As the title says i'm looking into getting one and I'm wondering what things I should look out for. I found an 02' with about ~30k miles and I'm thinking about pulling the trigger. Any help would be much appreciated. I've owned several BMW M's and I want to get into a 911.

 

Nice year, sounds like low miles.

Get it inspected by a reputable shop. Try to find out if the RMS and the IMS bearing have been sealed.

Cheers
Aaron

 

You look for the same things you would for any used car. Then have a knowledgable Porsche shop or dealer inspect it. Repairs are double that of domestic cars and you don't want to miss anything that can be avoided or negotiated out up front. Then have a ball.

 

I bought my C2 in FEB of this year, and read up a lot here and rennlist as well. I looked at quite a few and walked away from quite a few before I found the right one at the right price. DEFINITELY get a PPI from a shop that deals primarily or exclusively with Porsche's, as they have their own unique issues that a good shop should know to look for. +1 on what Purplxd said about checking out the RMS/IMS, as those can be costly or devastating if there is an issue.

That said, if I had to do it over again, 2 things I would have held out for are the 3 spoke steering wheel and full leather. Both personal preferences, but I think they make the car look better all around.

Happy hunting, and good luck!

 

I'm also looking for a porsche, but a 02 c4s,good luck. All of the rms/ims talk kinda scares me. I do have a shop near me that i can get a ppi. Good luck on your search!

 

I came from BMW's and my last was an M5. I would do the same as I would before buying those cars. Check carfax, see if I could find one with a transferable warranty if possible then get a thorough PPI if that's the one you want. I was sold on the C2 until I looked at the C4S. I spoke to the seller at least 4 times before scheduling the PPI. It was out of state so I needed to do as much research and get a good feel for the seller as possible. I then scheduled a PPI that came back with only a broken cup holder. Then I booked my flight. I needed to see the car in person and drive it before sealing the deal. Drove it back 8 hours and it was probably the best road trip ever. Now, I will warn you that a PPI won't be able to tell you if the IMS, RMS has ever been replaced. I had a stack of maintenance records but the IMS and RMS were not there. Reading these forum IMS threads will either worry you into the point of getting it done or you may just ignore it and roll the dice. I ended up caving and getting it done along with a new clutch even though mine wasn't slipping. I figured I might as well get the clutch done since they were in there anyway and I was on the original clutch. Sucked because I was told everything was in good condition after dropping $$$$ . But at least I have peace of mind and you can't put a dollar value on that. Now I drive my car without worrying about anything going horribly wrong and ruining my joy of Porsche ownership. The last thing I want is a blown engine to the tune of $25k. Not saying that you should or shouldn't get the IMS/RMS replaced if it hasn't been. That's completely up to you. With any high performance car there is going to be something that you may have to decide if you should replace to prevent the possibility of failure. I'm sure you are aware of that coming from BMW M's. Good luck with your search!! That's just the beginning of the fun!

 

I've driven a few locally and I think I've found the one but I'm just so put off by the horror stories of the IMS/RMS that I just dunno about pulling the trigger. The car I'm looking at has about 41k miles and is at a Porsche dealer it drives great from what I can tell. Now if I can just negotiate to a right price thats going to help my decision along. What is a fair price to offer for a 2002 C2 6-speed MT with 41k Miles? They're asking about $30k and I think thats too much personally.

 

price is about right give or take depending on condition and assuming little to no deferred maint.
Just get the IMS LN unit and be done worring. I love mine!

 

Exactly. Just put away money to get the LN IMS installed and that will end your worries. Maybe even use that to negotiate the price down. Trust me....I thought long and hard about it. Well....not that hard since I had mine done a week after ownership. It just wasn't worth the risk for me. Even though some will say it is a really small risk. This was the only car I REALLY wanted after selling my previous car so I knew I would have to get it done if it wasn't already completed. If you are in the same position...just budget in the IMS and go from there.

 

Not trying to hijack but I too just bought a Porsche. An 03 c4s. Which of the 996s have the Ln ims issue? Thanks in advance for clarifying.

 

all 99-04 do potentially have . Even 997 up to 2009. But lets not turn this into an IMS thread, do a search but remember is a very low percentage. Enough said on the topic.
Buy your 996 and enjoy it!

 

d1, All of the 996's have an IMS bearing that has been known to fail, as well as the early model 997's. That said, the failure rate seems to be at or below 5% (flame suit on), and there are those who believe it is even smaller than that. LN Engineering is a company that manufactures a replacement bearing that is ceramic, and lubricates differently than the OEM IMS bearing. Unless you are going out of your way to get it done, when the clutch is replaced, they are right next to the housing for the IMS, and they can replace it then. The bearing itself is about $600.

Another option is the IMS Guardian (also made by LN Engineering). This device hooks up two electromagnets in the oil pan, and if they form a connection with pieces of ferrous metal that have broken off from the IMS, it sets off the alarm. At this point, you know the **** is about to hit the fan, and stop driving it immediately and go get it serviced.

A simple way to potentially check for existing IMS issues is to check the oil filter. Cut it open, and if there are any pieces of ferrous (magnetic) metal shavings caught in your filter, your IMS is breaking apart, and you should seek help ASAP, or replace on your own if you have the skillset. There are a few DIY's out there.

Finally, go to rennlist and look up 996's. The first two or three postings are all you would ever want to know (and a lot you wish you never did) about IMS Bearings, IMS replacement, and IMS failure. Agreed, let's not turn this into IMS thread, God knows there are plenty of those. Read on your own, and post any appropriate questions to those respective threads, they will be answered.

Cheers,

DS

 

Thanks for explaining. I'm sure the OP is appreciative too. To the OP, I had a 99 C2 coupe in 2000 and an 01 C2 cab back in 03. I really enjoyed both cars but the coupe was a lot more fun to me. Good luck with your purchase.

 

Or just split the difference and go Targa!