Hello all,

I'm very happy that I found this forum. I thank you for your patience and apologize for my ignorance in advance.

I'm in the market for my first porsche, thinking of a 96 997 c2s cab vs c2s.

Any advice would be appreciated. I do have a few questions and concerns.

I'm thinking of buying from a dealer. Do I need a PPI when buying from a dealer? Or is CPO enough? What else do I need to request from a dealer? Carfax, over-rev read out, anything else?

I'm assuming that private is risky (need a PPI) and auction is even risker. Prob not worth the discount in price?

Also, is the convertible worth the increased noise, less precise handling and perhaps poorer climate control?

In this economic environment, how much does your bargaining power increase? I'm eyeing a 997 C2S Cab with 15K and asking 66K

Please correct me if I mixed anything up.

Cheers,
Jeff

 

If I were you I would spend some more time researching info on this forum so that you understand these cars more fully. There are a lot of considerations re mileage, warranties, options, models etc etc, and since you're investing a lot of money, you want to be clear on what you want as well as avoiding problems. It takes a while to get to know enough to make an informed decision. If you pick a car you like, then within a year decide you wished you had a different model or different options, you could lose a lot by having to sell your car and buy another. The research is half the fun. Welcome and good luck.

 

I will try to answer some of your questions .

1) Most of the CPO cars that I see are cars which received "certified" status after Porsche launched the program . In short they are recent model year cars from 05 to present (used). I highly recommend a CPO car . It offers warranty coverage and undergoes an inspection to meet the certification requirements . In addition I recommend a DME scan to view the engine's over rev history.

2) Going into a private sale on a high end vehicle lacking confidence and without a full understanding about the car could bring on a used car nightmare .

3) I rode in a convertible the other day for my first time (I'm a coupe person) yet I was impressed tremendously. The acoustics were great with the wind deflector up and hearing the engine was actually quite refershing because i like the sound . Each person has to decide on his own .

4) "I'm eyeing a 997 C2S Cab with 15K and asking 66K" -- This is the the standard ask price depending on year and options . It's important to know the "must have" options and they can vary from person to person .

Kenny is right .. learn about the car a bit .

I do think a good starting point would be to test drive these cars at a Porsche dealership especially if you have this impulse to buy a car because at least there is a "certified" status and team of technicians behind making that car right for you .

 

Thanks Kenny and Yrralis1 for the replies. I'm a bit at a disadvantage in that this is my first porsche so like a first time diner in a restaurant I'm not certain what dishes will become my favorite in the restaurant.

My plan (which always is diff from reality) is to keep the car at least for a few years if not longer (it will be my daily driver and I want to drive my dream car, not fantasize about it during the week while it sits in a garage), so my original plan of getting a 996 fell by the wayside, as I want a car with relatively low miles less than 35K. Although for a 96 or 97, I might want to go even lower than that. The 996 headlights for me are also hard to stomach.

For my first porsche, I am steering clear of the Turbos and the GT2s. (I won't have anything to forward to otherwise). Since I'm in Florida and not MN, I don't feel I need a C4. S seems like it is well worth it. I'm a coupe guy very much myself, although a hard top would be a great compromise. I won't take the cab off the table as of yet, because of my location and my gf who is dying for one. Targa, I don't as much about, but I would rather pay a premium for the S package than for Targa and am not sure if, to me, the Targa is worth the extra dough. Thats how I'm arriving at C2S coupe vs cab.

Options- as the name implies, these are purely subjective and nice extras. Since I'm buying used, I won't have total freedom in every single option.
That being said: sport seats, bose stereo. Not sure if I will notice a difference with sport chrono outside a track, sport exhaust I have to listen to first, Nav I don't care about. Leather does look nice, I admit. No seat heaters or dimming mirror are necessary. For me, sport shifter is not a must. Wheels I need to research more. What else makes a big difference for you guys?

I'm going to test drive on Monday, so I will have a much better feel. Have to research the warranties much more. I am not planning to buy for at least
another month or two, so that I can do more research and keep a cool head.

Just want to make sure that I pick a car devoid of problems as much as possible, so I'm very interested in all the technicals of buying used: CPO (will it tell me previous accidents, water damage, etc?). DME is a great idea. It sounds like at a dealership one goes with a CPO and the PPI is not done, as the CPO is "the official" PPI and is trustworthy.

I am looking forward to learning much more from this forum. Again, any and all advice is highly appreciated.

Jeff

 

With regards to CPO, read the CPO brochure on the Porsche website carefully. A car purchased from a 3rd party can not claim CPO status...it is not recognized by PCNA. This means, for example, a "CPO" 2005 Carrera S sold by a 3rd party dealer (not a Porsche dealership) would not have it's warranty honored by PCNA.

" Once the covered vehicle is traded or sold to any non-authorized dealer or commercial broker, this warranty is void."

Thus, if a dealership opts to make a car CPO, then the car is sold to a individual, further sales between private parties is still okay. But if a 3rd party gets their hands on it...the warranty is void. I found out the hard way on my 996TT.

 

If you decide to purchase from a non Porsche dealership (there are many good ones that have great deals) take it in for a PPI and have the ECU checked...or at least get a Durametric reader and run the DME to see if there are over revs (indication of abuse) or if here have been ECU re-flashing.

