Just turned 40..midlife crisis...(newbie)
 

Hi All,

I have been testdriving 911s for most of the summer and definitely have been bitten. I've had BMWs for the last 12 years or so and am ready to get on the 911 bandwagon for the next 12 years =).

My question for you guys is which model(MY2002 plus) to get. I've got about $60k to play with so the Turbo may be out of reach. I'm currently in CO for a job and will be heading back to CA next summer so the C4S may be the way to go...it's got plenty of power with the added bonus of awd plus the sound of that exhaust(intoxicating). I've found a few with less than 20k miles within my price range here in CO. One more concern is the maintenance cost. I've done basic routine maint on my BMWs(i.e. oil, plugs, brakes) and was wondering how difficult it would be to do on the 911s. Also, any recall items that I should be concerned about (RMS leaks and so on).

Thanks in advance for your advice/recommendations!!

Why do you want a 911?

Seriously?

How will you use it?

Track whore?

Daily Driver?

Garage Queen?

60K TT is not out of the question.......

You have a healthy budget so you should not struggle.

I just bought an '03 C2 with 10K on the clock for a touch over 60K. To give you an idea;

It is still under warranty, is CPO'd until 2009 (came from a Porsche dealer obviously), is pretty heavily loaded and in pristine condition.

On that basis, I would imagine you could get what you are looking for if you are looking at higher mileage, less options, not CPO'd etc.

I think you might be able to squeeze into the 997 market.

Have you considered a 993 Turbo?

I also came from BMW, Audi's, Corvettes (I'm 36) and recently bought an 02 C4S.

It's an awesome car. The stock exhaust is too quiet. That is my only complaint with the car. I came from an M3 and Z06.

Watch out.

I turned 40, bought a M3 convertible
The next year, I sold it and bought a Boxster S
I decided this year (I'm 42) to add a 996 so I have a coupe and a roadster to play with.

Yee-haaa!

Happy B-day,
Tom

Ditto. Also, are you married/single (need back seats)? A Boxster/Cayman may not have the prestige of a 911, but circa $60K, you can be looking at a new 987 Boxster S/Cayman S which is also a lot of fun and with comparable acceleration to a 996 C4S. Worth checking out at least. A convertible is nice in CA if that floats your boat. A TT is also not out of the question.

60k? I'd suggest what I bought!!

I'm in CA - unless you're always on the track, I highly recommend a cabriolet. The car is surprisingly quiet with the top up and enjoyable for obvious reasons with the top down. Enjoy your search. You won't regret the purchase. Also, this board is the greatest tool available to a buyer and owner. There are great members who know these cars well and will respond quickly to your questions. I did a lot of searches through past posts before buying my car and it was a great help.

If I was in CA or other year-round, top off areas, there is no way that I wouldnt do a cab either. Tracking in one thing, and I have loved it in the past, but there is a lot to be said about driving a 911 cab everyday. It never gets old, every morning when I fire it up I get happy. :thumbup:

I would sacrifice some performance for that capability as the performance, to certain degree, can always be made up for with certain upgrades. Either way, enjoy the process, fall in love and you will be a happy camper. With your budget and the cars you are looking at, you just cant be loser.

I cab WOULD be nice. I'm sellin' my POS!

I t depends on what you want to do with it. Being in CA, you don't need 4WD. In fact, all it will do most of the time is slow it down from the extra weight (it actually runs 2WD until the rear tires slip). Prices have come down some on late 996's for $60K, you can probably find an 04' 40th Anniversary Jahre Edition. I have seen several for sale in that range. These cars came with the most desireable options standard: bi-xenon lighting, sport suspension, an LSD, the X51 upgraded engine, full leather and some unique styling changes. Sport seats were standard, but power "comfort" seats were an option. There were few other options: Bose, disc changer, Nav and rear wiper. Most of the cars came either loaded with all options (Nav and comfort seats) or most options (no Nav and sport seats). This is the one I would target considering your budget.

I am the same age and also decided to buy a Porsche (again, had some when I was younger) , I went for the 996 C4S and do not regret my choice. The car is great to drive and own. I was able to buy a '02 for less then 60K euro with only 10000km's (around 7000mls). You can not go wrong with any 911 I believe. But the C4S is one of the top choices.

Yes , you can do a lot yourself, car is fairly easy to work on provided you have a lift, without it also no problem but with a little more effort.
When you check out a car ask about its RMS history , put it on a lift and look for signs of sweating. If nothing there don't worry about it , if it happens in the future you can deal with it then. That is my approach anyway. In short , you should not be worried about any recall issues as there are none to speak of.
I value a good history and maintenance when looking at a possible purchase.