So I came across Craigslist the other day and saw a silver one with the above mileage and went to test drive it today..car seems to drive solid and the owner has owned it since 6000 miles..based on all the records he retained, it seems like it was very well maintained and he had mentioned that it is still on the original clutch! (he did disclaimed that a new one should be installed in a year) and he had experienced no IMS/RMS issue so far....the body and the interior is decent for a 13 years old car....

Any thoughts on what to look for on a car with that kind of mileage? His asking price is 11900, which is probably the lowest priced 996 i've ever seen...any comments on the deal in general? thanks!

 

thats a deal, and for that price you can do a rebuild for about 7k and have a like new engine again. I would see if he'll take 10-10,500 if not 11,9 is still great. The big reason the rms leaks is because a car sits with out use, w/ 128k miles he used it. IMS would be the 1st thing I would do if i picked it up.

 

Great deal, like the previous post said.

 

I would recommend as part of the PPI that you have the oil filter inspected for any debris. It would be worth the price of a oil change to make sure there is no abnormal wear showing for the internals.

 

Sounds like a great deal,as stated above. Considering it is due for a clutch,you can do the IMS while the clutch is out. I would still get a PPI to see if they find any problems you might have overlooked.

 

Hi I have a 98 C2 convertible. The engine carked it at 18000 miles and a replacement was issued by Porsche and since then, apart from needing a new clutch and various other usual bits it has been pretty much bomb-proof.

I had the IMS bearing replaced for a cost of £500 recently but wish I had done it at the same as the clutch job as I would have saved hundreds of pounds however for the peace of mind still feel it was worth doing. The car has done 101,000 miles and has been cheaper to service than my previous cars, these being an MGF, Toyota Celica GT4 carlos sainz edition and a Civic Type R - as well as obviously being a damn sight better than all the above combined

Admittedly I do all my servicing via a specialist and the others were by a main dealer. I would personally say find yourself a specialist, get the IMS bearing sorted at the same time as the clutch, perhaps even go the whole hog and fit the LN Engineering IMS Retrofit kit and then look forward to some great fun driving!

Oh and while you are at it, if the exhaust is stock then consider one of the exhaust mods such as the Fister one or sticking on a Dansk exhaust (cheap option compared to porsche sport exhaust but lasted longer than my mod) at least - it makes the whole top down affair much more pleasurable!

 

Post pics of it when you get it!

 

thanks..working with the seller on my way back to CA and hopefully pick up the car tomorrow..

 

don't be too hasty.... there are lots of cars around... take your time..

 

agree...didn't really plan on buying this until the deal just popped up when i was casually browsing CL...will plan to drive this until the new cayman comes out...

 

Just do some test driving of the 996 non-turbo and 996 turbo to get a feel for what such a car feels like. There is no doubt, the later version of the 996NA is the better one. Stay away from the 3.4 liter engine ( they only made it for about 2 years) and look at a 2005 and later.. buy one in tiptop shape so you can DRIVE the car. Assume that buying a car that needs a lot of attention will eat you alive and that repair will take lots of time, effort, investigation, and ... money! Good luck!

 

BB987 be sure to post some pictures of your new car once you decide on which one your getting.

 

The 996 is getting PPI now so I'll keep my fingers cross and see what happens...as much as I want a 997 or a new yet to come out cayman, it's probably not a good idea financially as I am closing on 2 properties at once so you can imagine how much crap I am getting from my other half for buying another toy..:P

 

The best of luck with the PPI and keep us posted and post some pictures when you get a chance. Just say the person with the most toys always wins

 

I feel your pain. Every time I've gotten another car my wife up-grades the diamond on her wedding ring. It's been up-graded for the '77 Vette, the '66 Vette, the Z06, and now the '99 Porsche. How many carats can a size 5 1/2 ring size finger support?