Reflections on 996's Past and Present
Discussion
This week I bought a 2000 vintage 996 Carrera 4 from a friend who'd owned it since it was a few months old. Having 3 cars already, us both commuting to work by train, and the house currently being upside down with building work, my wife took more than a little convincing of the need to purchase this particular toy. But with only 55k on the clock, an inch of service receipts from AFN Guildford, and a "mates rates" 4 figure price tag, it was impossible to say no. Actually I'm lying, it was the factory fit GT3 aero kit which swung it.
The car's not in concourse condition by any means. There's a tiny ding in the passenger door and all four of the 18" GT3 style split rims are quite badly corroded around their edges. I'm talking to a local firm to get them sorted, unfortunately refurbishing split rims seems to be more complicated, so they'll need the car for a week. Dam! It's also due a service, so is booked into Jaz at St Albans for some TLC. I'm hoping the 4 week lead time on a service slot there is a good sign.
Buying something like this is always a risk of course. I've owned a 996 before, a 2003 C2 which I had from new and drove for a couple of years before family additions necessitated an Ingolstadt Uber-Wagon, so I'm familiar with all of the potential problems with these cars: IMS, RMS, bore-ovalling, cracking and scoring. But at the end of the day if the worst were to happen engine-wise and I had to scrap the car, the downside is pretty limited given the purchase price. What does a 996 break for nowadays?
I've only done a hundred or so miles since buying it, but I have to say I'm absolutely loving it. There's something about the feel and weight of the major controls which only Porsche do. This car's hundreds of kilos lighter than my other cars, and over a decade older, yet feels solid and direct in a way they simply don't. Performance-wise it's no rocket-ship. Brisk, yes, however, on a straight road at least I don't think it would fare well against my 335d. But talk of BMW diesels sullies this particular sub-forum, and anyway it's missing the point.
The most interesting thing is how this car drives and feels compared to my earlier 996 3.6. Or maybe it's more accurate to say compared to the memory of my earlier 996, as times change and perceptions move on. It was re-assuring to find the factory build sticker still there under the bonnet, and it seems my car's got the optional M030 sports suspension. Leafing through the history, the exhaust was replaced a couple of years ago due to corrosion problems and the replacement sounds simply awesome. But neither of those things can explain the chasm of difference between how this 15 year old car drives now, compared to the 12 year old memories of my previous 996.
I can only really put it down to the much talked about gradual dulling of the senses over time, with successive cars becoming heavier and more refined. Suddenly going back in time 15 years is a sensory smack in the face. But maybe there's more than that and there really is some "911 magic", as a Boxster S and some Munich V10 in the interim, although great at the time, didn't feel this good. Twelve years ago, my 996 felt refined, dare I say it slightly boring compared to 911's of previous vintage. Compared to the electric throttle, steering, drive-by-wire everything on current cars, the 996 on my driveway is archaic, but oh so alive. The best analogy I can make is what it felt like when I first drove an 80's carrera back in about 1995.
To many I know the 996 is the unloved child in the family. The happy upside is, in a world of increasingly inflated looking prices for this marque, it makes absolute bargains like this possible. Porsche 911 ownership. It's good to be back
Gary.
The car's not in concourse condition by any means. There's a tiny ding in the passenger door and all four of the 18" GT3 style split rims are quite badly corroded around their edges. I'm talking to a local firm to get them sorted, unfortunately refurbishing split rims seems to be more complicated, so they'll need the car for a week. Dam! It's also due a service, so is booked into Jaz at St Albans for some TLC. I'm hoping the 4 week lead time on a service slot there is a good sign.
Buying something like this is always a risk of course. I've owned a 996 before, a 2003 C2 which I had from new and drove for a couple of years before family additions necessitated an Ingolstadt Uber-Wagon, so I'm familiar with all of the potential problems with these cars: IMS, RMS, bore-ovalling, cracking and scoring. But at the end of the day if the worst were to happen engine-wise and I had to scrap the car, the downside is pretty limited given the purchase price. What does a 996 break for nowadays?
I've only done a hundred or so miles since buying it, but I have to say I'm absolutely loving it. There's something about the feel and weight of the major controls which only Porsche do. This car's hundreds of kilos lighter than my other cars, and over a decade older, yet feels solid and direct in a way they simply don't. Performance-wise it's no rocket-ship. Brisk, yes, however, on a straight road at least I don't think it would fare well against my 335d. But talk of BMW diesels sullies this particular sub-forum, and anyway it's missing the point.
