potential 996 owner needs help...

[yuruyedur]

Hi everyone,

I was going thru the forum for the last couple of days and have seen that there are a lot of useful info for a guy like me who is just in the verge of deciding to go for a 996 or not. I am an ex 1984 3.2 carrera owner and loved the car at that time... So now I want to go back to Porsche again...

I have a couple of questions and would appreciate your feedback.

1. Apparently everyone here is aware of the fact that 996s have a serious engine problem. Not necessarily all the cars of course, but proportionally a large number of 996s are coming with trouble. My budget is pretty limited so it is not enough for a later model but only a car manufactured between 1998-2001. Is there any difference at all between a 1999 and 2001?

2. Is it feasible to assume a car that has 120,000 kms on it, is a safer bet (at least thinking that it didn't have any problems till now and at least the only problems I would have might be standard 10 year old 120,000 kms car problems but not an engine, RMS, etc problems)?

3. I am not a mechanic at all. I have only an average knowledge on engine, etc. What would you recommend me to look for while checking the car itself? Also if I have a test drive, what should I be expecting (an/or not expecting)...

4. Except for above, what else would you recommend?

I really do appreciate all you feedbacks in advance.

Demir

[Luxter]

Welcome to the forum!
I can see that your post is quickly falling to the bottom.
First, I may not necessarily answer your questions, however if you can:

Check with local Porsche shops and ask your questions there. I am talking an independent good quality shop that you will be visiting once you buy your car. Remember, you are not a mechanic = you will need one, reputable and reliable, to do normal maintenance and repairs.

Get someone with Durametric software to check if engine was not over-revved, deviation on camshafts, etc. I am sure more knowledgeable folks would chime in on this subject.

Lastly if you see the previous owner’s eyes going glassy as you drive away, then you’ve got the right car.
Trust your instincts, I walked away from a number of transactions just cause the vibes weren’t right.

Make sure you have some funds set aside after you purchase your car. Trust me you will need it to fix everything that the previous owner neglected. Could it be a battery, tires, shocks, all filters, oil, brake fluid, I can go on and on….
Good luck and trust your own feelings.
Some links for your reading pleasure:

Engine failures:
http://www.total911.com/news/996-engine-failure-should-you-be-worried/

Mixed bag of opinions (as always on the net):
http://www.rennteam.com/forum/thread/295906/realiability_of_996/page1.html

Really decent article in PDF:
http://www.autofarm.co.uk/pdf/Total911_July06.pdf