Navy'sporsche

Its likely that my 99' 911 will be totaled within the next few days forcing me to make a choice for my next car. Beyond anything, I love the 996 GT3 and would love to purchase one. However, I'd like to wait and find one in the 40-45 range. How long do you think before I see this?

Additionally, what are common issues with the GT3? These engines are bulletproof correct? I'll probably lightly track the car and drive it ~5-7000 a year.

My concern is that while I'll purchase a car for 40-45 with 30-60000 miles, I'll be taking on a huge headache and money pit. Can anyone alleviate my fears in that regard? Is it realistic to expect the operating costs to fall within the 2-3,000 range per year?

mooty

engine is bullet proof, especially that you only track occasionally.
$3k/year maintenance i think is reasonable, unless you have unexpected major issue.
i highly doubt you can find a 30k mile car at <45k EVER (not counting distressed seller, or storied cars). if 6gt3 drops to that price, i think anyone with a brain and pulse would buy them up even just as decorative paper weight. i mean it. and when everyone starting buying them at 45k, the price will flow back up. now $55, you may be able to find a lot of cars to choose from.

Navy'sporsche

Fair enough. You think they'll bottom out around $50,000 then? At what mileage should I start second guessing a car, not that I've seen many over 30-40 thousand miles. For instance, from my experience, I'd feel quite uncomfortable stepping into a 996 with more than 60,000 miles that still had orginal engine etc.

Therefore, just as a way of saying, what is the "issue potential" mileage for the GT3?

mooty

i dont think you will find 50k sub 30k miles cars. but i could be wrong.
however i am fairly certain that <45k is in dream land, but hey, my crystal ball is very blurry now days.

potential issues.
RMS leak, rare though. cheap part but $$$ labor, maybe $3-4k at dealer
water pump will die eventually.
coolant hose sometimes crack or loosen up, my did at 15k miles.
that's about it.
i have had several 6gt3, all of them were trouble free.

Navy'sporsche

I'd be willing to pay into the low 50's. But not for anything over 40,000 miles.

In your best estimate, where do you think a 35,000-45,000 care will be in December?

gt3'er

Better buy now... they could go up when this recession flattens out and our stressed out buddies settle back in.

mooty

55k in december would be the number i bet on.

Serge944

I saw a 30k mile example sell for 50k. Hell, there was even a 6gt3 with 45k miles selling on ebay for 40k starting bid and no reserve. The auction ended with no bids. The deals are out there.

I hardly ever see any cars on the market with more than 30k miles. Most GT3s for sale have 15-25k miles.

VERY nice, low mileage 6gt3s can be had for 60k right now. I plan on purchasing one in about a year when I return from China. I'm hoping that by then prices drop another 10k.

I don't see these cars bottoming out and holding value. They just aren't that special. There's no reason why anyone would want a 6gt3 over a 7gt3 and those prices have been falling considerably. They will continue to fall with subsequent new models...

LVDell

Then you obviously haven't driven one and had the chance to really see what they are all about and why we love them so. And yes, there are MANY reasons why somebody would want a 6 over a 7.

Mr Michael B

Amen

Ahmet

Indeed, I think the 996 GT3 is special in many ways. It's also far more rare than a 997 GT3, not to mention the last one without electronic driver aids. I say this as a very budget conscious buyer, considering a 996 GT3 and I just don't see it likely that they'll fall below $50k any time soon. So far the couple I've seen that were "cheap" had been reconstructed after major incidents.

rodjac

The car is pretty bullet proof. There are a few mods that are really necessary--the most important being some rear suspension parts, particularly toe links which contribute greatly to stability--I also think a Guard LSD is a must. A car with Euro seats will also make your track days more pleasant and I would think a 6-point harness would be a good safety add. Finding a used car that was tracked and has these upgrades would save you a lot of time and money. Don't be afraid of cars that are tracked even 20 days a year as long as test show the engine is sound. Usually these cars are very well maintained as most owners are fanatics about their cars. I would think that shooting for 50 to 55,000 would be a more realistic range.

Holger B

I don't understand that logic, there's a big price delta between a 6-3 and a 7-3. And if I owned the 7, I'd always be worried about the RMS, which is not an issue with the 6. Clearly, pros and cons for both cars.

As far as the really low priced 6's, you generally get what you pay for (i.e. salvage title, heavily damaged & repaired, etc).

The "nothing special" comment reminds me of some volunteer work I did this weekend. The car was parked nearby and despite being completely filthy, people still stopped to take photos and ask about it. Not so with the few other P-cars that were there also. Makes me feel good that it's still got it after 5 years and in an area where high end cars are a dime-a-dozen.

Also, I had a 996 C2 before I got the GT3. The two couldn't be more different. I think anyone who's driven them both would agree.

Crazy Canuck

+1 BILLION

For me ...
- No sunroof (less weight and increased headroom which is at a premium for me with a helmet on)
- ABS Only. No TC, No PASM, No PSM - No BS. I'm driving the car.

It is a special car. The last Porsche w/o all the electronic doodads save ABS.

Modoc

Maybe wishful thinking, but I think Isringhausen (sp?) just raised their price on an 05 GT3 from 70K to 71,9K $ on a 12k miles car in a WSJ ad over the last month.
Joe D