stlrj

Forgot to mention when he came by to show me...well, you should have seen the grin on his face.

theiceman

There is no way j would ever recommend an m96 engine car to anyone. I wouldn't be able to live with myself when it grenaded.

Hulley

I'm guessing the m96 engine is in the 996? Is there a resource I can look at for engine/trans numbers?

stlrj

Look at it this way. Since only 3 percent of these early 996's self grenaded ( and most have already done so by now ) you most likely would not suffer the same fate. But even if you did, at these prices, 996's could be considered ( dare I say ) disposable and finding a replacement would still not break the bank.

theiceman

Sorry but that is just not true . 996 and 997s are suffering from bore scoring every day and this is terminal to the engine. I am not sure where you got you 3% number from . I am no going to hazard a guess of what it is but I think you would start at 3% AND HEAD WAY NORTH.

this is from two weeks ago and is becoming the norm ....

https://rennlist.com/forums/rennlist...confirmed.html

yes the M96 engine came in the 996 and early 997. The only real way to be sure is to go for the newer DFI engine ..

or stick with your plan of an air cooled OP . yes these need repairing too . but the issues wont end the life of your engine ..

mrgreenjeans

^^^^^^^^^^^^

truth

And, if going for a 996 at all, stay with ONLY the engines which are NOT the thin wall casting M96 engine , but rather the old GT1 engines which are in the turbos, the GT2, and GT3 cars of this era. Other than a few issues with cooling tubes and small minor fixes which are not terminal in their nature, these are the engines heir apparent to all the race winning GT engines which have gone on before, seen in the likes of the 930, 935, 936, GT2, GT3, GT1 exotics.

Those m86,(Boxster-Cayman), and m96 (996) variants use a totally different valve train, intermediate shaft, shaft bearing, seals, etc. which lend itself to destructive failure. There have been documented at least 27 known failure modes to these engines: block porosity, cylinder wall d-chunking, water pump impeller failure, etc. Read all you can in enthusiast reports in magazines like Panorama, Excellence, AutoWeek, R and T, C and D, OR go online and google LN engineering..... the guys who are repairing these broken engines; IF they can be saved.

The small percentage figure reported is what Porsche's Legal team used to settle the distraught owners of these cars who had taken and joined a class action against our favorite sports car company and were reimbursed for failed engines. Some with VERY low mileage.

These are the reasons why the 996 in normally aspirated forms on base cars has taken such a hit financially in today's markets, seeming like a bargain ......

AND in the meantime pushed the values ever higher on 993, 964, and Carrera/SC sports cars...... the latter having such a royal following because of durability, old world charm, iconic styling ( the last to wear factory issued FUCHS wheels --- 1989 ), and true to the first 911's simple design look. ( the G Body had some of the highest labor production hours to each car..... something like 84? ) versus what it takes in robot tech today: 30 some hours. Along the way those cars which followed the 993 known as 996 models, were the first to employ the redesigns and incorporate more fully, the Japanese automakers use of J-I-T delivery, robotics, and philosophies relating to how Japanese cars are made. And which Porsche paid dearly for in consulting fees. This resulted in what we see today along the lines of what is known as m86/m96 design.

In my mind, a HUGE black eye to the face of one of the great sports car builders ever. Porsche.

mrgreenjeans

there is another one on the thread here on posting pics of our 911s ....

the one above is from a fall, lake country run a few of us local PCA folks made a couple years ago. Sadly the Cayman spec in white, ( and the owner ) are no longer with us, and the red Cayman R ( shown here with about 54 miles on it ) is sold as well.

That great Carrera isn't going anywhere soon if I have anything to say about it .........(-;

The Brewmeister

Dick Barbour racing legend! Drove this 935 to a second place finish along with Rolf Stommelen and Paul Newman at the 1979 Lemans race.

stlrj

For that kind of money, I would definitely try out a Mezger equipped twin turbo and forget about all the 996 issues. Take some time to give yourself some perspective.

Honkity Hank

My perspective.

I have an 87 Carrera Coupe and a 2005 996-GT3. The GT3 is a relatively new arrival, while I have had the 87 for 9 years or so.

The 87, as you know, is a pretty low tech car in many ways, torsion bars, manual steering, 5 speed, no ABS, no airbag. For me, this car drives great, with a proper alignment and tires it is a very engaging car to drive. The steering and responsiveness is unequaled in my experience. You have to take it for what it is; a well made sports car from the era, complete with its shortcomings.

The 996-GT3, is completely different animal. Tons more power, giant brakes, a great suspension. Way faster, great noises. AC that works. More money for sure, and probably more expensive to maintain. For sure a great driving car, with tons of grip, and power. In the end you have to ask yourself what you are looking for, and does it fit. The 87 is certainly less refined, but every bit as fun to drive, if not more so at legal (or close to legal) speeds. The GT3 goes from zero to 100 before you know it. On the track the 911 is awesome fun, but slow by today's standards, but for me a fun car to track. That thought remains to be validated once I get the GT3 out there, and I imagine that the GT3 will be every bit as engaging in that environment.

To compare one to another is really not fair. Each era of 911 has its own character, it is up to you to decide what floats your boat.

Bloose993TT

Drive a well sorted 915 (84-86) Carrera. Better gearing, lighter and a lil quicker than the G50 equipped models. You'll need to rev the 3.2 regardless. 4-6k rpm's is where all the magic is.

berk

Mondrian

I do not understand 996, I mean if you are breaking through the water cooled barrier then why stop at 996 or even 997 just go the whole way to 991 - its faster, prettier & has better everything than an old 996.

berk

I tend to agree with you to a certain degree.

If I want to get into a modern 911 and have a budget of $20k 996 3.6
If I want to get into a modern 911 and have a budget of $50k 997.2 C2S
If I want to get into a modern 911 and have a budget of $70k 991 C2S

Early 997 C2 cars can be had low 30s high 20s nowadays.

I think a good buy is a 997.2 GTS. A lot of car for the money.