New-time poster to this forum, please direct me to another thread if I am posting anything that can be found elsewhere.


Can somebody advise me on buying a used 997? My budget is roughly 40k but I may be willing to go slightly above. Is this a bad idea in terms of reliability and long-term ownership? Is it preferred to look for a newer cayman/boxster instead?

 

I think that there is a thread in the 997 sub forum, but remember to factor in annual service, tires, brakes, you know the stuff you forget about when dreaming about a porsche Enjoy!!!! The hunt is the best part.

 

I was your shoes about a year ago. I had tried a Boxter and then a Cayman and decided they were not for me. Dealer suggested a 911, but I thought it was out of my price range. Dealer said he had a couple of cars a year that might work for me. He called a few months later and the car turned out to be perfect for me. 2006 C4, speed yellow, manual. Plus buying from Bromos Porsche in Jacksonville came with an invitation to attend the Brumos Driving Experience with Hurley Haywood. Contact John Schaffer at Brumos (904) 725-9155 and let me know what you are looking for.

 

search and read thru this site first, then after about a few days you will have better insight on what to look and asked about. Lots depends on your ability to do some self service. Also what kind of cash will you have for upkeep and repairs down the road. It s a little hard to give info that will help without a starting point.

 

Thanks for the input. I'll try to look around for that thread on the sub-forum. I was looking at some 2005 models with under 40k miles. Turns out there are actually a couple of them for under $40k. I need it to last 5yr/40k miles minimum though, so I need to do my research.

 

I was in your boat 8 months ago. My budget was originally $40K and as I continued to research, I end up with the right CS2 for me. It did cost me $10K more then my original budget but that $10K more made me a happy man. Just do your research, test drive a few of them and ask as many questions to the seller before you fully commit. You will definitely enjoy having a 911.

In regards to reliability, these cars are built strong and should last you a long time BUT it all depends on how one maintains their car. Like other members have mentioned, the up-keeping will save you money if you can do some of these yourself and there's a lot of DIY instructions on this forum and on Rennlist that can instruct you.

Good luck on your search!

 

If you search you can find an 09 Cayman S close to your price range. I would pick that over a 997.1. You need to drive both to get a feel for them.

 

Rich,

Welcome to the board.

An additional consideration in NY State is the high sales tax. You really need to figure it into the budget when negotiating the price, or the end cost will be way over.

 

Check autotrader. They have a fews in that price range.

 

why would he ever take a cayman over a 997.1???

Back to subject, you can get a 2005 997 for that price, amazing car & the good thing about the 997 is if your worried about the IMS issues, then with the 2005 you can wait till its time to do the clutch & do the IMS bearing at the same time, in the 2006 & newer they have to remove the entire engine almost to get to it, but not on the 2005

 

I had an 09 Cayman S PDK and when I looked for another 911 I drove an 07 and 08 997.1 S and thought the Cayman was the better car and did not trade. Later I purchased an 09 997.2 S and felt it was worth the trade.

The OP is looking for opinions and the Cayman is one of his options.

 

Keep in mind that a 2005 model is 9 years old . Beyond that there are numerous posts regarding the IMS retrofit . Upkeep can get expensive with an out of warranty older car and all it takes is one big repair to pause and hiccup .
Also note that at 21 yrs insurance is not cheap plus even with routine service two rear tires plus alignment are 1K every 8K miles or so.

Even if one were middle aged and buying the 40K 2005 car as a weekend toy I might say pass but to a young person used as an only car (in my opinion) this is a lot to take on .

Just remember .. no car is always better than the wrong car .

 

I just went though this and landed on an awesome 997 that i bought in Huntington (NY) from the Benz dealer. PM me if you want more info. I paid in about your price range, but I added the 3k allstate extended warranty. I already got 2k worth of work out of it.

 

Stockwiz, I'd like to know a little more about your car. Unfortunately, I don't have enough posts to send a PM. Any chance you can PM me the details?

 

very wise!