I Bought a Porsche 911 for Under $20K - Was it Worth it? A Look at the Porsche 996
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- Опубликовано: 23 авг 2024
- This is my 1999 guards red Porsche 911 Carrera 2. The 996 generation of Porsche is unloved by Porsche purists, but what’s it like to own? Here are my thoughts and ownership experience.
It’s so beautiful. It’s timeless and underrated compared to other 911’s. Congrats. This generation of 911 always reminds me of the movie Gone in 60 seconds. They steal a 996 911 and is my favorite scene in the whole movie.
Thank you! Definitely underrated, but I think people are starting to come around on them. My favorite scene too.
Cheers!
Beautiful car and as a Porsche “purest” I have never had issues with the 996 generation. Sure, is it a step in a different direction from Porsche? Yes, but it’s still a 911 and beautiful in its own right. Great score and honestly where prices should be for a 20 yr old car. Enjoy.
Thanks, Steve! I agree. They get even better as they age.
but what do you drive ?
I bought my 2001 996 Carrera 4 Cabriolet from a elderly gentleman who drove it only to the golf club on Sundays! I picked mine up with less than 37k on the odo and garaged its whole life! My other 911 is a 1977 911S
that I purchased back in the 80's. The air cooled 911 vs. water cooled 996
are drastically different in handling and performance! I like the interior of the
911S far better, but the overall performance of the 996 wins hands down. I did have the IMS changed out with a LM engineering upgrade and upgraded the tires & change oil at 5k intervals to prevent bore scoring👍 Happy motoring!
Very cool! You’ve got the best of both worlds.
Cheers, my friend!
just bought one here in Australia ... 10/97 build, so no traction control, 6 speed, no rear wiper and cable throttle ... it's a brilliant drivers car, and the headlights look fantastic.
Very cool! I agree, the headlights are great. I actually prefer the 996.1 over the 996.2 headlights. They suit the car well.
Cheers!
Lights were good enough for the GT1
Great review. I totally agree on all points. I've owned mine for over 13 years now and EVERY time I get out of it I have a smile on my face. It really is a fun and satisfying car to drive.
Thanks, Charlie! That’s wonderful. I love that they just get better and better the longer you spend with them!
Thanks for the kind words and enjoy your wonderful machine!
I absolutely loved the driving experience your 996 had to offer. Extremely good value for money.
Congrats, a beautiful spec and one of the best and most meaninful 911's ever built IMO
Thank you! I appreciate it and agree. It’s been a good one.
Cheers
You're right about true drivers and I appreciate that comment. I tend to not shine or even clean my cars half the time. I've never touched the dash in my 987.1 S since buying it two years ago! The dash is dusty. I didn't even wipe off track dust for many months. I park it in the garage with the window down in case of the dreaded dead battery dilemma. it gets dusty! And I can't understand people who worship their car. it's because when I look at the car, I see a machine, not a person.
I love it! Constantly worrying about keeping a car pristine takes away from the best part of the experience. Sounds like you are really enjoying your car! The 987 S is a great car. Cheers!
Guards Red 911s of all generations in great condition are always the right answer. You got a great deal , as well as the dual-row IMS bearing (more reliable) which you can replace when the clutch is eventually replaced. DRIVE IT!!!!
Thanks, Glenn! I agree. I love the red! I have too many red cars at the moment, but it just looks so dang good. It definitely gets driven!
Cheers.
That car is stunning. Love the colour.
Thank you! The color is great. I have too much red in my car collection right now, but it does suit it well!
Great video!
Beautiful Porsche!
We have a 1999 911, and a 2008 Cayman S.
Driven many cars. Nothing handles like a Porsche.
They are all race cars and handle like no other!
Enjoy your Porsche.
You are blessed to own one, how well I know!
Well said and very accurate discussion of what a Porsche is all about. Great purchase. The value is in the drive. I own a 997 and feel exactly the same as you do.
Starting to see this era cars in NZ going for similar money, I agree for a Sunday drive quite a nice option. Classic looks and personally I love the front lights although not with what some have as the orange indicator plastic, all clear like yours much cleaner looking.
Thanks, James! I totally agree.
I took a trip to NZ several years ago. Absolutely beautiful place. One of my favorite places I’ve ever been. You have some amazing places to drive!
Cheers, my friend!
Love the colour 😍😍
Wow. We have the same exact car. I updated my taillights, sidemarkers and eventually the headlights. But guards red on black. 1999.
How do you upgrade from GT1 headlights?
Yeah I’m a Corvette guy but my next car will be a Porsche Cayman and my buddy has a blue convertible 911 2003 model he paid $10,000for with 99,000 miles but it needed some work and I think he dished out about five or $6000 to get it right but he loves it. Thanks for sharing 🇺🇸
Guards red looks really great on the 996, exactly what i'd look for if i ever end up getting one once they're old enough to qualify for old timer plates/tax rates (at the normal rate, a 996 is taxed 2500 euro annually here due to engine size and emissions + 3500 euro registration fee. 30+ year old cars pay 120 euro annually and registration is 53 euro), i could afford the normal tax rates but as someone who puts like 4000 miles on the odometer in a year i couldn't possibly letting the government fleece me out of THAT much money...
Nice review. Yes the 996 is relatively cheap compared to other models, but any car that is 25 years old is going to require some maintenance. A pre purchase inspection is a must before buying one of these.
thats a great little 911. id drive it and love it. drive the wheels off it!
Thank you! Definitely. 😎
I drove two 996 Turbos, ditching a tiptronic (wooden) for a manual. Bullet proof. Very fast and very reliable. Interior and fired eggs never bothered me. It would boxy cost much to give it a 993 style nose job.
