2002 996 C4 Cab w/Hardtop - Rennlist - Porsche Discussion Forums

05-28-2018, 11:57 PM

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tedfromohio

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Join Date: Dec 2011

Location: Ohio

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2002 996 C4 Cab w/Hardtop

Year: 2002
Make: Porsche
Model: 911
Cont. Porsche Models: 996
Mileage (numbers only please): 79000
Options (Please check ALL which apply): Airbags, Air Conditioning, Antilock Brakes, Cruise Control, Foglamps, Intermittent Wipers, Leather Seats, Power Brakes, Power Door Locks, Power Steering, Power Windows, Traction Control
Color: Artic Silver/Metropol Blue
VIN: WP0CA29972S650409
Price (no $ sign please): $23500
Private or Dealer Listing: Private Listing
Location (Region): Midwestern
Body Style: Cabriolet
Transmission Type: Tiptronic
2 or 4 Wheel Drive?: 4 Wheel Drive
Engine Type: Fuel Injection
Stereo System: AM-FM CD

In 2011, after having been a Corvette owner for 15 years and an RX-7 owner for 25 years, I had some good fortune and decided to fulfill another of life’s dreams and figured out I could actually afford to add a Porsche (please note I was soon schooled that this is a two-syllable word &#128522

to my garage. I was perusing the website of the dealer where I had purchased my Corvette and noticed that they had a 996 Cab for sale on eBay. I watched the auction and started to investigate what was available and what I really wanted.I read everything I could and knew I wanted a car I could drive and live with, not a weekend toy but a car I could use and enjoy every day. I wanted real A/C and heat, so that pretty much eliminated an air-cooled car. The 996’s were in my price range and since I live in Ohio, a C4 seemed perfect. I wanted a cab, but I also wanted a hard top for winter driving. I am the Director of Training for Dale Carnegie of Central Ohio and I spend a good bit of time driving in Dayton and Columbus traffic, which led me to think I wanted a TIP (and I have never regretted it). I did more homework and found that having a TIP seemed to reduce the likelihood of IMSB failures and also seemed to eliminate over-rev concerns. My wife’s one requirement was that it have heated seats 😊. Finally, I grew up with Porsches having whale tails! To me the standard 996s looked too “generic” – too smooth. My first car was a used 1974 Trans Am, so I knew I needed spoilers – the car HAD to have the factory Aero kit.

I decided my absolute 996 criteria were:
1. 2002 or later for the glass rear window, cup holders and a glove box
2. C4
3. Cab with a matching hard top
4. TIP5. Aero kit
6. Heated Seats

I started talking to people, and through a mutual friend in Las Vegas met a Porsche restorer. He tried to direct me to a Boxster, but I had my heart set on a 911. He introduced me to a broker in Southern California who he said could find me a whatever I decided I wanted. I talked several times to the broker who advised that the combination I was looking for would probably be a little difficult to find, especially in California as most would be C2s and hard tops would be rare. He found a couple of cars that were close, but all were missing at least one of my criteria and much to my chagrin, it looked like cars in California were going for more than the cars in the Midwest! C4 Aero cabs were apparently few and far between. I assumed since there were ostensibly more in Los Angeles than anywhere, they might be a little cheaper there, but it wasn’t meant to be.

