For the past two years, forum regular BoxheadTim has been chronicling his life with a Porsche 996. Has it been happiness and rainbows, or pain and suffering? Click here to follow his odyssey.
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I've put about 6k miles on my cheap 996 without spending any money so far (aside from a $90 oil change). Does it have issues i should spend money on? Sure. Am I planning to take it apart and spend money on it in the near future? Yes. But do i need to spend money on it? Is it stopping me from cruising a functional 300hp rear engine luxury sports machine around whenever i feel like it? Nope!
I've put 35000 km on my cheap 99 and other than oil changes and brake pads, the only thing I've had to replace was a plastic coolant hose connector for $12.
I did choose to upgrade the shocks and tires too.
I'm going to be 40 next year. My forehead is getting taller. Leon is getting larger. And you guys are not helping.
I've put 4 yards on my Hot Wheels Porsche 911 and nothing has blown up yet!
That is a really odd looking car with that hardtop on it. Guy across the street from me had an '03 convert, sans hardtop, and it looks much better and I'm not a convertible guy at all. The proportions of the car as pictured are just not very 911 like from the windshield back. Maybe it's the perspective of the photo, I dunno.
My neighbour just sold his for $28K Canadian (that's about 6 bucks US isn't it?) It was low mileage, about 40K Kms and had a complete rebuild of the engine about 15K Kms ago.
Some of it is the perspective and the fact that it's a not-so-great cellphone picture. Some of it is that it does look a little awkward with the hardtop on it. It definitely does look better with the hardtop off.
The photo David linked to reminded me that after the initial two photos I actually never put up any new and better photos. I should rectify that pretty soon.
Thanks for the shout out, David.
Happy to give the shoutout. Thanks for sharing the experience with the rest of the class.
HapDL wrote: That is a really odd looking car with that hardtop on it. Guy across the street from me had an '03 convert, sans hardtop, and it looks much better and I'm not a convertible guy at all. The proportions of the car as pictured are just not very 911 like from the windshield back. Maybe it's the perspective of the photo, I dunno. My neighbour just sold his for $28K Canadian (that's about 6 bucks US isn't it?) It was low mileage, about 40K Kms and had a complete rebuild of the engine about 15K Kms ago.
Low mileage and needing a rebuild seems about right. These need to be driven regularly and hard. Air cooled 911s can be DDs, my 76 was my DD for a few years, but the 996 is the first 911 that is a true DD.
I've had two 996s, a 986 and a 986S - all trouble free.
Wish I could say the same about my 944s.
This thread is not helping me to not own one of these.
My 996 experience has been a little different. Bought it last year knowing it needed a little love. Found out it needed a lot more love than I originally thought. It hasn't been started since Sept. Eventually someone will offer enough to payoff my loan and make it go away. Or I will find the time to fix things and actually get it on the road.
dean1484 wrote: This thread is not helping me to not own one of these.
You can find an automatic cab for $12,000 - do it.
In reply to Devilsolsi:
What does it need?
In reply to Ricky Spanish:
Yeah, a tired 1st gen.
I looked into these pretty thoroughly, including joining a well-known Porsche forum and spending some time on the 996 page. Some say a "tired first gen" is exactly what you want, if that means a '99 with 100k+ miles. They say that sitting is bad for the cars, and that the early dual-row IMSB is stronger and generally would have broken by 100k if it was gonna go.
In the end I was a little put off by both the cost of regular upkeep and the potential cost of total engine replacement/rebuild. I'd still like one some day, maybe a 2009+ once they depreciate a little (lot) more.
markwemple wrote: In reply to Devilsolsi: What does it need?
See here: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/open-classifieds/1999-porsche-911-c2-coupe-20k/121414/page1/
The big thing is a drivers side chain tensioner. Then a bunch of little things..
I read the first couple of pages of BoxHeadTim's experience and feel I can go a while without seriously considering a 996 again.
In reply to Harvey:
"It was low mileage, about 40K Kms and had a complete rebuild of the engine about 15K Kms ago."
An engine rebuild after only 25K kms?
Or you could be me, 116k, oil, filters, trans fluid, coolant, brakes, etc, you know maintenance parts. Only 2 real otherwise issues, a/c condensor(stone) and alternator. As reliable as any car I've owned.
To be fair, mine 'needs' front swaybar endlinks, a starter/alternator battery cable section, both front window regulators (still working but not properly), some kind of work on 2nd gear (mostly my fault, don't drive angry!), valve cover gaskets, a rear main seal..maybe some other stuff i don't remember. In other words, not much for a 1999. Pretty normal. And nothing that keeps me from starting it up or enjoying it or thinking of it as a 'nice' car. But, if I had to pay someone else to do all of it, it would cost me a small fortune. Just like any other car. There really isn't any car where paying $100+/hr labor on all the stuff that's broken after 18 years wouldn't be expensive.
I still think they're wonderful. And I can't understand all of the "fried egg" and "droopy" headlight hate. I think the 996 is one of the best-looking 911s. I have a 997, and I think the 996 is better looking.
Lugnut wrote: I have a 997, and I think the 996 is better looking.
You weird.
Personal taste. I like the exterior of the 997 better, but the interior of the 996 better.
It's a Porsche thing. If it was a Hyundai, everyone would be screaming about how crap that was. With a Porsche, you make excuses like: "yeah, that doesn't surprise me, they need to be driven hard."
CLEARLY, the owners fault, and not bad engineering.
TR8owner wrote: In reply to Harvey: "It was low mileage, about 40K Kms and had a complete rebuild of the engine about 15K Kms ago." An engine rebuild after only 25K kms?
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