You got lucky on this one, good price for a good looking car ❤
I definitely got a great deal on this one!
Cheers!
@@Time-Driven Good sir, would you mind revealing how/where you got your 996 for this price? I am afraid of buying and I am not sure if I want to buy from anyone other than an "enthusiast seller"
There may be a deal out there for a 996, but if I was given one for free, I would sell it for whatever the market price and put that towards an air cooled 911, any year except ‘74-‘77 2.7 cars .
Some of us were around when a long hood was easy to buy , and when the long life 3.0 S.C. + 3.2 Carrera cars were priced between $8-25,000 ( 90’s).
I personally owned a few dozen long hoods ( ten were 67-‘73 S ) and my share of the really nice 2.0/2.2 911 E cars ). From the early 80’s to late 90’s prices were very reasonable. Sometime around 2006 the money it took to buy a long hood took off . The other air cooled cars followed.
Supply and Demand like he said .
The 996 is a Boxster with the engine in the rear . “If you can’t get the one you want love the one you are with “ . That was a CSNY song that describes the dilemma young people have looking for love . It fits in the Porsche search game too .
Great Review
Thank you, Jeff!
Cheers.
You bought it for all the right, exact reasons. Beautiful Porsche, drive it like you stole but also take very good care of it 🏎
Gen1 996 awsome.
I agree. I’m a big fan!
I love my 996 maybe one day slap a VF supercharger in it.😊
Haha that’d be fun! Loving it as is for now. I think the power is pretty perfect for the vehicle.
@@Time-Driven they have spirit in them fasure like there alive . Lol
Great value, and beautiful ! I think I will have to get one 🎉
You pretty much nailed it in 4mins
I love my 996 ❤
Drive it hard dude
Definitely!
Cheers.
I have the same car with the same color.
Nice! You have great taste!
Cheers
If you have $$$ buy a ‘89-‘98 Carrera 2 or 993 and if your bank account can handle the freight , buy a 993 Turbo . They are all super cars that are slightly better than the very good 3.0 S.C. and 3.2 Carrera ( but the ‘78-‘88 are a bit easier to maintain).
in australia i looked at a 996 auto - $20k = but i got a subaru GT Forester turbo instead = and fixed it up ! better and cheaper with do it yourself rally cars type ! 255 kph brand new ej207 - 280hp all wheel drive and camping and shopping and TRACK DAYS @ $400 per day !
We have the same color and year 996 but it is a cab. You have the double row intermediate bearing, which only have a 1% failure rate. Yes there is D chunking of the cylinder liners, bore scoring, intermix problems from cracked heads, etc. I’m not a fan of all the hoses and connections, and have had a few problems with those, and also the cheap plastic impeller water pumps. I also have a 1998 993 Cab, last of the air cooled. I don’t like the 996 at all, and even though the 993 is a Tip, it is my car of choice. It still has the raw sound and has excellent handling, because it has the Bilstien PSS10 adjustable coil over suspension, wider 3 piece wheels, and has been lowered and corner balanced. It also has a far better resale value, and will continue to hold that value. I compare the 996 with a ford Taurus, with its slab sides. To me the 993 has an hour glass figure with its rear hips, and arched front fenders.
As long as your headlight lenses are clear , they look great..
Also, silver looks horrible. On most Porsches. Just looks crappy. This red looks great
I do like the clear lenses better.
I like silver, but it’s definitely a bit of a boring color choice. I think 80% of the 911s I see are silver.
@@Time-Driven probably why I don't like it. 👍
Silver for Porsche is like Red for Ferrari. But ugly.
Funny thing, my 944 is Zermatt Silver ....but it looks like a very light gold
Where did you get a 911 for under 20k. Uff
Bought it off of a friend who lives locally. It isn’t perfect and I had to put a little money into it. It has a couple minor dings on its Carfax and needed a little suspension work. Still a great deal though!
Cheers.
I am a well familiar with all of the air cooled 356/ 911 engines having built many over the last 49 years . I am also familiar with the challenges of maintaining a high mileage Boxster or 996 for customers who thought they got a bargain . Trust me , you do not want one , even if you got the thing for a “song” as they say.
Buy either a well sorted 3.0 S.C. Or 3.2 Carrera built from 1978-1988. The long hoods are high priced and before 1971 , the pans rusted out in the East coast and Midwest due to salt on roads ). A 1971 E , ‘72, ‘or 73 E Coupe would be nice if you can find one you can afford . S cars are all going for $100K+ and a T car can be modified to have more power , but buy a rust free chassis .
IMS bearing already fixed?
Hi, David!
No, original IMS bearing; however, the 1999 cars had a stronger dual row bearing that was less prone to failure. The later, single row bearing cars were the biggest issues. I asked my mechanic about it and he said it wasn’t cause for concern and to wait until I had to do the clutch to upgrade the IMS.
Cheers!
The M96/M97 engines are ticking time bombs. Other than that I love the 996s
Not necessarily. If you do the correct preventative maintenance, they can be very reliable. They also need to be driven frequently. If these cars sit for long periods, they start to develop problems from lack of lubrication, etc. There’s no doubt though that stock engines will need a decent amount of $$$ put into them to make them bulletproof.
Even when they are taken care of and have high miles they develope bore scoring. Bore scoring is a bigger issue than IMS@@Time-Driven
i ave that car but its a litle toy
Tiptronic? 😢
No! Manual! 😄
ok, the 996 was not the first mass produced Porsche 911...
It depends on your definition of “mass produced.” It was the first 911 that moved from old-school, hand assembly production to a more automated, modern assembly line. They were also produced in much larger quantities than any previous 911. Most experts would consider it to be the first mass production 911.
Cheers.
$19000? That is the definition of a bargain. Nice one.