Reply With QuotePistonheads.com - quite a few on there :)
I'm keen on buying one at some point (a 996 GT3 would do nicely) and need to start gearing up on my knowledge. Could anyone suggest a forum or other website which would help?
Pistonheads.com - quite a few on there :)
http://www.911uk.com/forum.php
http://www.total911.com/forum/
Very useful resources :)
Thanks both :)
Nothing to add other than to re-recommend those mentioned above.
Agree withthe above, also try Porschecommunity.co.uk lots of links to specialists there
Goat
Forums are great for background info but personally I would say one has to talk in depth with a few Independent Porsche specialists and get a few test drives in the different variants. I wish I had done that years ago because I am sure I would have bought a 3.2 Carrera or SC by now, I was always put off by various stories but fell in love with the sound and feel of the old torsion bar 911 when I got a chance in one the other year. Now tbh I think I have lost interest in road cars.
http://www.911uk.com or Total911.com
Buy Total 911 magazine always has loads of good articles when considering any Porsche purchase (not that I am biased with my very small monthly column!)
I bought my 996C4S from Autobahn nr Coventry..they were so much more helpful than the dedicated OPC's. Same goes when I get maintenance or servicing always take it to Nick and the team at PCT Coventry.
Just got my Porsche back today from MOT, Major Service and Rear Main Seal/Intermediate Seal replacement...and it feels great. Buy a 911 you will not regret it (PS please don't blame me if you do regret it :lol: )
If a mate's recent experience is anything to go by you need to prepare for some big repair bills!
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
A point to bear in mind from the above. If you can't afford to run the car when it was brand new you definetely will not be able to afford to run it second-hand :lol:Originally Posted by Chris_in_the_UK
If you buy second hand, get it thoroughly checked out beforehand. Understand that it is a quirky car and some parts are just hard to get to, which results in patchy maintenance, which will have an impact on what you have to spend during your ownership.
Be aware of what it is you are buying.
Once bought, go for a few blasts and have a great time!!! :lol: :lol:
Try 911 virgins - very trust worthy private seller in Uxbridge (London).
I still don't understand how supposedly rock-solid German cars like Porsche can be so disappointing in terms of running. I was always under the illusion that you can drive a 911 everyday comfortably whilst not throwing away money on depreciation. Is the 997 still a 'mare?
Rennlist is very good for technical stuff, you may need to sign up: http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/index.php
Henry at http://www.911virgin.com/ as mentioned in the post above is a dealer, but pretty good - I bought my previous 911 from him, good service.
I find Pistonheads great for general queries and Renntech good for more technical, 'how to' queries. There's also a Porsche sub-forum on octane.ie which is good for local knowledge.
If you fancy a chat and a blat in a 996 C4S soft-top, you know where to find me.
They look great compared to Italian exotica in those terms, ppl expect family hatchback reliability and running costs which is a bit unrealistic really. BTW I think the German car thing is little more than myth these days, it might have been true in the 80's and early 90's but these days almost every car feels the same, reliability index scores also do not look great for many German cars either.
This indepentant Northwest Porsche specialist site may give you an insight into the buying and running costs.
http://www.hartech.org/index.html
Thanks for the great info all - latest copy of Total911 bought and being absorbed.... Porsche really do churn out a massive range of model types, don't they?
Pistonheads was once fantastic, but seems to be frequented by more and more people who contribute very little these days. You'll almost certainly find lots of knowledgeable people in the Porsche forums, but remember you'll always hear about the negatives more than the positives in those places. Take some of it with a pinch of salt, otherwise you'll never buy one ;)
Quick question, seeing as there seem to be a fair few 911 owners here. My 997 is coming up for a major (4 year) service and MOT and I'm debating whether I go to the main dealer I bought it from and get fleeced but get the right stamp in the log book, or find a reputable independent and pay a little less (and hopefully get a better service too)...
Does having servicing done at a Porsche dealer make any difference in the longer term - it's an 56 C2S?
