I have my eye on a Turbo 996, and have been looking at prices on eBay and elsewhere and have seen some Turbos with 50,000 to over 70,000 miles, selling for around $30,000 USD after doing conversion from the Euro.

Now, I have heard from people the 996s are selling for so "cheap" compared to any other model of Porsche because it is poorly built, prone to engine failure (which apparently costs 15K), main seal leaks, etc.

The saying "it's too good to be true" kind of holds up here, if what people are telling me, are to be trusted. I am not interested too much in the 996 C4S (2002-2004), and really like the look and prestige of owning a Turbo 911.

Now, a used 997 Carrera S (2005/2006) has been going for under 40K. I still like the sportier look of Turbo over a 997, but reliability goes in favor of the 997 CS--again, from what I've read and heard), and it's newer which means it's likely true.

Basically, how expensive is ownership of a 996 Turbo (2000-2003) compared to a mid 2000's 997 Carrera? Is one really more reliable than the other?

I plan on driving whichever Porsche three times a week, every week that there is no snow/ice on the ground. Mainly for going out for non-work related trips.

 

The 996 Turbo is a whole different machine, it's not prone to the 996 problems because it doesnot have the M96/97 engine it has the M35 Metzger engine and is a dry sump. Can it have RMS or IMS bearing problems, sure, any Porsche can but they are less prone. If your concerned just replace the bearing with the LNE up grade or better yet the LNE IMS Solution which has no moving parts and converts the IMS to what the air cooled models used. Nomatter which way you go get one that's beed driven, the cars with the most problems are the ones that sit for long periods.
I bought a 996 C4S, did the IMS and RMS and drive it every weekend and a day or two during the week and she's a beast.

 

I suggest you post on the 996 Turbo page for better information on the reliability of that car. Most of the users of this forum are normally aspirated, or use after market turbos - neither of which are what you are asking about.

As FLA996TT says, the 996 is very reliable (once the IMS bearing is retrofitted)

 

If I do a RMS and IMS upgrade or repairs on a Turbo, will it be smooth sailing assuming every thing else has been checked/fixed?

Also, what's a good way to know if a car has been driven or mainly garaged/babied? If you guys feel it's better to get a 911 that has been driven, how many miles is appropriate?

I have seen mileage on various 996s, varying from 30,000 to almost 100K miles.

 

I think you're a little misinformed about a few things. The 996 variants are not poorly built, as you said. There were some complaints about materials on the earlier models, especially for cars with few options. Porsche improved their materials in the MK II cars, including the turbo. Aside from the engine, which is different as mentioned above, the turbo shares many components with the C4S and other 996 variants. Finally, the engine issues that impact low numbers of 996 cars also impact 997 cars through 2008.

The low prices currently found in the market for the 996 are as a result of things other than poor build quality, as suggested. These things include: supply/inventory, the headlight design that some people don't like, the fact that it's the first water-cooled 911, etc.

Many people (me included) believe that the C4S was the best looking variant of the 996 ever produced. It has all the good things offered by the look of the turbo without breaking up the lines of the car. If you're buying a 911 for "prestige" as you mention above, then I'm not sure where to direct you. I didn't buy mine for that reason. I'm not sure if a 997 is more or less prestigious than a 996 turbo.

Good luck with your search and have fun.

 

You're making a lot of assumptions and looking for a lot of assurance which doesn't really fit in the Porsche world.

Are you driving a Toyota or Honda now by chance?

 

I love my 997. Love to make mods too. I put the turbo lid on my C4S and love it. Know nothing about 996's other than I prefer the aesthetics of the 997 vs the 996. As with most higher end cars they all can be problematic at time and require costly maintenance,so keep that in mind for your budget.

 

The Turbo doesn't require the IMS upgrade - it's a completely different engine system.

Clearly a car with miles has been driven. I *personally* wanted a car with 3~4K per year on the clock as these cars are meant to be driven. The *key* is what kind of miles. That's what you need a *good* PPI to tell you.

You will find lots of high mileage 996's. If they are well maintained they will last and last and last......
https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...e-porsche.html

 

I didnt mean to offend any Porsche fans/enthusiasts. I have only heard these things from doing a google search of the 996 and hearing they are problematic from others-- hence the relatively inexpensive prices one can buy a 996.

What year is the "MKII" 996's? I still want a Turbo since it looks amazing IMO, or a 997 Carrera.

 

MK II were built from 2002 - 2004 for the C2, C4 and targa. The C4S is a MK II car and was built from 2002 - 2005. The turbo was built in 2001 first and has a MK II exterior and a MK I interior. The 2002 - 2005 turbo was MK II.

 

May I make a suggestion here please. For the time being skip all the IMS/RMS talk, look at the 996's and 997's and choose the model that has the look/style you like, then start looking around for a good deal, they are out there. I personally liked the 996 C4S. Then get a good PPI, then decide on the IMS issue in so far as do you want to upgrade, guardian etc. If you purchase a car that's been driven IE high mileage the IMS is more than likely going to be ok because these cars are meant to be driven and driven hard, no if, ands, or buts about it. Keep the oil changed every 3-5k and use a good oil like DT40, Castrol European Blend etc.
When I bought mine I had the IMS and RMS changed and never looked back.

Now for the bad news:
You are buying a machine with thousands of parts, they break!
Every car manufacture out there has some sort of annoying issues with their cars, I don't car what brand it is, just do a search for vehicle recalls
If you don't properly maintain the car any car for that matter, it breaks.
As for prestige, it's all in the eye of the beholder, some people don't like the Porsche and don't think it's prestigious to own one
But I will say this, mine gets plenty of second looks.

Jim

 

You didn't offend anyone - we're just trying to help make sure you've got the facts straight for your decision.

The 996 is an excellent value in a performance car you can drive every day. The engine used in the turbo and GT3 is known as "rock solid". It carried over to the 997. That being said, my 996 C4S has over 122k on the clock with no major issues.

The 997 is also a wonderful choice. It's important to know that the early 997 is an incremental improvement over the 996 and shares many components and design features/flaws. The most noticeable improvement in the 997 is the interior, but the driving experience between the 996 and 997 is very similar.

Drive both and let your heart tell you which one you should buy. Personally, I would buy a 996 turbo over an early 997 S.

 

I guess one other thing to keep in mind, how do you/or anyone define a "problem" with a car? 2% failure, 3% failure? Hard to say. Like Dennis said find some and drive them and let your hart tell you which is the one. I looked at and drove many and took a day and drove all over Florida looking but nothing grabbed me. Then, on the way home I got a call from my local dealer (as I had inquired about the C4S earlier but it was sold) and was informed the deal fell through, I cut 4 lanes over without signaling because I had to make it quick (legal here because of all the old people and tourists) and drove to see her. As soon as I laid eyes on her I knew this was the one and after the test drive I was convinced and the rest is history as she sits in my garage now, and gets out every weekend.
Like my friend said, the one for you will WOW you, and he was right as I looked at a bunch.

 

My only other question is if a high mileage 996 is better since it's been driven as it's meant to, meaning better reliability and less prone to being problematic... why isn't the prices I see on eBay US and eBay UK reflective of this?

It seems an early 00's model with low mileage can be sold for 40-60 grand, yet a high mileage one is half of this. Why?

 

In many ways a lower mileage car will always be closer to new (think dings, scratches, stone chips, seat wear, etc). That it's a machine that ought to be driven tends to get forgotten.