Currently in the market for a used "4" Cabriolet 996.....(thanks to my wonderful wife's 50th birthday present to me!!!) What should I look
for, and look out for?? Any good buyer's guides to recommend? I'm probably in the 2002 - 2004 model year price range, based on the limited "looking" I've done so far......Thanks in advance for your help!!

 

make sure you get a PPI and warranty... good luck with your search, it is half the fun, but owning one is better.

 

PPI with private or dealer. Never trust and believe owner and saleman. Ask for previous service/maintenance documents. Let the full inspection tell the story. Including engine, transmission, suspension and body/frame.

"4" is more expensive to fix (transmission, clutch).

 

I have a 99 C4 Cab, and the "4" has cost me NO extra money over a "2"....Oh....and I have 144K miles on it.

 

Lucky you! Can I get the shop name where you have your ride serv.?

 

http://www.herg.net

great shop....they know what they are doing and have great rates....

 

That where I brought my ride to. Mike is the owner (deputy Sheriff). I agreed.

 

Do things like Porsche crest in the seats, second hard top, etc. matter?
What should I consider to make sure that I maintain the potential resale
value? Are there any manufacturer recalls that I should make sure have
been completed? Should I stick to Certified cars, only???

 

It's always good to get a car with many options that original owner paid premium for. Living in the cold weather area you should choose heated seats, PSM. Turtle shell if you have space in your garage to stored in summer.

Not all cert. cars have good history. Buy one with good hist. and well-maintained. Soft top should be in good cond. and look to have 3-4 years life or you will pay $$ to replace it. Also, no rust. If you can get a California or Florida car is the top choice.

 

The reason I'm here is that I just spent $$$ to go to Florida to look at a piece of
junk....2001, only 20k miles - salesman assured me it was in beautiful condition....
needless to say, I never even drove it, the body was so dinged and chipped....Oh well...
lesson learned!! and it was a nice day there!!!!

 

A few things: These cars are all about the options. Make sure that you understand which ones are important to you and go from there. Almost everything on the car is a la carte. Some you can add later and some, like the self leveling litronics, you can't. In '02 that had a "narrow body" model and then they came out with the "S" model, which is the turbo body, brakes, etc, with the 996 N/A engine. I would check the PCNA pre-owned list on their website and try to find a CPO car. Take your time. I spent 4 months looking for my first one.

 

If you can find one from 6speed is also a good choice. Most members on this board do take care of their cars very well and have a few mod. done. Save you $$$ on the long run. Rennlist is another site to check. GL!

 

next time have them walk through the car with you over the phone and note the response, if its not the condition they say it is over the phone... raise hell.

Another option is to advertise the car here or other forums to have a local member look at it for you... I have looked at cars for other members and when I said it was worth looking, they would fly in and see for themselves... believe it or not, this is done quite often on the boards. Hopefully one day a member will return the favor.

 

It's my dad, Mark, and he's moved up to sergeant since we've seen you. Thanks for the kind words guys

 

Sorry for the mixed up in name. Your mom is a very cool lady. She seems to know more about Porsche than your dad.

Wow, congratulation to your dad promotion to Sergeant. Is this means he not going to patrol the street for speeder like me. Thanks God!

I met you and your sister when I took my car in for your dad to do the REVO reflashing and he was teaching you to do the program.