Tough one... If your planning on keeping the car another 2 years or so then I would probably switch to an independent. I have no doubt a reputable independent will do a more thorough job servicing your car, at a fraction of the cost. But you do get a warm feeling buying a car with full main dealer history.
I would probably look at the difference in cost; guessing the independent won’t be as convenient as a local main dealer. Do you have the time to travel there, possibly leaving overnight without any courtesy vehicle? It was always dangerous taking your car to a main dealer, they would always give me such a nice courtesy car I didn’t want to hand it back!
As everyone is talking about 911's hopefully this is an opportunity to ask for some real honest feedback without causing offence?
For the last few months I have been really seriously thinking about a Ferrari 355/360 or Aston V8 Vantage - Both cars have advantages and disadvantages. Both however are a nightmare to insure and of course you hear all of the horrer stories. One thing about these cars though that does appeal is that everytime I get in the car it will be an event.
So my question is will a 911 be a more practicle choice but still give the same buzz everytime I start the engine?
drive2us,
I have limited experience of all of these cars through a friend, so hopefully telling you about my & his opinions will help you?
My friend is a pretty successful business man who like to change his cars lots so has had most of what your considering.
He started off in Boxsters & M3's before moving onto a 997c4. After 3 months with the 997 he got bored & moved onto a AMv8, which he ran for about 6 months before the allure of a 360 bit and he moved it on. He couldn't live with the "basic" 360 day to day so within 2wks swapped it back for his previous AMv8 at considerable cost. The AMv8 was fine for him for another 6 months or so before moving onto a Conti GT and now back to another 997c2S this time.... ....Guess what, yep he's bored again and looking for something else.
Anyway onto my opinion, having been lucky enough to briefly drive them all;
911, - It just feels right, there isn't really much of a sense of occasion with it at all but it feels right. Day to day usability is second to none, and you can tell from the off their is some lovely textures and characteristics which will take time to learn. BUT unless you are that way inclined to search out those little features and push the car to it's limit's possibly a little boring after not very long.
AMv8 - Essentially it's about 90% of the 911 in every way except 1 thing THE OCCASION!!!! What a noise, what fabulous looks, & everyone you pass will agree too. TBH not as good a drive as the 911 and not as fast either BUT boy it feels fast because it sounds like the end of the world. With regards to this the aston is maybe 50% up on the 911.
360 - Working on the same sort of analogy the Ferrari is maybe 70% of porsche's everyday comfort & usability but it's 200% up on noise, speed, everything that matters. But let's be honest it's got to be a second car.
Which would I buy given say £40k to spend???
Well interestingly I'd look for 2 cars a bmw M car or 90-03 911 of some sort to use most days, with some form of classic/track car in the garage for high days & holidays.
Hope this helps?
Try an old 911, all the occasion and noise anyone could wish for. I had a little go in a Dino about a year ago and found it hugely underwhelming bta that was a short while after a friend took me out in a 73 2.4S (911 that was the starting point for the legendary 2.7RS). What a noise.
If I could have any 911 though I would want something like this:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topi ... &mid=73190
Awesome is an often overused word but that car deserves it.
I wouldn´t part from mine for anything...It´s been in the family for 28 years
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/ac16 ... eSeite.jpg
http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/ac16 ... orsche.jpg
Bit late to this, but having had Porsche's for years can I suggest that the OP doesn't go for a GT3 straight away - might be best to start on something less extreme and get 1) Some quality tuition 2) Some track days done & then get the GT3.
Andy
Wanted - Damasko DC57
Thanks for the feedback. I pretty much thought that was the feedback I would get. It does seem that owning an Aston and Ferrari is often better just left as an untouchable dream and maybe the Porsche is the daily driver answer. thanks :cry:
Another couple of useful sites are the enthusiast forums:
http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com
http://forums.tipec.net/
The ones I visit most often are:
PistonHeads (good Porsche forum and great classifieds)
911UK.com - great for older 911s, particularly the 993
Porsche Club GB Forum - good all round but not as busy as the other two
As regards some reputable independent dealers:
RSJ
911Virgin
JZ Maztech
Adrian Crawford
Portiacraft
Northway
Strasse
Specialist Cars of Malton
Stirlings
I would definitely recommend a more road biased car to start with.
