Nice tip and yes I got wind of the superior turbo engine. I need to make sure I mention that. For a person concerned about engine issues, the turbo is the way to go but they need to keep in mind the turbo needs to be treated differently. Cool down considerations for example.

 

Oh boy, I don't really agree with your logic and just wondering why this post exists in the first place when all you had to do was search and find many of the other "How to buy a Porsche" posts on here. If you look in some of those posts,all of these factors would've been discussed to some degree. So not really sure why you're trying to rehash what was already said for your benefit. It seems like you aren't really doing research if you're expecting to be spoon fed.

Just my $.02

 

Carlylespicks -

This forum exists for owners and prospective owners to share information and enthusiasm. You seem to be here as part of some for-profit activity... not that there is any problem with that, but it does not fit the 'community' concept of this board.

As a long-time participant here, I would not want the name 'Rennlist' associated in any manner with a half-baked resource created by someone we don't know, populated with information that you have decided is accurate.

So perhaps you should explain who you are, what your qualifications are related to automotive maintenance and repair, and give us some examples of your work. Otherwise I would suggest that we all just stop responding to you.

 

It's really frustrating when I spend my valuable time to help others and I get met with this kind tension. It's just bad that in a world where many people are only about themselves, people like myself who provide so much for people who many times don't take the time to say thanks that some people make the process even more difficult than it needs to be.

I'm not going to waste time debating about his but I spend THOUSANDS of dollars of my OWN cash doing these kinds of projects for the benefit of strangers who may or may not appreciate it. The last thing I need is a response like yours.

I think I asked some very simple questions and I spent a LOT of time doing my own research before I came here. I'm simply asking to make sure I'm being thorough.

 

If spending days an hours of my own time and making phone calls and doing endless searches and spending a lot of time contemplating the information at hand is being "spoon fed" to you, then please send me your resume. Your work ethic must be legendary.

Not sure why on some forums you can't have a quality discussion without people getting all suspicious and taking things down a completely different road than you intended.

 

Fine. But you came to us, not vice versa. We gave you quality feedback and you kept asking questions and then got defensive when we asked a few of our own.

Again, give us an example of what you do. Explain who you are, your background... writer, blogger, mechanic, what?

 

You sir are big BS'er and a complete waste of time to responding to.

If you spend hours of your own time on this forum specifically with the little thing called the "Search" button at the top, you would've received all the answers you were looking for.

LOL, touche

Edit: I'll help you out which should reduce your "hours and days" of researching down to a few pages on this model specifically. Look at that? First link on the page.

www.lmgtfy.com

 

If I were a buyer looking for a sports car who knew little to nothing of the 996 it might be an interesting greeting card. If I'd heard of the 996 and wanted to know the ins and outs of what to look for when buying one, I'd see it as fluff masquerading as content; information I could pick up anywhere if I Googled "known 996 issues."

I think the answer to your question lies in what you want your video to be (something I acknowledge you detailed further down in your comment). No, buying a used Porsche isn't entirely unlike buying any used car. Separate and apart from the basic recommendations you might make regarding any used car purchase (check the service, accident and ownership history, etc), I believe a true 996 specific guide needs to do something more comprehensive. That's just my opinion.

Is your list better than nothing? Sure, I'll give you that but if you're not going to be comprehensive, I'm not sure what value you're bringing to the market. You're just repeating what is already out there at a quick click of a button. If you're going for "Top Gear" level data then you're in it for entertainment. If you want to be a true buyer's guide that is recommended rather than reviled by the 996 community you better be comprensive.

I would want to know the specific gotchas or issues to be aware of for a specific make, model or year. A smattering of questions I'd ask are... Is the 3.4l less reliable than the 3.6? What are the differences between the different models - C2, C4, C4S, Turbo, GT2, GT3, 40th Anniversary, etc. What's an X50 and why do I care? What are the major changes between the MkI and MkII versions of the 996 and why should I be aware of them (not all are cosmetic)? Is one model year more prone to problems than another? Should I expect maintenance costs to be high/low...comparable to my [______]? How long does the clutch typically last? How long before an engine/tranny rebuild? What should I know that might dissuade me from purchasing one (AOS, RMS, IMS, ABCDEFG, etc.)? The last question is probably the biggest and there are tons of great resources that detail the common problems. Just off the top of my head, have you checked out Porsche 996: The Essential Companion? How about Peter Zimmermann's book on the 911? By the way, he's also a Rennlist member. What about the Essential Buyer's Guide for the 996? For that matter, have you spoken to any of the big aftermarket vendors who specialize on 996es? Many are even on these boards.

You're right, but if you're not going to do something comprehensive that doesn't stand out from the rest of the detritus on the Internet why do anything at all?

First, a PPI won't answer most if any of the sample questions I threw out above.

Second, you're answering some of your own questions. If not all PPIs are equal then depending on the quality of their PPI, there may be a lot that a buyer needs to know before taking the plunge. Are you telling people what they should expect from a good PPI vs. a bad one? Did you know that a Porsche dealer's PPI doesn't necessarily include lowering and inspecting the top on a Cabrio to make sure it works as intended? Some people insist that a leakdown test should be part of any good PPI while others say its unnecessary for a 996. What is your opinion - what are the bare minimums you should check and are they included in your PPI? That was a rhetorical question.

A routine PPI isn't going to tell you if you have a bad IMS. Just ask the guy on this board whose '04 C4S cab's engine blew up on his drive home from the dealer. A PPI is a necessity but it won't disclose all of the car's ills. So, telling someone that they should be aware of IMS failure is misleading. As to your point about addressing known issues, I think a number of us pointed out that you missed some pretty basic ones for the 996.

Aren't there already 1,001 jump starts online?

As you said in your note, I guess it all comes down to what you want to deliver. If you're just looking to do a walk around to introduce someone to the 996's specs while pointing out some known issues then it sounds like you've got just that. I'm not sure what it provides in terms of value (at least to me, if I was a potential buyer) but it sounds like you've checked the boxes on what you want to deliver.

Best of luck!

-Eric

 

Hold on...two more things I just thought of. Make sure they top off the halogen fluid in the headlights and rotate the air in the tires.

 

I like turtles...

 

Ding ding ding - winner winner chicken dinner.



Let's setup a donation for this for the op.

 

Carly,
So your a charity buyers guide writer? I dont get it.

 

Not bad Carlyle:

http://www.youtube.com/user/carlylespicks

 

I'm a philanthropist and car enthusiast. I'm always looking for valuable information to share with others. Not everything is about money.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L9p96te_5k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77doNYjOCM8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Yzg-paXxIk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzSOY4vbaII

 

I must say that production quality is quite good. I hope you can gain some good info from the forums, including the link I provided along with the recommended book(regardless of how rough and tough some of the responses have been).