WantA911

Well I'll be a monkey's uncle! I did my first posting a few weeks ago about 997.1 vs. 997.2 I was then going to pull the trigger on a 2008 Carerra 4s at my local dealership, but when I sat in it, no matter how I moved the seat around, my right leg was almost wedged against the wheel and there was no way I could drive it, and thought my 911 ownership dreams were over. But I never even thought about the shoes I was wearing when I checked it out. Turns out, they were the problem and the heels were thicker than I even realized.. I came across some body-glove "toe shoes" at home today that I hadn't seen in a while and decided to see if they'd make a difference.
I tested it out in my car first and compared them against the shoes I had worn and couldn't believe the difference in the legroom in my car. So I checked out my local dealership inventory online and while the original 997.v1 I sat in was gone (I really wasn't in love with it anyway), they did have a 2008 Turbo. So I ran down there this afternoon before they closed and sat in the 2008 Turbo and couldn't believe the amount of leg room I had with the toe shoes! So I'm back in the market for a 997, I'm seriously considering that Turbo, even though it's really way more than I want to spend. I'll run some searches on it on the forum, but if anyone has any thoughts/praises/warnings about a 2008 Turbo, please let me know. Has about 52k miles. It's a Cab w/Tiptronic (I know it's not PDK). What do you think of driving without extended warranty?. Thanks

***************************************
Original:
I'm hoping to become a first time Porsche owner and really want a 911. I was really hoping to get a 2009 997.2, since there are no IMS issues and I've talked to some guys who own them that said they're been very dependable. My requirements are:
1) Automatic
2) CAB
3) Heated seats

I am not going to be taking it on the track, and I really don't care how fast it goes. I don't live in cold weather so don't need 4s either. I really just want to experience owning a 911 while I'm still alive and can afford it. But I'm having problems finding anything available on the market near where I live, that are in my price range.

But, there is a 2008 997.1 Carrera S near me with low mileage and a great price, with my 3 requirements. Assuming I'm able to get an Extended Warranty on it AND said warranty would cover IMS bearings (I've seen some threads on that and it sounds like it's still quite a gray area), and given I'm not racing it or care how fast it is, is there really a downside to going with the 997.1 vs. 997.2?

I also know there is the "You don't need an extended warranty" faction and the "You do want an extended warranty faction", but I simply will not drive a luxury car without one. My current MB has paid for itself twice, and I'm not about to pay out of pocket for Porsche repairs.

Anyway, I really just want to know if the 997.1 is really that inferior to the 997.2 for what I want to use it for, that I shouldn't even consider it? Thanks

Meursault88

fsfsa

Dennis C

Spyerx

doclouie

wjk_glynn

sandwedge

Don't know if it's anything you'd consider but you would be doing yourself a big favor by expanding your search beyond "near where you live". If you insist on finding the car you want near where you live you're much more likely to compromise and not getting what you want and maybe even overlooking some things that shouldn't be overlooked.

You can do most of the due diligence without even leaving your house no matter how far away the car is located. If you find your car 2,000 miles away or whatever, put a deposit down on it fully refundable if the PPI doesn't meet your standards. If the car checks out, buy it and have it shipped (I've done this) or go there and check it out yourself first. Plane tickets are cheap these days as is a night in a hotel room. Bottom line is that you're depriving yourself of so many options, both price wise and how the car itself is priced and optioned if you insist on only shopping your own backyard. And.....get a 997.2 if it falls within your budget. All the benefits over the 997.1 have been rehashed enough around here where I don't think there's any reason to waste more time on it.

user 72902

I think this is one of the biggest misconceptions with all wheel drive. My 997 is a C2 but my Benz is AWD and it makes a bug difference in the rain. Perhaps you will not drive your new car in the rain but AWD does more than help in the snow.

Doug H

To me, the bigger concern, especially long term, with the .1 is bore scoring. I personally will not purchase to flip, drive or hold a M96/M97 car due to bore scoring concerns despite almost pulling the trigger twice on mint S aero kit, power kit cars that I wanted to purchase to put back long term. Bore scoring will paper weight a .1 S long before an IMS bearing.

RE: PDK

The .2 is a super reliable car with manual. The only real concern here is the high pressure fuel pump and Porsche may cover that as a goodwill item. I personally would never, ever purchase a tiptronic in a 911. This is a great transmission for the Cayenne and perhaps for a .1 turbo as it holds boost better with gearing, but the tiptronic has no place in a NA 911 unless you are a housewife wanting a 911 cabriolet and have no desire to learn how to use a manual transmission.