The most interesting thing is how this car drives and feels compared to my earlier 996 3.6. Or maybe it's more accurate to say compared to the memory of my earlier 996, as times change and perceptions move on. It was re-assuring to find the factory build sticker still there under the bonnet, and it seems my car's got the optional M030 sports suspension. Leafing through the history, the exhaust was replaced a couple of years ago due to corrosion problems and the replacement sounds simply awesome. But neither of those things can explain the chasm of difference between how this 15 year old car drives now, compared to the 12 year old memories of my previous 996.
I can only really put it down to the much talked about gradual dulling of the senses over time, with successive cars becoming heavier and more refined. Suddenly going back in time 15 years is a sensory smack in the face. But maybe there's more than that and there really is some "911 magic", as a Boxster S and some Munich V10 in the interim, although great at the time, didn't feel this good. Twelve years ago, my 996 felt refined, dare I say it slightly boring compared to 911's of previous vintage. Compared to the electric throttle, steering, drive-by-wire everything on current cars, the 996 on my driveway is archaic, but oh so alive. The best analogy I can make is what it felt like when I first drove an 80's carrera back in about 1995.
To many I know the 996 is the unloved child in the family. The happy upside is, in a world of increasingly inflated looking prices for this marque, it makes absolute bargains like this possible. Porsche 911 ownership. It's good to be back
Gary.
Edited by Hedgeman on Saturday 13th June 13:56
chriscoates81 said:
There's a company called excel wheels, I've not used them before but people who have rate them highly and they give you a set of wheels while yours are being refurbed.
I have used Exel Wheels for years and Chris is a top bloke. Fair prices, loan of wheels while yours get refurbed. Also does a proper job. Never had any problems with the work quality. 07885 259571I think that 996 above looks fantastic. Congratulations!
I've never owned a 996, but I've always really liked them. For me, I guess it's the 911 of my childhood (teens at least).
One of these days, I might have to get over the IMS hype and take the plunge. I've had 2 boxsters and both ran amazingly and were trouble free. Interestingly, looking back it was the 986 I enjoyed much more than the 987; so I imagine I'd love the 996 too.
Only problem now is that I have a 5 month old daughter - not sure what the baby seat situation is with a 996 (and my wife won't be volunteering the front passenger seat).
I've never owned a 996, but I've always really liked them. For me, I guess it's the 911 of my childhood (teens at least).
One of these days, I might have to get over the IMS hype and take the plunge. I've had 2 boxsters and both ran amazingly and were trouble free. Interestingly, looking back it was the 986 I enjoyed much more than the 987; so I imagine I'd love the 996 too.
Only problem now is that I have a 5 month old daughter - not sure what the baby seat situation is with a 996 (and my wife won't be volunteering the front passenger seat).
Thanks for the tip off about Exel Wheels. I'll get in touch this week - they're a bit more expensive than the local company, but having loan wheels sounds a lot more convenient.
Re baby seat situation, I ran my first 996 with wife and a newborn. You can fit a baby seat in behind the passenger, both the 0-9 months carry-handle rear-facing type seat and the 9month+ front facing seat. One tip I wasn't aware of at the time, but subsequently read on this forum was removing the rear seat cushion and/or back for further room for the seat. I can't say it was pleasant lifting in and out, but there's enough room, albeit at the expense of leg room for the front seat passenger.
And thanks for the appreciative comments. I think the full aero kit really sets off the car. Been looking at the options list and service book, and the vehicle was originally spec'd as a demo by Lancaster Cambridge. There's an option code 09991 which apparently translates to "Porsche Exclusiv Program", presumably for all the aero kit bits, skirts etc.
Re baby seat situation, I ran my first 996 with wife and a newborn. You can fit a baby seat in behind the passenger, both the 0-9 months carry-handle rear-facing type seat and the 9month+ front facing seat. One tip I wasn't aware of at the time, but subsequently read on this forum was removing the rear seat cushion and/or back for further room for the seat. I can't say it was pleasant lifting in and out, but there's enough room, albeit at the expense of leg room for the front seat passenger.
And thanks for the appreciative comments. I think the full aero kit really sets off the car. Been looking at the options list and service book, and the vehicle was originally spec'd as a demo by Lancaster Cambridge. There's an option code 09991 which apparently translates to "Porsche Exclusiv Program", presumably for all the aero kit bits, skirts etc.
The car is a long long way from being tatty. Wheels and a one inch mark on the door sorted, a good detail and it will be pretty much mint. I've been through all the receipts from Porsche Guildford and it's had well over £12k spent on servicing by my mate and all the usual stuff done - MAF, clutch, coil packs etc. Tyres are all nearly new, discs replaced.
