Should you buy a Porsche 911 996? Buying Guide - AutoClassics
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 มิ.ย. 2024
- The Porsche 911 996 has a few horror stories surrounding it, but does that mean you should avoid buying one? From IMS bearings to suspension issues, we go through the things you need to know in our buyer's guide to the water-cooled 996.
There are a few things that can cost you dearly when it comes to this Porsche sports car. InterMediate Shaft issues can result in total engine destruction and a key reason people shy away from this generation. However, if you take precautions you can pick yourself up a great car considerably cheaper than its forefathers. SHould you buy a Porsche 996?
For our FULL Porsche 911 996 buying guide head to AutoClassics: www.autoclassics.com/posts/bu...
People love to crap on the 996 for it's looks but an example like the one in the video looks great in my opinion. Black with those rocker panels and the GT3 style wheels... love it.
I love my 2000 996. Bought it new and have 36k miles on it. Just had the IMS retrofit done and relieved not to have to worry any longer. And they do fail! My service shop has rebuilt a dozen engines that were destroyed by IMS failures.
I’m a 911 dealer & love the 996, I buy and sell around 50 per year, mainly the Gen2 3.6 variant, I have never had an IMS issue and they are very rare. Right now the the prices are bottomed out it’s a great time to buy. The C4S model is set to be the best investment. Surely the best value car in it’s class!?
The negative reviews on 996’s are uncalled for IMO, the problems are very few, and certainly compared with other cars in the class the 996 is a great buy.
Always buy with a good history and drive it before you part with your hard earned cash. Always wait for the oil to be hot and doing it’s job if you’re going to drive adventurously, usually 15 minutes of normal driving will be enough. Beaulieu Porsche event on Sunday 2nd June, half price if you go in a Porsche £10 a ticket I think, a great day out. If you like Porsche don’t miss it.
Based on your experience, would you recommend those buying one (specifically a C4S) as a driver to perform an IMS fix (i.e. "IMS Solution")...? Same question, but with hopes of it retaining or appreciating in value - leave it stock or perform the fix?
I believe I own the very last 996 sold in North America. It is a 2005 911 Carrera targa, the SN code on my VIN is 35085, which is way above the range in the Porsche documentation. Only the targa was sold as a 996 in 2005 due to ongoing roof assembly deliveries, and about 3% of 911s are targas. Can anyone report a 996 with a higher SN code?
I’ve a Turbo which is my last car and I love it. But it’s the only Porsche I looked at when I bought ( 3 years ago £40k budget) that hasn’t gone up in value. Any idea why?
@@hugohugo2832 headlights maybe
Very informative video, subscribed!
Thank you for a very well presented and informative video
3:00 "more weight than its predecessors". The 993 was heavier: 1390kg for the 993 Carrera 2, compared to 1320kg for the 996 Carrera 2. That was one of the key advancements made. A good video though - thanks 🙂
thank for the informative video
Bought my 2001 996 C2 Cab with 23k miles, had IMS solution done, RMS and clutch done (despite low miles). After that no issues at all. BTW, I wanted the original IMS as a trophy in my garage, but I was not able to keep it. LN engineering wanted the original bearing and the used oil filter for warranty reasons. Because of the solution, I now have a conventional (non-canister) oil filter. I love my car.
I'm with you across the board. Did all the same work and much more.
996s are the last to offer pure hydraulic steering, it’s the last to give that “writhing” feel of the steering wheel through your fingertips while driving. You have to experience it to really understand the difference from the deadened feel of electronic steering.
Rue Experienced Actually the 997 also had hydraulic steering and it wasn’t until the 991 that Porsche adopted electric-assist for the 911. I have a 997.2 C2S and the steering feel is incredible! 👍🏼
The new Miata has electric steering and it doesn’t feel dead at all.
well done video, thank you.
Wow, surprised this channel has so few subs.
