doodledad

Hi all,
Been lurking on these forums for a bit but now actively looking for my first P-car. Been in love with these cars since I was a teenager (996 came out when I was in high school) and am now in a position in life to get one. Really enjoy reading these forums and have learned a lot.

I paid the member fee and posted a WTB ad in the classifieds, but I thought I would post in this forum and see if anyone knows of any cars here that might fit the bill.

What I'm looking for:
--996.2 (2002-2004) cabriolet. I would prefer a C4 or C4S, but would look into a nicely cared for C2.
--OEM color matched hardtop
--6 speed manual
--No prior accidents
--Careful maintenance records; no ongoing issues
--Clean body
--Favor lower miles (less than 75k), but I am open to higher mileage cars if the service history is thorough.
--I have no definite exterior color preferences, but lean away from red or yellow. Similarly, I lean toward black interior, but not definitively decided.

I like the idea of buying off Rennlist, as I feel I will get a more detailed view of the car and may be more likely to get full records and have more confidence in what I am buying.

Anyway, I am in no super rush to find my car, but appreciate any leads anyone might have. Thanks!

Petersa9

Keep an eye on the Craigslist finds topic. Try a search engine like searchtempest to search several crqigslists for you.

Where do you live?

doodledad

I live in Minnesota but am willing to fly and drive home for the right car. Yes, that craigslist thread is great. Just discovered search tempest and it is a good tool. Thanks for the tips.

Petersa9

I just put my 03 C4S with 57k on it in storage last week. I want a turbo real bad, so I will likely list it in spring, but if you are willing to look at a solid ride that's a hard top we can talk. New LN IMS Pro, clutch, RMS, AOS, coils and plugs at 52k. Let me know if you want to know more and I can PM you my number.

I live west of Milwaukee, a short cheap flight away.

FRUNKenstein

Not to rush you, but we are nearing the end of the buyer's market time of the year. Come March, prices will go up about 10%+. Cars won't sit on the market long once tax refund/spring fever hits til roughly August.
Prices go back down from Labor Day thru New Year's Day. Not a gigantic difference, just something to be aware of.

FRUNKenstein

BTW, for my first 996, I thought I had to have a C4S until I saw a Mk I aero coupe. Keep an open mind.

docmirror

I think you're in the right place, and you've got the right attitude on getting your car. All I can say is don't rush, and get what you want. If you're interested in a C4S, then get that. If you can 'live' with a C4, but it won't make you happy, wait for the car you really like. It'll be worth it.

I almost settled for something I didn't really want because I was waiting for some limited choices(I like red/yellow). So glad I waited and got the right deal. Hang in there, and follow up all leads, you never know where your car will come from. Autotempest.com is a great resource.

NewToThis

Saw this one on A Trader

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...96813494&Log=0

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Dennis C

This is good advice. It took me about 6 months to find the 996 that I wanted. I wanted a C4S with a manual transmission. I didn't want silver, gray, or black. I ended up finding my 996 on "The Mart" on the PCA website. I flew out to California, bought the car and drove it home. You'll find the car you want.

docmirror

Nice looking car. This is actually a 997, but it's close enough to the 996 that it's all relative. The one sticking point is that the 06-08 engines were redesigned in the intermediate shaft so that the support bearing can't be replaced without a complete engine disassembly. For this reason only, I would never, ever invest in a 997 without the IMS documented being upgraded. But - that's just me(failure of the IMS bearing destroys the engine).

kromdom

Another place to check (in case you have not yet done so) is your local Autotrader........found mine there. Best of luck.

kmagnuss

I'm thinking about selling my 99' cab 6 speed with 37k on the clock. PM me if you'd consider a MK1 (with factory dual row IMS bearing for the win... among other 99 model year goodies).

doodledad

Petersa9- Sounds like a great car, I think I'm set on a cab. Would be the ideal car if I were looking for a coupe.

kmagnuss- It sounds like a good car, but I love the looks of the MK2 so I think I am set on that.

Thanks for the good advice from all. Yes, I am sure that the prices will jump in a couple months. I'm anxious to get a car, but want to make a careful decision most of all. I have been watching Autotrader, Cars.com, PCA classifieds, and cargurus and trying to investigate the cars that I've seen. Based on that, I've driven 4 cars locally: 99 C2 to compare a MK1; 03 C4 x 2; and a 06 997.1 for driving comparison. This, plus looks and cost, have led me to focus on 996 MK2. I've added Autotempest into my rotation.

A couple questions for the group:
-I am hoping to find a solid car for < $30k. This would be a car with I*S/RMS already done (I am not going to bring up the issue now and don't need to discuss it) or under my budget to get it done. Do you think that this is possible for a well sorted car? Is it possible to get a well cared for C4s for less than 30K? If not, I would be more than happy to go for a C4/C2. The wife and I have agreed on a budget.
-I had a bad experience with a used car dealer- drove 1.5 hrs to find a car with a number of issues not as described (top not functional, rips in top, etc). Accordingly, I am a bit gun shy about these dealers. Have others had good luck, or should I focus on private sellers across the country and local used car lots? I just feel like I would trust a private seller more.

This is a great forum- thanks to all for the input!

kmagnuss

I'd focus on private 'enthusiast' owners and higher end dealers that deal with porsches. I would not buy a 996 from a buy here pay here lot... they either bought it at auction or bought it from somebody who neglected it and then traded it in. There's a reason the cheaper 911's are cheaper.

porsche951

Excellent dealer near me has two 2003 Cabriolets one is AWD. Both have mileage in the low 30's. Asking prices are $29k and $28k. Colors are Seal Grey and Dark Blue. Motorcars International Bridgewater Ma.