Guys, I am a 23 yr old that just graduated from UT-Austin. I landed a consulting job that pays close to 50k a yr. I have a been a huge fan of porsche as far back as I can remember. I am very interested in purchasing a 99-00 996 in the very near future. All my friends/family tell me I should wait 2 or 3 yrs before getting it(Hell even my manager says I should). I have other friends that came out of college with the same car craze and have settled for the AMGs Mercedes and M3s. They tell me that I will not be able to afford the maintanence on a Porsche and advise against the purchase. Here are my questions for you avid fans

Maintenance
Is it true? Is maintenance ridiculous?
What are common problems found in the early 996s?
Can anyone tell me their personal maintenance expenses for 996 on a yearly basis?

Other issues...
Should I wait a few more months so the 997s drive 996 prices down more?
Will the car last me comfortably for the next 6-7yrs?
Will I experience material depreciation in the next few years?

If any of you can help me out, please answer my questions. You don't have to answer all of them, just whatever you have answers to. I am so eager to own a porsche-any help you can provide would be appreciated.


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All right! A fellow Horn!

Now for your posting.....

One question at a time. First things first, do some extensive searches (or just flip through all the previous pages) here on this board as well as the renntech.org board (great DIY site to save on your maint costs). You will be able to answer most of your questions. Most will tell you to stay away from early production MY99 and to get the newest model year you can afford.

DO NOT buy the firsts one you see. There are so many 996s on the market for sale right now that you should be able to get the combo you want for the price you are looking for.

I was pretty mechanically declined when I bought my P-car and now I do quite a bit DIY stuff that save 100s on maint costs thanks to renntech.org

Word of advice, unless you plan on modding your car extensively...stay away from this board (it can be hazardous to your wallet).

Good Luck on your search,
Dell
UT grad '96 and '01 (undergrad and grad)

ps. got a good feeling about Oct.9th?

 

I am extremely excited about Octtober 9th. I do not want to dissappoint myself though. Many times UT had a very good chance, but lost the game. I'm going to stay positive and supportive.

Also, not very familiar with the acronyms. DIY? MY99?
I am waiting to find the combo I want. The only MOD I want on my car is an aero kit, and I'm looking to purchase one with that installed already.

BTW, are you a UT MBA?

Hook em Horn!!

 

"...Can anyone tell me their personal maintenance expenses for 996 on a yearly basis?..."

my '00 996 is serviced by the book: regular oil changes, tire changes (5th set) and brakes (3rd set) and orginal clutch! my car has more than 85k miles, and its a daily driver. it's cost less to maintain than the last bmw i owned (says a lot). but when they break, the repairs be as much as $10k (engine) know this going in, and be prepared if this should happen.

 

DIY=Do it youself (oil changes, brakes, etc.)
MY=Model Year (MY99=Model Year 1999)

Not a MBA though (Ph.D.).

Thought about flying to Dallas for the Red River Shootout but I would have to cancel too many classes that I teach and the department wouldn't like that too much (the students would though). Maybe next year I can plan ahead.

Feel free to PM (private message) me if you need anything and don't want to post in a thread.

Dell

 

I have a 2000 coupe and although my miles are very low,I've had absolutely no problems or costs.I change my own oil/filter and it costs me about 40 bucks. Good luck!

 

I too joined the Pcar club this year. I searched and searched and looked at a lot of cars. I talked to the local PCA president and he recommended some good mechanics to talk to as well as shops to buy from. I then had 3 cars checked out. I finally bought a 99 cab with 32k miles on it and full service records (very important!!!). The other 2 had gaps in their records and that made me very nervous. I then had PPI's done on all 3. It was the best $150 per car that I spent. 2 of the cars had been off road and painted and one was actually missing water lines. AMazing. I love the car and have put about 2000 miles on it in 3 months. The PCA club is awesome.
Before I bought the car, I was on this site every night. Most of the people here are great but always do your own homework.
Good luck and welcome to the club!

