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2002 996.2 3.6 Coupe


eldavo69
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The golden rules of car buying:

1: Don’t buy the first one you see

2: Have a decent test drive

3: Make sure everything works

Yeah, so I ignored all of those. 

1: Both the 944T and the Boxster were the first ones I looked at so it made sense that this 911 was the same. I don’t like to waste mine or sellers time, I have a good idea what I’m looking for, I do lots of research, ask lots of questions and then do a thorough inspection. Yes, I’m that guy who views a car with a jack, paint thickness gauge and a laptop with a Bluetooth OBD plug. 

2: Didn’t test drive the car at all, in fact only ran the engine for 2 minutes. The caveat is that this car had brand new M030 sports suspension, ARBs, droplinks and bushes from Porsche Teesside 107 miles ago and (with the owner’s permission) I spoke to the respected local Indy who’s looked after the car for the last 4 years at length. 

3: Check engine light was on, I knew the fault and the diagnosis from the Indy - car was booked in to be fixed the following week and would then be for sale. I scanned the fault code anyway and did my own research to be totally sure. 

Spoke to my own Indy, worked out a cost to repair plus some “while you’re in there jobs”, agreed to take the car in it’s broken state for a reduction of what the work would cost the owner plus 1/3rd on top slush fund. My cost to repair will be half what his would be so happy days, 5 days later I’m sat in his lounge, drinking tea, eating cakes, watching the darts and waiting for a money transfer to clear while a mate straps the car onto the trailer.

I’ve also acquired the old suspension for my mate as it’s better than his, £100’s worth of Millers Nanodrive oil, a 996 workshop manual and a touch-up paint set for the car I spotted on a shelf. 

Car is currently at my Indy’s and with any luck will be on my drive in a week or so. D1B16B7C-1512-49B8-BC90-7A226A78BC52.jpeg40B0C281-2AFB-44AB-B89D-14FFF05005AA.jpeg

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Seems I fall outside the time limit to edit the previous post!

 

Car is an early 996.2 - 2002 registered, 89k miles, with the bigger 3.6 engine as fitted to the C4S and some other updates including a glovebox, I kid you not!

 

It’s in a pretty rare colour of Meridian Metallic, which at times is a dark silver like GT Silver but in some lights looks a bit warmer with a hint of pinky/brown. Either way, it looks great, is in fantastic condition, and everyone that’s seen it has commented that it’s a nice change from Arctic Silver - especially sat on the GT3 style BBS split rims. (Fully refurbed with new tyres 500 miles ago).

Spec of the car is nice, Xenons, full black leather, extended leather pack - dash and door cards, sunroof, electric memory seats, white dials and Nav. The previous owner has changed the ancient PCM system for a modern Nav unit (same one as I fitted in the Boxster as it happens) with usb in the armrest, reverse camera, etc. I would’ve liked heated seats and traction control as that came with the LSD on the earlier 996.2s but it was an expensive option so can let that slide. If I’m being particular I would’ve gone with the standard rather than ruffled leather but it doesn’t matter.

There is a huge history file that took me over an hour to put into chronological order, car hasn’t wanted for anything throughout its life.

The previous owner bought it just over 4 years ago and has only done 5000 miles in those 4 years. Prior to him buying it, the car had a new clutch, dual mass flywheel, IMS bearing and Rear Main Seal.

In the 4 years the previous owner has had the car he has had it serviced every year and (being an ex-engineer) changed the oil every 6 months regardless of use!

Also:

New discs and Ferodo DS2500 pads all round, braided brake hoses, GT3 brake cooling scoops, new aircon radiator condensers, new waterpump and low temperature thermostat, Dansk stainless steel exhaust backboxes, 200-Cell sport Cats, IPD inlet plenum, 997 gearshift mechanism and a £400 Porsche Tequipment gearknob(!) and the icing on the cake was the brand new M030 suspension package from Porsche 107 miles ago.

The misfire had reared it’s head on a test drive the week before and put the prospective purchaser off, hence me being in the position I was. 

I’ve had 2 offers to buy the car already, one of whom has got me looking for a similar car for him with a budget of £20k - I genuinely can’t find anything of comparable spec and maintenance in that bracket!

It should be fixed next week and I plan to get out on some runs with it to get to grips with it better, a trip to the Ring booked for May too. Currently planning to hang onto it for 2-3 years as a relatively safe and liquid place to keep some money. Although I seem to be better at buying cars than selling them so we’ll see. 

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Edited by eldavo69
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11 hours ago, patently said:

Oh no, it's got the silver (very expensive) plastic centre console.  Everyone who knows about 996s knows they're a nightmare.  I'm surprised at you, frankly... :roflmao:

FTFY.

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11 hours ago, patently said:

Oh no, it's got the Aluminium-look centre console.  Everyone who knows about 996s knows they're a nightmare.  I'm surprised at you, frankly... :roflmao:

Its the expensive body-coloured console option - really breaks up the blackfest of the interior, I love it!

 

£820 for a Carbon one Garcon if you’d like to buy me one? (Although I’d rather have the £££)

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1 hour ago, patently said:

Silver, then :roflmao:

With hints of beige x

 

Had the Porsche specialist on the phone at quarter to seven tonight - had the borescope down the cylinder and the VarioCam tappets are all down so the valves are all shut - hmmmm. Compression - fine. Fuel Pressure - fine. Borescoring - none. Coil Packs - fine. Solenoid - fine. Fault codes cleared and no misfire. Take the car up in revs and it’s fine, slowly lower the revs and it’s fine, take it up the revs and then let them drop sharply . . . misfire back at idle - grrrr. 

Specialist still thought it was indicative of a sticking lifter but wasn’t sure and was frustrated that there was no smoking gun. 

Got off the phone at 7pm and he said he was going to run it up to misfire and then get the borescope back in ASAP to confirm his hunch. 

25 minutes later he sends me the following picture - one lifter up and one down, part being ordered in the morning and then the fun begins getting it changed!!!

 

 

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As I’m now the oracle for buying the crappy unloved Porsche models that nobody likes (my neighbour has said it’s like I’m taking in 3-legged cats and my wife HATES the 944) - another neighbour has asked for my advice on an early Cayenne. 

Obviously, I told him to buy the 3.2 V6 that’s nobody wants. 

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