The pdk is actually an excellent shifter. I have had them in a 991.1 GT3, 997.2 turbo, 997.2 C4S, 997.2 C2 cab, Macan S and now in my 991.2 turbo. I am a manual guy and have owned perhaps 25 to 30 manual 911s since the 80s, but lean toward the pdk now, especially for the turbo.

RE: AWD

Candidly, this is so unnecessary except maybe for a turbo which needs AWD for straight line traction. Neither the NA .1 nor the NA .2 have enough low end torque to actually need AWD and despite what some may say, the handling is not any better in corners on dry surfaces. Limits are limits and dictated by weight v. the traction in your tires. AWD is good for the snow, but I candidly thing the 911 is very stable wet surfaces within reason. AWD won't save you from hydroplaning or driving like an idiot on wet surfaces so RWD is sufficient in rain.

HiAperture

I say go for it. I prefer the looks of the .1 over the .2 personally. I like you am not looking to go to the track and like the idea of having a car that you can actually hold the gas on for more than a couple seconds on before going well beyond any speed limit. Tiptronics in particular on cabs don't seem to be a big negative for resale. If there is a car near you that fits your criteria and price, start the process, get it inspected, and buy it.

Certainly as mentioned on here, opening up your search nationwide will open up a lot more possibilities (and possibly make things much more confusing and result in more time not actually owning a car), but there is something to be said for walking up to the car, putting eyes on it, taking it for a spin, and being able to drive it home. If you can be on budget and have a warranty to boot, great.

Read too much about "problems" with the cars on these kind of websites and you will wonder why anyone buys a Porsche to begin with, you would think the things are just blowing up right and left on Sunday drives. We are talking about 10+ year old mass produced sports cars here, I think any 911 is a cut above just about any other comparable sports car in reliability.

Doug H

I am a huge 911/Porsche junkie. 911 has been my favorite since a very young kid, I started racing them at 17 and have owned just about every 911 version since the 80s except some of the ultra rare stuff. I love and defend the brand . . .

IMO, however, the bore scoring issue on a M97 is black mark and unacceptable, just as the IMS/RMS on the earlier M96s. These aren't pesky little problems that goes with the territory like the top end rebuilds for air cooleds or water pumps, alternators and etc. Bore scoring paper weights the entire vehicle from an economic perspective and is simply not acceptable. I am not sure I am aware of other high end (or low end for that matter) cars that are so prone to having the entire engine grenaded in the absence of any abuse whatsoever.

rubenswm

Thanks for sharing this .. very informative and much appreciated!

WantA911

Thanks for the feedback. I was actually going to go for it, but now the 997.2 guys have put some doubts in my mind regarding the Bore Scoring issues, instrument clusters, and resale. I really do want 997.2, and found a potential one in Florida, but I just don't know if I'm up for the hassle of an out of state purchase. and like you said, it's nice to see it, test drive it, and drive it home. I simply don't have the time fly a thousand or more miles to go look at a car, and don't know if I could buy a car without actually looking at it first.
But when I run nationwide searches, it seems like there a lot more 2008 PDK Cabs for sale than 2009's (<$60k), and there has to be a reason for that (like everyone loves their 997.2's). And I'm just not dropping $60k+ on a car.

So posting on Rennlist has not brought me any closer to a decision! But everyone makes good Pro and Con points for each, and I do appreciate everyone's feedback. While a manual is simply out of the question, I guess I could make due without a Cab, but I'd rather do a newer Cayman in that case. I just don't want to get a Cayman and regret never having a 911 Cab. I'm one of the few people who buys a convertible and actually drives with the top down. At least where I live. I'll be out on a beautiful spring day and 90% of the Convertibles I see have the top up. What's the point?

I may give it a few more weeks to see what comes available, but will just go with a 2008 if I don't find a 2009 I want. But isn't all really like deciding which of the Kardashian sisters you'd like to marry? Sure, some are better than others. But can you really go wrong with whichever one you choose? Who wouldn't drive a "Kim"?

Thx

Meursault88

There was a very nice silver with gray interior 997.2 cabriolet at Porsche of Plano last week for $42k. It looks like its gone now. Where you at and what's your budget ?

vern1

Completely agree with this (for obvious reasons). Porsche should have stood behind every one of these issues regardless of when it happen. But we know that didnt happen.

OP go with the .2 if you can. Still possible scoring issues but seem less prevalent