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Early GT3
I think being a Metzger based engine it avoids many 996/997.1 maladies.
Try to "feel" the owner out, was the car a beat track rat? I'd rather have 30k careful street miles than 5k run the &%#!) out of it miles. Have a PPI and check for over rpm's since many of these are tracked and an improper shift could cause internal damage.
All of the normal stuff (leaks, coolant tank cracks, water pumps) for 996's, but no IMS or RMS problems. I have heard of RMS leaks on low mile cars, but nothing like the M96 engine.
One odd intermittent issue can be the seals on the coolant pipes can give way. They are hard to check, I'm not sure why the factory made them that way (ease of manufacture?). A fix has been to disassemble them (remove the seals) and just weld the connection.
The first generation GT3 has a fantastic chassis (some feel it's better than the 997.1), and if you like the looks, go for it. I'm sure prices will stabilize soon, and if the new 991 GT3 is an auto shifter only, I'd venture a bet that all old manual transmission GT3's will start to appreciate rather quickly.
I hope to retire in a "sweet spot" of depreciation and pick up a 997.2 GT3 at a decent price in a few years....
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