Targatoo

My brother is in the market for a 911 and one caught his eye:
2002 C4 Cab with 37,000kms (21k miles)

This would be his only car and serve as a daily driver. He will trade in his 2009 BMW 1 series for it.

My recommendation is that this car might be ready for a lot of maintenance and he should look for a newer car with higher mileage in the same price range, eg 997 with higher miles.

Agree? Disagree?

rpolin

I purchased a 2002 C4 cab with 37k miles on it a little more than a year ago and I use it as a daily driver and absolutely love it. My only advice would be that if you live in an area that sees snow and cold weather, would be to purchase a used hard top for the car and to put a set of winter tires on the car for the winter months. I had 18" rims so I ended up purchasing a set of 17" rims and Nokian tires for the winter and the grip was outstanding as long as you don't see more than 4 inches of snow otherwise your now driving a snow plow. If you're patient, you can probably find a used hard top for around $500.

LRBill

I have a 2000 with 136,000 on the clock. I expect to have some issues but it has been pretty reliable so far.
I use it as a DD but I have backup vehicles as well. Mine doesn't get used too much in the winter due to the typically heavy snow. They do go well in the snow but I live in the country and have to travel unplowed roads that get accumulations of snow that are deeper than the car clearance. I have a Jeep suv for winter use.
I'd say that if he had a back up vehicle he should go for it. They do make a great car for daily use. I love mine....

dotframe

My '03 996 is a DD. Bought it late last year with 28k miles. It now has 51k and going strong.

Aside from oil changes, the only thing I've had to do is replace the coolant tank cap and clutch/ims/rms. The clutch was already on its way out and I accidentally helped it die so that was my fault.

BT ZR1

I bought an 03 turbo with 6600 miles a couple of months ago. For me i prefer low mileage examples . Its now being driven daily. The car and its components age, period. I have had a rattle to contend with which is now fixed and thats it. The prior owner as part of the transaction paid for new tires, condensers, brake flush, oil change etc. So far so good. I wanted an 03

Dennis C

My 2002 C4S is my DD, in all weather (except snow greater than 4-inches deep, as mentioned above). I'm at roughly 112K miles now. Overall, the car has been very reliable. It's important to remember though that a 2002 model is a 10 year old car. Things wear out on a car of that age, even with low mileage. Rubber bushings deteriorate, as an example. Hoses, belts, etc. need to be replaced. Batteries don't last forever.

Dstutler

I purchased a 2002 C4 cab about three months ago with 36k miles. The previous owner had installed lowered springs without replacing the shocks. Because of the lack of distance for bounce back in the shock it has since wore abnormally fast. I'm replacing it back to stock springs and shocks - don't really track the car so the PSSx coilovers were overkill. I now how 41k miles on the car, love driving it obviously.....and it needs a clutch, went ahead and did flywheel, brakes and RMS (IMS is fine). See if there is any way possible to get the cars maintenance history - VERY VALUABLE.

laz74

Unless the 996 you are looking at is greatly overpriced, you will not find a comparable 997 even close to its price point.

The 997.1 is just a dressed up 996, so unless it's a matter of looks, 996 will function just the same (obviosuly comparing base 996 vs base 997), and will offer the same driving experience.

Sellers try to pump the price on low mileage 996s, but reliability wise, you are better off purchasing a recently serviced car with appx 40k or 50k miles. Reason being - any potential issues will have been uncovered and/or already dealt with, and the lower sale price would be more reasonable for a 10yo car.

For comparison, I paid $24.5k for my super clean, well maintained, and well optioned 2002 C2 in the Northeast.

mjb2448

i would check the oil filter for debris, start changing oil like you change your sox and invest in The Guardian

halik

110K on my 02 C4s, I would actually go for a higher mile car for daily driving. Paid $22K by the way.

Targatoo

I could have made my question clearer: What is the risk of failures on a car that (likely) has spent a lot of time sitting unused? Any higher likelihood than a younger car with higher mileage?

I have no doubts about how long a well used 996 can last, but I assume that you guys with high mileage got there with regular, constant use and commensurate maintenance. We don't yet know if we can establish a history of yearly oil changes, etc. (we haven't asked the local p-dealer to search for maintenance records)

ps. I have 110,000kms on my own car (70k miles).

Dennis C

$22K for a C4S? That's the lowest I've heard for one yet... You got a good deal!

halik

Yupp,
jumped on it as soon as I saw it. Car had $23K in warranty work at Carousel Porsche in Minneapolis, including new motor in 2006/60K ago. Full savana leather, PCM1,wood steering wheel/shifter/brake handle, parking distance control etc

laz74

If your worry is the likelihood of catastrophic failure (ie. IMS), you are inquiring about inherent manufacturing/assembly issues with that particular engine/car. Those issues will be masked by non-usage and, therefore, can only be discovered through driving tens of thousands of miles.

I would feel more comfortable purchasing an avg price car with mid mileage (~50k) that has been regularly serviced, instead of an overpriced car with very little mileage that may have inherent issues.