Hi and a request for advice

[Paul James]

Welcome Tester! I'm reckoning the black one is your best bet, that way you have £4,500 to spare alongside not having to purchase a must have sports exhaust. The exhaust on that car is PSE (being switchable), which is worth £1,500. It's just had a major service which is good news, but remember - whichever car you do decide to go for it's best to check the car over thoroughly. Check for blueing of the brakes - this is a sign of lots of track racing. After purchase, if you have any doubts about the cars handling, take it up to Center Gravity to get a geo check done. Good luck!

 

[Tester]

Hi everyone, just found the forum here and I've been reading some of the 996 threads (very helpful) to learn what I can as I prepare to start looking for a C2 or C4 (likely to be 1998 - 2000).

I popped into Hartech last week (the closest specialists to me) and found out a little more about their maintenance plans and got some general buying advice. They suggested setting aside a few grand for unexpected bills, so with a £20k total budget, I've been looking at cars up to £17k.

I was just wondering if anyone had any thought on these cars:

Black C4

The one above has had the clutch/rms done and has PSE but has had a GT3 rear bumper fitted. The owner told me he fitted this after installing the PSE. He sent me some close ups and the paintwork around the exhaust cutouts doesn't look brilliant. The exhaust tips themselves also look to have a fair amount of surface corrosion. I think it has had 5 owners - would this put you off?

Blue C2

The blue one is a little more expensive but has significantly fewer miles. Not at all sure about those rear parking sensors though!

Silver C4

The one above seems OK, although I'm not wild about silver. The servicing is apparently all OPC apart from the last which the vendors carried out.

Another silver C4

This one seems OK too but there's not really a lot of info to go on!

I'd appreciate any thoughts on my basic plan or on these specific examples!

Thanks for your time,

Martin

 

[Richard_Hamilton]

I think you have a sound plan, and Hartech have an excellent reputation - you are lucky that they are nearby. Personally, I don't like the wheels on the black one, or the first silver one. The blue one ilooks nice, and the mileage is attractive, and the second silver one looks very nice. Those would be the ones I would investigate first if it was me. Give them a call and see if you can glean some more information. Unless you are an experienced Porsche buyer, an independent inspection is absolutely essential. Most sellers have come to expect this, so don't be afraid to ask, and if they refuse, walk away.