Well, we're about to find out.
I have been looking for a budget, ok, cheap 996 for a little while as I missed having a 911 and the aircooled one has migrated outside my budget shortly after I sold my last one. Originally the idea was to get one as an Auto-X/track car but the idea morphed into using one as a daily driver after a particularly painful episode of Evo driving. I had to pick up my wife from the San Francisco airport and ended up having to take pretty strong prescription pain meds for several days afterwards because the trip had messed up my knees so bad.
On said trip home from the airport we had to make a slight detour to look at yet another 996. This one was perfectly daily driver spec (enthusiast spec, not so much) and as a tiptronic car, my wife would also be able to drive it. Carrera 4 Cabriolet Tiptronic, to be precise. I loves me some convertible out here, so that was a bit of a bonus. Looked pretty good, drove OK and it was pretty cheap, so I bought it. The difference between book value and buy-in is big enough to allow for some repairs and if I remember anything from the last 911, it is that no matter how carefully inspect it before you buy one, you'll spend a few grand shortly after buying one.
Of course, I also did the PPI myself rather than paying someone. Do as I say, folks, don't do as I do.
Picked the car up last weekend and got to race a snowstorm back home. I came in a distant second and got to drive through a couple of miles worth of slush on well enjoyed Pirelli P Zeros. Made it without ending up in the ditch, so that's good.
A couple of snaps from the trip back. Sorry, bad cellphone pics:
Currently, the car is residing at the local Porsche specialist for a Post Purchase Inspection, aka the wrong type of inspection. I should get the proper verdict today but from a chat with them last night it sounds like I may not have bought a dog, but whatever it turns out to be, it still occasionally howls at the moon.
So far, it needs a new water pump - the one on there is weeping - some catching up on delayed maintenance (fuel filter, various air filters etc and other minor stuff). Oh, and there is also the minor detail of the front diff that needs looking at. That one felt OK until I drove on the slippery stuff, at that point it became noticeable that all was not well when the front drive train was engaging.
The plan going forward is to fix the big issues, then keep driving it, work out the smaller kinks and give it a couple of months to see if it makes a decent replacement for the Evo.
TL;DR - BoxheadTim throws caution into the wind and buys a cheap 996 without professional help. It needs professional help.
[/URL]
.
