 should be more than enough to get you into a 2000 with 25-30k miles.