HELP! I need someone to talk me out of this!
 

Someone needs to hit me over the head with a frying pan. I am falling for a 996. Every time I search them on the net, my infatuation grows. As our country slips into recession, the deals are getting very tempting. I have found more than one low-mileage 2000 996 for less than 30k. Is there any reason to not do this?

YES! I love my boxster, it is therapy for me. I drive it when tensions are high, when the weather is great, and when I have an itch for speed. I do not track the car, so I do not need anything over 90mph.

NO! I have a baby girl on the way, and one day she would like to ride in daddy's porsche, right? I need the 3.4 litre engine so I can speed up to 45 mph faster than the minivan next to me, right?

I actually called about one 2000 996 that I saw for sale locally and it sold for 25k before I got them on the line! That's incredible. I went to my garage and started the boxster, it made me forget about it. Until I was looking at sema pics and saw a gt3 from the show. AHHHHHH!

I get the same way, i know exactly how you feel there is a local garage that has an 05 Carrera4s think is £40k ( $80k) and i want it, then i think, i love my box.
The car that wont leave my head is the Ferrari 550 Marrenello, and they are in the right price bracket.

A 996 is nice but they still put the motor in the wrong place. ;) I can't say I would never own one but the Cayman is a lot more attractive to me.

If you are passionate about driving twisty roads, keep a Boxster or Cayman in the garage.

If you find yourself hungering for more 0-60 speed in a straight line, the 996-997 is probably the best car to have, especially if you drive it on city roads that are flat and you don't live in hilly country.

It really depends on what kind of driving you do in the car as to what to own.

I believe that if I had the cash to buy a C4S or Turbo, I'd do it in a heartbeat and ditch my boxster. Of course, my car is 11 years old and it has 103k on it and continues to need a lot of replacements for the suspension, brakes, etc.

Max, don't think I can help you much here, I feel the same way. I love my car, but next time around I'm not sure if I will buy a new Boxster or a used 911. One of my friends has a C4S and the other has a convertible Carrera. I love the lines of the 911, and it sure would be nice to have 300+ hp and rear seats for the little ones.

On the same lines, I love dropping the top after work for the ride home, but if I went the 911 route I would probably buy a coupe. After autocrossing my car this year I finally realize what an amazing machine it is, and I must say that during the Tail of the Dragon trip I would have been scared of driving a 911 the way we were ripping our Boxster's around the curves.

I guess the only way to make the decision is try and get some seat time in a 911 you would consider purchasing, compare it to the Boxster, and go from there...

http://world-class-motorcars.ebizautos.com/detail-1999-porsche-911-carrera_4-2275264.html

Nick

I'd never try to talk you out of it. The 996 is a terrific car. Yes, the engine is in the "wrong" spot, but that's part of the 911's character, and it's a design element with over 40 years of history behind it. The 996 is very fast, handles extremely well, and looks beautiful (in my humble opinion). How can you go wrong?

Do it! :D

i would do it as well.
who doesn't want a 911? and the prices are so low now its getting pretty funny to see people get a loaded Toyota or see other econo box for the same price as a used 911 :confused:

i would get a C4 for the all wheel drive for winter driving and also keep the box. thats what im planing to do, in the very near future, since my car is paid off

Nick, I'd really like to drive a C4S or a Turbo (which is also all wheel drive) up and down the Tail of the Dragon to see how it compares to a mid-engine Porsche.

Of course, the best solution for this issue would be to buy a Cayman S. Nearly 300 HP, Lines that are more in keeping with a 997, a hard top for rigidity, and the kids won't enjoy it but one will fit in the front trunk for a while (until the oxygen runs out) and the other can bounce around in the stowage area in the back.

Laugh at my recommendation, but I can't envision a child over the age of 5 wanting to sit in the back of a 997 or 996 for more than ten minutes at a time. There is literally 2-3 inches of leg room between the back of the front seat for the little tyke's scrawny legs.

Those rear seats are there for looks, my friends. Worthless I say, worthless!