Anyway, all by the by to some extent. It was strictly a mates rates price from a friend of 20+ years who is cash rich, time poor, also incentivised by his now wife "to keep it in the family" (it was the first car he picked her up in when they met, so has sentimental value). So I appreciate it was a deal I wouldn't have got on the open market, and there's the information asymmetry issue/risk when buying second hand cars like this when you don't know the seller.
I fully get the point about the boxster offering objectively better value. I've owned both 986S and 987S 3.4. They were both great cars, and the extra dimension to motoring afforded by the roof has a lot of appeal. If I had strictly £10k to spend and didn't know the car's history a boxster would likely be a much safer better at this price level.
Anyway, all by the by to some extent. It was strictly a mates rates price from a friend of 20+ years who is cash rich, time poor, also incentivised by his now wife "to keep it in the family" (it was the first car he picked her up in when they met, so has sentimental value). So I appreciate it was a deal I wouldn't have got on the open market, and there's the information asymmetry issue/risk when buying second hand cars like this when you don't know the seller.
I fully get the point about the boxster offering objectively better value. I've owned both 986S and 987S 3.4. They were both great cars, and the extra dimension to motoring afforded by the roof has a lot of appeal. If I had strictly £10k to spend and didn't know the car's history a boxster would likely be a much safer better at this price level.
Edited by Hedgeman on Tuesday 16th June 22:57
I have been debating a 997 or 996 for about a year, finally decided on a 997 but still love the 996, especially the earlier ones and I think they will gain popularity with more time, sure could be more hassle than a boxster but more of a special car and at £10k you can actually use it and not worry about losing money, enjoy !!
Was your 3.6 C2 on Sports or normal suspension?
There's a hell of a difference in feel between the two; maybe that explains the different feel?
After all, the 3.6 is only 25Kgs heavier than the 3.4 (and has 25 BHP more).....
Nice car, though (I have a 3.6 C2 with PSE and M030 and Aerokit, so might be a bit biased!).
There's a hell of a difference in feel between the two; maybe that explains the different feel?
After all, the 3.6 is only 25Kgs heavier than the 3.4 (and has 25 BHP more).....
Nice car, though (I have a 3.6 C2 with PSE and M030 and Aerokit, so might be a bit biased!).
Hedgeman said:
This week I bought a 2000 vintage 996 Carrera 4 from a friend who'd owned it since it was a few months old. Having 3 cars already, us both commuting to work by train, and the house currently being upside down with building work, my wife took more than a little convincing of the need to purchase this particular toy. But with only 55k on the clock, an inch of service receipts from AFN Guildford, and a "mates rates" 4 figure price tag, it was impossible to say no. Actually I'm lying, it was the factory fit GT3 aero kit which swung it.
The car's not in concourse condition by any means. There's a tiny ding in the passenger door and all four of the 18" GT3 style split rims are quite badly corroded around their edges. I'm talking to a local firm to get them sorted, unfortunately refurbishing split rims seems to be more complicated, so they'll need the car for a week. Dam! It's also due a service, so is booked into Jaz at St Albans for some TLC. I'm hoping the 4 week lead time on a service slot there is a good sign.
Buying something like this is always a risk of course. I've owned a 996 before, a 2003 C2 which I had from new and drove for a couple of years before family additions necessitated an Ingolstadt Uber-Wagon, so I'm familiar with all of the potential problems with these cars: IMS, RMS, bore-ovalling, cracking and scoring. But at the end of the day if the worst were to happen engine-wise and I had to scrap the car, the downside is pretty limited given the purchase price. What does a 996 break for nowadays?
I've only done a hundred or so miles since buying it, but I have to say I'm absolutely loving it. There's something about the feel and weight of the major controls which only Porsche do. This car's hundreds of kilos lighter than my other cars, and over a decade older, yet feels solid and direct in a way they simply don't. Performance-wise it's no rocket-ship. Brisk, yes, however, on a straight road at least I don't think it would fare well against my 335d. But talk of BMW diesels sullies this particular sub-forum, and anyway it's missing the point.
The most interesting thing is how this car drives and feels compared to my earlier 996 3.6. Or maybe it's more accurate to say compared to the memory of my earlier 996, as times change and perceptions move on. It was re-assuring to find the factory build sticker still there under the bonnet, and it seems my car's got the optional M030 sports suspension. Leafing through the history, the exhaust was replaced a couple of years ago due to corrosion problems and the replacement sounds simply awesome. But neither of those things can explain the chasm of difference between how this 15 year old car drives now, compared to the 12 year old memories of my previous 996.
