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My dad owned a 911 since before I was born. First one I remember, barely, was a late 70's 911, green. Then a really sweet midnight blue carrera with gold BBS for a few years before he bought his first new one, an '83 911SC, black. He owned that thing forever until finally trading it for a 996 cabriolet. Ironically, around that same time I was living in CH and my roommate also had the exact same car. We drove (and abused) that thing a lot! The old man now owns a 991 cabriolet but I've only seen it once, at night in a restaurant parking lot.
Personally, I know own a 2011 Audi S4. I live in Colorado so it's a pretty great car for the terrain and weather. The supercharger helps a lot in the thin air up here and the quattro likely saves my life on a daily basis.
Seeking advice on a 997.
I'd like to purchase a 997 but don't know where to start. Ideally I'd like a 4 or 4S. Are there certain years or iterations that are better than others? What should I look out for? Besides bringing it to an independent mechanic for a check before purchasing, anything else I should consider.
My dad owned a 911 since before I was born. First one I remember, barely, was a late 70's 911, green. Then a really sweet midnight blue carrera with gold BBS for a few years before he bought his first new one, an '83 911SC, black. He owned that thing forever until finally trading it for a 996 cabriolet. Ironically, around that same time I was living in CH and my roommate also had the exact same car. We drove (and abused) that thing a lot! The old man now owns a 991 cabriolet but I've only seen it once, at night in a restaurant parking lot.
Personally, I know own a 2011 Audi S4. I live in Colorado so it's a pretty great car for the terrain and weather. The supercharger helps a lot in the thin air up here and the quattro likely saves my life on a daily basis.
Seeking advice on a 997.
I'd like to purchase a 997 but don't know where to start. Ideally I'd like a 4 or 4S. Are there certain years or iterations that are better than others? What should I look out for? Besides bringing it to an independent mechanic for a check before purchasing, anything else I should consider.
Thanks
QK
A 4S would be perfectly for Colorado!
997.1 or 997.2 is up what you want, the 997.2 is the newer version, has upgraded audio, DFI engine and a PDK transmission where the older 997.1 has the tiptronic version if you don't opt for a manual gearbox. A PPI is strongly recommended by somebody who knows these cars.
I would say test drive a few models and see which one suits you - and go for it. Success in the journey.
Just want to point out, but the rear wheel drive + rear engine combo should do just fine in bad weather as long as you swap tires etc. So if you find a 4S get it...otherwise if you find a c2s you really love, go for that.
Conventional wisdom, buy the newest one you can afford. What's the budget? What do you intend to do with it, street only (including canyon carving), or track or autocross? Long-term keeper? Turbo to maintain the rare air thrust?
997.2 is recommended over a 997.1 if the budget can take it, and a 996 Turbo ain't bad.
The AWD system might have been improved for the 09s or .2s You can't go wrong with a 2 or 4, probably depends on whether you'll drive it in bad weather. My car doesn't see any snow or salt, so the 2 does the job fine for me.
My RWD BMW is great in the snow with winter tires. I assume you'd want winter tires on a 4 for the snow, maybe some AWD guys can chime in.
If you're drawn the the wide body cars (4, 4S, Turbo, Targa) then a 997.2 is a good choice.
-Upgraded Engine with more power, no IMS and arguably the most reliable design Porsche has built.
-Updated AWD system from the 997 Turbo
-Option for PDK Transmission
-Updated interior bits
-Refreshed rear end with full length reflector
All around the .2 update for the wide body cars was pretty big and worthwhile. I would say finding a quality .2 C4S should be your goal. (though I'm biased as my .2 C4S will arrive on Monday.)
PPI is a must.
Invest in an extra set of winter wheels & tires (if you have 19"s on the car in summer, go for 18" in winter if it will be driven in snow).
If you can find a 3-pedal car, I'd recommend that... One of the true joys of Porsche...
Definitely go for a 997.2 if budget allows. Make a list of must haves, would be nice to haves and then enjoy the hunt. PPI a must. CPO very desirable. Join your local PCA, if you have not, and chat up the others...T
I also live in Colorado, and I feel that forced induction is very beneficial at altitude. I originally began shopping for a 997.2 or a 991.1. I ended up purchasing a 997.1 turbo. It's something you should consider, or even a 996 turbo as mentioned above.
A 2005 can have the bad IMS bearing, but on the other hand if so you can at least swap it for a really safe one. Whether a 2005 has it or not can only be determined by dropping the transmission. That would be fine if it was reflected in the price but IMHO it isn't.
Bore scoring is another one for the pre-2009 cars, but it should be easy to spot in a used car (smoke, noise) and you might be fine if your 2006 doesn't have it yet and no maintenance sins have been or will be committed.
The PDK repairs, if needed in the future, are a currently unpredictable cost factor, potentially large. The old tiptronic doesn't have proper control for manual shifting (also IMHO), really annoying.
The wide body isn't just optics. It would be great if you could drive a couple different variants to get a feel for the differences. A narrow body c2s can be very different than a non-S c4, and the c4s costs a pretty premium, especially for the 997.2 where they get the red band.
One thing I didn't mention: I don't have a garage. Am I crazy? No driveway either, I'm talking residential street parking.
You have to find the price point your comfortable with in your parking situation and your personal OCD level. I have outdoor parking and there is no way I could sleep with a pristine 911 parked outside.
I live in a (knock wood) relatively low crime area but over the 20 yrs here have had a couple of cars hit by neighbours or visitors and in my past year of 911 ownership have had a couple of scratches put into my relatively cosmetically challenged car.
I would have lost my ****ing mind the number of times I've seen people lean on, brush up against and have the kids going to the bus stop ****ing around my car (not with it but around it) if it wasn't already pre-scratched.
But what do I do? If I talk to the people or kid's parents there's no hope of getting through to them. They are just clueless. Someone so rude doesn't get it no matter what you say. And if you have a Porsche, then you're just a douche. It's a no win situation. So decide what you can accept.
Thanks everyone for the great advice. I found this one on AT that really does it for me.
One thing I didn't mention: I don't have a garage. Am I crazy? No driveway either, I'm talking residential street parking.
Not crazy. And you found a nice one. Being 6 years old its already depreciated a lot, and being a manual means no $14k PDK surprise. Its the kind of car you can drive and park outside and not obsessively worry about. But, its not like you have to throw in the towel either. Clay and polish twice a year, clay and wax three times, careful weekly hand washes, you'll be surprised how good it'll look when you want it to.
That's a really nice looking car. Get a PPI done (no matter how nice it looks) and Good luck!
(As for street parking, that depends on where you live/park, and as was said above, on your risk tolerance and OCD-factor. Highly personal... For me, absolutely, categorically NO. I'm fine street parking it when I go out and will be somewhere relatively nearby, but something like this is a big purchase and a big expense for me (maybe not so much for you or others, I don't know), and I've seen people just be incredibly clueless and inconsiderate so I would be worrying more than enjoying the car. But "that's just me"...)
12-30-2015, 11:45 AM
My Intro and request for 997 buyers advice
(it's the best part of the process...take your time and don't settle)
