early 996's

[sawood12]

OK, i'm missing the delights of Porsche ownership and am starting to ponder throwing my hat back into the ring. Given my circumstances (young kids) and budget (all girls) limitations I don't want to go down the route of classic Porsches so am considering something from the newer end of the stable (though early models from this newer end are starting to get a bit long in the tooth now). With prices of early 996's now making them look like the bargain of the century, they are looking very tempting and mean I can probably climb into one earlier that i'd originally planned.

Now i've been a big advocate of the 996/Boxster series of late primarily because I know about 15 people who have or have had Boxsters and 996's and not one of them has had any problems whatsoever - no intermediate shaft failures, no RMS issues, nothing. They are all non-Porsche enthusiasts and drive them every day, in all weathers, wash them in car washes, have them serviced at the local garage/Kwik Fit and basically use and abuse them as if they were Ford Focuses. All this has given me a confidence about the cars that goes against some of the horror stories you read on forums such as this, which I think massively screws reality because the voice of the many happy owners out there are rarely heard above the minority who experience real issues.

However I met a new ex-996 owner today at work who moved from a 993 into a 996 cab and he seems to have been slightly unluckier than the other overwhelmingly happy owners I know. Though he's not had the RMS or intermediate shaft failures, he's suffered a multitude of minor things - multiple radiator replacements, door handle issues, electronics issues. All have been covered under an AA warranty he had on the car.

So I was just wanting to canvass the opinion of early 996 owners on here. Are the horror stories out there commonplace or are these essentially reliable cars? At the end of the day I know of plenty of VW/Audi/BMW/Ford/Vauxhaul/Citroen/Puegeot owners who have some horror stories to tell, but then again I know of plenty who don't have problems. Are Porsches now just as reliable AND unreliable as all other cars out there??

I'm probably thinking about going for a high mileage car at the cheaper end of the market so I can fund getting the Hartech intermediate shaft and cylinder liner rebuild just to take the risk out of those particular issues and freshen up the engine. I'd also look to installing KW suspension and just enjoying the car as a daily all-year-round daily driver, covering about 6k miles a year with maybe the odd trackday. Am I looking at a huge headache with this strategy? I not looking for Porsche ownership on the cheap I hasten to add. I know that there is no such thing as a cheap Porsche.

Cheers.

 

[philippe]

Hello Scott I also have known a couple of 996 owners and a boxster or 2 owners and none of these guys, had any problem with RMS engine failure etc, in fact none of them new about RMS, however it happens, i have a 996 MY99 C4 i have owened it for 5 + years now and was hoping to change it for a 997 but got married, bought a house had a daughter since owning my 996 and managed to hold on to it. Its a good fun car that you can drive all day long, rain or smow. Get a good back road and it puts a smile on my face. I have had my fair share of bits needing replacment, but all wear and tear items. The most expensive to date being the exhaust but after doing a deal on the PSE what a diffrence this has made, it sounds great. I would recomend a good 996 you sound like the type who will put the effort in to find a good one. Not sure why you would have work done on the engine until you need too, I would think it would be better to run it enjoy it and ok put some money behind you in case you have a major problem, but why fix somthing before its gone wrong? Enjoy looking for your next Porsche. Phil

 

[minny]

My mate had a 3.4 996 Tip and had very little go wrong with the car. Apart from age related problems like rear wheel bearings at 70k miles, there was little else. He owned the car for about 4 years. He then sold it with 90k miles and replaced it with a 3.6 996 Cab. That now has 90k miles and needs new lambda sensors and door microswitches. I bought my '99 996 Tip from a private dealer with 60k miles. I had it inspected by carinspections.co.uk and it was the usual leaky cam covers and damp RMS but nothing else major. Since then I've had the car for 2 and a half years and it has been running like a dream. I've done some work prophylactically - refurbish starter motor, alternator, replace coolant tank, replace front lower wishbones and forked control arms, replace rear anti roll bar bushes, replace lambda sensors and the left radiator as I wasn't sure if it was leaking. The jobs that needed done was the rear wheel bearings, replace the front anti roll bar bushes to sort a clonky front and replace the left radiator resistor. Apart from the rear wheel bearings and refurb of the starter motor and alternator, most of the other work I carried out myself and didn't really take too much effort. I've been lucky that I haven't had any electrical problems. The RMS remains slightly damp with no big drips and the same applies with the cam covers. The indy I use in Belfast is very good and he said not to bother to take things apart to fix them unless they are causing actual problems. He said they can go on like that for ages. Thing is fixing them does not guarantee a permanant fix. Good luck with the find. I do not regret one minute my purchase and would do it again - even with 2 children under 4.

