Another "Im-about-to-buy-a-996-so-what-should-look-out-for" th

[Clever/Witty-ScreenName]

Hello all. While not at all new to Porsches, i have never personally owned one. im looking to buy a 996 coup (6-speed only) and ive spent the better part of 3 hours on google and various forums looking for threads about buying a used 996....with not so much luck.

The info i need most is the basic stuff, like what to look out for, common issues, what questions to ask sellers, major service intervals,etc. ANY info you you guys could provide me with would be awesome!!!

id really like to buy from a fellow car enthusiast (lightly modified if possible...exhaust lowered a little, etc)....

im also having a hard time just finding forum classifieds to browse through....

I just want to do this right the first time...

Thanks for looking and any help!!!!

Edited March 5, 2010 by Clever/Witty-ScreenName

[phillipj]

Do a search here.. This has been covered many times. You will find eveything you're looking for.

Good luck in your search for a car. Ther are some great deals out there.

Here is a Boxster thread that will get you headed in the right direction.

http://www.renntech...._1entry168366

Edited March 5, 2010 by phillipj

[Clever/Witty-ScreenName]

i really want to find a private seller (hopefully from a REAL enthusiast).

Anyone know of some good classifieds for porsches?

Edited March 5, 2010 by Clever/Witty-ScreenName

[2000996MIA]

autotrader , craigslist seem to have some good ones listed from time to time. Depends how far you are looking; Florida cars, West Coast, Texas seem to have plenty of well cared for Pcars. But there should be plenty in your area ( midwest)..if they are only summer drivers...

[Clever/Witty-ScreenName]

ive been looking at autotrader forever now. most just dealer stuff. i would love to just find a car for sale on one of the bigger forums....EVERY local dealer wants waayyyyy too much... private party is the only way i would do this.....

Oh, and i spent a long time search the archives on here, but threads from every forum come up. is there a way to just search this forum's (996)archived threads? or, does anyone know of any good links/articles/buyers guides, etc. on buying a 996?

[thx1138jtx2]

Dealers always asks too much. It doesn't mean they won't come down. It took me 2 weeks but I was able to get the dealer to come down $4K ($32K asking, bought for $28K).

Make sure it is a reputable dealer.

[Richard Hamilton]

A friend of mine and I did a 996 buyer's checklist for the Porsche Club GB forum which might be useful for you. Bear in mind that it is for RHD UK cars, but the main body of the checklist still applies. HTH.

http://www.porscheclubgb.org/clientftp/Register/996/tec_buyers_checklist.pdf

[therock88]

Hello all. While not at all new to Porsches, i have never personally owned one. im looking to buy a 996 coup (6-speed only) and ive spent the better part of 3 hours on google and various forums looking for threads about buying a used 996....with not so much luck.

The info i need most is the basic stuff, like what to look out for, common issues, what questions to ask sellers, major service intervals,etc. ANY info you you guys could provide me with would be awesome!!!

id really like to buy from a fellow car enthusiast (lightly modified if possible...exhaust lowered a little, etc)....

im also having a hard time just finding forum classifieds to browse through....

I just want to do this right the first time...

Thanks for looking and any help!!!!

Try 6speedonline.com. They typically have cars for sale from Porsche enthusiasts. As far as things to look for, they are numerous and covered very thoroughly to exhaustion on this site...Just do a search.

The main one with 996 is obviously the rear main seal and intermediate shaft.

DC

[Clever/Witty-ScreenName]

A friend of mine and I did a 996 buyer's checklist for the Porsche Club GB forum which might be useful for you. Bear in mind that it is for RHD UK cars, but the main body of the checklist still applies. HTH.

http://www.porscheclubgb.org/clientftp/Register/996/tec_buyers_checklist.pdf

wow. that is thorough!!! thank you sooo much for that....can anyone tell me how to search just THIS forum? everytime i search, it searches EVERY forum/sub-forum :(

also, any other links would be VERY appreciated!!!

oh, im also looking for more info on IMS issues....

[Richard Hamilton]

Next to the search box at the top right of every page is a small link to the 'advanced search' page. See here for instructions (11th topic down): http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?app=core&module=help

[lex_gs]

I'm with you on buying from a private seller rather than a dealer. There are some great deals out there because of the economic problems. I found my '03 C4 cab on cars.com. Do a search and you will find 100's of cars within a 100 mile radius.

[dbookman]

Not all dealers ask way too much. There's a dealer in Naples, FL that specializes in finding trade-ins before they actually get traded. He offers the seller more than they would otherwise get on their trade at a dealership and sells the cars at less than you would pay to a normal dealership or private seller. I bought my 996 from them and couldn't be happier. Try Naples Motorsports in Naples, FL. They have a great internet presence, and while most of their cars are Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Maseratis, they also sell Porsches. Since the Porsche volume is lower, you may have to be patient to find what you want. The patience pays off in the end with the lower price.

Dave

[Clever/Witty-ScreenName]

so i looked at this yesterday:

1999 3.4, 6 speed coupe. 72K. VERY clean exterior. the are asking $21,900. KBB states the dealer price should be 19,560 if it is in Excellent condition. im sure he'll come down a pinch (he would have to, as im selling my 05 Audi A4 Avant UltraSport for 21K).

This is the car (it is bone stock):

I then open the engine cover to look at the oil fill tube and i took this picture to ask you guys if this looks normal:

There was actual water droplets in it, but they were perfectly clear. i know this motor (especially since this is a '99) had issues with intermixing fluids.

[Loren]

That is normal for cars that are not brought up to full operating temperature. It is caused by condensation.

[Clever/Witty-ScreenName]

there are no classifieds on here are there? ive been pretty surprised by how few Porsche forums there are on the web (to look at classifieds). i saw Rennlist, but nothing happens when you click on their classifieds link.

does anyone here know any other forums that have a classifieds?

[Loren]

there are no classifieds on here are there? ive been pretty surprised by how few Porsche forums there are on the web (to look at classifieds). i saw Rennlist, but nothing happens when you click on their classifieds link.

does anyone here know any other forums that have a classifieds?

For Sale - Classified

[Clever/Witty-ScreenName]

wow, that is a small auto section :(

[Loren]

wow, that is a small auto section :(

:lol: this is a support and technical site - not eBay...

[Clever/Witty-ScreenName]

and a pretty good one. archives are good stuff.

the M96 is kind of scaring me off a little though...but i guess its not very common for people to make threads just to say how well their motor is doing. but geesh, there are some horror stories on here with the 3.4 :(