^^^ Your car sounds like what I'm looking for!

BTW, I inspected and drove the car I described in my initial post this afternoon. Ran, shifted and braked just fine, but (1) 2 wheels badly curbed; (2) stone chips in nose - to be expected, I suppose; (3) driver's side bolster wear - to be expected, I suppose; (4) dirty motor; (5) soft touch finish on HVAC toggles worn off. Offered $38K cash subject to clear PPI, but no other contingencies. Seller firm on $43K. I walked away. The search continues.....

 

It ain't worth 43k. No chance. Maybe if it's mint

 

***Edit: I just read your recent post... it is not uncommon that these private party sellers think their cars are worth more than dealer retail, I see fools trying to get $30k for their 1999 Tiptronic 996 on a daily basis. Don't get discouraged, you will find the right car for the right price.***

I always like to chime in these value threads...

True dealer trade-in wholesale is $32350, market ready wholesale is $34050 for this car. If the car has OEM 19 inch wheels and factory navigation, it worth another $1000 or so.

Assuming the car has a clean carfax, and is exactly what you want... you should expect to pay $38k more or less.

Look at this one.. less miles, Atlas Grey, Carfax shows no accidents reported, and they are asking $38208. One would assume you could negotiate the price down a couple hundred dollars to offset the doc fee.

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...ngId=346339925

Here are some actual Manheim auction numbers, pay attention to the date - these cars were obviously worth more many months ago - they are not appreciating in value. Also note that some of these cars may have had accident history, mechanical issues, distasteful modifications, etc.

08/21/13 PALM BCH Regular $38,400 42,369 Avg BLK 6G 6 No
02/21/13 RIVRSIDE Regular $40,000 42,457 Avg RED 6G 6 No
08/07/12 ORLANDO Lease $37,500 43,151 Avg BLACK 6G A No
02/19/13 ORLANDO Regular $36,500 46,375 Avg SILVER 6G M No
03/06/13 PALM BCH Regular $40,200 46,434 Avg SILVER 6G 6 No
04/24/13 ATLANTA Regular $38,000 46,559 Avg BLACK 6G A No
06/13/13 RIVRSIDE Regular $39,500 48,507 Avg BLACK 6G A No
03/29/13 FT LAUD Regular $33,500 49,328 Avg BLACK 6G A No
06/14/12 PHOENIX Regular $40,250 51,963 Avg Yellow 6CY M No
09/19/12 CHICAGO Regular $38,125 55,423 Avg Gray 6G A No
12/13/12 RIVRSIDE Regular $33,000 56,274 Avg RED 6G A No

 

Glad to see some additional confirmation that my offer to this seller was spot on. He may find someone willing to pay $43k +/- for his car, but it certainly will not be me. It's only been on AutoTrader for about a week, so I suppose he's just testing the market at this point and holding out for top $.

 

I believe the 2005 (997.1) Launch cars C2S was in the wide body/ rear wheel drive but there werent that many of them. They came with PCCB too!

 

^^^Nope. The .1 Launch Car was a narrow body. Only came in black and was loaded to the gills with every option available.

Not too mention these were very early builds on the .1 platform and will have the M96 Case making them an ideal candidate for the IMS Bearing upgrade.

 

Hold out and save for 2009. I recently got 2007 and now need to get Bluetooth and iPod. 2009 way to go esp with PDK

 

Again, the fact that the it's an M96 has nothing to do with the upgradability of the IMS bearings. Read this thread: https://rennlist.com/forums/997-foru...ight-dope.html

The M96 is the base car's engine. The M97 is the S car's engine. They were not sequentially produced. They were produced in parallel. In 2004 and 2005 Porsche was making BOTH engines with the old, replaceable IMS bearings. Then they switched to the new bearings for BOTH engines.

 

Before you get really serious about buying a used 911 you need to get a copy of Randy Leffingwell's book 911 Buying Guide which which tell you the differences between one year and the next. With all the 'discoveries' that you are making in this short thread you have a long way to go before you become an educated buyer. Trust me, the money you spend on a mere book will put you in a much more favorable position for buying intelligently.

The 997 was by far the greatest 911 ever produced when it comes to numbers. It came at a time when people wanted a refreshed 996 and when the economy was still viable. They were running two shifts at Zuffenhausen to keep up with the demand. Thus, you have a substantial choice of used cars now to pick from. Never be in a hurry when you look and pick candidate cars. Also, consider the fact that some day you will have to sell the car you are buying today. If you buy a stripped 997 (non-S) you will have to sell that thing to people who may be more educated about 911s and they will want a 997S and will want certain basic options that are considered in this crowd to be the minimum essential items for a 997. Your driving experience will be significantly affected by things like options--trust me. I ordered a very stripped 911S many decades ago because I couldn't afford more and it was a so-so experience. When I later traded it into a much more loaded car I enjoyed the Porsche experience that much more. Don't let money be the ultimate guide to your choice. Two years from now when you get even more educated around 911s you will kick yourself for settling with a 997 with few options.