shawn_nj

19k
2002 3.6L MK2. Perfect body, exact car I wanted. I shopped around alot. 996's in the northeast go for a premium. Put 2k miles on it this month. Completely obsessed with it....lol

808Bill

Congrats! What all had to be done?

shawn_nj

LN IMS Pro Bearing
AOS
RMS
Aux Coolant
Cam Tensioner
Plugs
Coils
Oil Fill Tube
Water Pump
Belt
Low Temp Thermostat
Steering Signal Stalk switch

All fluids replaced, AC recharged, and another page or so of small misc items I cannot remember. Also note late model Tips are about extra +$1000 to do IMS over 6spd. Runs like a dream. Will swap brake pads next oil change.

Vincent713

shawn_nj - so you paid $19k for an 02 C2, plus did all of the replacements and preventative maintenance? Wow your car must be nice and running smooth. I'm still searching for my dream (affordable) 911. I figured if I pay around $20k for a 996, then put out another $K7-10k to make it a long term daily driver, I'd be close to the turbo or 997 range. Decisions decisions.

Volkert

Had the same dilemma a year ago. Checked all these models out (also C4S 996). In the end I chose a pristine very early (Jan-98) 996 Carrera with a sports setup (M030 ROW, sportseats, LSD, etc) then spend approx 5k on maintenance&upgrades as described above. I really liked the clean 996 design over the much vaunted 997 interior. Too much little chrome accents etc. Don't forget that 997/Turbo you might look at as alternative will need maintenance too (3-5k?) before you put it on the road.

Anyway, the REALLY NICE thing about 911 ownership is that you will always find one just to YOUR liking. So just be sure you shop around and find what you really want (once you know what that is..) and then don't get hooked on that particular car unless the maintenance history is clean and the PPI is good. I initially really liked the 997 and no way was interested in a 996 (those headlights???) but look what I got in the end..

ZuffenZeus

John hit the preverbal "nail on the 996 head" big time.

I don't have to drive any further than Cleveland Ga to realize that this would be a major project. You're prolly looking at lease double what you paid to get this car running.

shawn_nj

996 Turbo or 997 is going to need just about everything I listed except the IMS (bc Turbo doesnt have one, and 997 you cannot replace it).... Had I not personally known someone who had an IMS failure I might not have worried about it as much. But that is up to you, the rest of the parts are wear items. AOS's will fail in time, original AUX coolant tank will look like crap and fail in time (mine did), if you buy a manual plan for clutch job if it hasnt been done. Believe me I looked at three 997's while shopping and all 3 had oil some seepage on the motor from either the RMS/IMS. 75% of all the cars I looked at has SOME signs of oil there.

Any used car I buy I replace all fluids. That's just my ADD. But "affordable" is a very relative term to Porsche's. Trust me your best bet is to find a forum member who did all of this stuff in the past 3 years and pay a premium for that car. I went with 996 over 997 bc it allowed me to keep enough cash to comfortably deal with an engine rebuild if one was required. And I could not stomach living with an original IMS after seeing my buddies car grenade. Buying one of these cars is def somewhat of a gamble. PPI lowers the risk...but will not show if the previous owner found metal and changed the oil... I did not sleep much the few days that my car was getting prequailified for the IMS, I was very worried something bad would be found. Make sure you can deal with the outcome if something goes wrong early on, it CAN and does happen to a small % of new owners.
Sorry to scare you if I did, but its good to know your risks upfront. All of this is just my opinion, but I was in your shoes shopping around 2 mths ago.

Now with all that said, driving this car is just amazing. Warm night with the top down hearing the motor behind you is just an incredible experience, and worth every dollar.

Vincent713

I've always wanted a Porsche as a kid and I was intrigue with the low cost of today's 996. It's not my favorite 911 but I can live with the fried egg. headlights I don't mind doing the preventive maintenance but I really don't want to put myself in a predicament where something always go wrong and I have to fix. The upside is I can wrench and replace parts like engine mounts, ignition coils, spark plugs, belt, water pump etc. Nothing big like pulling the tranny out to replace clutch or IMS bearing, these kind of jobs I would have to bring to a shop. Thank you for all of the great advice you guys have given. I've joined other special interest forums and I always help newbies so I appreciate honest people giving honest advice. The more I think about it the more I'm leaning towards the 996. You guys are right, it's cheap to get a 996 so I wouldn't feel as bad or put me in a deep hole if I had to put out more money for repairs.

Luch

Are the timing chain tensioners recommended replacements...even on a 2004?

I like the upgrade list from Shawn_NJ - makes the most sense in my opinion!

Chris

TomR9964S

Shawn, nice to hear you are enjoying the new ride. It was like a mini series reading your pursuit for a P car. My dealer was able to pull the last two service invoices for the car I purchased. The radiators were replaced and coolant changed 1K before my acquisition. Also, it had a full service done at a Porsche dealer 200 miles before I bought it. I did not get a PPI and am keeping my fingers crossed. My '04 996.2 was about 15k less than a '06 997. Any older car is going to have some issues and that money in the bank should cover most of them.