Jscaramella

Im a frequent troller of just about every porsche classified out there. More and more I see preventative maintenance, specificaly RMS and IMS, in used car ads. You can find one of these and forgo a considerable service bill before getting into a 996. A must would be to verify the technical ability of the shop who performed the service.

Ive often found my best used cars havent even been forsale. Find or ask your local Porsche specialist. They may have a client who wants to sell a well maintained car.

AndrewMT996

Well, I definitely wasn't happy about having to shell out the extra $10k, but I went into it with eyes open. In the big picture, if the worst thing happening in my life is that my Porsche doesn't work, then things are going well.

Had I known it would be $40k the first year, I may have looked at a 997.2 or found a 996 to send off to Jake from the get-go.

AndrewMT996

I'll let you know! Good luck with your decision. You'll love the car if you go that route.

FRUNKenstein

Definitely a "first world problem."

Also understand that right now is THE worst time of the year to buy. Spring fever makes it a seller's market plus inventory gets snapped up quickly. Wait 6 months and both available inventory and prices will be better. My cousin the used car dealer can't keep inventory on his lot.

nsnick67

thanks, definitely not off the table yet but a decent aftermarket warranty might be the only way it isn't.

andys-944

I love the 996 and Porsche's in general, I've take a sojourn to a Jag XKR but the 996 is a very drive able and competent car which stands up well against sports cars 10 years younger. I don't think $1000 is realistic maybe 3 to 5k a year depending on mileage. There older cars and they will require work. I personally believe the IMS issue is over blown but you have to be aware of it.

MRWW

If you're worried about having to spend a few grand a year, this is not the car for you. Go lease a honda camry or some other roller skate type econo s-box, they are cheap and I dont think you even need to change the oil in them. With all the money you save you can pad up your roth IRA and have lots of money left over when you're on your death bed If money was meant to hold on to, it would come with handles.

Now if you want to drive a highly refined performance oriented german vehicle that has the potential to go 173mph from the factory with entry point cost of $0.25 on the dollar of MSRP, a 996 is the car for you. There is no better bargain right now than a 996, these forums and the IMS hysteria has been a blessing for cheap bastards like myself. If you pop an engine it will cost ya $10K, you're still $65K ahead of the game. The reality is that these cars are 911 Carrera's with all the rights and privileges bestowed on the lineage.

A water cooled Porsche is about the most practical thing to ever happen to these cars, when you're sitting in traffic on a 100* day with the air blasting it becomes very clear just how functional these novelty vehicles have become. I would plan on $3500 per year operational costs, maybe more maybe less, but these things don't run on friendship thats for certain.

Take your time and find a good example, I would shy away from low milage garage queens in favor of a higher milage properly maintained car. These cars are fantastic, built solid and are a pleasure to drive. All records must be in order or an owner willing to adjust price accordingly. Go talk to your local indie and see if he has any clients that are getting ready to pull the trigger on a new ride and looking to unload a good 996.

At the end of the day, if you're going to drive around with your eyes glued to the oil pressure gauge because you are worried about popping an engine to the tune of $10K+ you should consider going a different direction.

Randyg308

Couldnt have sed it any better!

ejdoherty911

I 100% agree with MRWW. I would (and did) go with a high mileage car. I just purchased a 2002 in February. I'm going to submit a posting on that soon. I think you can find a great 996 for $23-25k. I feel $1,000 per year (on average) in maintenance is too low and not realistic. On average being the key. I spent $1,500 the first week and the car barely needed anything. I also like the idea of going to a Porsche dealer, find the guy in service that's been there 10 years, and have him contact a customer who's looking to upgrade to a new Porsche.

lahalte

I bought a 2000 996 with quite a bit of mileage 128,000.The previous owner had spent $5000 in preventive maintenance and had the IMS changed. I had a PPi that went well but I did have surprises once I got the car. I noticed a coolant leak and a check engine light about the same time.The error code should MAF so I removed it and cleaned.The check engine did not return. As far as the coolant leak it was from the AOS as coolant goes through it and was cracked.The AOS was changed as the suction from the oil filler tube was extreme and I could not remove it while engine was running. That was a $1200 job from my indie shop. When I got home I noticed an oil leak that was not there before.This time the RMS was leaking and because of the suction did not show previously or I would have done it then to save labor.I had expected all this so it was not a surprise and I have no regrets.When I do the RMS I will have the IMS rechecked just in case. Now I have another check engine the O2 sensor which is not a big deal and I can do myself. Don't worry about maintenance,just do it and enjoy the car. I have seen a 996 hit 500,000 kilometers,so there is lots of life left.Mine is not a DD so I can take my time,Good luck

johnireland

I don't think spending more to get a "newer" car...i.e. 997.2 from 2007 or 8 is going to save anyone money. You are still buying someone else's car. Seven years old vs my 12 year old 996...the only difference I see is that on the newer car the deferred maintanence is only slightly less over due.

