Noob question *thinking about picking up a 2000 911
 

Hey guys and/or gals ;) .... I am completely new to the Porsche world and isn't that great another noob! :p

Anyway, I am looking at picking up a possible year 2000 911 which you can check out here:

www.parkplaceltd.com (direct link didn't work :( so if you want just select "general inventory" then "porsche" and then it is on page 3 and is a silver 2000 911 with the whale tail)



I am curious if anyone has any info on what I should be looking for and/or is there any issues specific to this model or year of the 911. I am very much hoping that this car would be a reliable vehicle and that will be one of my biggest concerns so barring the obvious, that I need to drive it and check it out and maybe have it looked at, is there any considerations I need to think about for mantainence?

Thanks in advance for any info and appreciate any responses

Welcome to the forum.

The same concerns that the 1999 - 2000 models had - Check the rear main seal area for evidence of leaks.

That is the only real "issue" with the car. Everything else is just normal wear and tear.

The cars are fairly easy to maintain, but can be a bit expensive to fix.

AFJ

A thorough PPI can help keep it an affordable car. If not well investigated, it can become one of the more expensive cars you'll ever own.

Don

These cars now weigh over 3,000 pounds...

All 996's from 99' to 01' come with the 3.4 motor that have notoriously bad sleeve's. It's very possible for an excellent condition 2000 with 40000 miles to have a complete engine failure resulting in huge overhaul costs. And worst of all, there is no way to check with preventative mantainence because when the sleave starts to crack, it's to late.

A company in the U.K. is taking the early (and late 3.6's) and resleaving the block resulting in anywhere from a destroked 3.0 ltr to a monster 4.0 ltr. And since the sleaves they are using are ductile iron similar to what nascar, F1, top fuel, and funny car, it's common to see 20+ lbs of boost on one of these resleaved engines.

Best bet, if its your first 911, stick with a 2002 and later model with a 3.6 (325 hp for the 3.6 vs. 300 hp for the early 3.4's) if you are stuck on a water cooler.

Best of luck to you. Respect the car and you'll get bit by the german bug...there's no cure :)

These are great cars, particularly as daily drivers due to the water cooling. They are very reliable. The prices are way high. These prices on these cars are dropping faster than a Jamaican bobsled team. Look around. There are fabulous cars out there for $35K and less. Take your time and don't get suckered by the first pretty face you see. And remember PPI,PPI,PPI!!

Glenn hit the nail on the head... due to production numbers and popularity, 996es in decent shape are pretty easy to find. Get a PPI, ask for service records, and don't fall in love! :-)

In addition, as you may suspect, aftermarket mods don't really hold much value when selling a car... high dollar stereos, aero kits, etc. shouldn't raise the price considerably... unless you're talking rare conversions like a Ruf or something.

Look around, though - plenty to choose from.