Toowaxy1

Sorry forgot to mention I paid 36,500 for the car.

lowcoaster

nice price.

sorry to butt in, but rather than start a new thread...

I have the same question.

First car shopper here.
I've been looking at an 05 997 with 167,000km on it. for 33,000 and
it has rims and suspension. really clean all around.

Should I pull the trigger for the 997?,

or look at 100,000km C4S's from 02 and 03 at the same price range.
I had planned on awd for winter driving, but the 997 at that price....

fyi : I can afford to maintain it.

===

Great car by the way! How's everything going with it?

cvtbenhogan

Congrats. Car looks nice!!!

Spokane5150

Do a little research on the Intermediat Shaft (IMS) issues these cars have. Lower mileage is better and I would suggest IMS replacement either way.

Spokane5150

Looks really clean.

Be sure to have that IMS replaced at sometime in the near future just to make sure your new baby maintains its good health. I also recommend analyzing the oil and filter with every change just to keep an eye on the motor. Get one of those magnet oil plugs too. There is a really nice oil filter upgrade from LN Engineering you should consider. See link below:

http://www.lnengineering.com/ims.html

These guys have taken the issue head-on and came up with some nice upgrades that will keep your 911 running for years.

fast1

Regardless of manufacture, buying cars with over 100K miles is a risk. A critical rule to keep in mind is that a Porsche that someone buys for $35K but had an original sticker of $90K+ will have the maintenance expense of a $90K car and not a $35K car.
I have a friend who has been buying high mileage Porsches for the past 20 years. He does virtually 100% of the maintenance himself and he knows exactly what to look for in terms of identifying expensive repair items before he makes an offer to buy the car. So he has been driving Porsches for many years on a budget that would normally be associated with a Honda or Toyota, but it's important to note that he gets as much pleasure maintaining these cars as he does in driving them.
For the average guy who doesn't have these skill sets, it's a matter of whether or not you can live with the potential of having a very expensive maintenance item hanging over your head.

Spokane5150

Fast is right....

Any car with that many miles will need a lot of maintenance. Some parts just totally wear out in 7-8 years and that many miles. Not a show stopper but you may need to look at your Rack-n-Pinion, Tie-Rods, Water Pump (**** to failure), Alternator, Wheel Bearing, Brakes, Shocks, Springs, Cats, Sensors, Switches, Window Motors, Oil Pump, IMS (**** to failure), RMS, Clutch, Fluids & Filters....this list can be fairly big and expensive. It also depends if the car was baby'd or beat on at the race track. If you can get into the car at the right price and do your own maintenance then you'll be in excellent shape at a great price. Just be willing to put in the hours and the money to make your new/used car a good runner.

USMC_DS1

+1 you can "hope for the best but assuming the worst"... Reserve $2K for LNE IMS and $5K for other maintenance items. Subtract from the $5K in maintenance reserve as you secure prior service records which may show that certain parts have been replaced already. DIY can greatly reduce the maintenance reserve if you're a decent shade tree mech. I did extensive work on my prior M3 and maintain all my cars. But I still took the more cautious path with an '08 car that had almost 2 yrs of original warranty and 2 yrs of CPO left JIC as this was my 1st Porsche. I do all the maintenance/service on my p-car so I may consider a higher mileage p-car next time as I gain more confidence with these cars.

With an '05 I'd say your biggest concern should be the potential of a near term catastrophic engine failure unless the PO already had the LNE bearing installed. Even then it has to be installed properly so check with LNE to determine if the shop that did the install is a reputable one. BTW, a PPI will not pick up a potential issue here in some cases. I would focus on the IMS issue more for this car as that could cost you $20K or more to replace the engine. OK, you need a $27K+ reserve to do this properly... now that puts you in '08/09 territory already. Vehicle price($33K) plus reserve($27+) = $60K just to be safe. Don't want to dampen your enthusiasm but be very cautious here and do more research as Spokane has recommended re IMS. Hint... An early '05 will potentially have the same smaller dual race bearings as the 996... research 996 and IMS for a perspective. The Porsche larger and redesigned single race bearing seems to be prevalent starting in mid '06-'8. Now the right '05 Carrera with the LNE bearing or the new larger bearring may be a great car for years to come. GL, do your research, and let us know the outcome.

lowcoaster

If I was to get the bearing job done as soon as I took possession after the PPI,
what are the chances the bearing already failed? would that show metal shavings in the oil if a service was done before the purchase was complete.

I have 45000 CAD$ available.

the car costs 33000
tax 5000
ims rms 2000

how much life do these cars have really? has anyone done over 300,000km in their 997 yet?

do the 997s really cost more to maintain than a 996.2?

street rod

Just to clarify, the early 05 cars will have a smaller single row bearing. The 99 cars all had the dual row and on the 2000 and 2001 some had single row and some dual row. Late 05 cars up to 08 had the larger single row. The dual row and larger single row are the most reliable. Either way its best to replace with the LNE ceramic bearing unless you have the larger single row which can not be replaced.

lowcoaster there is virtually no chance the bearing already failed because when they fail the motor is toast. It may be starting to go but thats why you need to replace it. The best way to go is to get a new clutch installed because the labor is the same as doing the IMS bearing install and it will cost you only $600 more for the part. Unless the car had a recent clutch installed that is.

lowcoaster

thanks 87.

UK2

Wow. $3 - $5K on maintenance, is that what you guys are experiencing on a 997? Are they any more complex than a 996.2?

USMC_DS1

I DIY and have spent ~$1K in parts over the past 2 yrs of ownership... $600 of which is really preventative(coils and water pump). I also change my oil every 3K miles and/or 4-5 months whichever comes 1st. If you're dealer dependent then I suppose the cost could approach $2-3K/yr. BTW, my '08 C2S has 55.5K miles and has been less expensive to maintain than my prior BMW's. Make sure you get a clean car and always PPI the car especially if you're buying a used 997.

stanleymorton

Gforce
I came up on your post of years back about purchasing a high mileage 997. I find myself possibly in the same dilemma. If you purchased the vehicle can you pass on some lessons learned from your experience and how well or not the car has performed?
Thanks

shekmark

Just spent close to 3K for new clutch and flywheel. Probably could have skipped the flywheel and saved $1000, but tranny was out so...53K miles on mine.