For the last decade most new Porsches have been leases. So you have cars driven and operated by people who are notoriously maintanence adverse. They'll drive it for three years, spend as little as possible and then turn it in on a new one. The second owners is also usually a lease but now a CPO...so unless it is a warranty item the guy probably rarely brings it into the shop. And now one of us comes along and says..."gee a 12 year old 996 or a 7 year old 997."

The 996 will cost you 20 to 25 grand and you'll put 5 to 10 into it over the first couple of years. The 997 will cost you 40 grand and you'll still be putting 5 to 10 into it over the first couple of years.

A turbo with the engine difference is one way to solve the IMS issue...and you will still be pouring money into it because the turbos are more maintanence intensive and the odds still are that the previous owners didn't do anything that wasn't under warranty.

The exception to all this is when you are buying private party to private party and you have full documentation of all work done and by whom and where and when.

The only people who don't seem to be complaining about cost are those who go crazy moding their cars. They are actually happy to be spending money.

Love it and drive and be happy every day your are alive.

JD ARTHUR

I always buy the best I can find. I like low mileage cars and I buy from private parties. Its different if I buy a car just for transportation such as my pick up truck but when I buy a bike or a car as more of a toy I want it as close to new as I can find. I find that its easier to keep it like new if thats your thing than to try to bring it back to like new. If its a car that is no more than transportation it doesn't matter. Many times I have to much money in this type of car, more than I will get back but not always. That does not bother me at all, as long as I really like it while I have it I'm a happy guy. The Porsche is so nice whenever I drive it and whenever I see it in the garage that I'm thrilled with it. I spent a lot upfront on a super low mile 996 to have all the things replaced that start going out on a car its age even if it doesn't have many miles. Everybody is different about what they like and their financial outlook on car ownerships.

emtee49

First of all - am I the only working stiff out here that had to finance his Porsche to be able to even own one? Anyway, here's what I have experienced after 15 months and 17000 miles. I did everything wrong: no PPI, no service history. I just saw the car and had to have it as a DD. 2002 C2, stick, bone stock, 39k miles (then). I paid $25K. It was a one-owner trade-in at the local Jag dealer. Tires looked good - but I found out that you have to feel all the way across the rears; mine were bald in the middle. Matching up to the good front tires (Pirelli P-Zero Rossos) set me back $800. That was the first week of ownership. After 10000 miles, the rears were bald again. Found a set of four new tires (not N-rated) for $700 installed (18 in., BTW). So there was $1500 the first year, just for tires! I've also done 3 oil changes (every 5K miles), and changed out the coolant because my real good indy said what was in there was the wrong color. The only other thing was changing the coolant cap for the "04" update. I'm going with the "if it ain't broke - don't fix it" approach. Like I said, I got a real good indy, so he checks the car out every 5000 miles and I do what he suggests. Works for me. I don't regret for one second buying the car - good luck with yours!

Thumbie

No. My mechanic shed a little light on IMS fixes. He doesn't like the idea of straying away from the original design from the Porsche engineers (ie oil fed bearing) and recommends the LN engineering replacement (like you mentioned). However, this new bearing still has a service life (something like 5 years) so it is not a set-and-forget fix.

I guess it depends on how you drive your car.

Personaly, I am 60,000 miles on the original IMS. Do I think about it? Yes, but statistically my heads will crack first. Or I'll be hit on the head with a coconut....

Thumbie

Right there with you my man.

Although for tires, I went with the michelin pilot super sports. Update form the factory PS2. Got 265/35/zr18's installed for 600 bucks (not as bad as your 800). They were pretty grippy on the track, too. Just a small recommendation for a slightly cheaper tire.