Nick, BTW it's now 10.45 and I am now dressed and at the office doing nothing like I was doing earlier this morning when we were sending messages to one another. Geez I love my life and my job!

Well, if I were only going to own 1 Porsche, I would own what I have,... a Boxster.

If I decide to own 2 Porsches someday, I will probably add the 911 to my Boxster. I really like having both the mid engine and convertible in the same car.

If I ever bought a 911 I would need to go for a much newer one like the 997's were I would get a significant HP increase.

The decission I really need to make in about 3-4 years will be the selection to either buy another Porsche to add to the collection or do an engine (RUF) swap with my current Boxster.

I have a 996 C2 & 986 S in the garage.....I've never even thought about driving the 996 since I got my S.

Too me the 986 & 996 are too close to each other to warrant 'upgrading' & such. From a daily drive standpoint the only thing I notice the 996 has on the Boxster is more torque but then that Box has the convertible factor. :D Granted I haven't tried hauling siblings around in the 996,I'm pretty sure that you can't fit anyone taller than 5 8"(my head hits the roof over bumpers at this height) in the back comfortably. As for a track/auto-x standpoint,couldn't tell ya,I haven't pushed the C2,I'm pretty sure my Dad would get all :troll: if I did that with it. :p

You "S" guys are in a good spot. I, unfortunetly, opted for a 2.7 when I bought, because of the typical "It's fast enough for me." If I had the extra pop of the 3.2, I wouldn't think of the upgrade. The way I am looking at it though, is to get into a nice S, an engine transplant, a SC, or a TT; I would be spending close to the same amount as a nice 911.

Pro 911:
We have flat roads here, so winding mountains are not even an option. We have no tracks anywhere close to here. I like the 3.4. I like the backseat.

Con 911:
The convertible looks rediculous with the big butt. The engine IS in the wrong spot, the porsche is a third car and the baby will rarely (if ever) use the backseat. I have never had the urge to tote adult friends around. The porsche is Max time. The lines of the boxster are timeles and I think it is the best looking car made.

I have to second that. Cept it's not a convertible but I still agree. Cayman over 911.

I really like this :

Nick, I would love that car, but unfotunetly, it is out of my price range... by about tripple.

If I remember correctly, you were the bama grad. that welcomed me to this sight, well I am about to roll up to t-town for a wild weekend.

I have purchased and sold many 996s in my time. To me, they are vastly overrated in many ways.

IMHO, the Box is simply a better driving car and more fun to boot.

For what it is worth.

996's are for Porsche daddies. That baby-on-board rear seat is the most important thing on the car for that over 40 family guy demographic. If they axed the rear seats and made the 996 a two seater sales would nose dive.
The 996 is also a good pre-emptive strike to avoid the missus demmanding you sell your impractical Pcar.
I would love to have both if I had the space because they are indeed sinking in price quickly. Which is something that should make you want to wait. If you can't wait hold off until after Thanksgiving. That's when you'll get sales guy who want to make a final quarter mad dash push to up their sales numbers and get a bigger bonus.

I have been thinking about a 996 coupe for myself, as the Boxster is really my wife's car. As I've been laying here doing nothing, I've been looking at the plummeting 996 prices and considering actually making a move.

But...a 911 would be in addition to the Boxster, not in place of it. I don't care what the 911 elite say, the Boxster is the better all around car. I might buy myself a Boxster S, but having two would look silly. If money were no object, I'd look at that black Cayman that Nick posted. Sweet.

Max, Max, Max..... :) As a local to a local.... why not get what you enjoy and go for it? I think you are just getting a nervous itch to upgrade...but is the grass really any greener?

