Been years since I had a Porsche but now I'm going to jump into it again. I found two local cars and would like unbiased opinions from this board. Both are being sold by dealers and neither have actual maintenance records but both have carfax showing consistent upkeep. Both are selling for what I think are great prices. Don't know if the IMS or RMS was done for either car. Dealer says you can't really tell in the PPI if this work was done because it's a visual inspection. I
don't know how true this is.

Option 1: 1999 C2 with 45k mikes, brown with tan interior, both previous owners owned it for 4yrs and 12yrs. Car is in incredible shape inside and out. Drives as good as the mileage suggests it should. The extremely low mileage makes me a bit cautious that the car might be a bit more trouble-prone as a result of insufficient use. Priced in the low $20s.

Option 2: 1999 C4 with 158k miles, black with tan interior. 4 previous owners. Car is in great shape for the mileage. Car drives just as good as the option #1 car even though it's got triple the miles. I can't emphasize how tight and solid this car feels. the interior shows well worn leather and some scratches here and there which betray the heavy use.The exterior on the other hand looks new. Carfax shows a left rear accident over 100k miles ago. Carfax also shows the different owners all took it to the same Porsche dealer. To me this car is a prime example of what happens when you use these cars regularly. They will work better. However, that's just a lot of miles and I imagine will require more maintenance than the lower-mile car due to heavy use. Priced in the low teens.

So, what do you guys/gals think about the price for each, is it worth paying $10k higher for less used car?

If the high mileage car hasn't suffered from the IMS issue by now, could it be considered a non-issue? Or is this a wear item that affects all cars eventually?

I will probably do the IMS for either car preemptively.

Thanks in advance and excuse any spelling/grammar errors - I'm on my phone.

 

It sounds like both cars are very nice. I was in some what of the same situation when I bought mine. The guy with the higher mile car just made me an offer I could not refuse. I love low mile cars but the issue for me is the low miles. Cars are meant to be driven. So with that being said, I believe the higher mile car would be a better option because more than likely the car has been well kept. Now if you are looking for value, the lower mile car will give you the best value. Either way the 996 is awesome.

 

I would go for the C2. Lighter car without the AWD. I bought a 45k 2003 996, and while a bit newer than yours, it hasn't had any major problems that I think would have been solved by getting an older, higher mileage car.

 

Real 911's are RWD only.


Flame on.

 

The general rule of used car buying is to buy the best example you can find and afford.

This then I think makes the 1st car the car to buy. The car has enough miles on it that it is no longer a "new" car yet doesn't have lots of miles on it at which time things start to wear out. Things like water pump, fuel pump, coolant tank and probably the car's 2nd AOS. 'course the lower miles car will eventually require an AOS too if you own it long enough, drive it long enough.

(My 2002 310K+ mile Boxster is on its 3rd replacement AOS.)

The C2 comes in for a higher recomendation because it is a C2, has no AWD system.

After owning a 2003 996 Turbo and putting over 140K miles on it I'm not a fan of the AWD system. While I have not had any real trouble from this -- other than the front diff axle flange seals developed leaks and had to be replaced -- the AWD system adds complexity and weight for not much real benefit that I can see/feel.

It is common for 996 Turbo owners if the AWD system acts up to remove it and convert the car to RWD only and the reports are that this doesn't see to upset the car in any way. (Should my Turbo's AWD system develop a probem this is probably what I would have done rather than spend the considerable money it would cost to have the problem fixed.)

 

Macster pardon my ignorance but what are you referring to as AOS?

 

Sorry.

AOS refers to air/oil separator. This is a device through which fumes from the crankcase flow through on their way to the intake manifold, helped along by the pretty good vacuum that is often present in the intake.

The AOS has an internal shape kind of like a nautilus shell with a decreasing radius that is intended to swirl the fumes around and the heavier oil vapor particles get slung out and impact the inner surface of the AOS and then drain as liquid oil back into the crankcase and engine oil supply.

The fumes minus the oil vapor then flow to the intake where they are burned in the engine.

Often though the AOS is not that efficient and a considerable amount of oil vapor ends up flowing into the intake and it can't make the sharp turn and the oil vapor strikes the intake wall opposite of where the hose from the AOS connects to the intake and this vapor turns back into a liquid and is consumed in the engine. If the engine is hot there is no smoke. If the engine is shut off and cools down the oil drains down and collects on top of a closed intake valve or if the valve is open runs down into the cylinder. Upon engine start there is a brief period of time -- just a second or two -- the engine smokes as this oil goes through but is not completely burned.

The AOS has some kind of a rubber/fabric diaphragm with a spring and a valve together which is intended to limit the amount of vacuum the crankcase is exposed to to prevent -- in severe cases -- air being pulled in past the RMS, pardon, I mean rear mail seal, and causing the engine in some fashion suck out its oil.

After so many miles -- I've managed run the AOS in my Boxster between 80K and 120K miles -- the AOS fails. The one I cut apart had a split in the diaphragm -- material fatigue. The 996 version can suffer a housing crack and because it has coolant circulating through it can leak coolant either outside the engine or possibly even inside the engine.