peterm

Looking at an 04 51k miles what do I need to worry about? Was there an rms issue like the 996?

10/10ths

...IMS, water pump, RMS, clutch, flywheel, coils, plugs, cam chain tensioners, Air/Oil separator, coolant tank cracks, drain hole clogging, pads, rotors, and the heartbreak of psoriasis.

Good luck!

JayG

Get a comprehensive PPI done and take it from there.

I bought my 04 S with 58 K about 2.5 years ago and it has been relatively trouble free
It now has 82 k on the clock and other than tires and brakes the only "major" things have been replacing the waterpump, just replaced the front motor mount and probably the most severe thing was replacing the Clutch and flywheel last week.

None of that is particularly unusual for a 12 year old car with 82 k

Now I do autocross and track the car, so I am sure that adds to the wear.

While the list above are all things that may need service, it probably will be spread out over several years. All cars require service at some point.

Most of the regular maintenance such as oil changes, brakes & Rotors, etc are easy DIY and the brakes in particular are super easy. It takes longer to jack up the car and remove the wheels than it does to actually replace the pads. It takes me about 90 seconds per wheel to change out the pads.

Disaster

What 10/10ths said. The IMS can be an issue with all years up to 2009 (when they deleted it.) It was weakest in 2000-2003 if I recall got a few upgrades along the way. 2006 saw and upgrade that made it a little stronger but unserviceable without special tools and a total engine tear down.

Lots of other mostly good iterative changes happened since the first model was released in 1996, like better soft top transmissions and rear glass vs. plastic windshield.

The most important thing is whether the car got good regular service, especially oil changes.

zedcat

Get a thorough ppi from a good shop so you know what the car needs now. Also set aside a couple grand for unexpected repairs - separate from maintenance budget. For example the coolant tank can be fine on the ppi and leak the next day.

Macster

Everything. The 2004 is just a used car so you must give the car a thorough check out.

I've posted a number of times on this and don't have time to repeat the longish post on what a thorough checkout consists of just let me say you must spend time at the car with its engine running and then as a passenger on a 15 mile test drive followed by you driving the car over the same route.

After the above then if you still like the car confirm everything works. From headlights to top. From A/C to brake lights.

Then after this step if you still like the car get a PPI. Among other things this should have the car in the air so a close inspection can be made for any leak sign. Part of the reasoning behind the 15 mile test ride then 15 mile test drive is to run the engine until it is up to temp and then some to give any leaks a chance to leak.

(It also gives the DME time to run through its readiness monitor tests and set all of these to complete. If it encounters a problem it should turn on the CEL and log one (or more) error code(s).)

Certainly the RMS (rear main seal) can leak. So can the front main seal. But I suspect you are probably asking about the infamous intermediate shaft bearing. This could be a problem in a 2004.

Give the car a thorough road test and then driveway used car check out.

Remember this: It is perfectly fine to walk away from a used car if something about it doesn't feel right. There is always another car.

Happy shopping!

peterm

problem- a local porsche service shop is selling this for a customer and they would be the one I would normally ask to do a PPI! They have an excellent rep but .....they would also be doing the repairs

By the same token this car isn't a huge expense but sometimes the purchase pales in comparison to the ultimate incidental repair cost. I have owned 6 new porsches and never owned one after warranty expiration. This is my first foray int used "porschedom". Im getting it as a play car and currently use an f type r as my dd.

Disaster

Well if you've been able to afford a new Porsche you shouldn't have an issue with the cost of service for a used one. It is the guys that buy one for the same price as a Honda Civic who don't factor in the extra cost of maintenance and quickly get underwater.

If the IMS bearing hasn't been done I would seriously consider it on that model year.

P.S. Ask for all the service records. See how often it got oil changes.