996 Cab Owners?

Anyone 'round these parts own or have owned a 996 cab? I've come to grips with my love for convertibles, even here in the rainy PNW. I know the 996 is a killer deal right now, but I don't see much about the cabs, other than they're heavier and you aren't actually into sports cars if you buy one. To which I say "Pish posh." 

How's the reliability of the tops? Are they leaky? Am I silly for wanting a convertible in a place that rain for almost half the year? What's the telltale for heated seats? What else do I need to know?

While I can't answer any of your questions on the car itself, although I too am interested in the answers, I certainly have an opinion on convertible climates.  Don't let one half of the year short change the other half.  I don't care if it's too cold and snowy half the year, too hot and humid half the year, or too overcast and rainy half the year...During the other half of the year, there is no type of car I'd rather be driving than a convertible. 

I'm generally not a fan of convertibles, but I rented a 991 Cab and it was glorious, even with the PDK. Any used car will have problems, but I would hazard a guess that the 996 Cab would be worth it.

Also, here's a cheap hardtop: https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/pts/d/porschehardtop/6543402282.html

"Someone" may even have had a long thread about owning a 996 cab: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/daily-driving-a-cheap-porsche-911-996-what-could-p/92344/page1/

No roof issues during the time of my ownership, and I never had issues with leaks either. I did put the hardtop on for winter, though. IIRC all of them came with a hardtop so I wouldn't buy one without one.

BoxheadCougarTim said:

"Someone" may even have had a long thread about owning a 996 cab: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/daily-driving-a-cheap-porsche-911-996-what-could-p/92344/page1/

No roof issues during the time of my ownership, and I never had issues with leaks either. I did put the hardtop on for winter, though. IIRC all of them came with a hardtop so I wouldn't buy one without one.

Oh that's funny. I totally forgot yours was a cabriolet!

All of the maintenance costs (and then some) of the Carrera, with lower resale value.  I'd look for one priced right with at least 80k miles and documented maintenance.  Budget for deferred maintenance and keep in mind what the market value is so that you don't end up upside down.

Low mileage 996s are problematic and lots of Cabs are lower mileage by nature.  

If you love convertibles and 911s, then Cabs are the only way to go.  

Two big problems i see when shopping for Cabriolets are 1. A higher proportion of them are automatics, and 2. The interiors seem to show a lot more wear/fading/hardening etc. That 2nd one probably won't be an issue in your part of the world. As far as i can see from Texas, interiors tend to hold up way better up north. 

In reply to Vigo :

I've noticed quite a few seemingly great deals only to see the dreaded automatic shifter in the photos. 

In reply to Tyler H :

I've been seeing a few in my theoretical price range ($13k-18k) with around 100k miles. You're saying that's probably my best bet, right?

My cousin bought one, manual trans, IMS bearing fixed, Seattle area, he is shall we say, enamored with it so far. Hasn't had it long enough to discuss reliability though.

13-18k gets you a BROAD selection of 996.1 Cabs.  Like, most of them in existence.

thatsnowinnebago said:

In reply to Tyler H :

I've been seeing a few in my theoretical price range ($13k-18k) with around 100k miles. You're saying that's probably my best bet, right?

Yes, and it's a helluva lot of car for that price. Get a Durametric report and look for range 2 ignitions (0,) camshaft deviation 1~5 degrees hot at 3000rpm, and drop the sump plate and look for chunks.  If it passes all that, all good!

In reply to Tyler H :

Sweet, thanks for the specifics!