Hello,

After 9 years and 200K miles, I just sold my NSX last weekend. It was phenomenal car, extremely reliable and a blast to drive. After much debate I decided it was time to sell and move onto something else. Only thing that comes close and is within my budget is the Porsche.

I'm actively looking, my budget is $40-45K and I plan on dropping another 10K on kit (Techart style or GT-2 Style) and wheels.

I know nothing about Porsches, except my mechanic told me to stay away from 05s because they use a lot of the old 996 parts. Ideally I would like an 06-07 997S with under 50K miles for about 40K or a 997 4S for 45K. I've also seen some clean 997 S with Aero Kits go for about 45K.

What are the "must have" options? I will take the car in for a PPI, but are there any common issues I should watch out for? Any years to stay away from? Should I save a couple bucks and go with high mileage (70K+)? Automatic or Manual? For my NSX, some major maintenance items were Timing Belt and Clutch (2,500 each), any high ticket maintenance that sould have been done? This car would be a daily driver, how much life can expect to get from the engine and tranny? I plan on racking 15K+ miles a year.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Israel

 

45K will probably get you an 06' with high mileage and no CPO. Avoid 05's and early 06's due to IMS (search if you don't know) issues. 06 and 07 are not immune to IMS/RMS issues, 09 doesn't have them but is out of your budget.

10K isn't a lot of money for modding. A full techart, vorsteiner, oem kit will cost more than $20K with paint and installation. I guess you can try replicas or search the sale section of this forum and other Porsche forums for great deals. With 10K, I would stick with used parts from the classifieds, including wheels.

Overall, 997.1 (05' to 08') are great cars, IMS/RMS issues are rare but still a potential problem. Replacement engines can start from $15K on up. If I were you, I would save the 10K in mods and get a newer CPO 911 with mods already installed from the previous owner.

 

IMHO IMS concerns are fueled by paranoia. I'd venture to guess that the chance of failure is very small compared to the hype surrounding it. I certainly don't know the numbers (I suspect Porsche doesn't as well) but I bet it would be a small number compared to the overall population. Of course the few that have shared their IMS story is concerning and expensive. Remember few owners report daily that their 997.1 (2005,2006 & 2007) are fault free compared to the occasional IMS failure that gets heaps of attention and speculation.

I have a very early build (#337) 2005 997S Launch car that has just gone over the 27K mile point w/ no catastrophic issues. If you maintain your car religiously and perform the specified maintenance (ie. oil, filter, plugs, etc) changes/checks your 997 should perform fault free. Sure there are always the oil separator, water pump, idler pulley bearing, etc. failure that might happen. Those are just typical random failures of any device that rotates.

Good luck in your search. Look for well maintained and taken care of 997s. Pay attention to the service history whether dealer, Indy or owner). Most folks on these type boards are great sources of information because of their passion of the marque and the love of their respective Porsche.

ps. I live in the So Bay of LA and if you find a Porsche that needs a 2nd opinion or eye ***** I'd certainly help out if can.

 

Welcome to the board. I had an '01 NSX red/tan 6 speed that I sold a few years ago and am a NSXPrime member still. I just bought my wife a '10 997 C4S 6 speed and she loves it. I still miss my NSX but replaced that with an original '71 914-6 (Porsche) for my toy.

I agree with AP 997S re the over-hyped concern re the IMS issues. I think that the 997's are very reliable cars and for me I would buy the newest example you can find with full documentation of maintenance. Regular maintenance records are the best hedge re an abused car. Good luck with your search.

 

Unless you get an '09 or '10 with PDK I would avoid the automatic, Tiptronic, tranny.

 

Cheap recommendation. Join PCA. It'll introduce you to some great folks who own and know the cars, know where there are good examples for sale, and know the best places to get work done right when needed.

Another recommendation. Don't hold back on considering putting the money you budgeted for tricking out your new ride toward getting a solid example of the basic, unmolested car you want, even if it means living with "just another Porsche" for awhile. This will also give you time to select just the right mods you want - and there are plenty.

Question: Have you considered a Boxster S or a Cayman S instead of a 911 as your first Porsche? Pound for pound and dollar for dollar, GREAT cars.

Good luck with your search.

 

I appreciate all of your insight! Thank you. NSXPRIME was a great source and saved me thousands, hopefully I saved other people a couple bucks along the way as well. I found the following car, already spoke with the manager of the dealership and have financing squared away:

http://www.stasales.com/vehicle-deta...nvertible.html

What are your thoughts? I plan on getting a PPI prior to purchase. Not crazy about the interior, but it has all the options and is priced right (at least I think). Anything I should be looking for? What is the life of the clutch? Major services? A mechanic told me to stay away from the 05, is that the case? Also, I plan on getting an extending warranty, any recommendations with legit companies that actually honor them?

As soon as the car is bought, going straight to the body shop I plan on doing a knock-off kit, Wicked and Precision Porsche come to mind in So Cali, any others recommended?

Israel

 

How would I go about to find out if the engine would accept the IMS retrofit? It is my understanding, it varies between the 05 models. Also, is there a site I can input the VIN and get more details from the car?

VIN: WP0CB29935S765235

Thanks,

Israel

 

Hi Israel:
I would suggest that once you buy a car, be it this one or another, before you send it right out for a body kit, that you drive it for a while and really get to know it and spend time on this board and others reading about the 997 and what people do to them so you know what works and what may not work as well. I would address mechanicals, major service, etc. before anything cosmetic. Additionally, depending upon what your long-term goal is, keep it 2-3 years and sell it or keep it long-term, you should consider if the mods you suggest will add value to the car and make it more desirable in the market or hurt the value and narrow the pool of potential buyers.

Speaking just from my perspective, I was looking for a completely stock '10 997.2 4S and that was what had added value for me. My brother, after seeing our new car, has decided to sell his '10 MBZ E550 Coupe and look for a 997.2 4S Coupe with a PDK in the same color as our car (our is a 6 speed). He too is not interested in one with any significant mods. A lot of times people associate modded cars with cars that have been "driven" - now that is what the car is made to do, but you know what I mean. Good luck with the hunt and purchase.

 

Ims = phobia!