bbeck

Greetings:

I have been reading for several weeks and have seen both the positive and negative remarks concerning the '99. I have two questions. The first is do you think an 996 would make a great daily driver, even one that will see probably 25k miles per year? Or would an older model be better?

The second question is that I saw the below car for sale here in the Seattle area and the dealer is stating the car is under warranty. Though I know it has only 27k miles, what was the number of years on the warranty for these cars at that time, 4 years? I'm aware of the usual checks of oil leaks, getting a PPI and looking at the records, but with a car this low on mileage, my concern is that the potential problems will develop later since the car wasn't driven that much. It is at a Porsche dealer.

'99 996

Thoughts on this car and the 996 as a daily driver seeing high mileage, would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance,

Brad

vove

1st_Yes, the right 996 will be a great daily driver. A lot of 996 owners on the board have high miles on their 3.4L with very few problems.
2nd_You can always extend your warranty, either with porsche or with another company.

Nice looking ride, but its priced a bit high, IMO. That car should be priced in the mid or high thirties but not exceeding 40K. If you like it, get the history checked out and get a PPI. Good luck.

bbeck

Yes, it is priced high even according to nadaguides. Thanks for the quick response.

jj99c2

The car came with a 4 year warranty new but if its certified pre-owned you can get a 24 month warranty from Porsche when you purchase from a dealer.

I have a '99 and drive it daily. No problems other than the coolant overflow tank which is pretty typical.

That car looks pretty clean (and wet...only in Seattle would they photograph the car in the rain). It also looks like it has the leather interior (dash, etc) option which is a nice upgrade. I can't quite tell from the picture, but it also looks like it has traction control so it probably has LSD which is only available on '99 and '2004 anniversary editions for standard (non GT3) 996s.

Realist D.

Check the "in service" date for that car. It may actually be 8 years old, not 7 years old. Many '99s were sold as early as March 1998.

Matt Murray

For not too much more than that dealership is asking, you could have a 2002: http://tinyurl.com/rn3z7

rx2476

no, its not too risky but i wouldn't pay more than 37,000...did you drive it yet?

...i would just tell the dealer what you want to pay and leave it at that. i've got a guards red '99 myself and love the car. i think a good deal on this car would be 35,000...i'm sure if you hold out you can find one cheaper if the dealer won't come down to a more reasonable price.

one thing you'll have to remember is that this car has amber lenses in the headlights and if this bothers you it may cost 1,500 to upgrade to clear headlights, tail lights and side markers. the '01's have the face lift with different headlights and are considerably attractive to more owners. i love my amber lenses but some other p-car owners would disagree. at the end of the day its still a 911 that had a retail price near 80,000 grand that can be had for less than half that with less than 30,000 miles. great first p-car if you've never had one before.

mostserene1

3.6 liter? Did not know that was an option in 99 C2's.....I could be wrong, as I'm not an expert. Maybe a second engine...my gut says dig deeper into this one's history

bbeck

I haven't driven it yet. Plan to on Sat. Below is the response from the sales guy I have been working with:

"OK.....THE PRODUCTION DATE IS 3-10-98, THE SOLD DATE IS 5-8-98. THE CAR WAS TRADED IN AT OUR MERCEDES BENZ STORE, THEN TRANSFERRED OVER TO OUR PORSCHE/AUDI STORE. IT WAS INSPECTED FROM TOP TO BOTTOM WHEN IT ARRIVED. AS FAR AS THE WARRANTY GOES, THERE IS A 30 DAY LIMITED POWERTRAIN WARRANTY ON IT. GIVEN THE YEAR THERE ARE EXTENDED WARRANTIES AVAILABLE BUT WE PUT A POWERTRAIN ON IT JUST IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT FLEW THROUGH OUR SHOP WITH NO PROBLEMS AT ALL. I PULLED A CARFAX AND IT WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED IN CONNECTICUT AS A LEASE. THE PERSON DIDN'T DRIVE IT MUCH BECAUSE IT SHOWS THAT IT WAS REGISTERED IN SEATTLE THEN BELLEVUE. I HOPE THIS HELPS. LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED ANYTHING ELSE."

Sorry for the all caps, that is how he sent it. As you can see the warranty they are referring to is only 30day powertrain.

Other than what the dealer has done, do you think a separate PPI is in order? Assuming the test drive goes well, it will come down to price.

Matt: I love your car, but need to trade-in mine. Also, you are on the other side of the continent. It would make for a great road trip though.

Thanks,

Brad

bbeck

Could the lease company be in CONN, and that is why the carfax shows purchased there? I'm guessing the actual owner is in Seattle, but leased it through a company in CONN.

Sids911

Check this thread. Its about actual 99 996 owners.

Tbred911

did you do a cylinder leakdown test on it?

gjb

Brad,

I hope not, I took the plunge today on a 99 C2 myself

G-

Eli K

99s rock.

Nicolaasdb

Mine is a '99 996 and I drive it everyday.....65K miles right now and going strong (knock on wood!!)
Make sure you don't overpay, like I did~~! I had restrictions: black/black/black cab...and tip tronic...if you are open to colors (inside and out) and 6 speed or tip...then there are soooo many 996 for sale.....the hardest part is to be objective...because it is like going to a puppe store...with only one breed of puppies....you are going to fall in love with all of them!!! While you should be picking the strongest, best looking one!

Goodluck...it is going to be a fun project...check out www.cars.com they have 100's of 996's listed..just to get an idea