DRW79

Hi,

New member, and first time poster.

I'm coming out of a G35 Coupe, and looking to buy my first Porsche!

I have wanted a 911 for as long as I can rememebr, and have found a Silver '01 996 C2 with 35k (PSM, Turbo-look wheels, Tiptronic). Clean Carfax, and was sold and serviced by the same dealer since new. They are looking for $28k.

I have read about the RSM / IMS issues, and this one has had the RSM replaced, but not the IMS.

I guess my questions are:
- Is there anything else I should be aware of, or common problems?
- I think $28k is a bit steep. I'm think more like $25k?
- What would the IMS cost to replace, and should it be done proactively?
- Do you think I could get an extended warranty on this, and do you know of any reputable companies?

I know it'll be sifference coming out of the G, but I just don't want to get hosed on my first Porsche!

Thanks in advance guys for any thoughts.

Dryslick13

IMS bearing replacement from LN Engineering or flat 6 inovations runs around $600-900 depending on which kit you get. Can be done with engine in the car but trans has to be dropped out. Lots of work to put in. Best done when a clutch is put in. Cost of clutch job and IMSR is around $3k. It will be a lot more for a Tip car as you have to drop the whole engine and trans, I believe. Read up on the LNE website and F6I for a lot of info. There are warning signs, but you must stay on top of it to catch it. I would offer more like $23.5 for a car with Tip.

RPMulli

Welcome!

Try searching.. similar topics are covered ATLEAST once a week..

By the way, Are you a DIYer?

DRW79

Somewhat. I can do the basics, but don't have the knowledge or tools for anything advanced.

That's why I was thinking about the extended warranty in my questions. This purchase won't be a daily driver (live in the city), but will be my only car, so needs to be reliable.

RPMulli

Gotcha, well the guys that know a bit more about CPO's need to chime in.. Reliability shouldnt be an issue. My 996 has 100k and still starts everyday (except last year.. it liked to not start after refueling.. problem solved though)

Macster

From another post you made after this one I don't think you're going to find an 01 with any CPO warranty on it. My info is the time limit is 8 years after a car was sold so the '01 if it had even the newer version of the CPO would have had its coverage expire on time in '09. (My 03 came with a 2 year, 100K mile CPO warranty when I bought it in June 09 and with 10K miles. The warranty expires June of these year.)

Now some dealers offer an aftermarket warranty. I forget the name of the company (but Fidelity seems to come to mind and not the mutual fund company either). I looked into it but just the basic coverage is expensive, IIRC running around $2K/year, and while I didn't read the fine print in much detail I could see to get better coverage (more things covered) the cost went way up.

But check into it and read the fine print and make up your own mind.

Sincerely,

Macster.

pl

28 is way too much.
if u can go with 6speed, i would advise u to avoid tip. (i am a 2001 tip owner)
those cars need to be driven, after i moved back to city 2 years ago, i only drive around 2k mile in 2 years.
i had the following gone bad:
coolant tank, alternator, front trunk release, MAf sensor. not sure if its a timing thing, but when i daily driving my car, i only had to change one lower control arm.

wwest

The Porsche "experience" cannot be had with a Tiptronic.

Some would say not even with water-cooling.

Buy an "original" Targa, '83 or later, and drive that for a year or so.

Dennis C

I didn't buy an aftermarket warranty with my 996, and it is my daily driver. Aside from wear items and normal things like battery replacement, it has never needed any extensive repairs. The worst one I can think of was bushings and strut mounts for a rattling suspension, but that probably wouldn't have been covered by a warranty anyway.

FWIW, I bought an aftermarket warranty for the Cayenne that extends it to 8 years or 100K miles. It was expensive - something like $3,200. I haven't used it once, and now I'm at 7 years and 82K miles. I'm guessing that decision will end up being a waste of money.

marriotm

Welcome DRW,

While reliability is not a major issues for these cars, it is a completely different animal than a G35. These were $75k+ or so cars brand new and as such, maintenance and parts are very expensive. There is no driving up to a Jiffy Lube for $19.95 oil change and a $49.99 4 wheel alignment.

