997 prices

[coldstart]

I realize that Pelican is mainly an air cooled focused web board but I value the opinions of its members. Plus I'm here often as I own an older 911 which is best car I have ever owned.

I am considering buying a 2006-2009 997 as a daily driver. This may or may not make a lot of sense given Toronto's cold and salt ridden roads. That said, the prices for used 911s are 20-40% higher here than in the United States based on asking prices. I likely am going to import one and need some help.

Questions:

What is the bottom selling price for a good condition 2006 C2 with 50k miles (minimal options)

What is the best state to buy a used car?

Should I be focused on creampuff cars with around 20K miles?

Do I still require a leak down test with my PPI for a 997?

Where are there non dealer cars advertised online that are not scams or EBay auctions?

Will the introduction of the 991, the rise of gas prices (we pay over $5 per gallon here) and the state of the economy push prices down and if so, when?

Any leads on sub $50K 997s?

Should I rule out 2005 cars given the IMS issues?

Thanks and look forward to this board's great advice.

[WPOZZZ]

I've been contemplating the same purchase. I use eBay to gauge what a car will/will not sell for. Lots of people say the best state to buy a car is from AZ because of the dry climate. i woudl still do a PPI on any car I buy, but I think the IMS/RMS issues were still present on some 2006 models as well. However, I'm not well versed in 997s. A place to look for cars for sale is the RL classifieds as there were some pretty good deals on 997s.

As for myself, I'd love to get a 997 C4 because I love that widebody!

[coldstart]

I also would like to get a C4 for the big rear end plus the extra winter traction! I figured that as I'm already at the top end of my budget, I would make due with a C2 and winter tires.

Any ideas as to the annual maintenance budget for a 5 year old 997?

[coldstart]

Oh, I was checking Rennlist daily but the ads were getting stale with guys either asking exorbitant prices or subpar cars. There was a Canadian 997 recently posted for $50K but I didn't get a response to my inquiry. Likely another scam.

[vracer]

Check the real cost of the IMS fix. It is supposed to be effective, and that plus the cost of a 2005 4 wheel drive might do the trick for you.

[MrTanner]

Coldstart,

I live in Rochester, MN, and drive a '06 C2S year-round. Snow tires from November until about late March. Unless the snow's really deep you'll do just fine. Its much better than having to look at the car sitting there in the garage for almost half the year! Two of my co-workers also drive their 911's year round ('06 C4 and a '07 turbo). We always park together if possible. Creates quite a sight in the parking structure among all the SUVs and pickups!

Having said that, I'm actually looking to get rid of my 997. Its a great car, but I really want to get back to an air-cooled 911 (won't drive that in the winter).

Jim A.

[Christien]

Hey Richard, if you're interested at looking at the auctions in the states, drop me an email and I'll send you some prices.

[Mehoff]

Relevant to my interests. I think there are 3 primary 911 owners that are disconnected from reality on values:

996
997.1
And the most ridiculous of all --> 996 GT3

My 991 arrives in a month and the decision will be made what to do with the current 997.1 (2005) that has CarFax issues (3 accidents, but NO body work). Don't think it will sell at my drop dead price, so most likely off to the race car fab or parts bin it goes.

Too bad.

[Christien]

3 accidents and no body work? Bottoming out? Wheels?

[Mehoff]

Originally Posted by Christien

3 accidents and no body work? Bottoming out? Wheels?

Nope, just front and rear bumper cover replacements. First and most severve hit (3 weeks after purchase!) was a Prius that went under the car and required the cats and headers to be replaced. Since it wasn't my fault I fought for a replacement engine, but the chicks insurance company opted to drop the engine, disassemble a portion of it and have Porsche Beverly Hills verify it was good as new; the final pricing wasn't that far off from a new engine!

[carjmark]

Suggest you review the IMS situation through a search on the forum as the Intermediate shaft bearing problem is still an issue in M97 cars. Although Porsche redesigned the bearing and seal for the M97 motors, there are still reports in the threads of bearing failures (what the actual # are only Porsche knows).

Whereas the bearing could be changed on the M96 (without even removing the transmission on manual cars), the M97 bearing is flared inside the cases. This means that if a bearing starts to fail the engine has to be torn down and cases split to replace the bearing.

How big a problem this will be is unknown. My preference is actually the earlier 2005 M96 cars as the intermediate bearing and RMS can be replaced as a maintenance item if necessary (like w/a clutch). An alternative is also an earlier GT3 for $50K or 996T for $40 - $50K for for those of us who worry too much about this stuff.

Oh, and look on cars.com and autotrader.com and there are quite a few cars that seem to meet your parameters. Good luck w/your search.