Should I buy a 996?

Soldato
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After toying with the idea of many cars, mainly S2000's and M3's i've noticed you can get a nice 996 with around 60k on the clock for £16k ish. Are there any glaringly obvious reasons why I shouldn't buy one? I've wanted a 911 for a long time, they still look nice, they can't depreciate much past £12k from what I can see and they tick most of my boxes. Anything I should be weary of?
 
How bad are the running costs? I don't do that many miles so petrol wouldn't be so bad, I assume servicing is around £500?
 
£60K car will typically have a £60K cars running costs, not those of a £15K car and for £15K its most likely to be a ropey 996.
 
I disagree with the ropey statement, there are many 2000 996's with FSH at Porsche or specialists for around 16/17k.
 
I disagree with the ropey statement, there are many 2000 996's with FSH at Porsche or specialists for around 16/17k.

Feel free to take the risk but I urge you to inspect those cars first before you make such a claim as the fact is most WILL be ropey. Simply having a solid service history though of value does not mean a quality car sits behind it and many of those cars may well have had a serious 'haircut' too on their mileage so that it fits nicely with the last 'quality' service history.

The interiors of the 996 were not that great so you will probably find lots of rattles and creaks which will be annoying. Gearbox's on those cars will most likely be up for work too if not already worked on as will engine seals and probably brakes, all of which are not cheap to recitify. If you have to have major engine work done on a 996 its likely to be £4K upwards and gearboxes will most likely be £2K up, even at an indi. The parts are expensive and though an indi might offer cheaper hour rates and reduced parts markups' they are still not priced like a Ford indi.

S2000 or M3 would be a much safer bet at that level though you might be lucky and find a minter 996, though the odds of that are small at that price level.
 
I don't doubt some will be tatty, of course they will. There are currently 28 996's for between 14k & 18k with less than 80k on the clock on autotrader, almost all with FSH (I couldn't be bothered to check them all), are you telling there will not be at least a couple of nice ones in that number?

Regardless, I wouldn't buy something 'ropey' so back on topic...
 
I don't doubt some will be tatty, of course they will. There are currently 28 996's for between 14k & 18k with less than 80k on the clock on autotrader, almost all with FSH (I couldn't be bothered to check them all), are you telling there will not be at least a couple of nice ones in that number?

Regardless, I wouldn't buy something 'ropey' so back on topic...

Well you asked for advice and as a former 996 owner I felt I might be able to add some personal experience........as you asked...
 
No, your detailed advice was appreciated, I am after the kind of things that are notoriously bad.
 
I have a burning hold in my heart because I can’t afford a 911 and my car budget is normally around 30k.

The running costs on a 16k 996 are going to be horrific, and personally I just feel that the front end of the 996 was just a mistake which porsche has corrected with the 997 by going back to the more classic styling of the 993.

I am not going to even try and waste my time with a shady 911 until I can afford to drop 45k on the car + 2k per year running costs (exc insurance)
 
After toying with the idea of many cars, mainly S2000's and M3's i've noticed you can get a nice 996 with around 60k on the clock for £16k ish. Are there any glaringly obvious reasons why I shouldn't buy one? I've wanted a 911 for a long time, they still look nice, they can't depreciate much past £12k from what I can see and they tick most of my boxes. Anything I should be weary of?

996?

i seen this and thought you meant this - http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-u...cleYearOfManufacture=2003&vehicleRegLetter=03

is it an actual porsche you mean or is it really the bike? :confused:
 
My company chairman has a 911. Just sprang thousands worth of work needed on him.

Lambda Sensor, Air Flow Meter and some manifold bolts making up £1k of that alone.
 
My company chairman has a 911. Just sprang thousands worth of work needed on him.

Lambda Sensor, Air Flow Meter and some manifold bolts making up £1k of that alone.

I do love how people think that just because a car falls into a purchase bracket they are 'affordable'.
 
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