Dave Thornton

I'm starting to think about the possibility of a cheap diesel for the commute and a 911 for the weekend. The 911 is the only car that I would sell my Evo 8 for that I can reasonably afford. 996 prices have dropped over the last 18 months and now start at about £12k. There's a 1999 Carrera 4 with 58k for £14.5k on Pistonheads - at that price it becomes very tempting, but what are the pitfalls, apart from making sure it has all the 3 letter acronyms e.g. OPC FSH, PSM, PSE, RMS changed etc. Is it better going for a later model e.g. 88k 2002 for £15.5k? I definitely want a Carrera 4 manual of all the models, possibly a convertible; don't want to drive it especially fast, just want to enjoy owning it and not buy a money pit. Probably buy private and get a Porsche specialist to inspect it.

Myles

iTrader: (40)

Trout is yer man, he will pick up on this thread l
Using his fish like senses and lead you in the right direction.

bighead

iTrader: (1)

spend a little more for the C4S or the Turbo........any high performance car is a huge money pit

scooby-tc

iTrader: (2)

I am looking at chopping my RS6 in for a 911 in the next year or so,so will watch this thread with interest

Trout

iTrader: (1)

I only know three things about Porches: -

Two wheel drive is better

Normal aspiration is better

I love GT3s

Other than that I cannot help you I am afraid

fatscoobfella1

iTrader: (1)

I had a 2000 996 last year.

It was a lovely car but i was in a similar position where it wouldnt get used very much.I would read up as much as possible about there foibles and faults.Then get out there and have a look at a few to see what you can get for your money....Remember to test drive them all to get a general feel of the cars.

If your shrewd,you will find 911 ownership a pleasure. I bought mine,had the front repainted as it was chippy(you will find this with most cars)....Had it and drove it for 9 months and when i sold it i made £2000..

HAPPY DAYS!

zip106

You seem to know the pit-falls, so all I'll add is just remember this was a potential £80k car when new and so has the running and repair costs of an £80k car.

Try not to get to hung up on the mileage - these cars need to be bought on condition, preferably with a big file of receipts of servicing and work carried out.

Also, when you find one you like, PLEASE get an inspection done by an independent Porsche garage - could save you an absolute fortune!

Radiators are a common problem - they get knackered by stones and leaves get stuck and then they corrode.

There's 2 main rads (3 on the Turbo) and 2 A/C condensers.
To have them all replaced would cost around £1300 from a non- OPC.
Clutch is about £1100, brakes all round about £1000, minor service (yearly) about £400, major service (every 2 years) - £1000... I could go on!


Why do you only want a C4?
I'd certainly try a C2 - my choice would be a 2WD, but I like turbos and so I'm stuck with the heavier 4WD system (the GT2 would be ideal, but rear seats are a must )

stilover

Am I getting mixed up here, but I'm sure Dave Thornton is the guy living in Edinbrough, and has had both a 996TT & a Ferari 360.

This isn't you then?

zip106

Dave Middleton ^^

stilover

I was half correct.

hodgy0_2

why do Dave's get all the nice cars

zip106

I'm not a Dave

njkmrs

You can call me Dave if you give me a Porsche !!!

Dave Thornton

I'm not averse to trying a C2 but with the plethora of models/specs I'm trying to narrow it down early on. I've had 4wd cars for the last 13 years (Escort Cosworth > Impreza STI > Evo 8) and I like the reassurance, especially with the last 3 winters. There is also a very minor reason - whe we built our house a few years ago, two different departments at the local council contrived to work against each other and left us with a gravel driveway with a 1 in 7 gradient. 4wd is so much better!

I do like the C4S but not as a cabriolet but it would cost more and also a little more to run. Plus, I like the pure C2/C4 shape better. I drove a Boxster S a couple of years back and was a little disappointed! I think I'll know the spec I want when I find it!

john banks

What was disappointing with the Boxster S? You mentioned not wanting to go especially fast, which depending on your Evo 8's spec, in comparison you might not with the Porsches you're looking at.

Dave Thornton

The Boxster S I drove was a 2000 model so I guess 252bhp, and it had been sitting at the Porsche specialist for a while. It felt so much slower than my unmodified FQ300. It was so well engineered and smooth and could be described as faultless - sometimes, characteristics such as a bone hard ride or a useless turning circle add character to a car. I'm hoping owning a 911 would be like that - I don't want to explore the top speed or get it sideways on a roundabout, though I recognise that the lack of a turbo is going to make a 911 C4 'feel' a little slower mid range than an Evo 8, but for me the 911 is realistically the best car I can currently envisage owning and the only car I would sell my Evo 8 for. I can also get my children (9 and 4) in the back for a few years.

Trout

iTrader: (1)

QED

zip106

scoobyc

iTrader: (2)

Hi Chap,

Ive read the 996 blocks have a potential manufacturing fault where microbubbles can case engine failure.

This is worth ivnestigating. I think the larger capacity engine (3.6 was it?) was fine and the one to go for especially as it has more power.

I went to see an 18k 996 c2 with the sports exhaust when looking for me m3, and def ended up with the m3. Perhaps i saw a bad example, but i got the impression the condition wasnt good enough for the price. However this was 6 months ago...

I found there were lots of good cars for sale on the porsche owners club. and also a wealth of friendly information.

DaveMiddleton

Yes,

Was me. Although both have gone and I have had a 4.8 X5 for the last 2 years (which I really like).
I have had 6 911's over the years : 911E, Carrera 2 ( 79 Model), 3.3 Turbo, 996 C4,
993TT with GT2 engine and finally a 996TT.
Loved them all and the early ones fairly taught you to drive due to their "foibles".

Oldest son has now taken over and bought his first 911 - a 996 4S. Youngest son now looking for a 996TT possibly.
Still think they are the best cars on the planet!

DJ_Jon

iTrader: (7)

I drove a 996 c4 recently & was left disspointed with the performance, this was a 99 my & 3.4 engine. It was a nice drive but lacked in the performance I was used to compared to a standard Hawkeye Sti (280bhp). Perhaps I drove a bad one or maybe I should have tried a 3.6 or a C2?

MMT WRX

Have a read at this. Barry at Hartech writes quite a bit on PH Porsche forum, he also runs a maintenance scheme for Porsche.

http://www.hartech.org/buyers.html

RobEvo5

iTrader: (9)

You need to drive one. They dont feel quick at all. They will make you feel special, but they are nothing special IMO. The early engines 3.4 are known to be weak and when the engines let go they tend to crack the blocks and you basically need a new engine not a rebuild - Lots on Wonga. Plenty of info about this on the forums.

Best thing about a 996 C4/C2 is the risiduals. Its a car that can be tucked up as a weekend car, and a good one will always hold its value and be the same this year, next year or the year after. So in getting one with a good warranty direct policy, service it once a year and it becomes very good value for money super car motoring. For the cost or less than the cost of running a say a new ford focus.

But unless you get a turbo, or a GT its all about the badge IMHO.