Hi,
I'm looking at a 1999 996 with around 59,000 miles. It had the following done by the dealer at about 8,000 miles:

Camshaft seal(s) replaced
Driveshaft seal replaced
Rear crankshaft oil seal replaced
Drive belt tensioner pulley replaced
Clutch release bearing replaced
Coolant reservoir replaced
Interior accessory installed
Body electrical system checked
Two wheel alignment performed
Transmission checked

At about 40,000 miles it got a new starter and serpentine belt; also from the dealer.

Other than that, it's just been routine maintenance.

It's a 6 speed, pretty heavily optioned with the aero package. Any red flags here?

Thanks!!!

 

So this car has :
Camshaft seal(s) replaced
Driveshaft seal replaced
Rear crankshaft oil seal replaced


It means the engine has the dreaded problem. I would walk as those seals are simply not curing the problem . My 2 cents!!

PS I sold my 99 C2 with 78K miles on the ODO purely because I did not trust the engine and I felt that gambling on a 15K dollar engine swap = almost equal to the total value of the car... was just plain stupid.. However... my car NEVER had any problems (except a water pump replacement at 35K miles or so)..
The fact is that ALL engines that have the seals go bad MOST LIKELY will get the same issue again... it's the engine block that has the problem(s).

 

Just like when buying a used car its all about how it was maintained. I bought my 2000 with 45k in Feb this year and I have 57k now with not a single problem. I love how everyone vilifies the early 996's engines. It's the age old adage when things are great you tell a few when things go wrong you tell everyone who will listen. You could have years of worry free driving or you could pay through the nose for repairs. Used is a gamble no matter the car. If its clean and you get a good PPI and price. Here is the auction report of transaction from manheim for the 1999 996 c2 coupe. remeber these are dealer auction prices so you know how much they have in the car


08/31/11 KC Regular $13,600 83,062 Avg BLUE 6G 6 Yes 09/14/11 ATLANTA Regular $12,200 115,607 Avg BLACK 6G M Yes 09/22/11 SO CAL Lease $7,900 176,047 Below BLUE 6G P Yes 09/23/11 DALLAS Regular $14,500 85,055 Avg BLACK 6G 6 Yes 09/29/11 PA Regular $19,000 40,947 Avg BLACK 6G 6 Yes 09/29/11 NEVADA Regular $23,250 20,478 Above DADBLU 6G 6 Ye

 

completely stock 99 C2 here. 50K miles and flawless.

Porsche put more money into the 99 than any other year thereafter. It was considered the re-invent of Porshce.

If you notice, you will find more 99's w/ 100K or more on the speedo. They are basically bulletproof!

Get a PPI and welcome!

 

(: Go in

 

As I said, my C2 never had a problem but you are betting against the odds that your engine will not suddenly expire and that your repair bill will be as much as your car is worth (with a good running engine installed). That is why I sold mine. I am not a bettin' man!

 

Guess that makes you a pessimist and me - an optimist.

 

nice ! good luck OP

 

All machines break and therefore all motors blow at some point in time. Sorta like how we all die. Not really a reason to get rid of us just cuz we get a few issues or have heart disease in the family now is it.

Cheers
Aaron

 

I'm thinking of selling mine if your interested. It has a service contract good til may of 2012 and the previous owner purchased it fro napelton Porsche up your way. I have 33 pages of service records from new also. It's ocean blue with grey int has 54k miles. Email me at gregartz1@yahoo.com for more info

 

I bought a 1999 996 early this year and have put a few thousand miles on it. Bought it with about 81,000. So far I have had to replace the expansion tank and need to replace a front control arm and the water pump. I have also replaced a few sensors (clutch, coolant) and get false engine sensor readings from time to time on the cam sensor. I am holding my breath that my version is not the early '99 that had the engine problem. So far I would not say the car is bullet proof. Now my 1985 911 Carrera. That is a different story. Air cooled and no power systems other than the windows. That is bullet proof.

 

Well, it's me again.
Folks it would not be an issue if the engine would cost 500 bucks, was a disposable part and had a predictable life. None of that is at play here and with the engine + accessories and installation being pretty well equal to the complete value of a good running car. And the value of your car minus a running engine is well. NADA , ZILCH or ZERO unless you like it as a flower planter... a real big one in the front yard. The odds are just not something a Casino would take nor would your Bookie.

 

It wasn't the '99 that had the engine issues, it was all 996 NA motors. The RMS (i.e. driveshaft seal) is not a problem that can be fixed. If it was replaced with only 8k miles on it, chances are it's the first version of the seal they tried to fix the problem with, which wasn't successful. The second version of the "fix" still didn't work because the problem is due to a flaw with the block, not the seal.

Run away from any car with the RMS issue.

 

Responding to Teflon Jones. Yep.. You got it... This is not a secret.... Run don't walk away from that car/ engine..... (hey isn't that a great song??) !! That's why I have a car with a Mezger engine now...

 

And, to make things worse. That problem did not get solved in the 997 version either. Just read the forums.. They still do Kaboom with NO warning or no particular reason and once you are out of the warranty it's all yours. Now lots of good guys will tell you that .. it really is just a small percentage that will let you down ...but Porsche is not telling...
Also, repairing those engines is prohibitively expensive and Porsche just put them on a truck and replaced them.
It's amazing that this engine, based on the basic Subaru engine is such a liability.