As for IMS concerns-get a magnetic drain plug, and change your own oil. Oil changes are very easy and there’s lots of videos on how to do it. Cut the used oil filter apart and inspect it and the drain plug for metal debris. Per my very reliable and trustworthy private Porsche repair shop, IMS failures don’t just “grenade”, they start shedding bits of metal as they start to fail which you should be able to detect with regular oil changes.
Rue Experienced I haven’t looked into the IMS problem too hard yet, only read TH-cam comments about it. Yours is the first one that kind of suggests that it takes a while for it to actually fail from the time it first starts because you mention you could notice from your oil changes so it would take thousands of miles for it to fully fail. Is this correct? Just trying to learn
@@tgbaca0707 yes my mechanic said, and I believe, that as the bearing starts to wear out you're going to get metal debris trapped in the filter element, I also use a magnetic drain plug for the same reason. The known IMS failure rate is usually quoted as being around 5% of engines, so it is over-blown as a potential occurrence, although it's catastrophic if the bearing goes..
by the time anyone notices anything it’s too late. Replace proactively or accept the risk for what it is.
Also the IMS issues affects 4% of cars, barely any. On top of this, compared to some high service costs, it's no more than about $3,000 USD for the whole thing
Would you say it’s worth it?
Just want to chime in and say that for the Tiptronic cars, it's about double that. The engine/transmission has to be dropped, and there are several "while you're in there" type items which add to the cost.
Spot on...informative but not trying to flex his muscles in how much he clearly knows.
Thanks for the video. I like that you cover also the more technical aspects of the car. A while ago I made a video about the depreciation of the various 996 models using some machine learning models. While the 4S already rose in value quite significantly, I think there is still room to buy one of the normal versions without facing any depreciation.
👌
Hi, could you let me know who refurbished your wheels please? They look great, I know there are any number of places but yours look really well done. Mine is a 2000 Carrera 4 but the less popular cabriolet and tiptronic. Many thanks Nick
I love my 1999...996.... bought mine with 64 k miles... brand new tires , brakes , rotors , transmission and motor mounts , all filters and fluids..new IM S bearing , near perfect interior , 9 + for paint... runs great !! For 15 k..!!. never had a problem... highly recommend this car , but obviously don't buy a thrasher
Still happy with it? Any issues?
I’ve had them all. 98 C2. 03 C4s. Currently an 02 Turbo. Only the C4s was slightly disappointing. The other two perfection.
Nice video! Why dont you make a vide of a Jaguar xjr? There are very few!!
Savaş Koç I owned one between Boxster and 911. Only start w gen1 ver 2 in 2003 with the faster ZF 6 speed auto vs prior MB 5, and be certain to get one with rare R pack option
For a black car of that age, the paint looks fantastic! The overcast helps (black cars look better in the shade 😉), but still. Yowzas.
This is a nice example of the 996. It really depends what version you get. 996 turbos, gt3, gt2, aero kit, c4s all look great. However, the base model or S model without any exterior treatment still looks off to me. Just too much like the boxster. Put an aero kit on it and it’s good to go. This one has the nice rocker panels, upgraded wheels and lowered so it looks sporty and legit. Just address the IMS issue and you should be fine.
I love both my 1999 996 c4 and 1972 911t that has a 1988 turbo flares and also interior. To be honest I like driving the 996 as a daily drive the 72 is more a garage queen. That’s my take on this.
Great car.
A small correction: the 996 is lighter than its 993 predecessor.
True. The 996 also accelerates faster, brakes sooner and has a higher to speed than a 993. I've owned both and can say they are both fantastic cars.
I have a question. I want to buy a Porsche 996. And I don't know which is the better engine 3.4 or 3.6 which is vintage ... What to look for problem. Thanks
Disagree about the engine suggestion. Get the 3.4 liter engine. It comes with the dual row IMS bearing , has a superior head design and is the better engine.
mac daddy amen to that. And scoring is even less common on the 3.4 compared to 3.6 engines
Agree👍🏽
Condensers are £40 quid each and easy DIY job
Good video. You say the 3.6 is more prone to bore scoring. I think you're confusing this with the fact the 3.6 is more prone to IMS bearing failure, because it has a single row, rather than double row bearing in the 3.4. Also, the 996 is actually lighter model for model, than the 993. Uprated suspension was really just moving the game ahead, which it did very successfully, taming the classic widow-maker reputation that the earlier models had gained, none more so than in the 930 turbo. This of course is one of the reasons the air-cooled enthusiasts are down on the later models - less white knuckle fear!
