The Ultimate Preowned 996 Buying guide.

[himself]

Originally Posted by Chads996

Agreed. However, I do still advise: No records, no deal.

But this will also fall onto how the PO acts. Use discretion and your knowledge.

C.

With the early 996s coming up on 10 years old, there will be a lot of cars out there that fall into the gray zone - good cars without all the service records. The good news is that there will be plenty of cars with the records to choose from. And, for me, I would not automatically kill a deal because there were no records. I would rephrase "no deal" to "no records, be extra careful." With a proper PPI, a caveat emptor type of deal can be a good one - even without records. I think, to a certain degree, you can overlook records (good, bad, or lack thereof) if you get an aftermarket warranty.

I know that many people vote against them, but my peace of mind - and my experience with them, was worth the price.

My only other comment is that if you intend to resell the car in a few years - you should reconsider the lack of records issue, since it may make your resale easier.

-td

[billh1963]

May want to mention the following:

Porsche's can run from a base model to heavily optioned ($$$) and that range can affect prices significantly. Research the options that were available and decide what you want from the car. There are performance options (X-51, LSD, etc.) and there are cosmetic options (aero kits, full leather, etc.). Some options can be added later (i.e. Litronics) and some are very expensive (X-51) to add later (if it's even possible)

In general, always buy the newest model you can afford. Improvements were made every year. So, unless you have your heart set on a particular year, buy newer (assuming condition, of course).

There were two "limited editions" made: the 2000 Millenium Edition and the 2004 40th Anniversary edition. Naturally, the 40th Anniversary edition is rapidly appreciating and will be worth a fortune soon (just kidding!)

[Chads996]

Originally Posted by himself

With the early 996s coming up on 10 years old, there will be a lot of cars out there that fall into the gray zone - good cars without all the service records. The good news is that there will be plenty of cars with the records to choose from. And, for me, I would not automatically kill a deal because there were no records. I would rephrase "no deal" to "no records, be extra careful." With a proper PPI, a caveat emptor type of deal can be a good one - even without records. I think, to a certain degree, you can overlook records (good, bad, or lack thereof) if you get an aftermarket warranty.

I know that many people vote against them, but my peace of mind - and my experience with them, was worth the price.

My only other comment is that if you intend to resell the car in a few years - you should reconsider the lack of records issue, since it may make your resale easier.

-td

td,

While admirable, I would still advise on discretion. Yes, there are and will be great cars out there. The better ones likely have records.

As for aftermarket warranties, I do not have much experience on this subject and therefore cannot give much information.

I am under the old idea that...it's a Porsche. It will be expensive. If you are concerned about budget, perhaps a different car would be best. After all, at the time the 996 was Porsche's flagship brand. You must pay to play unfortunately.

Thanks for the input. I am sure someone will find it helpful.

C.

[Chads996]

Originally Posted by billh1963

May want to mention the following:

Porsche's can run from a base model to heavily optioned ($$$) and that range can affect prices significantly. Research the options that were available and decide what you want from the car. There are performance options (X-51, LSD, etc.) and there are cosmetic options (aero kits, full leather, etc.). Some options can be added later (i.e. Litronics) and some are very expensive (X-51) to add later (if it's even possible)

In general, always buy the newest model you can afford. Improvements were made every year. So, unless you have your heart set on a particular year, buy newer (assuming condition, of course).

There were two "limited editions" made: the 2000 Millenium Edition and the 2004 40th Anniversary edition. Naturally, the 40th Anniversary edition is rapidly appreciating and will be worth a fortune soon (just kidding!)

Excellent input. Some of this will be added. Thank you.

C.

[uberskier]

Nice write up.

I'm right at the end of the process right now (literally, the car is expected at the mechanic in 10 minutes). I've been looking for 2-3 months and this is the first car that I've gotten to the point of a PPI.

Eric

[Rob in WA]

Nice write up Chad --

A few minor points -- AFAIK the 996 was released in the RoW in 1998 - 1999 in the North America

In 2000-2001 the hp was bumped to 300.

[Chads996]

Originally Posted by Rob in WA

Nice write up Chad --

A few minor points -- AFAIK the 996 was released in the RoW in 1998 - 1999 in the North America

In 2000-2001 the hp was bumped to 300.

Thanks Rob. As mentioned, you are correct about the US release. However, there are a couple (3-4) 1998 press cars that are floating around out there. I came across one during my search for my white beastie. So, I felt it fair to mention that year.

C.

[Trj]

Im still not clear. My tank does not leak but the cap has some kind of air relief that lets fluid slosh out when at the track. Is this fixable or should I just put a rag around the cap and drive on??? Thanks

[bella1]

Originally Posted by Trj

When were the coolant tanks updated. I have an 03 that leaks. Thanks.

