rg588911

Hi guys
I am a usual poster on the aircooled forum but am venturing over here because of a new potential purchase. I have an opportunity to buy a 99 cab tripple black with 69k on the clock. The car has all original paint and that is about all I know right now. What issues might exist? What should I look for? What is normal for 69k? I plan on a PPI this week but I would like to know what you all think.
Thanks all for your help on this.

Ryan

gota911

When you have the PPI done make sure they check the coolant tank and cap. Early 996 coolant tanks are prone to cracking at the bottom of the tank and the original coolant caps would loose their sealing capabilities. On the later version of the cap, the part number ends in 01.

Also make sure they check the RMS (Rear Main Seal) for leaks. The part costs about $75+/- but the labor to replace it is about $700 - $800. If you end up replacing the RMS down the road, consider replacing the clutch at the same time because both replacements require the engine to be dropped.

What are they asking for the car?

Good luck with your purchase.

Chads996

Hi Ryan...

The usual stuff 1st:

Maintenance records
service history
Rear Main Seal - if leaking it's about a $700-800 fix
Other than that they are fairly solid cars.

At 69K (a bit to much, IMO), do a compression test. And lastly, if anything fails be prepared to walk. There are plenty 996's out there to pick from.

Best of luck.

C.

Riad

Get them to read off the option codes, if they don't have the original sticker they should be located under the hood, and post them here.

redridge

60k miles is a major serveice milestone and costly, see if they've done this already!

ElTorrente

As said above, the coolant expansion tank is a common thing, so make sure it's been replaced. The rms thing isn't really a big deal if a car does have it. It usually means a slow leak and a few drops on your garage floor, so just put some kitty litter down there until you get your clutch replaced.

What *I* would be most concerned with is how much oil does it use/burn? If the car was all "sealed up" and didn't have any leaky gaskets/seals, then how much oil does it consume? Some cars burn lots of oil, and while these cars may run well, their rings probably aren't seated very well so oil is getting by and burning off. This would also mean slightly less compression and dirty internals, which can lead to issues down the road.

Porsche says that it's normal for an engine to burn a significant amount of oil (like 1quart per 1000miles or more), but trust me there's no reason for a typical 4-stroke engine to burn that much. Just something to keep in mind, but I feel that it's important, and a good yardstick to measure an engine's general health.

rg588911

Thanks guys

All good info. The car is a 69k ml car and they are asking $26500. No paint work clean looker.