Also, I am not sure if this is a daily driver for you or not, but be prepared for lengthy down time for repairs and maintenance. This is a 10+ year old car.

This is not to scare you but to have you face the reality that is P-car ownership.

francars

Welcome! Its low miles which is attractive
What other options does car have? Any pics/links for the car?
I will start in the $23k range

jasper

$28 is too much for a tip. They're fine for people who want an automatic transmission or who can't figure out a clutch, but in no way worth a premium over a 6sp manual.

As far as maintenance goes...things go wrong just like any car. Mine has been no more expensive to maintain then any other car I've had, cheaper in some ways, but I do my almost all my own work and the things I don't do I tell my guy exactly what I want done and how many hours I'm willing to pay to get it done.

If you're taking just it in to a shop and telling them to fix whatever is wrong then expect to get really screwed by unscrupulous mechanics...especially at a dealership and especially if it's a tip. It's called the Porsche tax and no you don't have to pay it.

I'm daily driving mine and loving every minute of it.

racer

You are looking at a nearly 10 year old car. Expect something to break/go wrong. Could be minor, or could be major.. could spend THOUSANDS on an aftermarket warranty or use that money to "self insure". Life is full of risks. There are no guarantees. For a car that will sit most of its life, consider a battery tender or a frequent buyers plan . When a car sits, rubber seals dry up, leaks occur, pressurized lines get used to not being pressurized etc. Tires can flat spot. These are things that happen to ALL cars.. just that when they are Porsches, the parts tend to cost more and the dealer rates are higher .

carcster88

I say search around for a bit. Don't buy an automatic unless your have a reason to. The market has really dropped for the 996 and there are quite a few for sale at a great price. Offer them 24K and not a penny more if you really like that car...and make them show you the maintenance proof that they are telling you. Just my 2 cents.

Peter 642

Howdy. Welcome. Just bought my first 996 recently and went through a similar experience.

Decent mileage; you want it to be driven 5-8K/year at a minimum, so at times the low miles is not a benefit. Cars not driven have trouble, as you've read above. Issue is that the 2002 and prior 996 cars had more problems, and in truth until 2004 the cars were not truly "fixed." Even then still some issues. Put a few dollars away in case you have the likely problems that you will have. You can search IMS and decide whether it's worth the extra cash upfront for the fix now, or wait for disaster (like I did).

You may have an outstanding reason for wanting a tiptronic; the best is that you don't drive manual! Although it's probably true you won't get the same experience, there's plenty that you will get. The earliest tiptronics were sub-par (not an expert on this), and clearly the more modern dual-clutch manutronics (PDK) are worlds better, but if you want an automatic, and you don't want to pay a ton, you're looking at relatively early versions. Others on this board can tell you more about the tip, and when to avoid it.

Probably. Macster's got it right; no CPO, but third-party. You'll pay a lot (as did I) and not get much (just like me).

Which means that you should have 100% of the service records, a definite plus. One-owner, well cared-for makes a difference.

Of course they are; it's a low-mileage dealer-serviced and sold car. As you've read, it's high/overpriced, but that's because of who's selling it. Not surprised at that price at all; for a 2001 C2 tiptronic that's been under-driven, that is likely too much, specifically because you will pay $4K for the aftermarket warranty.

So, if you want an early 996, automatic, serviced car with records in hand, from a dealer, and are willing to pay more than 10-20% higher than you "should," plus you probably then get the benefits of dealer purchase (if they're good, they can continue to service it, give you a loaner, etc), and you have spare cash, and you've done your research, go for it. If not, I think the consensus is learn more, do more research, drive a ton of these cars, and then come back to this one (it will still be there at the dealer).

Good luck!

Edit: November 2010 Excellence 2001 C2 coupe range is 19,300 - 25,900, so the dealer price is of course, too high as others have stated, for the year and for the auto trans. For $23K, if it was exactly what you wanted it might be worth it for you. Or get them to throw in an aftermarket warranty at that higher price, plus the clear bra if not already on.