 

[Peter_Bull]

Go for it ! You will not be disappointed. I have had mine for 7 years now and love it as much as they day I bought it. Sure things go wrong - but that’s car ownership and sometimes pot luck. Ok I had my RMS in December (see my running reports) and when you put it all in perspective its not that expensive, especially as you can get the clutch done at the same time for the cost of the parts. There are many previous models of 911 that have had far more serious and expensive issues associated with them before the 996 came along. It's only the advent of forums that have promulgated issues on the water cooled engines. Just imagine the furore that there would have been about the 964 oil leaks and dual mass fly wheel problems had we had the forums in the late 80's and early 90's!!! Buy now while the prices are low and get the best you can afford. Personally I would go for a low mileage and definitely a cab! I leant mine to my wife today and as I saw her blast off in front of me down the M55 I was quite envious – and proud!

 

[Don Henshall]

Yes, definitely go for it. I owned a 996 C2 MY 2000 for 9 happy years until I sold her last week. Never really put a foot wrong. A great car and far better than the 993 in so many respects IMO. Lots out there so take your time. I sold mine as a result of a Thread on this Forum asking for a mint 996 with Aero Kit. It might be worth starting a similar Thread stating what you're looking for and budget. You may feel more 'comfortable' buying from a PCGB Member who's car can be vouched for than a complete unknown?

 

[sawood12]

Cheers guys. Sounds like my view that these things are no more or less reliable than any other car and if you have any major failure then you are simply unlucky - though I have all the sympathy in the world to the people it has happened to. In response to the question about why fix something if it isn't broke. Well I do like to tinker a bit with my cars so my line of thinking is that if I buy a higher mileage car (in good nick of course) then I will have money in my budget left over for a few nice bits. The KW suspension is a must for me - it was awesome on the 944 and I know from various reports it works well on GT3's so that is one thing i'd like. The 'logic' behind the Hartec thing is that if the mileage is high i.e. over 100k miles, then the Hartec rebuild will effectively freshen up the engine as if new and at the same time de-risk the Intermediate shaft failure issue. I guess there would be no rush in getting it done if I buy a high mileage car with all the right stamps in the log book from a careful owner.

 

[craig johnson]

Go for it! Nothing wrong with mine for 4 months. My friends are so impressed with it that 2 are now actively searching similar cars to what you mentioned (3.4 not tip, with less than 100k miles) Craig

 

[penfold944]

Just my 2p worth... I have a 99 Carrera 4 that I bought 2.5 year ago with 37k on the clock... There is 63k on it now - or 10k if you take it from the time the new engine went in.... My car was a city car for almost all its life and the low mileage was appealing, but I think the old adage of if the 3.4 doesnt implode within 10 years of 50k miles you are ok Mine let go at 9.5 years of age and 53k miles. Probably IMS failure - but what I saw was a valve buried sideways in to the head and chunks taken out of 3 cylinders. Getting a rebuild at Hartech was as much as a new engine nearly (once I shipped the car and engine from Ireland). I've also had to do the following in the last 2 years: Clutch, RMS, Expansion Tank, 2 x Door locks Water Pump, Water Cooling Radiator 2 x Air Radiators. Front Wishbone Split and refurb Sports Design wheels Oh... and a new Engine.... In saying that I love the car and wouldnt change it (well maybe for a 996TT). I had a Boxster S before that never gave an ounce of trouble - but now my 996 and 2 Boxsters have had RMS.. and even the new engine has RMS !

 

[blease]

I have had a 98 C2 Cab for 6 years. Usual list of niggles with radiators and suspension bits...it eats ARB bushes and drop links! But it is just a great car. You can boulevard, top down, on a hot day, GT tour across Europe or hoon around on a track day....it seems happy in any environment. 76K miles and 12 years have taken some toll but the car rewards careing ownership. They are now as cheap as a 3.2 Carrera so just go for it. Getting Dansk stainless sports silencers fitted as I type.

 

[COF139]

Only had my 99 C2 Manual for 6 months. It drives really well, and certainly feels more modern than I was expecting. I use it every day, and will cover 12,000 miles per year. Car has covered 70,000 miles, with 6,000 under my ownership. Just one issue to date which was a cracked coolant tank, which is not uncommon.

 

[blease]

The Dansk SS silencers are fab! Lovely mellow bellow but not too intrusive. Fitted by my local independents who also found some excellent low mileage cats to replace my corroded pair. One thing to budget for on the early 996's is a lot of underbody corrosion. I've spent quite a lot sorting out corroded suspension, brakes, brake lines and radiators. A simple MOT failure for handbrakes eventually cost over £1500 to sort out...by a local mechanic. I dread to think what an OPC would have cost. So, a key to enjoyment of these cars is access to a trustworthy local mechanic or independent who do not charge atmospheric labour rates... my local indy (discount9) charges £35 per hour.