I started looking at your dilemma last week when I researched the dropping 996 prices compared to my recent S purchase. But, even after feeling a little, "heck I could have had a V8" - (the drink not the engine) - :D However, I cannot say that I would honestly trade straight up, one for one, to a similar mileage, year or condition 996 for my Boxster. Is that wrong, strange or just twisted? It is just my taste. I just adore the simplicity of the styling, the agility and coolness factor of the Boxster. If you ever want to drive my S to get a feel for the differences and such, you are more than welcome. I know it wouldn't be a technical looks 'upgrade' to just go to a used S from where you are and you probably won't hear anything like "Hey Max, looks like you got a new Porsche" (unless you go to a Guards Red or something) ---- bang for buck, you have a difficult decision to make to convince yourself to stay in the 986 land if you are forking out the cash, and you know you won't be tossing your newborn into the back of your 996 and cruising the causeway all day and night. :D Maybe a new color S would make you change your mind, Max???? :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

In any case, we still need to take a last-ditch run with our 3 all-black Box's with
Gary in BR! Message me on this!

All the best....

Go for the 996! The plus is that folks, when they see you pull up, will still think you drive a Boxster ;)

Seriously, it is a different car than the Boxster, but its still a Porsche and its still a great car.

If you think it more rational to say "the kids will fit right in" remember how big a car seat is and how awkward it will be for getting them into it. Not impossible. A friend of mine had a 964 and has many pics of his 2 kids in car seats, in the back of it.

Go for it!

I have a '95 993, an '01 996TT and a '00 986. Thats my personal order of preference.

Go for the 996 if you find one that you like. :)

Me too i love it and my Dad has that exact car arriving next month.

And i suppose as a testiment to this topic, he has had a Boxster S, a 996 Carrera 4 (gt3 rep) and currently Cayman and he says the best for him is the Cayman due to the fact he is 46 years old and doesnt like the attention of the Cabrio (even tho he has a full head of dark hair and looks mid 30's)
And he felt with the 996 even tho it was 4 wheel drive there wasnt the driving fun, he liked it and respected it never loved it. Stupid people said he was stepping back down to a Cayman, Rubbish its the balls, i love it. So he has had it 6months(from new) or so and decided to get a different Porsche saw a pic of the Design Edition and that was him, his perfect car!!

If i was getting a 996 i would get an 04+

James

I get that too, except I'm looking at C6 Vettes.... LOL

I don't like the look of the Porsche cabrio's other than the Boxster, and after awhile a hardtop seems too much like "just another cage" no matter how fast it goes.

And Corvette is rumored to be developing a mid engined Vette.

i say go for it, id probably get one too when i get married and have kids...more room, still a Porsche...

OK, I found one 996 I am interested in, with only 1 problem... mileage..

My box is a 2000 with 40k, the 911 is a 1999 with 75k. I can buy it from the guy for 25, with litronics, 2003 bumper/lights upgrade, 19 inch wheels. The value seems right, but the mileage makes me nervous. For the price of a warranty, I can buy a newer car. Is 75 too many? It seems more likely to have normal wear problems like clutch, brakes, ect.

The speed of the 911 is tempting. But, I love my boxster and I know I won't be putting the baby in it. Maybe I should wait for a few cayman s to hit the streets, and get speed and handling.

AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

You might as well drop the speed aspect right now....it never ends no matter what you drive. Go check out 6-speedonline,996 Turbo section you will see what I'm talking about.

75k is kind of high but there are some pros to it. Most of the major problems like an engine failure or 2nd gear issue should have shown by now. So you really wouldn't have to worry about an extended warranty.Your worried about the clutch? Come on now,these are sports cars,your gonna drive them fast and your gonna have wear and tear items wear out. Look at the clutches on these cars,they seem to go at any time. Some people get 30k out of a clutch some get 150k,you never know which way it will go.

Whatever you do get a PPI so you know what to expect with it.

Find 1 with lower miles. that seems to high for me

Well, not worried about clutch per se, but it was a good example of the type of maintenance that is present at 75k. What about total engine failure due to RMS or another sneaky pest? The small things that go with owning cars is fine with me, but I do not want to have to replace a 12k engine on a car that costs 12 more.

Drop the speed thing? heh, that would be my only motivation to trade cars.

