ABN_RANGER

Hello all - I could really use your help with this decision. I've been hit with info overload searching the forums which has only made this decision more difficult. I am in the market for my 1st 911, the 997, and would like your opinion on my options.

Car 1 - 997.1 S, Basalt Black Metallic w/ black interior, Sport Chrono Plus, 6 MT, 77k miles, 33K asking price

Car 2. 997.2 Base, Black w/black interior, PDK, 76k miles, 35 asking price

Car will be a DD and hopefully one that I will keep for many years to come.

While Car 1 has everything I want to include color and wheel combo, I'm nervous about the IMS issue. Regarding Car 2, I dislike the black rims and that it's an automatic. I can change the rims--I can't change the tranny.

What do you think...should I play it safe with the 997.2 or get 997.1. Also, if I choose to get the .1, what am I looking at regarding cost for an IMS upgrade? I live about 3 hours from flat six in GA.

linderpat

Get the .1 S. IMS upgrade with clutch, maybe a couple other WYAITs (AOS) for about 3 or 4 grand, and you are all set for years to come. I am partial to the .1's though. A slightly cleaner look imho.

Jaskfri

+1 and Linderpat's next post is #10,000. Wow.

I bought a 997.1s with 6mt and love it. It has the larger IMS and has been fine for almost 4 years and 45k miles.

yelcab

997.1, six speeds beats the PDK

Vince Vincent

Alright, first of all, you need to prioritize what you really like and want.

The S and Base are very different, and that right there should answer your question, additionally you need to decide if you want a Base Model Automatic GT type driving experience (997.2) or a visceral sports car type experience (997.1 S).

I bought a 2006 997 S, had a PPI done, checked the engine build number, dates and everything checked out and confirmed my car has the larger IMS. Been happy since, mainly because its an S and manual which I love.

rickdogg82

Easy decision.
If you are worried about IMS and don't like an auto, wait until you find a .2 manual

Balr14

If you haven't driven the PDK, you should try it. My other car is manual, most every car I have owned in the last 60 years has been manual, my next car will be manual. But my C2S has the PDK... it's light years ahead of manual in every respect. It shifts 100 times faster than manual, it won't allow you to upshift if it would bog the engine, it won't allow you to downshift if it would cause an over-rev and it gets great gas mileage in auto mode.

dasams

^ Wait until you can find .2 with 6 sp.

Nitemare9

PDK is faster than a manual. I've had both and the PDK is a dream to drive.
I autoX both and found out the PDK is much smarter then I am.
and faster at shifting.

mikeTT

What specific year is each car please?

gulshan

Research bore scoring on 997.1's.. ims is not an issue if 06 or later. If I was close to flat 6 I would get the highest mileage/cheapest/clean 997.1 S. Avoid all 997.1 S's that we born and raised in cold weather like midwest. Bore scoring is a real "ticking" time bomb..pun intended. Budget/plan future engine rebuilt or resleeve if keeping long.. good luck

mujeriega

I wanted not just to sleep better at night but also a nicer looking interior so I went with the 997.2. The PDK was something I wanted since it's a daily driver and in the event I actually care to mash the pedal, will be as fast or faster to 60 than a .1 S in manual or tip.

Sometimes the best thing to do is to make a decision which you regret least and in my case, it was a .2 hands down. Also, the price point for the .2 you're getting is a great deal and were it available from CB&B when I purchased mine last year, I would have bought it in a second.

Do what's right for you but if it's a DD, you'll be happy with PDK.

TheBruce

Welcome. Either way you go you will have a great car. Ive had my 2006 997.1 as a DD for the last 2 years and LOVE it. I've put 25k miles on it and can sell it for more than i paid for it. Its the ultimate car hack.

A few tips:

1. The year of the 997.1 is important. A 2005 997.1 will need an IMS upgrade. You have around a 10% failure on that year. However the 2006-2008 will not. They have the upgraded large bearing (non replaceable) and there is only 1 confirmed failure on those in this forum. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. Personally i would be more worried about a PDK failure than an IMS failure on a 2006+.

2. The next question is if the cars are warm weather or cold weather. Bore scoring can effect both, its just a higher risk for the the 997.1. Again, something i wouldn't lose sleep over if you do your homework. Inquire how much oil they use, look for any black soot on the left pipe, see if they spent any time in cold climates, and listen for any ticking. Get at least the #6 bore scoped during the PPI if you have any concerns at all.

3. PDK vs 6sp - thats a tough one. I love my 6sp. I think if i drove a PDK i could be convinced, but i would likely have to swap out the steering wheel to get the paddle shifter instead of the older thumb clickers.

4. I would also recommend to get the oil filter pulled on both cars during the PPI.

5. On the .1 you have some standard maintenance items at this age:
- coolant expansion tanks can crank on both the .1 and .2
- water pumps every 4 years
- starter/alternator cable (to check get the car up >200F oil temp, turn it off, and immediately restart it. If its sluggish to start the cable needs to be replaced)
- ignition switches can go
- air/oil separator
- strut mounts can go

None of these are big issues. If you DIY they are cheap to fix.

6. I cant speak with first-hand knowledge on the .2 maintenance items but we have been seeing more of them as these cars turn 10 years old. The stuff we typically see here:
- high pressure fuel pumps
- PDK gremlins
- ive seen more failures/issues reported on the PCM 3.0 than PCM 2.1
- ive seen less water pump and strut mount issues.

7. Lastly, something to consider if you have a firm budget of $35k would be to buy a 997.1 base C2 with lower miles. I did that and it was a hell of a bargain. If you don't plan on keeping it forever you can likely buy a car with 40k miles and sell it at 60-70k miles for the same thing you paid for it. You will take a hit on the other two when you clock 100k miles. The only thing you need to consider with this is a) S-envy (it exists but since the car is so cheap you might not care) and b) you will need to put Eibach lowering springs on it to get rid of the 4X4 ride height on the base models.

ABN_RANGER

ABN_RANGER

All of my former vehicles have been 3 series in MT except for the last one which was an automatic. I loved the car but regretted not finding it in a stick.