I can only really put it down to the much talked about gradual dulling of the senses over time, with successive cars becoming heavier and more refined. Suddenly going back in time 15 years is a sensory smack in the face. But maybe there's more than that and there really is some "911 magic", as a Boxster S and some Munich V10 in the interim, although great at the time, didn't feel this good. Twelve years ago, my 996 felt refined, dare I say it slightly boring compared to 911's of previous vintage. Compared to the electric throttle, steering, drive-by-wire everything on current cars, the 996 on my driveway is archaic, but oh so alive. The best analogy I can make is what it felt like when I first drove an 80's carrera back in about 1995.
To many I know the 996 is the unloved child in the family. The happy upside is, in a world of increasingly inflated looking prices for this marque, it makes absolute bargains like this possible. Porsche 911 ownership. It's good to be back
Gary.
Great post.The car's not in concourse condition by any means. There's a tiny ding in the passenger door and all four of the 18" GT3 style split rims are quite badly corroded around their edges. I'm talking to a local firm to get them sorted, unfortunately refurbishing split rims seems to be more complicated, so they'll need the car for a week. Dam! It's also due a service, so is booked into Jaz at St Albans for some TLC. I'm hoping the 4 week lead time on a service slot there is a good sign.
Buying something like this is always a risk of course. I've owned a 996 before, a 2003 C2 which I had from new and drove for a couple of years before family additions necessitated an Ingolstadt Uber-Wagon, so I'm familiar with all of the potential problems with these cars: IMS, RMS, bore-ovalling, cracking and scoring. But at the end of the day if the worst were to happen engine-wise and I had to scrap the car, the downside is pretty limited given the purchase price. What does a 996 break for nowadays?
I've only done a hundred or so miles since buying it, but I have to say I'm absolutely loving it. There's something about the feel and weight of the major controls which only Porsche do. This car's hundreds of kilos lighter than my other cars, and over a decade older, yet feels solid and direct in a way they simply don't. Performance-wise it's no rocket-ship. Brisk, yes, however, on a straight road at least I don't think it would fare well against my 335d. But talk of BMW diesels sullies this particular sub-forum, and anyway it's missing the point.
The most interesting thing is how this car drives and feels compared to my earlier 996 3.6. Or maybe it's more accurate to say compared to the memory of my earlier 996, as times change and perceptions move on. It was re-assuring to find the factory build sticker still there under the bonnet, and it seems my car's got the optional M030 sports suspension. Leafing through the history, the exhaust was replaced a couple of years ago due to corrosion problems and the replacement sounds simply awesome. But neither of those things can explain the chasm of difference between how this 15 year old car drives now, compared to the 12 year old memories of my previous 996.
I can only really put it down to the much talked about gradual dulling of the senses over time, with successive cars becoming heavier and more refined. Suddenly going back in time 15 years is a sensory smack in the face. But maybe there's more than that and there really is some "911 magic", as a Boxster S and some Munich V10 in the interim, although great at the time, didn't feel this good. Twelve years ago, my 996 felt refined, dare I say it slightly boring compared to 911's of previous vintage. Compared to the electric throttle, steering, drive-by-wire everything on current cars, the 996 on my driveway is archaic, but oh so alive. The best analogy I can make is what it felt like when I first drove an 80's carrera back in about 1995.
To many I know the 996 is the unloved child in the family. The happy upside is, in a world of increasingly inflated looking prices for this marque, it makes absolute bargains like this possible. Porsche 911 ownership. It's good to be back
Gary.
Edited by Hedgeman on Saturday 13th June 13:56
The 996 is an amazing car for the money, and worth it for the feel-good factor alone.
Just to clarify, the aerokit you have is the 'Aerokit Carrera'. The 'Aerokit Cup' is the one that looks like a GT3. (both were factory fit options)
Hedgeman said:
There's an option code 09991 which apparently translates to "Porsche Exclusiv Program", presumably for all the aero kit bits, skirts etc.
Yes, I think you get the 09991 code if you have one (or more) X-- options on the car. My old turbo had this.I've recently bough one too - and like you I'd been vaguely considering a 997 but didn't fancy a bore score issue on a £25k car which is an utterly non essential 7th car. I'd never particularly liked 996s but came to see them for the extraordinary value they are - and as you say, what's the worst that can happen for that money? I've never had a Porsche but have had many M3s, Lotus, Caterhams and my daily now is an S54 engined Z4M which is faster than the 996 but very different. As you say, the weight of the controls in a 996 is sublime, and the engine is so incredibly free revving and smooth. I think if it as a kind of mini GT car really, rather than an out and out sports car - but irrespective of a few testing issues, I love it. I know as someone else has says, Boxsters are better value, but I already have a convertible and wanted something with 4 seats. I looked at 987s before I bough my Z4M, and know they are good cars too, but there is ultimately just something about the shape and (even in humble 3.4 guise) the presence of a 911 that is great. Here's mine:
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