Porsche 996 Carrera: Updated 2024 buying guide with KEY NEW POINTS

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One of my most popular video uploads of all time is my Porsche 996 buyer's guide from around five years ago.
However, now the Porsche 996 is 25 years old, the march of time means new issues and problems are being uncovered by specialists that you should know about - that's why this is THE MOST RELEVANT AND UP TO DATE Porsche 996 buyer's guide on the internet.
Remember, most cars of a similar vintage were scrapped years ago, so it's something of a miracle that so many examples still remain on the road today. The payoff to that however is that the list of things to look for when buying a 996 is long and exhaustive, and it is my mission to ensure you are well informed to buy the very best example you can find.
It's also worth pointing out the advice given here is relevant to the 986 and 987.1 Boxster, as well as the 997.1 911.
What do you think? Are there any other tips from your own experiences that you'd like to pass on to those on the hunt for a 996? Post them in the comments below.
Thanks to Chris at Wrightune for the insight during the making of this film: www.wrightune....
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[@ksteak27]

Bought my 2004 996 cab with 75k miles sight unseen (before things went crazy) for $16k USD. Been driving it constantly with no issues for years now. An absolutely wonderful car and a total bargain!

[@inaj27]

Just bought my 2000’ 996 and I’m realizing how beautiful and reliable . I’m going to have fun restoring it to a beautiful condition

[@paulhaskett9322]

A lot of people just do not understand the effect of time, 25 years on things using rubber. It needs replacing. After, buying mine 2 years ago I have just finished over hauling shock absorbers, arms drop links etc. Changed clutch, IMS RMS and rear brake line all in one go. Engine mounts, now I would say a car which has been always kept in a garage is a must, for corrosion is a must. Servicing mechanical issues is easy in comparaison to rust, a nightmare. I think for the budget , depends if you can DIY or not, I gave the clutch RMS IMS brake line to a specialist. I also agree that oil changes for engine and gearbox should be more frequent. The cost is negligble if you DIY. If you buy a 25 year old car with no budget for maintenance or restoration, you are going to be dissapointed, personally every time I drive the car now, I know that money was well spent.

[@9WERKSTV]

Great advice and well said, Paul.

[@mattdedasc]

Very good video. on mine - 123k 996 C2, I have the following jobs to do: - Brake lines - I'll run these over the gearbox. Apparently there's a way of fitting them without getting the box out - Brake discs - check for part numbers, no need OEM as you can save £ - IMS - I had the bearing checked and seal removed on the replacement one - original dual row bearing on 996.1.1 - RMS - not really an issue unless puddle on floor - condensers and radiators. Not expensive and do-able DYI job. I suggest fitting some mesh grilles behind the air intakes so that the leaves will stop there instead of lodging themselves between condensers and rads. Check the car's integrity and how it drives. Bring someone with you. I am not entirely sure that the mantra that buying the best example for the most money is the smartest idea. It can still fail and cost you. But yeah, these are now 25 year old cars. Keep them dry and use them and they'll be fine.

[@justinmckeown9029]

I’m kinda surprised there was no mention of variocam wear pads on the.1’s.

[@GT380man]

Just agreed to buy a lovely 996. Test drive was great and deal was agreed & deposit paid. So excited!

[@necorrigan]

Great video Lee, thanks for the update. I sometimes worry that the 2000 996 C4 I bought was a bad buy because of the lack of history prior to 2019 but at the time I bought it (Feb 2020) it was one of the lowest mileage 996s available and the previous owner (a dealer in Southampton who had it had is personal car) had spent around £6k on the engine (IMS, RMS, clutch, etc). I think I wanted to rescue it though, as the bodywork wasn't great and I've since spent approx. £10k on servicing, repairs and a full re-spray to get it properly sorted. I love it to bits, but most dealers or buyers don't want to touch it because of the lack of history, even though it has had the best part of £16k spent on it in the last 3 years. Needless to say I'm keeping mine, it's ace and I don't care what anyone else thinks.

[@9WERKSTV]

If you're keeping it, Neil, then it doesn't matter what dealers think of it! Great to hear you've kept another 911 on the road in top health. The longer you own it, the more service history it will acquire. Plus it's better the devil you know - if you swapped out for a different car, you'd be entering an unknown all over again in terms of its individual nuances etc.

[@necorrigan]

@@9WERKSTV Thanks Lee. I've also just set-up a part time business cleaning cars, something I've always wanted to do. I videoed my 996 to demonstrate the process I use but thought I would share it with you as a fellow petrolhead and 996 enthusiast 🙂kzbin.info/www/bejne/oIHWnJaCfNqkba8

[@alexrankin2235]

It’s often said that it’s the recent history you should pay attention to.

[@mattdedasc]

Dealers might not want to touch it but the car's condition will be clear to serious buyers. I would have no problem with that whatsoever.

[@Sherlock535]

Surprised Chris didn’t mention that you don’t need to remove the gearbox to do the brake line over the gearbox, you can buy a flexi braided steel hose (or get one made up) that feeds over to save the labour cost (he should know, having done mine!)

[@scoTTlarock225]

Love the old school Fuch looking wheels ! Looks so good on that green car

[@michaelhelme3575]

Great Video, have owned a 2002 C2 for 12 years, and have carried out work in many of the areas highlighted here. About to do rear suspension control arms. I enjoy and get as much pleasure driving it now as I did when I first bought it. Twenty years old and still a real joy to drive.

[@Henders72]

Very informative video Lee for both owners and potential ones.

[@jarekmalinowski6176]

Love how your gen1 looks like. The colour/decals, the wheels. Awesome!

[@MagicAyrtonforever]

Glad I did the Porsche thing, but looking back I wouldn't have gone near them sadly.

