2000 Carrera 4
 

I'm thinking about switching from my 2000 Boxster S to a 2000 Carrera 4. I am not thrilled about it being a 4. How reliable is that system? What else should I know? It has some silly wing in the back that has 2 horizontal pieces (the car has a body kit on it which this one looks pretty nice actually). Does the wing help with performance or is it just for looks. My description might not be that good.

I love my Boxster but the 2 seat thing is sort of a pain at times. I looked at a 2002 Cab recently but the suspension needed serious refreshing so I bailed. Don't want to go backwards on condition.

Thanks.

Hopefully Matt will chime in here on the 2000, but I think you're better off going with a 2001. 99 and 2000's had a 3.4L motor that had some issues. In 2001 they went to a 3.6L. I know the 3.6L cars had enough improvement in lap times that the POC separated their time trial classes.

I like 996's with body kits. The "slab-sides" are pretty boring without it. The wing, if properly design, will help with rear downforce at higher speeds. Unless you have some 90 mph corners near you, but probably won't notice it....but wings are cool IMHO.

Is this the wing???

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Thats it. I guess not silly if it works. That is the body package on it.

Thanks.

I think the upgrade to the 3.6 came in 2002. The reviews at the time said that the mid-model refresh really improved the car, and my understanding is that has held true over time.

I think you're right MRM, 2002. The price difference isn't that big between 2000 and 2002. Definitely would be worth the extra $$$ to get the 3.6 IMHO.

Its not that hard to remove the front drive, many people have done the C4 to C2 conversion. And can be changed back if you want later.

That factory Aerokit is highly desirable on the 996.1s. The full Aerokit was not offered on the 996.2, only the wide rockers and a different spoiler as individual options.

That spoiler is referred to as the "taco wing" and was part of the factory Aerokit.

The 3.6L engine started in 2002. While it has some minor improvements from the 3.4 there are many who prefer the 3.4L because it's more rev-happy and "zippy" feel with a flatter torque curve. Both cars have similar IMS issues regardless of single row, double row, etc. The 3.6 has a more simple timing chain setup, does not have plastic spark plug tubes, and some other minor changes that do improve durability but not really that much, not to mention more HP.

Thanks guys. I drove 3.6 and I honestly wasn't blown away by the performance over my boxster. The box has 54k versus the 3.6 had 100 k so maybe the difference. Honestly, I don't need a rocket ship since I won't be racing anyone. Just looking to know if reliable.

Also was wondering how reliable the 4 system is. I had heard expensive to fix.

Start with the basics: Rear main seal good and IMS been remediated?

So a few things:

As mentioned, the wing is the factory Aerokit part if it looks like that. Very desirable upgrade that really makes the 996 more distinctive. It should also have the more aggressive front bumper, side skirts, and maybe rear bumper mounted flares that were optional. It is the same styling as the 996.1 GT3 that we didn't get. You actually can get a full Aerokit on the 996.2 that is almost identical to a US market GT3, the side skirts are sharper looking and the wing is more of a single plane design.

The 996.1 was 1999-2001, 996.2 was 2002-2004. The biggest change was going 3.4L to 3.6L, the 3.6 is much more torquey but also doesn't like to rev as much. Personally I don't feel the extra 20 HP, but you can tell a big difference in low down torque. The 1999 was the only year with a dual row IMS and a cable throttle body, to me they are the most responsive 996 and are my favorite (I've had multiple of both). The dual row IMS has a much lower failure rate and were not included on the class action lawsuit because of it. Otherwise the 996.2 got a wider track, I think slightly bigger brakes, stiffer chassis, styling changes inside and out, etc. Personally the 1999 is my favorite, it's raw without being rough and a lot of fun. The 996.2 is another step in the GT car direction, it's faster and more capable than the 996.1 but also not as much fun.

I haven't ever had a C4, but also haven't read anything bad about the system. You can quickly pull the front halfshafts if you to disable the system. Some, particularly in the 996TT world, have removed the entire front differential and propshaft to drop weight and make it back into RWD. Supposedly not that hard to do.

Really these are pretty robust cars, both the .1 and .2. They wear well, don't have a lot of little annoying issues, and are easy to work on. IMS is the bad word, but also overhyped by the internet. Of the 5 996s and 3 986s that I've owned, only one had the IMS replaced and it was preventative. Not saying it doesn't happen, but it's not the ticking bomb that some like to represent it as.

Options also make a big difference in value, so pay attention to what it has. Check the sticker on the underside of the front trunk lid for the codes.

Thanks Matt. I'll go check it out based on your opinion. Sounds as though same durability as the Box.

Actually the car is a 99. My bad. I went off the search, not the ad.

Having spent many years repairing these cars (other people's cars) I would have to say the all wheel drive system in the C4 was very rarely a problem in my experience. Just my 2 cents.

3.4 dual row ims bearing. Good.

Definitely worth a look, and yes reliability will be very similar to your 986 because they share a LOT of parts.

3.4 engines have the dual row ims bearing. While they have failed they have a much lower rate of failure about 1 % . The 3.6 have a single row bearing and suffer failure at a higher rate about 8%.
The percent rates are approximate but should give you the general idea :)

Here is what I gathered. Canadian car that drove really nice for almost 80k. Sound was reAlly nice under throttle. When I first got in car, turn PASM off. Could not turn back on. Might be a trick I don't know. ABS light on. Said the car would be serviced at a shop I think I know.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1538070883.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1538070883.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1538070883.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1538070883.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1538070883.jpg

I hate the new upload feature.
Overall car was really nice, though if it was faster than my S, I did not feel it. Felt heavier. Shift was more Hondaish. Would work for my purposes.