A RMS does not cause a engine failure. RMS just drips a little oil. Your thinking of a IMS failure,once that happens the engine is blown in a couple of seconds. Like I said,the engine failure happen at low mileage so at 75k your in the clear(from what I've seen).

By the way,RMS leaking tends to happen if the car sits,i.e. low mileage babies.

Well, this one is out anyway, I did a carfax and its had 2 serious wrecks. I think I will leave this alone for a while, I would be nuts to get rid of my car in the shape it is in.

How could you tell from the Carfax that it was a serious wreck?

Carfax is garbage when it comes to anything anymore. I ran it on my car,said the car was in for 'vechile repair',I had the dealer that worked on it look it up.....they replaced a brake light. I even matched it up with a receipts that came with my car.

Carfax=pointless(unless used for ownership purposes)

Here is the thing. It had a wreck in 98... LONG before the front end that is now on it was ever made, that means it has been replaced 3 times. I sent you a PM with the link to the rennlist discussion about the very car I was going to buy. I thought you would find it interesting, since I am no longer considering it, here it is.

The seller wouldnt return my email about a PPI at a dealership. I think I know why now. I offered 24k through ebay with a ton of questions, he countered at 25 with no answers..

http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/showthread.php?t=391126

Hmm that is interesting. Thanks for linking it. Too much stuff has a '?' mark on it to even spend more than 10k on it.

I think 996 owners are in denial,I've seen plenty at sub 30k with motivated sellers.

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=21&pageNum ber=0&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage= 0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending& certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7CE-%7CM-_41_%7CB-30000%7CD-_386_%7CN-N%7CR-150%7CI-1%7CP-PRICE+descending%7CQ-descending%7CZ-95831&aff=national&paId=247379844&recnum=0&leadExi sts=true

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=21&pageNum ber=0&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage= 0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending& certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7CE-%7CM-_41_%7CB-30000%7CD-_386_%7CN-N%7CR-150%7CI-1%7CP-PRICE+descending%7CQ-descending%7CZ-95831&aff=national&paId=247997080&recnum=1&leadExi sts=false

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=21&pageNum ber=0&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage= 0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending& certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7CE-%7CM-_41_%7CB-30000%7CD-_386_%7CN-N%7CR-150%7CI-1%7CP-PRICE+descending%7CQ-descending%7CZ-95831&aff=national&paId=229644716&recnum=2&leadExi sts=true

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=21&pageNum ber=0&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage= 0&sortorder=descending&sortfield=PRICE+descending& certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-%7CE-%7CM-_41_%7CB-30000%7CD-_386_%7CN-N%7CR-150%7CI-1%7CP-PRICE+descending%7CQ-descending%7CZ-95831&aff=national&paId=248703964&recnum=6&leadExi sts=false

That's just from a quick 30 minutes search.

Yeah, I have found some really good deals, many low mileage ones for less than 30, I just need to stop looking. I love the box and I have springs and short shift in the mail right now. Maybe, I will keep my eyes open for the perfect S...

What caught my eye on the one posted was the front end, it would be nice to not have to do the gen. 2 996 conversion myself.

yeah...if you have a high mileage old (1999-01) 996 you're better off keeping it than selling it. The value is only going to continue to fall until it hits about 20K.
Then the bargain bulls will swoop in for their first 911.
I wasn't at all impressed with the power of the 3.6 compared to my 3.2.
It didn't handle nearly as well as my S and I'm not even remotely a fan of pendulus 911 cornering. Interior was identical of course.... But I wouldn't sneeze at a well priced C4 with low miles. It would be a great winter car. Although I would want a 2002 which comes at a bigger price entry. The 2002-2004 996's are the best looking 911's in my opine. I can't stand those round 993,997 round lights. Fried eggs or Turbo lights all the way.

I haven't been on much lately due to this same subject. I've been looking but most '99's are in the 32k to 36k range around here. The few I've seen less were really worn on the inside, even with mileage in the 50's.

I found a '99 with 23k miles, three year warranty and service records for $31,500 I'm considering. I haven't put forth the effort to try and sell the S yet.