Bore scoring is separate issue and Flat6 Innovations finding it far more in the 3.6 litre motors. Damn. 3.6 is notably torquier than avg 3.4 was, but some 3.4 feel stronger than others and you gotta drive them back to back
996 4S love um..
Scoring is not rare on these loads of them suffer from it - mine did on only 62k with full service. Another sign of scoring is excessive oil usage. lol poly bushes no thanks I would get OE.
I would be scared to drive any 20-year old car in a spirited manner, because old electrical wires can fail at any point, and with Porsche you'll pay through the nose for fixing those.
I don't know of the rarety of the IMS issue, but without fixing, it will cost the price of an engine. And it happens to all kind of driver (even more with very cool drivers). That's why it's so scary. I think the price is low on the 996 simply because Porsche has sold a lot of them.It's a great car.
The best car and the best investment I ever made 996 it's great car
What I really wan't to know is will a guy who is 6'5" but slim fit in this car? I understand the steering wheel does not telescope? Anyone help?
Short answer is probably not. I’m 5’11” and it fits me perfectly with seat all the way back. The steering wheel does telescope but oddly doesn’t tilt.
@@MrDSVids thanks for the answer. That's what I got from other forums as well. Basically I won't fit into any older Porsche. Or most other vehicles, for that matter. You know what I can fit into? My 2018 Mustang GT. I don't even have the seat all the way back. 'Murica, I guess.
This might be a dumb question, but if I buy a tiptronic do i still have to worry about the clutch being replaced?
Tiptronic doesn't have a clutch per se. It is an automatic transmission
Joe Shmoe So if I go to a dealership and ask, “has the clutch been replaced?” They won’t laugh at me?
How about the automatic gearbox? Good? Reliable?
Reliable - yes. Good - no. Stick to manual.
I have a 1999 with trip tronic it's awesome
Every performance car has its problems. I've owned a m3 e46 now that's a money pit !!
Ims upgrade £1500/2000 job done peace of mind. I mean just look at it !!
No, The 996 does not weigh more than the 993. I have owned both and the 996 is faster, more reliable, has A/C that works, is more comfy and quite and in my case, I have 127k miles.
My 993 had head problems at 45k miles, did not like the heat of the American southwest. Having to drive that car when it is 110 f. was not fun let alone no A/C. Love my 996 !
More weight than previous model? Do your research, 996 weighs less than 993
Poly bushings are shit for ride quality.
IMS>>IMS>>IMS>>>im afraid of this IMS.....funny how people always wanna sell there porsche but never wanna say if they have had the ims replaced...
I have my 2002 996 with original IMS!
im glad..but your luck will run out sooner or later bro.
@@MrOmgfreak so what evidence do you have of 100% failure rate? Sorry champ, you are just wrong!
@@movingtoflorida7225 no bro not all cars fail an yea I know about the less than 8% failure rate ...I get that part.....when I got mine...it ran fine too,
....but I didnt wanna take the chance....and I drive to Florida alot so I went strait to the dealer and just got it done.....now I can sling the shit out of it when I want to..an not worry about it.
Put it this way....imagine being on a long road trip doin about 95mph.....and your engine just dies.....alls I'm sayin.
That would be my worst nightmare.
Cuz 10k used engine and labor
later ....an I only paid 11k for the dam car. 2006 boxster S.
@@MrOmgfreak my mechanic checks for any metal flakes with every oil change, not a sign of anything. If you're ever in the Tampa area say hello!
