Why would I buy a 996 model? Opinions wanted!
11-12-2012, 12:26 PM
#16
Burning Brakes
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The Sport Design wheels on the '01 are difficult to clean - may God bless the guy who invented the five-spoke wheel!
Silver also trumps black in my book....and, I agree with most of the sentiments expressed above about the desireability of the newer car.
Good luck!
Silver also trumps black in my book....and, I agree with most of the sentiments expressed above about the desireability of the newer car.
Good luck!
Last edited by VGM911; 11-12-2012 at 02:12 PM.
11-12-2012, 12:30 PM
#17
Track Day
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Ok, it seems the 2004 features enough improvements/enhancements to make it the better choice over the 2001. That's good info, the kind of stuff I was hoping to find here. Thank you all!
And no, I'm not going to drive it in the snow.
That is, unless my current car (aka "Pickels") goes belly up. The Porsche is a second car, to be driven a lot during the summer and fall, with diminished miles as the weather dictates.
Maintenance wise, what is coming up for a 996 with 55k miles on it? Probably something big around the 60k mark, I suspect. BTW: if there's an existing thread that covers maintenance, please point me to it.
And no, I'm not going to drive it in the snow.
That is, unless my current car (aka "Pickels") goes belly up. The Porsche is a second car, to be driven a lot during the summer and fall, with diminished miles as the weather dictates.Maintenance wise, what is coming up for a 996 with 55k miles on it? Probably something big around the 60k mark, I suspect. BTW: if there's an existing thread that covers maintenance, please point me to it.
11-12-2012, 01:10 PM
#18
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Personally, I was in the market for a fun car but didn't want to spend big money on clean 993. I drove one and as an earlier post mentioned, it felt "old". Mine came with a considerable amount of addons however, it also felt more contemporary (as I like to use my car more often than just sunny weekends). I haven't (..knocking on wood) had any major problems with it just keeping up on routine maintenance. It ended up costing me the price of a cheap late model mid size so I think I did alright..
11-12-2012, 01:28 PM
#19
Three Wheelin'
I bought a 996 becasuse I could not afford a 997 GT3 or 991, LOL
P.S. the 996.2 (i.e. 2002 - 2004) have enough little upgrades to make them the better choice and why I picked up a 2004 996.2 vs a 2005 997.1 variant.
P.S. the 996.2 (i.e. 2002 - 2004) have enough little upgrades to make them the better choice and why I picked up a 2004 996.2 vs a 2005 997.1 variant.
11-12-2012, 01:46 PM
#20
11-12-2012, 01:51 PM
#21
Rat Balls
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Take your time and drive as many 996's as you can. There are so many varieties of options, especially interiors ( full leather, sport seats, etc). Throw in mods and no two cars are alike. There are plenty on the market so don't rush. It is very easy to get emotional about this purchase. I agree the MKII has enough refinement to make a difference. Always get a good PPI and don't be afraid to pass if it doesn't feel right. Just like with your first wife, when you know...you know! Good luck!
11-12-2012, 02:14 PM
#22
I recently bought a 2002 with 63000 miles, very similar to the 2004 you are looking at. I bought it from a private owner who had it under warranty until last year. He was able to get me a complete service history (as it was always serviced at the original dealership) which indicated that while under warranty the engine had the Rear main seal replaced 5 times. The last time at 58000 miles the mechanic looked further and found that the oil leak was actually caused by an out-of-round intermediate shaft bore (by .07mm.) This caused Porsche to pony up for a new engine at that mileage. I bought the car with 63000 miles so have a car with a full service history and a 5000-mile factory engine (Well, almost 8000 mile engine as of today!)
My point is that it is important to have a service history, if that can't be gotten through the Mercedes dealer that is selling this '04, then see if you can figure out where the car came from and if possible talk to that dealer. You want to find out as much as possible about what kind of service and issues the car has had. I'm sure it looks great on the lot, but more important are the oily bits underneath and the history thereof. In my case if the mechanic hadn't finally looked further there would have continued to be a history of leakage and very possibly an engine swap needed AFTER the warranty ran out. If I had bought the car in that case it could have been a really bad day.
And yes, I agree, the Mk2 has enough significant improvements including the exhaust noise to make it worth quite a bit more in my book. (Not that the Mk1's are bad, just that I can justify to myself at least a relatively large value jump from '01 to '02...)
