Resale of 997(1)(2)
 

Hi all,
I am a newbee interesting in buying a used 911. Based on a couple that I have driven and what I have read, I believe the 997.2 is what I am most interested in. I drove a boxster and then 911 S and wow what a different smile!
Despite my initial inclination for a 997.2, I may still consider a 997.1. I like the 997.2 much better with the updated interior, DFI engine and NO IMS concerns.
Because I am a newbee and don't know where I might end up in a year or so resale issue is a point of interest when considering the purchase. Can some of the pros here provide some insight as to what I might expect? It seems as thought there are not too many 997.2's around (at least Coupes with Manual Transmissions). There have been a couple 4CS and I was wondering how the the AWD fairs on resale vs. RWD. Also, does the additional HP of the S make a substantial difference in resale?
Lastly, while I very much like the updated interior of the 997.2, I may look at a 997.1 that has AWD. Same questions apply.

Thank you to all who read this and take the time to reply!!

First question is what are your plans? Daily driver or weekend warrior? Tracking. I drive a 997.2 as the updated interior was a must for me as I did not want to change the head unit. Do you live in the cold climate and will it be driven there? If so a 4 is a good choice only if you will be driving in it. They built half as many 997.2s as 997.1s. Resale with a 997.2 will hold a little better because of possible engine problems with the 997.1. I love the wider rear end of the 4 models, but I live in Texas and have no plans to leave, which was not the case a year ago. I am glad I have a 2 and not a 4. I love to slide it sideways which is much harder in a 4. Both are great cars and you can’t go wrong. Just get your cash on hand and move quickly or the one you want will be gone.

Thanks for the reply. This will be a weekend driver, mid week anytime I have a drive long enough to warm up the engine. No track or otherwise race. I am in the Boston area and cold is an issue, however I will not be driving the car in the snow so I am not really concerned about AWD. I agree on the head unit swap out and the IMS concerns on the 997.1 are mine as well. Regardless of how much of an issue it actually is, it does seem to have a chill on the resale. But that is only my newbee impression. I do believe I read there was a blue tooth add on for the 997.1.

If you want a manual I would be much more open to the 997.1. The production numbers of the 997.2 and the fact that everyone is trying to get a 997.2 over the 997.1 make them hard to get. I wanted an auto/pdk so the 997.2 made the most sense. The 4S is fine on resale, I don't know why that would change. I didn't need the AWD, but I sure do love the widebody. I know its not ideal to have to upgrade the head unit, but if you do the radio will be vastly improved compared to the 10 year old technology.

Check out this thread too.

https://rennlist.com/forums/997-foru...-possible.html

Oh yea I would be more concerned with the bore scoring than I would IMS, but both are expensive repairs. At least the IMS can be fixed.

I was in your position a year ago. The 997.2 had a lot of significant upgrades that made it my only choice. I had to have an S model and PDK to maximize performance. My only regret a year later is I didn't save my pennies and wait for a 2010 turbo.

What do you want to spend? If you want to spend 997.2 dollars than absolutely go for that. It may take a while to get exactly what you want, but it will come along. No track or snow driving, get a C2 or C2S. The HP difference will not mean alot on the street, but get the S if you can afford it, you will get the money at resale. I like the widebody, so I would get a 4 or 4S just because of that. If you want a low miles car and don't want to spend over 50-55k like I did just get a 997.1 and enjoy and don't read any threads about IMS or bore scoring.

If you must have extra insurance for whatever 997.1 "deficiencies" you read online then pay extra $15k. That is like almost 40% premium if you buy 997.2 C2S over a well sorted $40k 997.1 C2S . Ownership and service history is way more important than a difference between generations. If you need auto then PDK is a must otherwise it is just cosmetics.

For me the amount I was going to drive it (weekends and summers compounded with the premium for the .2 and I wanted standard ... I went with a nice optioned 997.1 C4S and have much more of a car for the money than I would have had in a .2 for similar $$

The 997.1 is a great car and the issues are way over blown ... The concern with the .2 gen cars is that if you want PDK you need to skip the first few years as the PDK was improved moving forward ... and therefore gets you into another $$$ bracket when looking for a proper .2 car.

Thanks to all who responded. I think the issues on the 997.1, overblown or not, chill the market for their resale. Aside from the the pleasure of the driving the 911, is a concern for the purchase. For the price of some of the 997.2 posted as of late, for 2k more you can get a base 991. I have not driven a 991 so cant comment on that. In the mean time, the search will continue!

With good service history, how much of a concern is car with higher mileage? Is clutch replacement a concern at 70k?

The potential 997.1 problems are already factored into the price you pay and therefore resale too. The reduced issues with 9A1 engine in the .2 and newer model year and updated interior account for the premium. The 997.1 may depreciate a little faster, but I doubt that will matter over only a couple year period or even more assuming you invest the thousands in cost difference.

As for clutch, some last 130k and lots seem to get half to 3/4 that, depends how hard the previous owners were on it. I was interested in getting a certain 997 targa 4S with 40k miles, but I was turned off after seeing it had 2 clutch replacements in 30k miles.

I replaced my clutch at 53K miles, but only had the car for 2K of that. Hard to know the skill of previous owners. Mine brand new now, including the flywheel so I personally don't care what any previous owner did to the old clutch. Cost approx 3K

If resale is a concern, buy the highest spec 997.2 with the lowest miles you can. If you buy smart you can drive the car without facing any depreciation. Could easily sell my car I got 3 years ago for exactly what I paid then, despite adding 25k miles to it.

I have driven several 991 models and I really like them. Ride is smoother, handling is more predictable (it was already very good) and interior feels roomier. I would have bought one but they were beyond my price limit.