higher mile 996 C4S possible purchase

[cockerpunk]

currently own a GTI and a 944 turbo, thinking of combining them into a C4S. i live in minneSONWta so i do have to deal with adverse, possibly very adverse weather from time to time. my currently solution is above - 2 different cars.

the notion is with the price on these 996s so low, to combine everything into 1 car. people are only looking for 25-30 grand on these cars!

so im looking at 60-100k mile 996s, particularly for 2002+ and C4s. if i got a C2, i'd have to get a winter set of tires no matter what, probably have to for the C4 too.

obviously good PPI, IMS etc etc .... but anything else to worry about on these cars? i have to admit i am somewhat worried about the one car deal, as currently if my porsche is not running, i can leave it sit while i work on it, or save up the money to fix it etc etc.

so whats it cost to run one of these, and what kind of stuff will it need in future? i am a fairly competent DIYer.

[911mnypt]

Try asking this question on Rennlist's forum site you will get a little more response.

I don't think there is any differences in the 4s than other 996's as for possible hazards. Water pumps, air oil separator, mass air flow sensor...I just had my cam sensor go out and it's a $122 part from PP.

The looks of the 4S IMO rocks!

[LanceGT4]

i bought my '99 C4 with 78K on it. $25K with Fabspeed mufflers, H&R springs, Evo intake and chip, 19" champion wheels with Proxes 1s.
so far I have $9500 into maintence and repairs including a transmission rebuild, clutch, pressure plate, and flywheel($5300+ my labor). that includes a set of Blizzaks and turbos from TireRack.
We don't have MN level winters but even lowered it's my daily driver here.

One gotcha, it does not like climbing the snow berms and ruts when changing lanes in the snow.
I put Bridgestone RE050A on the 19's, they seem to be summer only, Marginal in a very heavy rain. and above 40 degrees.

one of these days I may test drive a C2 to compare, but i like the way an AWD car seems to plant itself.
Good Luck

[nicec2s]

these are terrific cars. Living in northern nj, I had an 996 turbo daily driver. I did need snows in the winter, but never had any issues driving in bad (sometimes very bad) weather. I drove in and out of NYC daily.
couple of observations - ride height can be inconvenient in heavy snow....when driving in snow, if the plows haven't been out, my splitter was the plow! Also, during the winter I had to be mindful of the big ice chunks that frequently fall off cars/trucks, as I couldn't simply straddle them, like I would with a regular car.
Lastly, depending on your family situation, the small "back seat" and lack of storage can be an issue. I left home depot a few times with things sticking out of the sunroof.
Overall my experience was terrific and won't worry about these cars so long as they are maintained. I sold my daily driver with about 70k miles on the clock....just had to have a gt3. Good luck and enjoy....it made the commuting very fun for me.

[cockerpunk]

Originally Posted by nicec2s

these are terrific cars. Living in northern nj, I had an 996 turbo daily driver. I did need snows in the winter, but never had any issues driving in bad (sometimes very bad) weather. I drove in and out of NYC daily.
couple of observations - ride height can be inconvenient in heavy snow....when driving in snow, if the plows haven't been out, my splitter was the plow! Also, during the winter I had to be mindful of the big ice chunks that frequently fall off cars/trucks, as I couldn't simply straddle them, like I would with a regular car.
Lastly, depending on your family situation, the small "back seat" and lack of storage can be an issue. I left home depot a few times with things sticking out of the sunroof.
Overall my experience was terrific and won't worry about these cars so long as they are maintained. I sold my daily driver with about 70k miles on the clock....just had to have a gt3. Good luck and enjoy....it made the commuting very fun for me.

yeah i am a pretty experienced driver in the snow, even my GTI is a bit too low (stock ride height) for some of the snow we get around here. just have to be smart about it. i figured id get some kind of adjustable ride height suspension, or maybe two sets of springs, and winter tires. just convert the car in the spring and fall kind of thing.

no kids, no wife. no plans for either in the near future.

[cretinx]

You don't need 4wd for snow - I live in Rochester, NY and have driven RWD cars in the winter no problem.

You DO need a nice set of dedicated winter wheels and tires - taller and narrower than standard.