Just wanted to say thanks to all you great posters out there.

I've been looking at getting a 2nd car and from all the information I've gathered here regarding IMS, and RMS and so forth regarding possible costs, a 996 is just not for me. Thanks for the heavy dose of realism.

In the past I've enjoyed driving my friend's 996 right up until the point that he had it stolen and the police told him there was no way he'd be getting back, that more than likely a Mexican gang had it already over the border and on a boat to South America.

I know how much fun it is to drive a 996 but I never felt any pain in getting it repaired. However, reading all the information here and weighing the costs, for now I'll take a pass.

If I do come into a bit of money though, I'll put the 996 back on my radar though. The allure of having such a great car is very strong.

Thanks again for all the info here.

 

Their lil legs can't reach the pedals!

 

I'm not criticizing your decision, but I'm interested to know "what" information you gathered about RMS and IMS that prevented you from buying a 996? Being a new 996 owner myself, I also did my research and from the information that I gathered, these were issues that occur on a relatively small % of cars. RMS can be diagnosed with a PPI correct? And if you only looked at cars with a DOCUMENTED history, then your chances of purchasing a "problem car" are slim to none. Also RMS leaks are cheap to fix (relatively speaking) even if it slipped bythe PPI and caught you down the road....... You said this would be a second car, so even if you got stuck with a car that had chronic RMS issues, and the new seal kept leaking, how often would you have to have the seal replaced? Are there people out there who have the latest seal and still have leaks?

Also regarding IMS, the upgrade could be done with the next clutch swap, or you could shell out $1500 and have it taken care of in advance, or negotiate the cost of the upgrade off of the purchase price. Also there are plenty of documented cars out there if you look for them. You could probably find one that has had both of these issues fixed/upgraded..... Unless you were looking at the cheapest 996's out there (high mileage early models that are beat), I have no doubt that you could have found a clean, no issues car that was affordable. If you were looking for the cheapest 996 you could find, then you definitely made the right decision to pass, although in that case RMS and IMS would have probably been the LAST of your worries. You would have ended up sinking tons of money into other regular maintenance items, and other random things that seem to break at a never ending rate on cars like that......

I'm curious what your price range was, as you seemed to have passed up on a great car because you didn't want to spend $1500 on a preventative maintenance item that isn't even necessary? Also what do you plan to buy instead of the 996? As far as I know, there are ZERO sports cars of this caliber that require no maintenance, or have "cheap" maintenance. So did you pass up on a 996 because you might be thrown a $1000 repair bill every so often? Welcome to the world of luxury cars....... I have friends with POS 5-6 year old G35's who complain about $1k+ repair bills for stupid electrical items and whatnot..... I don't think these cars are that bad, and even if you're a retard like me, you can save $$ on repair bills and maintenance by working on the car yourself. All I have is *****, time, patience, and great DIY write-ups, which gets me by.......

Good luck with your car search. And justy fyi, the most reliable sports car I ever owned was my 93 NSX. That thing never broke, and was running strong when I sold it with 130k miles. With that being said, I did get an occasional $1k+ repair bill, however, that usually included many maintenance items, and labor for aftermarket parts installs.....

 

^ +1.

After reading all of the information here, I'm not swayed on getting a 996 either.

I'm not sure what the OP meant regarding the information he received on this forum. At least I THINK I'm reading the same stuff.

 

In a way, I'm really glad some people think this way and are scared off by various info(or misinfo). This keeps a good percent of the posers out of these cars and more true enthusiasts in. It also helps keep our cars somewhat exclusive(ironic I know for 996 model) and us 996 owners can certainly use any help we can in the oversaturated and undervalued 996 market.

High repair/parts/maintenance/insurance costs is my saving grace from seeing tons of highschool students from driving one and making me feel like I got a normal run of the mill car.

 

Good, some aren't meant to drive a 996- you should get a toyota camry, very reliable

 

+1......can't stand the fear that is created by the XXX or XXX.......I can't even type the initials.

 

Hi, I wanted to tell you guys that I do not want to go into the woods. Don't get me wrong, I like going on hikes and enjoying nature, but there are bears in the woods. If I were a lion, I wouldn't be scared of the big bears. That's all.

 

I have a Camry for reliability...and a 996 for real driving enjoyment.

 

troll job

 

[QUOTE=alpine003;3097886]In a way, I'm really glad some people think this way and are scared off by various info(or misinfo). This keeps a good percent of the posers out of these cars and more true enthusiasts in. It also helps keep our cars somewhat exclusive(ironic I know for 996 model) and us 996 owners can certainly use any help we can in the oversaturated and undervalued 996 market.

I agree!!!! I've owned my 02 for 5 years now, don't drive it everyday but when i do it always puts a BIG SMILE on my face!!! You have to own one to understand!! People "you got to pay to play"

 

Found my avi on the net.

 

Fact: Consumer Reports 2011 Used Car Guide has the Porsche "911" listed as the #1 car listed for customer satisfaction in the 5-year-old cars listed. Rated 89% "Would buy again." #2 is the Porsche Boxster at 87%. That is a survey of ALL CARS over the last 5 years.

 

996 is not for every one you got to pay to play....

 

Some folks just aren't born with the passion gene when it comes to cars... I didn't cry the day my twins were born and I was in the room when it went down, but, i seriously welled up the day I sold my Evo VIII. Watching it leave my driveway had me second guessing. Actually stressed about selling my Audi S4 Bi-turbo, Audi TT, Cadillac CTS-V, G8 GXP, Integra Type R, and a couple others. To me to be passionate about cars you understand the risk but the "want" far out weighs that risk. You obsess to the point everyone around you says "shut the hell up and buy it already". To reason with the risk only makes you logical and responsible and as a result....not much of a car person. My goal is to sample every type of car that I can. It's only money.... they'll print more of it.