Contemplating Purchase of an '04 Turbo Cab

[bar10dah]

There's a 2004 911 Turbo cab with 101,000 miles for sale near me (well, 3 hours from home). Asking price is $35K. I've been looking at getting a 2009-ish Boxster or 2006-ish 911 cab for around the same price. It would be nice to drive the turbo 911. But, with over 100K miles, what issues should I be concerned about?

I'm currently over 7,000 miles from home, so I'd be buying sight unseen. If I were home, I'd drive up the 3 hours and take it for a PPI. But I can't do that from here. It's at a BMW dealership that said they reduced the price greatly in hopes of selling it prior to sending it off to auction. Could just be a salesman tactic, but makes sense.

My last P-car was a '99 Boxster. I'm a fairly average DIY'er. I've tackled some tougher jobs with my Box, but only a hobbyist mechanic at best. Usual things, like changing out fluids/pads&rotors/AOS/etc are okay. But I couldn't pull the engine or transmission out. Well, I probably could, but would prefer to take it to a mechanic, as I'd be worried about not putting it all back in correctly. So, I think I'd be comfortable doing routine maintenance on this car, so upkeep cost should be minimal. Basically, the cost of buying the parts.

Are there major failure concerns to be aware of? Such as, the IMSB in my '99 Box's M96 engine? Any other pitfalls? Especially of a turbo with over 100K miles on it?

I admit, I haven't searched through the forum yet. At this time, I just don't have the time. But I will definitely sift through the threads later this week when I've got more time. In the mean time, any advice would be appreciated.

[KNS]

The 996 Turbos seem to be a bit more reliable than the non turbo models, or at least fewer problems have cropped up over the years. They will hold their value better as well. One issue is coolant pipes that crack open at the seam. This is a well known problem that can be found with a search over on Rennlist.

I would much rather have a 996TT over a Boxster or NA 996. It is new enough that I would be comfortable having a PPI done at a Porsche dealer (although I've personally seen them screw up a PPI and would never take an air cooled car to one for an inspection or service). An OBDII scan would reveal much of what you're looking for. You of course want to find out about any accident damage. Ask for the VIN so you can run a Carfax (although not always accurate).

[bar10dah]

It may not work out. Credit union said they won't finance anything older than 2006 and anything with over 99,999 miles. Damn...

[bar10dah]

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[bar10dah]

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