[gsmiller]

I'm looking for some opinions on a 996 purchase decision I'm trying to make. I realize this is highly subjective, but general thoughts are appreciated.

I've owned a 2002 986 S for about five years now and am looking to get into a 996. I've had pretty much every minor to medium size 986 issue possible, so I'm pretty well versed in what goes wrong on these cars, which is pretty much the same on the 996 as I understand given all the part overlap.

I'm currently debating between a 2002 base model with ~56k miles and a 2004 C4S with ~95k miles. The base model has little service history that I'm aware of. It's not clear if it has the IMS retrofit, etc. The 2004 is fully loaded in terms of options and has been owned by an enthusiast for the past seven years. It has the IMS retrofit as well as lots of service history. The clutch was recently done with the IMS. Prices between the two are pretty much the same.

So my question is, would you folks opt for the lower milage example with less service history? Maybe spend the cash for the IMS retrofit if unsure, etc.? Or would you feel confident in the C4S? My 986 has ~110k miles on it at this point and I've gotten to the point where engine failure doesn't worry me on a regular basis. Maybe it should? Would 95k miles overly concern you guys?

Thanks for reading and any opinions you all have.