 

Newbie, as I am from Canada I can't comment on U.S. pricing and what is a good deal or not, but from your comments, it sounds to me like you may regret it down the road if you don't buy a Cab. While I have an '08 C4S Coupe myself, if I lived in Fla., even though I like the classic lines of the Coupe better, I would likely have bought a Cab. With the S models, as you probably know, you also get a lot of std. equipment other than the 3.8 engine. Good luck on whatever you decide!

 

I won't comment on the purchasing eval's but owning a cab in the best spot on earth for the open top experience (CA Bay Area) is spectacular. The 997 Cab is extremely well designed - low wind noise (top up and down), quite stiff (not the same as the coupe, but unless you're tracking it very hard, no issue), modest additional weight (see prior track comment), better engine and tire feedback. There is some loss of rearward vis with the top up.
In the south florida weather, I'd think that you'd have many chances to enjoy the open air experience.
Oh and if you get the Cab, get the seat heaters. You may not have the top down on super hot and humid days, but night drives in the cool weather, top down and heaters on? Priceless.

 

A couple of times you have mentioned "96 and 97" when I presume you mean 06 and 07 model years. I think you're smart to avoid the 996, although you can save a ton of money. The 997 had many improvements both aesthetically and mechanically.

Most of us prefer the handling ot the RWD cars since they have lighter steering. That was the one thing I had to compromise on when I sold my C2S cab and got my T4S (Targa). The cabs are wonderful cars, especially in a nice climate like yours. Be sure to try them out. You are correct that the Nav is not important, as the 05-08 systems are a PITA, and portable units are better. Sport Chrono has very little merit, although if you get an "S" it seems that most will have it anyway. Remember that for used cars, you can often get many options for very little premium compared to what they cost on the car when it was new. Wheels are something that can always be changed later. But things like full leather can't be added later, so be sure what you want before you pull the trigger.

Bose is OK, but I find I seldom listen to music in my Porsche like I did in other cars. The car is so engaging, and louder, that I don't have the same need for quality music.

BTW, most 997 cabs weren't ordered with hard tops, and while 996 hardtops are virtually the same and can be added, there is some work required to adapt your car for one. Price wise, I saw a 06 cab for sale here in So Cal (C2S with full leather AND hard top), 13k miles, asking $59k. Great deal in my opinion. Be sure to do searches on AutoTrader to see the asking prices so you know where the current price points are. Good luck.

 

Good info here. Cab vs. coupe is a completely personal decision. You must drive both to know, and think about your daily needs.

If you're not a hardcore enthusiast or power-monger, a non-S looks basically identical, and can save you a lot of $.

Options are also personal choice of what's important to you. But all come with standard leather and a basic stereo.

To me sounds like a lightly-optioned 997 will make you very happy.

 

Another plus for the Targa, in your situation at least, is that resale value is generally lower. On the other hand, all recent Targa are "4", with or without the S, you had mentioned you don't want a 4. With windows and roof down, it is very cabriolet-ish, but with greater rigidity.

 

This is a very important post for Newbie (Jeff) to read.
In his situation he must go to a dealership and since I am in the same region I will give a referral . J

To Jeff -
I have bought 8 Porsches from several regional dealerships . I will point you to guys whom I trust and hope things work out for you . PM sent.

 

Thank you for your comments.

Yes, I did mean 06 and 07. My head must be stuck in the 20th century.

I'm a bit confused by the "hard tops". I like a built-in hard top like on Lexus SC430. It sounds like the Porsche ones, you need to put on by hand. I'm not into that.

I think S edition will give me a lot of options standard and I only have a few that I really want: sport seats, leather probably, heated seats might be fun for the cool night air.

I will have to try both Cab and Coupe. I like the lines on a coupe, however, FL weather will let me keep the top down about 6 mo out of the year. (I am not a big fan of humidity). I may not feel much of a difference off the track and I have no intention of tracking.

I think after owning a porsche for awhile, I will have much better idea about what options are more important to me and plan accordingly for my second one. For now, I will take the time in the next month or two to absorb as much as I can and make a decision.

While S model is a premium, I feel that if am jumping from 996 to 997 then I should spring a few more K for the "S". I will test drive both, but that is "an option" that makes the most difference in a car, it seems.

Thanks, as always!

 

Jeff --

A C2S costs a bit less and even though Florida has rain it's not mandatory to have AWD compared to if you lived in a heavy snow region. Plus the two wheel drive is lighter and has a fun to drive aspect to it . The AWD has a beautiful wide body though and BOTH cars sell well. You can't go wring with either .

Coupe or Cab --that's a very personal decision.

Must have options -
Many like full leather . It's nice but not necessary .
Sport chrono --I feel its necessary but it sparks debate on the forum --some love it ,others don't.
Seats -my favorite on the 997 are the sports adaptive but you have to sit in a few and find yoir comfort zone .
Stereo -Bose is a must have . Even the Bose can't compare to Lexus and BMW but the regular factory system is poor quality .
Short shifter --get this
Navigation --My Honda has better . I would pass unless the car already has it.
Sport steering wheel --I am not a fan of the multifunction wheel .
You can pass on carbon fiber if trying to save money .
Clear side markers -- at delivery.

 

Don't forget that things like sport shifter, steering wheels, wheels, PSE, etc. can be easily added later if you find a car you like that doesn't have these.