what's wrong w/96-99 911's?

[hrscrk]

Gents
i've been looking at 84-86 cabs for $18-20k

but find

96-99 911's for the same money

so my question is: what's wrong w/the newer cars (besides the fact that they don't look as cool as the old ones?)

tx

ed

[Tidybuoy]

The first water cooled engines are starting to have problems with the intermediate shaft bearing. Porsche changed the bearing type for the watercooled engines (a sealed type bearing) and it apparantly is failing after years of being soaked with oil.

My friend has a 2001 996 with 68k miles and his IMS bearing just failed and resulted in cracked heads. The car is at Jake Raby's for repair (complete rebuild) and some improvements and the cost is about $18k. Another buy in our local PCA had his intermediate shaft break after a bearing failure and his repair was $12k

I think that Porsche cured the problem with either the 997 or 997.2.

Vern

[Fixer]

Nothing wrong with them, so long as above info has been dealt with or resolved.
996s have a rawness compared to 997s which i like.
I think they are pretty too before the turbo light treatment in 03 or 04?
I don't care for the interior though, kind of crappy.
Buy an '05.

[McLovin]

They're ugly and they blows up.

[kwikt 911]

Originally Posted by mclovin

they're ugly and they blows up.

hahahahaha

[tazzieman]

Originally Posted by McLovin

They're ugly and they blows up.

unless turboladen...but you still have to learn to love those headlights!

[Tidybuoy]

Opps, I just noticed you question is for 96-99 cars - are you talking about 993's and 996's?

The 993's get a premium because they are the last generation of aircooled. Not only do they look good, but they have a fair amount of modern features and more power than the early cars.

[Nick Triesch]

I think you are confused. The 1993-1998 911 cars are the type 993 and they are the last of the air-cooled cars. Here in Southern Cal they command high prices of $30-40,000 . The 996 cars starting in 1999 had a non Porsche looking interior, really strange headlights and the first water cooled m96 motors with the IMS and rear main seal faliures. That is why at a sports car shop you will see a perfect example of a 99 911 for $20,000 and a perfect examp-le of a 95 911 for $40,000.

[trader220]

They made a huge number of 996's and they're really good sports car buys at these prices. The problem is they have no real audience right now. Look at the majority of people who populate these boards they're air cooled guys. You wont find a 996 board nearly as active. There is nothing special about the 996. Its an excellent car and a very good used sports car buy right now but they're soul-less mass produced cars when compared to an air cooled car.

Just my 2 cents

[Nick Triesch]

On the plus side the 996 cars have 100 more H.P. than the 3.2 cars with a slick 6 speed tranny. They are fast! They just do not have the look and the feel of the air cooled cars.

[RWebb]

too modern; too comfortable; too easy to drive

[tazzieman]

Originally Posted by RWebb

too modern; too comfortable; too easy to drive

i.e. boring. Like the accountants & bankers who bought them in the first place.

[Peter Zimmermann]

1995-1998 = 993. Great air-cooled cars. Premature valve guide failure possible, short-lived clutches, and '96-98s might have a "check engine" light turn on due to a secondary air injection issue. 1995 cars have OBD 1; '96> have OBD 2. Also, the engine wire harness can be a problem. Values of these cars are on the rise, with nice ones going for more than $30K.

'99 996s...not so much. IMS bearings, RMS leaks... Warranty engine replacements. Unless you know the car, the owner, have service records, and can get a PPI done by a 996 expert, well...

[Kidasters]

Yep - what Pete said.

A buddy of mine unloaded a 993 Targa - one owner - for $35 K (bought from the widow of the original owner for $20 K).

Early 996's are ugly. I don't think they changed the headlights from the boxter headlights until 2001-02. Really didn't start looking good again until the 997.

Of course - I love the earlier ones better too.

[aigel]

Nothing wrong with my 97.

I am sure you meant the 996.

I think the people above already summarized it very well. For me the worst is the looks. Boxster front - runny egg healamps - and slab sided body. The interiors look like they are out of a rental car.

Note that the Turbo and GT3 had the old case in the engines and don't blow the IMS / engines easily. But they still are not selling for the same money a 993 turbo woul (which indicates the looks are something others struggle with too).

G

[Ryan H]

Because fugly.

[ivangene]

motor issues = large repair bills on small % of cars causing panic

Porsche made more 99's than all prior years combined

fast, numb (by comparison)

fast

unless they are track prepped, GT3 wanna be or aero's they look like any other car on the highway - a tad boring - forgettable

[Nico911]

996 had some reliability issues and don't look very nice with these headlights, and the interior looks like a nice Kia...

... and, I drove one last November (a '99 cabrio) while searching for my 911 and it felt so boring, nothing to do with '65 to '97 models. It was like being in a Mercedes 190, with more power of course. I did not like it a bit, and went back to pre 964 models.

But they are the best bang for the buck ever in terms of performace, if the IMS issue has been fixed.


Nico

[Walt Fricke]

On top of all of the above for the 996, the cylinders can crack and have a big D shaped chunk break off. And the aftermarket has found other things which can cause problems which their products will fix come rebuild time. Lacking a true dry sump, they are not a good choice for track use. Porsche did not design them to take the G loads we subject cars to on race tracks. It seems Porsche didn't get past the teething issues of water cooled Boxer motors until the DFI 997s, and maybe even a year or so into those?

But many owners have had many trouble free and enjoyable miles on them.

Me, I had enough $ in the piggy bank to get an 07 Turbo last year. It has a proper engine case, and my friends with GT3s (which also have the right case) admitted that they were a bit noisy for long trips with a spouse though they loved them dearly (the car at least, that is), so that settled that. Though on the highway I am hardly ever into the boost. Must have driven 50 miles from where I bought it before I knew the gauge worked. Cruise control is your ticket avoidance friend. More power than anyone needs, but looks almost as mean as a 930.

[ivangene]

I agree Walt - the wide bodies are nearly as sexy as a real Porsche - esp from the back!!