The IMS issue is vastly exaggerated as is bore scoring. Both have become more legend that reality. As a preventative measure due to the RMS seal starting to go I recently changed the clutch and IMS. (65,000 miles). The IMS was immaculate and had very little wear. At least it is done so those that watch videos like this won't be put off. The 996 will become an iconic Porsche and are already valued by people that know what they're talking about.
Stop being cheap. Get it done or accept that if it happens to you your car is near worthless. There is NO preventative measure or detection. By the time you have evidence it is too late. Go look up legend, it is a reality and it can be dealt with. Or don’t and simply accept you throw it away
computerhelpcc learn to read buddy.
@@tinrobot4479 No its not exaggerated I had bore scoring on mine- friend had the timing chain guide smash through his crankcase and other friend ims grenaded - so all new engines- they are ticking time bombs I know, learnt the hard way . On classifieds every other one says engine rebuild - best off spending more and getting the gen2 997. Also 996 they are commom 5 pages of classfieds always of them - not really rare enough to be a desired classic.
KEYO you have an anecdote. That doesn’t make it fact. Same as your nonsense about the number for sale. It was a hugely popular car, hence lots still on market. Finding a good one is harder but to say every other one has a rebuild is utter tosh. Mine has been perfectly reliable and its a dream to drive.
@@tinrobot4479 Its Ok just have your 10 K ready in reserve.
I own a 996 and it's a fantastic car. IMS, RMS and clutch done and up to date by a legit Porsche service centre. If it's got a good service history, don't hesitate. Interior is ugly but smiles per gallons are very high, a true drivers car.
Mike Darlow gonna be controversial but I love the interior, it’s gotta have the sports seats tho. I also think they’re stunning cars to look at aswell especially the C4S
I like my interior...had a 1986 and the 1999 is far superior
JUST SELLING AFTERMARKET PARTS
996 is lighter than the previous gen
Sorry, I cannot understand what you are saying at 2:06. "go for the ???? and later models..." Help! Smiles...
'Go for the better endowed and later 3.6 litre models......'
@@davegreg Thanks Dave!
Buy only 996 4S, Turbo, GT3, GT2 these models will only increase in value
You forgot the 40th Jahre! Great car and a collectors edition with few in circulation.
And the Targa (5 142 cars produced)
Do it properly? poor choice of words imho.
The IMS issue is massively exaggerated. Have some failed ? I'm sure, but not by themselves. Think about it.
I agree massively
Porsche says 8% of 996s have been affected, not too much
@@ibradeybunch people are now buying these they're going up in value.
Well I still believe it's less than 8% but even if it is which their is no accurate way to know for sure, it's still not a number that's going to make me fork over close to 3 grand to some Porsche dealership. But consider this, lets go with 8%, that's sounds just about right...8% of 996 owners abused them in any number of ways. Even not driving them, which is another form of abuse.
At the end of the day it still comes down to, Porsche know how to make sports cars and dealerships & mechanics don't. They just want to make money by trying to scare the hell out of you.
Backing music 🎵 sucks
I've seen Women like that...
You cant take it with you and its no fun trying to order a Prescription Windscreen to correct your vision.
Life is a sod!😆
check this check that in other word if you don't want to sell your kidney to maintain this car don't buy this piece of shit unless you're ok with 1 kidney,lol
It would have been a beautiful 911 if not for those horrid fried-egg headlights...
Look at the race car and the Amber lens one will prove to be a model
Not worth the risk of ownership. The Miata MX 5 a superior motor.
Porsche lost the plot ages ago.
It’s worth it but even when perfect it costs a lot more than Miata. I wanted a back seat and more power. Now a 2009 Boxster/Cayman is not expensive and you have a flat six engine. No lost plot, lots of fun, but it’ll cost more.
Get a big boy car.....
U sure u want to compare the two cars just like that out loud it boy take your tablets onnn time bro
@@nuplumbingjohnstone7246 tablet on time, that was funny enough I had to figure out how to see the reply thread on a computer as the iPhone TH-cam app makes it onerous.
What a moron
996...if you wanna live whith an engine ready to explose.....🌋🌋🌋⚠️⚠️
You don't know what you are talking about