My point is that it is important to have a service history, if that can't be gotten through the Mercedes dealer that is selling this '04, then see if you can figure out where the car came from and if possible talk to that dealer. You want to find out as much as possible about what kind of service and issues the car has had. I'm sure it looks great on the lot, but more important are the oily bits underneath and the history thereof. In my case if the mechanic hadn't finally looked further there would have continued to be a history of leakage and very possibly an engine swap needed AFTER the warranty ran out. If I had bought the car in that case it could have been a really bad day.
And yes, I agree, the Mk2 has enough significant improvements including the exhaust noise to make it worth quite a bit more in my book. (Not that the Mk1's are bad, just that I can justify to myself at least a relatively large value jump from '01 to '02...)
11-12-2012, 06:42 PM
#24
If you want to spend just a little more you could purchase an '04 40th Anniversary car and get a bunch of extras along with the X51 motor. There is a pretty significant difference in what you get in my opinion. I know of 2 on here that are for sale. ryangambrill in Cleveland, OH and mine in Atlanta. You may be able to find one closer to you.
11-12-2012, 06:48 PM
#25
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because the only other car that is going to match bang for the buck is a 928?
Where else are you going to get a 5 second car for 10-15K?
Where else are you going to get a 5 second car for 10-15K?
Last edited by Shark Attack; 11-12-2012 at 09:16 PM.
11-12-2012, 07:27 PM
#26
Drifting
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For your viewing pleasure, here's the 2004 model: http://www.mercedesoflittleton.com/u...8c8a31b3ad.htm
The paint color looks fantastic in person. I looked over the car and found only 1 tiny little ding on the lip of the passenger side rear fender. Only someone as OCD as me would notice it.
And...here's a link to the 2001 model: http://www.porscheofcoloradosprings....93bfc88ce8.htm
Haven't seen it in person yet but I may take some time this week to give it a look.
The paint color looks fantastic in person. I looked over the car and found only 1 tiny little ding on the lip of the passenger side rear fender. Only someone as OCD as me would notice it.
And...here's a link to the 2001 model: http://www.porscheofcoloradosprings....93bfc88ce8.htm
Haven't seen it in person yet but I may take some time this week to give it a look.
The 2004 would be my choice for a few good reasons. Obviously after an independant full PPI.. and price battle hehe. PLus I would relish the thought of doing it's 60000 full service as my DIY project for the winter months. Nuff said.
11-12-2012, 11:36 PM
#27
I specifically looked for a 996 when I bought my car. I wanted a cab with Tiptronic and an aero kit and a hard top, wanted AC and heat that "worked" and a good bargin. I specifically looked for a 2002-2004 as I wanted a glass rear window, the upgraded headlights and the cup holders. 996s were the only Porsches that fit my wish list and my budget. I bought the car without a PPI but budgeted some extra work (new tires, IMSB, RMS, etc). Love the car and have had a great time wtih it.
My car had only been driven 3K mikes in the 6 years before I got it, I have put 7K on it in less than a year.
Ted
My car had only been driven 3K mikes in the 6 years before I got it, I have put 7K on it in less than a year.
Ted
11-12-2012, 11:42 PM
#28
Track Day
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IMHO thats a no brainer. Although a nice clean looking low milage car the 2001 is way over priced for what it is. Top price should be $25000. So 7 grand over is a bit much.
The 2004 would be my choice for a few good reasons. Obviously after an independant full PPI.. and price battle hehe. PLus I would relish the thought of doing it's 60000 full service as my DIY project for the winter months. Nuff said.
The 2004 would be my choice for a few good reasons. Obviously after an independant full PPI.. and price battle hehe. PLus I would relish the thought of doing it's 60000 full service as my DIY project for the winter months. Nuff said.
11-13-2012, 08:21 AM
#30
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Kloft, regarding your question about PPI's, make sure you are taking your car to a Porsche specialist that is familiar with the 996. I live in Florida and bought my 996 out of AZ. When I had identified the car, and needed a PPI, I posted a thread on RL asking where is a good place for a PPI in Phoenix...within a few hours I had a number of great recommendations. You should do the same if you are not buying it locally and do not have a good indy/dealer. Finally, I would not have the PPI done where the car was serviced regularly, as this is the time you want a second set of eyes to go over what has or hasn't been done previously. Obviously make sure to get as much service documentation as possible from the previous owner when buying your car.
Cheers,
DS
Cheers,
DS