Porsche made 2 versions of the 996. A 4 stroke engine and a 2 stroke engine. Do what you can to find one with a 4 stroke.

 

+1 993.. is so much more classic than the original 996.

 

I have a 2004 for sale. only about 6,000 miles on it! PM me or see the link in my sig.

 

As a few have suggested, I'm now looking for an '02. Between the headlight facelift, 3.6 engine, and stiffer body, I think the price difference is worth it. Will keep you guys posted. Hopefully I'll have something to report by the end of this week.

Lou

 

check your PM

 

Yes, the 02/03 is really the price point IMHO, (of course, I'm biased, I own an 02), stiffer suspension, body, 3.6L w/ improvements, upgraded interior amenities, facelift, more likely to find PSM & 18" wheels, etc, etc. Bought mine in March with 37.5k miles on it, 6sp, coupe, seal gray/black, PSM 18" CII wheels, rear wiper, leather airbag, Comfort & Technic packages (Litronics, washers, upgraded stereo, memory seats/mirrors, supple leather, heated, lumbar support, for $32k in NoVa. I just wish it looked like a 993. Here is the pic thread. https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...d.php?t=130083

 

It is a classic, but too classic of a drive for me to want over a 996.

 

that's a great price for an '02 with those miles and options. everything seems to be in the mid to high 30's in socal with slightly more miles.

 

Yeah, but, like I mentioned in the pic link, all 4 wheels were pretty rashed, and 3 of 4 had flat spots on them, plus the front bumper cover needs to be replaced because he had been backed into by a parallel parker. It cost me $850 to have the tires unmounted, the wheels trued and repaired, powder coated, then tires remounted & balanced (I told him it would be around $2k just for that...Porsche wheels are EXPENSIVE). It will be at least $1000 to get a new bumper & repaint (I told him $2k for that as well), plus the AC console had 2 dead segments ( a couple hundred at least, ..cost me $55 for the ebay LCD replacement kit and 45 minutes of my time), and some other electrical stuff didn't work ( all just blown fuses, from when we jumped the car..it was dead in his garage as he had left the keys in the ignition for 3 weeks), so for a minty example, high 30s is about right...I mean, I had this guy convinced he'd never sell the car, in the shape it was in...he knew nothing about the car, just wanted the image associated with driving a Porsche...it was almost my sworn DUTY to wrench the car from his undeserving hands....he had only driven it less than 8k miles in 18 months and STILL ended up (after paying $51k for it!!!!), PLUS spending $5k in "repairs" (30k service, coolant tank, new tires, brakes,rotors, and a new wheel, plus other maintenance, I have all the receipts)....I waived the cash in his face and I think he was relieved to get rid of the car.....LOL...thanks to this site, Renntech and Rennlist, I was very well equipped to understand what is what and what to look for...and I still missed the rad fan series resistor, and a few small issues that I've taken care of for parts cost. The important things to check were ANY indication of ANY oil leak, any frame damage (never trust Carfax or such, just use them to eliminate cars, not prove they ARE good) coolant issues (dirty, leaky, oily, mine had a new tank , 6 months or so, and fresh coolant), any shifting problem (noise, difficulty, slipping, etc..while the stock shifter is a LOOONG throm it is very easy and smooth), and lifter or unusual engine noise. If oyu are REALLY serious, buy a software package like the Dynametrics or Autoenginuity and plug into the prospective car and read if there are any error codes. DO get a PPI and have them specifically check for overrevs...I failed to do this, but lucked out, and when I had the car at my indie mechanic, he checked, and there were none. Be sure to drive a pristine perfect, low miles CPO one at a dealer and compare any others you look at to that one. That's what I did, and I eliminated 3 I drove just because I could tell there was just something not right about them. The one I bought, even for all it's cosmetic faults, drove and felt just like the $48k ones at the dealership. A repainted panel or bumper (done well), R&Red wheels, etc..none of that bothers me (I mean, it IS a used car), but it has to have the color & options I want, and be mechanically sound...those are the big ticket items, IMHO. It took me about 3 months to find this car. (Ironically, I was determined to originally buy a 993, and tried for months, but every time I drove one I could afford, I was disappointed in the way it handled and drove, options, or something. I just assumed the 996 was out of my price range. So far, I love the car.

 

First post here. You guys have an excellent site.

On an 02 996 , are there any options that should be looked out for? I am completely new to the Porsche scene, I have an Audi a4. Looking to step up.

Anyway , I'm sure there are a bunch of posts about this but I came across this one and seemingly have the same interest in the 996 as the OP. So are there any "must have" options to look after?

 

I have a 2002 996 seal gray on black 6 speed for sale. Very clean 66k for $33,750.

 

Welcome to the six! What is up with that Ultraman avatar? LOL! Heck I grew up with that stuff- classic.

What you want to look for is one that has been well cared for, priced right for the years / miles, and passes a PPI (pre-purchase inspection).
Ruffled leather, dual power seats w/ lumbar and Technic package are good options to find. There are many many detail options such as crested headrests, carbon trim etc. it's a very long list.

I've just decided to sell my '02 996 C2 Tiptronic w/ 37k miles for $38.5k, and I am leaving the $4k KWv3 suspension on it, along with painted console, Kenwood DVD NAV, CF goodies and GT3 bumper / skirts. Needs nothing except rear tires in a few thousand miles, has the desired options listed above. If interested PM me for pics / info.

 

ultraman RULES lol. Thanks for the advice . I have to have a manual. Your car sounds like a killer deal though.

 

The PPI mantra by a dealer or indie with the right computer is not BS...spend the money before you make any decision, regardless of how "perfect" it appears. Specifically ask on the PPI if the engine has any overrevs. Specifically have them check for bent or out or round rims, many do not. Any oil leak is a red flag, check for oil anywhere within the throttle body, (AOS issue, air oil separator. Many sellers (I did) will reimburse you for the PPI if it fails. If they refuse a PPI, walk away. 996's are everywhere. Most, but not all 02's have PSM. You want that for sure. I personally looked for the following options: Comfort (memory seats & mirrors) supple leather with lumbar and heated seats, Technics package (gets you bi-xenon Litronics HID headlights, with an "upgraded" (joke) stereo, 18" wheels, 6 spd. Anything else is nice, but not "must have" IMHO. Besides 6speed, rennlist.com & renntech.org are excellent sites. (renn means racing in german). Copy down the options list on the sticker under the hood (front trunk), it tells everything on the car. Assuming the car will have more than 20k miles on it, the coolant expansion tank should already have been replaced, because that WILL be required, not MAY. If the engine has already been replaced by Porsche, that is a good thing, not bad. All 6 gears should be easy to get into, if they're not, it may be syncro issues or just an SSK (short shift kit). Sounds scary when I write it, and I walked from a few cars, but if you find a good one, and there are a lot out there, then I really think they are a bargain at around $34k with low (under 50k) miles. You obviously already know to stick to the 3.6L or better engines.

 

perryinva, thanks for that great info, right on. I was looking for something like that.

Would you guys say that the 99-01 cars are really prone to have alot of problems then? Would it be prudent to even look into those model years?