I read a post that Jake posted a reply stating, "buy the earliest built '99 you can find".

Why is a very early build date on a '99 the best choice?

 

I'm sure a couple of reasons would be because of it having a double row I*S bearing and five chains instead of a single row and three chains.

 

99 model for the cable controlled throttle body.

Early build for the best quality control. Especially for the engine case.

 

^^ What he said. If the '99 has its original engine, it also has the dual-row I/\/\S bearing.

 

The '99 Carrera 4 has e-gas, but otherwise, true dat.

 

What VIN number would be considered early?

 

Just look at your production date on the plate. Mine is 5/99. Not exactly early production, though

 

My car has a build date of March 1998

 

That would be very early for a 99. Your last 4 numbers on your VIN must be something like 00xx or somthing like that.

 

0746

 

I'm going to guess it had to do when they started to outsource the block/head castings.

Early enough and you are likely to get the original source's stock.

Although I have seen other years with aluminum cracking issues, the 99's are said to be the worst (internet rumors)

mike

 

01/98 production here

VIN XX0164

 

3693 09/98 for me.

 

The last 4 of mine are 0694, where do I find the build date??? (I know it's an early 99 based on the tail lights and the CDR that came with it, but not sure when it was produced)

 

Personal preference. Today I drove home an early '99 thats #1883.

I have driven 4 different 996s this week, each of them a minimum of 83 miles and time and time again I can tell the difference in the early 99s. I have tested 57 M96 powered cars this year and definitely have learned the dynamics that create a quality vehicle.

Lots of people will argue with this, and they can. It won't matter to me.