rpm's S2

Bingo! A virtually guaranteed projection.

On a positive note: Tiptronic Porsches of this vintage are worth less.

One suggestion: Why not a 2002/03 Boxster S? A decent one is right in that price range, and a great driver's car.

Here's one in Raleigh:
http://http://raleigh.craigslist.org...327203133.html

onempty

Thank you and I did look at some Boxsters but they are just not for me. Plus I am not a vert fan.

JavaBrewer

^this

Any combination of brakes, suspension, clutch, tires, interior fixes, RMS, IMS, water pump, AOS, and your $15K car will be $20K+ quickly. Especially if you are going to DD this car.

Not that there is anything wrong with shopping in the $15-16K range. I did the same. Just be aware that the car is ~10 years old and will need maintenance. Simple things like tires can set you back $2K quickly. For a shopping venue keep an eye on CL and have cash ready to make the deal. I've seen cars pop up that are gone the same day. Plenty of over priced cars sit on CL for months. Be ready to schedule a PPI and have cash for the deal.

php

I agree with increasing the budget to around $22-24k. You'll be able to find a decent gen 2 996 (still higher mileage). And if you don't have at least $5k ready for minor repairs/recondition/replacement items I would not even consider one in your price range $15k. We're not even talking about the bigger issues yet. Capt Obvious is spot on.

GothingNC

99 996 for $15K

http://norfolk.craigslist.org/cto/4300881924.html

onempty

^ Thank you.

911mater

hey,its one here in charlotte,nc for 18995,negotiable,its a black 99 with heater seat and others options at planet suzuki,,they sell a lot of high end cars,even the name doesn't sound special

KoB

AutoTrader Search will give you an idea of the market. As others have observed, you'll probably see more Tiptronics than sticks at the low end of the price scale. If you want a cab, they're probably cheaper now than in the summer.

Generally, it seems like a buyer's market ... AutoTrader lists something like 150 996's for sale below $20k. Very few of the used car listings will mention anything like an IMS bearing replacement, so you may need to make a lot of calls and look for cars with maintenance records (which you should be looking for anyway). I agree with some of the earlier posters that a local, private sale (e.g. Craigslist) might give you a better chance to find a car with some documentation.

You've probably read all the IMS threads. One school of thought is to look for the earliest-build '99 available, as these had the double-row bearing, didn't have the MY00 head-casting issues, etc.

FWIW, I'm probably of the same mind as some of the other posters ... you might be able to find a $15k car that won't end up costing you $20k, but I'm not sure I'd count on it. It helps a lot if you do your own work, but nothing about these cars is cheap.

antonhummer

There were a couple of decent 996 http://claz.org/classifieds/vehicles...96&l=16000&o=2

jeffm

My $16k 996 is already eating into my maintaince budget. Although I knew a few repairs were needed, I did the SAI pump myself for 60 bucks, but left the AOS and motor mounts for my Indy. Add in an oil change and were up to $1800 total.

There will be always something to repair or replace, just add it into your initial purchase budget. I was also looking at another 996, same model year and had all the options I wanted (black/carbon interior, full Aero package, etc...). Although this specific car had full documented maintenance history, I can guarantee there would have been something that needed attention. Of course it did have 10,000 less miles, but was also $4,500 higher in price. I couldn't justify the price difference on a car that was not my daily driver.

Good luck

doud1987

+1
Bought mine last year for $14.5k and have spent $4k since then and still need $1k to make it perfect, even with the previous owner spending $16k in the 2 years before he sold it to me…(I have all the invoices since new, it's not BS).
$2k would have been enough to make it OK (tires, brakes, tie rods) but the original IMS would have been a crapshoot and driving experience not the best (suspension, mods, etc.).
I checked MANY 911 before buying mine and it was by far the cleanest around under $16k, with full service history, clean body and interior…
I agree, there's no miracle… But, IMHO, at $20k in top shape it's a bargain

Spokayman

I purchased my '01 C4 last August and have about $3,500 into it, with a new cabriolet top accounting for about 1/2 of that.
Brakes, repainted front bumper cover (rock chips), filters, trans service, drop links, hood shocks, etc., etc. There's probably $500-$700 more to go to get it pretty much perfect.
I don't mind putting the dollars into it because the car is in good mechanical condition and had quite a bit of mechanical maintenance done even at the relatively low 50K miles it had when I bought it.
As others have said, these cars are 10+ years old and stuff needs to be replaced, some of it regardless of mileage on the car.
I think the best buys are the cars with extensive maintenance, even if the miles are nearing 100K.

CJWessing

I thought I got a deal on my 2002 Targa last year for $19k, $6k later I'm $25k into the car. At least it's still cheaper than a BRZ...

rpm's S2

Bingo. There is no cheap path to Porsche ownership.*


*Unless you have extensive mechanical skills, experience, and tools.

onempty

I'm really glad that I asked. It seems that I am going to be close to 20K no matter what I do. I guess it would be worth it to just buy a better car from the start.

So many options! I just need to find that perfect one for me. I would love to get one that I could use and only have to do normal maintenance but I realize at the 15K mark that will not happen.