Took the plunge on a 911

I'm still not sure if it was a good idea or not, but last April I decided to see what all the fuss was about with Porsche's 911. The only one close to my budget was the much maligned 996, but with an LN Engineering IMS bearing, new RMS, and clutch, I hope to have picked up a fairly reliable example. Mine is a 2002 911 with a manual and not much else.

So far, driving it has been much rawer than anything else I've owned. It is LOUD, responsive (maybe even too responsive given the unusually light front end from a rear engine car), fast, and quite a lot of fun. The seats are tight (and I'm a scrawny guy), the interior is of average quality, it rattles and creaks a bunch, and I'm always worried something will blow up, but the ripping sound made by the flat 6 is amazing. I've also had a few repairs to contend with so far including:

1) Oxygen sensor
2) Plugs, oil change. (really just maintenance)
3) Removing the window tint
4) Polishing the headlights (the were pretty clouded)
5) Replacing the air-oil-separator (what a bear of a job that was)
6) And an as yet still mysterious vacuum line leak

 

I did a ton of research before I bought. The going rate for a 996 (1998-2004) 911 is about $15,000-$25,000 depending on condition and excluding special edition models. The turbo model is $35,000-45,000+, the 4S somewhere in the middle. Mine had 80,000 miles on it, so it was at the lower end of the price spectrum. That said, it seems that a higher mileage car is perhaps the better one to buy anyway... it is the low mileage babied cars that most commonly had problems with the IMS bearing. In the end, I am hoping that the car is already on the bottom end of the depreciation curve and that if I care for it well and keep the mileage reasonable, then it won't lose value.

 

Yes. Seal Gray. Probably the most common 911 color, though it is easy to keep clean and looks pretty good in nearly any light.