I have been a 911 fan forever. It's the only car that I would drive any generation of it and feel good and love it. I first decided to purchase a 911SC mainly because I like aircooled cars more, especially that vintage look, and also because they are not too expensive yet. However, I changed my mind and decided to look at another inexpensive 911 which looks a little bit more modern and rides more comfortably. I am not looking at this as an investment, I just want to own a 911 once in my life but if the car appreciates then better, even slightly. I am not going to take the car to track. I just want to be able to daily the car or maybe drive it at least 3 days a week. If I daily it, it's gonna be 30 miles a day.
This is a list of things I would want to know and decide if the 996 is the right choice for me or I should forget about 996 and having a 911 at all.
-My budget is more around the non turbo 996, that way I won't spend a lot of money and feel guilty haha. But I have heard that Turbo doesn't have the IMS/RMS bearing issue and has more potential to appreciate in value. Do you even recoomend getting a regular 996?
-If I do PPI, will the inspector be able to tell if the IMS/RMS bearings have been changed to a ceramic one? What is the cost to take the car to a shop and have them change the bearings?
NOT unless he pulls the trans out it will cost ~$1800-$3000 depending on the area of the country you are in and the amount of "while you are in there" you decide to do.
-If the bearings are replaced, is the 996 considered a reliable 911? What major issues have you had with this car?
This car recently pulled 239 hp @ 7k rpm on a dyno
The 243,000 mile '99 just popped back up... - Rennlist Discussion Forums
-Would you recommend daily driving the 996? about 30 miles a day! Many owners do. There are quite a few 100k plus daily driven 996.
-What Annual cost in repair/maintenance does this car have? I won't Mod the car, so please dont include the mods you have done.
Folks will give you a wide range of costs. My 2003 cost me tires, oil, and gas over 7 years and ~32k miles.
-I am not rich at all but I believe I can afford a 996. I mean, the regular 996 is cheaper than a fully loaded nissan altima or similar but still I feel kind of guilty for thinking of buying and owning a 911. Sometimes I just tell myself I will just stay happy with diecast models but nahhh I gotta own one. How is the cost of ownership? Will this car make a hole in my pocket if I own it for 4-5 years?
-Is the 996 relatively cheaper to repair and maintain compared to other 911s?
Yes
-Is it easy to work on this car or everytime I gotta take it to a shop?
One of the easier 911s to work on. Parts are expensive if you don't shop around, and they will still cost more then domestic car parts
-If I end up buying one, What mileage should I look for and what year model should I look for to have the least amount of problems?
2005 - 2007 C2 or if you have the money 2009 and later.
Maintenance records are often more important then mileage. 1999 - 2001 3.4 ltr have more robust dual row IMS bearing but suffer cracked heads and d chunk cylinders more often. 2002 - 2004 have weaker single row IMS bearings, for which there are multiple fixes available, and a generally more robust engine.
I'd highly appreciate your input. I really want to know If I should own a 911 or not.
Thanks.