I can get a set of brand new H&R sway bars for my 996 c2; front and rear for $430.00 out the door. Is this a good deal, or can I do better?

If you're going with standard H&R sway bars, the Tire Rack is a good reference point for price. For your car, they have the front for $261 and the rear for $225, putting it at $486 for the pair, plus shipping. While I don't have a great sense for the 996 H&R sway bar market, that comparison alone leads me to believe your $430 shipped is a good price.

yes, good deal, youll be happy with H&R on a 996 c2 platform...

Redridge- Quick Q, will adding the swaybars increase ride harshness, and how much benefit do the HR's provide over stock?

no will not increase harshness, thats the dampners' job (shocks), the benefit is less roll in cornering since they are thicker in diam, its a big improvement over stock!

cool- am wondering if the HR's will help reduce some of the understeer?

Are the bars adjustable? I saw a note on the Tire Rack that the rear was adjustable. If they are, then you should be able to tune it for understeer, oversteer, or a neutral attitude. It's amazing how much a small movement of the swaybar makes to the handling of the car.

yes, 3 way adjustable, front and back

You should be able to tune out the understeer, as long as the bars are size appropriately. Worst case, you set the front to full soft and the rear to full stiff for some oversteering goodness.

how do these compare to the GT3 bars?
are the H&R's stiffer?