[@createanddestroy]

Thanks for the list, great to give the last 996 that I checked a revisit. (215000km), ims done with DOF, clutch done, been stored away for 3 years (started monthly and driven on the driveway), before that a bit a dubious history and the 3 years before stand still maintained by the current owner who worked at a garage.

[@javiertorres6995]

Great video!

[@scottshand8559]

Excellent information! Well done by your shop mechanic too!

[@9WERKSTV]

Thanks!

[@alexrankin2235]

Great video to inform us all about what to expect and look for as our cars age Lee. Thank you 😊

[@9WERKSTV]

My pleasure, Alex.

[@henryatkinson1479]

Another rust point is the door latch points on the body. My 1999 Carrera spent 20 years in a very snowy and salty part of the US, and has rust there.

[@nathanbrown8487]

Excellent video.

[@Des911]

Good video, put my mind at rest regarding a few things. Well done 👍

[@9WERKSTV]

Thank you!

[@Dudfu25]

Great stuff Lee!

[@9WERKSTV]

Thanks Matthew!

[@craftingmat5425]

Thanks a lot for this good (very good) content! Very appreciated... LIKE! I write this every comment I do on your vids... but your little green Irish is a real beauty, especially the Ducktail 🙂

[@nicktaylor5273]

Lee you said a contingency money of £3k just because I’ve been advised £1.5k to £2k is more than enough, we all know you have to have deep pockets for these

[@davidthomas1424]

Great video. Thank you, and to Wright Tune. Next on the list to Google ;)

[@alexlosy5]

My fuel pump just went while I was a roundabout. Could have been fatal if I was in a motorway. It just stopped.

[@seamusmcfitz913]

Thank you

[@trackdaylbs]

Another really helpful vid Lee 👍

[@rnt45t1]

Been looking for a bit now, and not seeing any of these under $25,000 in the states. So, hopefully the market doesn't explode any more in the coming year when I'm considering buying. Just want a fun car that I can enjoy :)

[@9WERKSTV]

Hopefully you can get into one soon, and this buyer's guide will help that process in selecting the right one when it comes along!

[@SportsCarAdvisors]

well done overview of these great cars!

[@miniporscheclub]

Very useful, thank you.

[@justinmandel9154]

Great video, appreciate your advice as I just bought a first gen 996.1 cabriolet. The exterior color on your 996 is gorgeous, what color is that?

[@Kyle900t]

Nice one Lee, cheers.

[@honestreviewer3283]

Great color!

[@computerhelpcc]

? updated guides re maintenance items/buying guide AND another for modifications? The videos would also be enhanced with chapter markers.

[@smacdiesel]

I once bought a porsche without a PPI, what a loser I was trusting the seller.

[@drwindsurf]

Thank you for this

[@9WERKSTV]

My pleasure

[@ksamyui]

Anybody you'd recommend for a pre-inspection in Bracknell? Wonder if Wrighttune would go out that far

[@richardsracingmad]

I like the 996….

[@alexanderbellizia7126]

So maybe not fit for daily driving any longer....?

[@9WERKSTV]

That's a great question! I always say Porsches are built to be driven, they seem to work better when driven regularly too…

[@alexanderbellizia7126]

@@9WERKSTV I guess you still can but maybe realize it has consequences which often seems to escape those who do it. :-)

[@04dram04]

Im curious if your build was inspired by Hoovies Garage 911

[@JBsC6]

Nice car yet service needs are too abundant

[@treedeblue]

They came in green!?

[@jaykaycunningham997]

Mr Lee, where did you source your wheels (rims). Are they 18-inch? I like the look, interested in some for my white 996 cab. Thx

[@9WERKSTV]

Hi Jay, this link will be useful: 9werks.co.uk/shop/affiliate-products?filter%5Btitle%5D=fuchs&filter%5Bmodels.name%5D=996+%28911%29+%281997-2005%29 I went for 18-inch wheels, 8J & 10J. The link has a few options in terms of finishes etc. Hope that helps!

[@edwardwilson9942]

Don’t they all have slightly sooty tail pipes?

[@stephennicholas4996]

Hi Lee, I’m thinking of getting Fuch wheels like yours, and I can’t seem to find a link to the wheels you have, could you maybe put a link up. Thanks

[@9WERKSTV]

Hi Stephen, this link will be useful: 9werks.co.uk/shop/affiliate-products?filter%5Btitle%5D=fuchs&filter%5Bmodels.name%5D=996+%28911%29+%281997-2005%29 I went for 18-inch wheels, 8J & 10J. The link has a few options in terms of finishes etc. Hope that helps!

[@stephennicholas4996]

@@9WERKSTV hi Lee thanks for the link, but that has made me more confused, I’ve looked at the options and there are so many it’s difficult to know which ones are yours as there are not enough pictures to make an informed choice, the only reference point I have are your wheels and the way they look, could you give a direct link to ones you opted for. Thanks

[@2702simmo]

Well that’s enough to give me bad dreams 😂 I love mine but I do think they’re quite fragile at this age

[@9WERKSTV]

Again it comes down to the fact most cars of a similar age were cubed years ago - with that context, it's great these cars are still around, but it's inevitable that some work is going to be needed to keep these cars on the road.

[@2702simmo]

@@9WERKSTV they’re worth it though

[@MiegmaishMenas]

This is a bit doomsday, no? :)

[@pedoloverfortheages]

This just an honest 996 overlook, Look at all the problems the 997.1 and 997.2 are starting to have. These cars should be viewed as classics and should also be treated as classic, and if u don’t,guess what! They will break down like classics 😂😂😂 old cars start to have old car problem, no car can escape this😂😂😂.

[@9WERKSTV]

Bang on sir. I don't think it's doomsday, just realistic. Most cars of this age were cubed a long time ago, so naturally there are going to be points to look at to ensure these continue to stay on the road.