 

2000 c2 I have owned for 1 year and have put 9000 miles on it. 20k total miles on the car now. Knock on wood ...no problems , just 15k mile service and a bunch of other things I have added that my wife does not see the need for!!!!!!! But oh well, gotta have a few mods!

My last mercedes was in the shop every other month..Piece of crap!

Good luck!

 

99 Model Year has a coolant reservoir problem that occurs at 25 -40,000 miles.
Here is my story: https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...lant+reservoir

 

Buy a Honda.

In a few years, you'll be making more money and the P-car won't be as much of a financial burden as it is today. You'll enjoy it even more when you can afford it. $50k/yr sounds like a ton of money to someone fresh out of college. It's not. Also, if you hate your job or lose it that car will be a huge albatross around your neck.

Study up on the cars, drool over the magazine reviews, forget what your friends are driving and buy one when the time is right. If you're a MBA, you can crunch the numbers and likely reach the same conclusion.

 

When I graduated in 1963 I got a brand new Corvette conv. My new wife said she would work and we wouldn't have any kids till it was paid off. It was $3300! I drove it every day for 15 years and sold it for $2000 more than I paid for it. Five Corvettes later and now a 99 996 Cab. I bought my 99 996 new. I had a RMS (Rear Main Seal) fail and fixed under warrenty at 6000 miles. This would be about a $1500 repair at the dealer. All 996's from 98 to present have seen this problem. I do all my own maintainence since may car is out of warrenty. Oil change about $30 for me $200 at the dealer.
Plugs $80 for me $300 at dealer. However Porsches are not as easy to work on as Chevy's.
Partly because everything is stuffed in the rear engine area. A shop manual was $700.
Do you have the time and ability to work and maintain your Porsche? If not figure that the dealer
will charge about 3 times what a Ford or Chevy dealer would charge. Are you prepared to give up
something else in your life to support your car if it needs it? Are you car crazy like me? Or are you just a poser who wants to look cool in a Porsche? Only you can answer the question.

 

I regret waiting too long to buy my p-car.

But, be aware that these cars are not as inexpensive to own as, say, a Toyota or Honda. Sure, you can do the oil change yourself for $40-50. But, new tires cost $1,000 or more, and the rear tires last 12,000 to 15,000 miles if you're lucky. Compare this to $200-400 for tires on a Toyota, that last 40,000 miles or more. Other repairs will come up. It's not guaranteed to happen, but you should be prepared for the random $1,000 plus repair. If you can afford all that, then go for it. Otherwise, just wait and hitch rides in your friends fancy cars. You'll be laughing all the way to the bank later on when you buy a house, self-finance your grad school, etc., while they pay off big credit card bills.

Good luck!

 

Mani - I would go for it if you run the #s and can afford the payments. I would recommend buying a 99 or 00 from a dealer and getting the Porsche Certified pre-owned warranty. Its 2 years/100k miles of coverage and is similar to a new car factory warranty. This will keep you from getting hit up with any large repair bills the first two years. More details are at:

http://www2.us.porsche.com/english/u...rs/default.htm

 

StevefromMN.......

FYI...RMS is $800

Oil Change not anywhere close to $30. (Oil Filter $15, CORRECT oil $45 min--9 qts @$5 qt 0W40 Mobil1) still $60 or so is much better than the dealer charge of $200-$300.

 

Mani,

I'm also only one year removed from the world of academics.. I graduated in 03 from law school, make over 100k/yr, but when I ran the #s, I could *not* afford a 2000/01 996. Well, it's not that I couldn't necessarily make the monthly payments; rather, I made a list of priorities for myself, and a home topped the list. With my mortgage payment figuring to be somewhere close to $2200/mo, and with my school loans topping $700/mo, I would literally be living paycheck to paycheck if I purchased the p-car of my dreams (figure a $800+/mo payment). With home interest rates still relatively low, I'd suggest you invest your money in some property as opposed to a MY99 996 - which, if your investments pay off, will be easily afforded in the very near future. You'll not only save money in the long run (your home should appreciate and provide you with a nice tax shelter and the 996s will/should continue to come down), you'll get the car you want (options, etc) and appreciate it all that much more when you do.

Just my 2 cents..