I gave up my search with the broker, but kept scanning Craigslist and eBay, as well as Rennlist, 6SpeedonLIne, and Pelican forums and the classified ads in Panorama. In late 2011, I found a 39,000-mile car on eBay that ticked all the boxes (and more) but was way out of my budget. The car was in Oklahoma and I called the person with the listing and found that she was also a broker who dealt in cars for “celebrities”. The car in question was owned by Gunnar Nelson (1/2 of the rock group Nelson with his twin brother Matthew, and the son of late singer/actor Ricky Nelson, and the grandson of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson!). Super nice lady who apparently handled automobile transactions for Gunner and other celebrities. I explained what I was looking for but that this car was significantly out of my price range – perhaps she knew of something else?We went back and forth on the phone several times over the next few weeks and she always had another buyer waiting in the wings, but they never came through. I finally got discouraged and went back to scanning eBay and the forums. Never found anything else that ticked all the boxes.In early January of 2012 I was planning to drive out to Las Vegas to attend the motorcycle auctions and do some dirt bike riding with my friends in the desert. The Porsche was still available and hardly out of the way at all, so I made arrangements to see it on my way out.The car was nice, as was the broker. It did have some issues, the tires were dry rotted (I drove it, but was nervous), and there was a spot in the paint on the top of the passenger front fender (about 4 inches by 2 inches that looked like maybe someone had hit it too hard with the buffer). We continued to talk, and she ran another eBay auction with no buyer. On February 1st, we came to an agreement that included delivery of the car to me. I wired the money, and she emailed a bill of sale and FedEx’d the title (in Gunnar’s name). I ordered tires (Continental DWS Extreme Contact from Tire Rack). Broker delivered the car on the 7th. I took it to my local Indy (Yuri at The Garaj) on the 8th to get the oil changed, and then back the next week to have the tires installed, the RMS replaced and an LN Engineering ceramic IMS bearing installed. A couple of weeks later I drove the car to Atlanta to visit friends and show off a little – the car ran flawlessly, and I was officially a Porsche convert. In March of 2012, I was able to meet Gunnar Nelson as he and his brother were performing a Ricky Nelson tribute concert close to where I live. The broker got my wife and I tickets and Gunnar was kind enough to make time to meet with us after the concert for pictures and car talk. The concert was fantastic, and he graciously autographed the owner’s manual for me, and we took several pictures. Gunnar also explained to me that he had sent the car to Speed Gallery in California and “no expense was spared” in making it faster! I knew it seemed fast but had little to compare it to. I later contacted Danat Speed Gallery who confirmed that they had worked on the car for Gunnar, and that it had M30 springs, and a “Stage 2 Tune” which included exhaust work (it sounds amazing).

In December of 2016, the Dale Carnegie Convention was held at Huntington Beach, CA. I took 2 weeks and drove the 996. I visited friends in Scottsdale, Dana Point and Las Vegas on the way out and back. Even took a top down trip up the PCH – what a thrill that was. Another dream lived. Once again, the car performed flawlessly. Over the years I have spent a huge amount on maintenance and repairs – it was my first Porsche and I planned on keeping it forever. Yuri has performed all of the service since I have owned the car. However, as we all know, life changes. I found that the car was just too nice to be a daily driver for me. I drove it a lot when I first got it, but over time it when I would go to get it out I was always concerned about the weather, or where I would park, etc. I am very fortunate and have other fun vehicles I can drive when conditions are less than perfect. I also now have acquired some other cars and my wife unreasonably considers 3 Porsches to be excessive (just kidding – it IS absolutely excessive and my wife is totally awesome). Want to change your life? Take your wife (or significant other) out to a nice dinner on a beautiful summer evening with the top down. Preferably to a restaurant a good distance from where you live. People treat you differently when you are driving a Porsche (its crazy and foolish, but true). I know I will regret selling it. But, someone will get a very nice car and I hope it enables someone else to make their Porsche dreams come true.

The CarFax indicates that at 16,038 miles the “Engine was removed to complete repair” by Pepe Infiniti Porsche in White Plains, NY. I contacted the service manager there upon receiving the CarFax, but he was unable (or unwilling) to tell me what the actual repair was. Car comes with 2 keys, and a new set of Sumitomos (the Conti’s were worn after my trip to California and they no longer offer them in the correct size), a pretty worn and patched Porsche car cover (purchased used on eBay – patched by my lovely and talented wife), a Porsche branded CTEK battery tender, signed owner’s manual, all of my records and notes, the matching hard top and the Porsche COA. The car does have some small stone chips on the front but they didn’t seem to show up in the pictures. No dings or dents. There is a small place on the center console that is missing paint – about the size of a quarter. It is hard to see as it is by the seat, and you can’t see it when driving – I have included a picture. I have the correct paint from Dr. Colorchip and it will be included with the sale. I am a fanatic about maintenance on all my cars, and everything on the car works as it should.

On May 21, I had a PPI completed at The Garaj to ensure there were no unattended issues. Yuri Rojas has serviced the car since I acquired it. He found no issues other than some dampness under the driver’s side spark plugs. No spots on ground where parked, he said it was something he would recommend we just keep an eye on but no action needed at this time. Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions. I will make the car available for viewing or PPI. If buyer wants to fly in and drive home (which I highly recommend), I am minutes from the Dayton International Airport (DAY) and will be glad to pick you up at the airport provided we can work around my work schedule.

Lots of additional pictures can be found at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xvzGm0VxXC_SO4-uk3wdcZYG3QHZJkdd?usp=sharing

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