docmirror

My mission is a daily/regular driver. I don't commute. No tracking, no short trips. Mostly medium trips or long travel. I have a lot of history with HP cars, and several Porsches. Would be doing most/all own mx. I've wanted another 996, but don't have interest in another IMS case. Cash buyer, can afford it, including reserves and running costs.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/d...mp2&CMP=stemp2

Techno Duck

That one has been listed since at least October when i was looking. The Carfax report shows an accident (its free on the advertisement).

Accident reported
Involving front impact
Vehicle ran off road
It hit a mailbox
Damage reported to:
Right front
Front
Undercarriage
Major damage reported
Vehicle disabled

Gofishracing

And it would need coolant pipes, new tires probably, etc.

Nickshu

And perhaps an LSD. Although at $65K the price reflects these issues.

IMPorsche

I would think twice if vehicle history report showed accident, especially car was disabled and had to be towed. Also should factor in how would that affect your resale value in the future.

Nader Fotouhi

I am usually hesitant to post on these threads, but since I recently asked a similar question, I figured I share. I have talked to Randy Long at EAW and the shop (I think it is called Momentum, but not sure) that has performed some maintenance work on the car, including some track tech inspections. My use for a car would be primarily track, and did not find any evidence from this shop for coolant pipes being addressed or other track related items, such as LSD, having been refreshed, so this car only made sense for me at significantly lower price.

Looking for the track car, the title issue did not bother me, and having talked with the shop, I did not consider the accident as a major issue. I was told that it required replacing the front bumper cover and the radiator. I figured a PPI should tell me if the accident was more severe than described. The initial asking price was about $70K, and has been dropped by $2K twice in the past month to the current price.

If you decide to move forward, I was referred by a local to Porsche dealer in Birmingham and a tech named Fred there for performing the PPI.

Good luck.

cgfen

"color matched brake pads" were a very rare option..................

Marv

The GT3 makes an excellent no-compromise daily driver with the right weather and roads, in my opinion. I have some experience with nearly 130,000 miles traveled on mine, so far.

As others have said, the coolant pipes, LSD, and a few other niggling items, will net you a first-class ride. The engines are pretty much bullet-proof.

General maintenance is easy with these cars. DIY oil changes are a snap (I pity the owners of the newer 991 and 992 cars). The car will eat tires. Expect to replace the rears twice for every time the fronts wear out. You can change to a less aggressive alignment if you want longer life at the expense of some handling. I generally get about 12K miles out of the rear tires.

I can't comment on the car you have in your cross hairs. There were only about 1,000 GT3 sold to North America and those are getting pretty old, making it difficult to find perfect examples. The front-end damage may be a show stopper, but you have to decide what is important to you.

To put that in perspective, someone backed into mine in a parking lot, cracking the bumper. We tried repairing it, but the damage is still visible, so I will probably replace it with new. Oh, I also got a stone chip a few months later that left a dent in the hood you could almost hide the tip of you little finger in. While the hood is salvageable, it will need a respray. However, I don't plan to sell the car until you aren't allowed to drive a gasoline engine on the road, so it isn't that big of a deal. If you are looking for a long-term investment, you may want to pass and keep hunting.

A comprehensive PPI is well worth the investment

himself

FWIW, I'll be getting rid of my 6_3 later this year. I've head it now 10 years and with the ever expanding family, and a SPB race car, the GT3 is not getting driven. It has a lot of the required goodies like Euro seats, 2 sets of wheels, aeromotion wing (and stock wing), Guard LSD, revalved OEM shocks on 600/800 springs, fabspeed exhaust bypass, caliper studs, etc etc. I have a pile of maintenance records as well, but I've moved a couple times so their not perfect.. Note, I still haven't had the pipes pinned, and frankly, I've only had 2 fail in 10 years. Both were replaced.

I bought it from another Rennlister @20K miles. It now has 53K. Not a concourse car, but it'll clean up nice.

I haven't figured out a price yet, but I'll get it up on the market in the next month or two. I assume it'll be around 70K +/- based on any issues I find when I go over it with a fine tooth comb.

-td

Nickshu

I'm seeing $65K as the bottom end of the market currently for these cars without coolant lines or LSD done, or higher mileage or accident hx. At least from what I have seen recently.

docmirror

What's up with the coolant pipes and LSD? I'm guessing the coolant pipes are like the deal with the Cayenne that they just won't stay sealed? And, LSD rework is a significant involvement. Do they just wear out? I'm not tracking, so I don't have a real need for the LSD to be tight, but if it's going to act up and cause trans problems - then need to rethink.

Thanks for the added info on the accident. I saw the report, but didn't get the details. I'm going to do more investigation on this.

I"m afraid my comfort price point is going to keep me out of a GT3. Not interested in ~$70k cars for a DD/trip vehicle. May get something more tractable and friendly than the GT3. But - it is tempting!

Nickshu

Coolant pipes are press-fit fittings and they let go spraying coolant all over. I have heard some tracks/clubs specify that GT3's and Turbos must have their coolant lines welded or pinned in order to be on track as blowing coolant all over the track is a big safety hazard. Welding is better than pinning. It's an engine-out procedure either way.

I believe the LSD can be changed without removing the transmission from the car, by removing one side axle flange and side cover on the transmission but I am not completely sure. Stock LSD is a clutch pack type unit and they are said to wear out pretty quickly. Guard LSD is a popular replacement, it's a gear-type LSD.

Marv

The LSD simply wears out. On the street it isn't going to paint your day black and if it is worn out it will not cause the transmission to go ****-up.

The coolant pipes can be a nasty surprise. There are a number of them and the fittings were epoxied in at the factory. Heat and time breaks the epoxy down and the fittings can slip out, spilling coolant like a ruptured aorta. However, repairing them is significantly cheaper than a failed IMS (i.e., engine rebuild)!!! I've had one fitting pop out so far with 134,000 miles on the odometer. I don't track the car, but do run autocross. It's getting due for its first clutch (told you these cars are tough buggers), so I am dropping the engine and will do the pipes at that time, along with other basic maintenance.

Lastly, you could buy a newer 911, but the GT3 will hold its value far better than a Carrera or an S.

himself

This is a great point. The GT3 has great staying power.

Competing issue: it's dated on the inside.

-td

docmirror

Yeah, sounds just the same as the Cayenne. They are slip fittings and when they come loose, spray the engine with coolant, and make a gen mess. Since it's winter, I could drive it home with the pressure off the system to keep from blowing it, and repair at home. Thanks for info on LSD, that was as expected too. Maybe will go look at it.