Welcome to the 996 club Tbone. I replaced mine one year ago.

[himself]

Originally Posted by Chads996

[...]
As for aftermarket warranties, I do not have much experience on this subject and therefore cannot give much information.

I am under the old idea that...it's a Porsche. It will be expensive. If you are concerned about budget, perhaps a different car would be best. After all, at the time the 996 was Porsche's flagship brand. You must pay to play unfortunately.

Re: AM Warranties -

I believe that aftermarket warranties provide a layer of security that should be considered. And, personally, I don't buy into the "budget is a concern" argument anyway since most people looking at 996s can still elect to buy what they want, and not "buy something else due to budget concerns." To me, an aftermarket warranty costing ~$2K and covering virtually everything for the next 4 years and 60K miles is an acceptable calculated risk. Granted, they are a gamble, but so is buying a 5-9 year old car - even with records. I recognize that others have a different threshhold.

In my opinion, the aftermarket warranty is a good investment for the "flagship" cars - since most "normal" repairs run around $500, and anything semi-major is already pushing $1,000+ . If you can get a 4 year, up to 100K "everything included" policy for around $2,000, I can't see passing it up. It would be akin to passing up a CPO car to save $2K. There have been numerous threads on this and in those, very few people, if any, have said "I got the warranty and it was a waste of money." IIRC, most of the detractors come from the "I didn't get one so I don't think they are worth it" side.

[edit] At the time of this thread, various AM warranties for the 996 were going for ~$2,000 - $4,000 depending on state, coverage, and term. Some/most have to be purchased from a dealer with the sale of the car. If you get a good 996, you may never recoup your warranty. But buying a 996 in 2008 will get you a car that is ~5-9 years old. Personally, I think buying a 5 year old car with a warranty is a good thing. Getting a 9 year old car with a warranty is even better.

Lastly, keep in mind, if you intend to mod your car, most non-OEM mods will void your aftermarket warranty.

-td -> my $0.02

[Benjamin Choi]

I think aftermarket warranties are just as valid as looking for a car with CPO so long as the purchaser of that warranty did his/her homework.

For example, I purchased my all-inclusive warranty 4 yrs/48K miles for $3500 (including sales tax at 8.9%). I bought it at my local Porsche dealer to make sure that I have favoristism/familiarity on my side should I ever bring my car in. I know that this warranty company has an agreement with Porsche that they can begin work ASAP v. waiting for an authorization #. These are details that people may not think about as I certainly did not until the dealership pointed that out to me.

Imagine driving into the dealership with your aftermarket warranty and they tell you you have to wait until the warranty company provides approval to open up on ticket - that costs you time and adds an added mystery factor that could've largely been avoided had you gone through an aftermarket warranty company that makes the repair experience similar to owning a factory warranty.

I would not have the peace of mind I have now sans $3500 security blanket. And I'm betting that if and when I need something to be covered, the dealership that sold me this aftermarket warranty will back up its talk. Given Barrier Porsche's local reputation, I'm ok with this level of risk, especially since they serve so many Microsoft people who tend to have some pull in this town.

[BruceP]

Aftermarket warranties are, by objective defintion, poor value. The warranty companies couldn't make money otherwise, and they certainly make money. So, I think they're a good idea if:

1. You can't afford to pay for whatever might go wrong.
2. You put a premium on predictability in your financial life and are willing to pay for that.

If either or both of those fits you, then a warranty is worth whatever you choose to pay for it, and you should get one. If not, then by any objective economic measure, they are about par with a lottery ticket in terms of value for money. By definition. I think it's untrue and a touch irresponsible to the reputation of these cars to make a blanket statement that everybody should get one.

Just another perspective to consider.

[Benjamin Choi]

I see your points, Bruce, but given that a lot of us are not trust fund babies and drive not a $200K car brand spanking new, on top of knowing how the M96 engines are not known to be "bulletproof," the recommendation in considering an aftermarket warranty and putting it up in this buyer's guide is a value-add at the end of the day.

I think you would agree that nothing is ever clear cut in this forum and in life so a poor value to you may be of great value for others. We shouldn't omit this subject matter from a used car buyer's guide because some of us like to indirectly interject that a $12G engine replacement wouldn't piss off their bank account.

That's a lot of food on the table, period, and even at my age, peace of mind counts for a lot. $3Gs gets you an Omega Speedmaster Pro. $12Gs gets you a Panerai. It's an insurance policy and it's clear to me based on my readings that this topic is highly relevant. Bingo.

[Trj]

Alex does that mean that you get no leakage now???

[Riad]

Great job Chad, that should help a lot of potential buyers.