Depending on what you want to use it for, I would recommend:
- More of a daily driver: 996 Turbo (absolute super car bargain at the moment)
- Weekend/Summer car: Any manual 993 (more sense of occasion)
Hope this helps
Thanks Spy. It would be a weekend car only. I'd be very interested to hear your views on the driving differences between the 993s and 996s.
The 996 is a more modern car and also, the first of the water cooled 911s. As such, it is not necessarily as involving a drive as the previous air-cooled 911s like the 993/964 etc. This difference in "involvement" also makes it a much easier car to drive and live with on a day-to-day basis and why it makes a much better daily car. The water cooled 911s i.e. the previous 996 and current 997 are Porsches best selling cars, partly because they have made them much more accessible in terms of ease of driving and have attracted a wider market, including women.
The 993 (and the other air cooled cars before it) are deemed by enthusiasts as the last of the "proper" porsches. They retain the old character of the 911 with pedals that come out of the floor and a heavier steering etc. This in some respects is what gives them the "involvement" mentioned before. They hold their value much better than the newer Porsches (and in some cases apprciate in value). This is often offset by the running costs of these cars. Due to their age, parts tend to wear out and therefore require more to maintain than a newer Porsche. Saying that, if you shop wisely and carefully, you can pick up a car that has been maintained well and with many common foibles already fixed. These include door check straps, rust around the front and rear windscreens, replaced headlight glass, renewed suspension etc.
The best thing to do is go to a reputable independent specialist and test drive a few :D
Thanks again Spy - this is excellent stuff - very informative indeed.
I've recently bought a low mileage 996 mark 2 - and so far I love it.
Dunno if that helps or not!
:D
So clever my foot fell off.
WELCOME TO THE MADNESS MY CHILD :twisted:
I've got a rather worrying obsession for this baby :D
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1795839.htm
Found this good site for lots of 911s for sale - http://www.pcarforsale.com/
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Found this good site for lots of 911s for sale - http://www.pcarforsale.com/porsche-997-market-update-2017/
Revival of a 7 year old zombie thread to advertise your useless advert riddled American click bait site, you saw that this was TZ-UK right? Lifeblood indeed.
Mine is on SC for less than the price of a tyre on one
I had a 996 GT3, after a fairly short time found it boring, sold it and bought Noble M400
Get an SC or a Carrera 3.2, have some fun for a few years and then sell it for £5-£7k profit :)
I'm about to sell my Cayman for a 997 C2S, which will be a dealer car as the warranty is worth it for the extra money IMO.
My advice would be to get on Rennlist, PH and buy as many old Total911 and Evo mags that contain reviews on the models / years that you are after. 911Virgin, Rennsport and Hartech are useful for info too.
The 996 is gradually going up in price and the Turbos are hitting crazy money now. Get one while you can before they all become garage queens.
OP's probably got one now (or given up looking).
Before anyone else takes the trouble to write a long winded answer, realise the original question was asked in 2010 and this thread was only revived by a spammer after 7 years of dormancy. Anyhow, to remain topical here is a pic of my 997 3.6l, these too have now bottomed in price IMO and are creeping up:
Last edited by Padders; 23rd July 2017 at 18:59.
Haha really should have looked at the OPs post date.
^^^^ this ^^^^
These cars are eyewatering expensive te run due to the absurd prices / hr rates!
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^^^^ this ^^^^
These cars are eyewatering expensive te run due to the absurd prices / hr rates!
Quick snap of my 911 997 Gen 1.
Purchased the car earlier this year, took me about 3 months to find the right one. This has had a full engine rebuild (December 2016), all cylinders re-lined, new pistons in one bank, new rings and also an oil fed IMS bearings (another common fault) so its very well cared for.
Massive stack of paperwork from over the years, full of extras and low owners/miles (3 previous owners & 60k on the clock).
I have put about 1500 miles on it so far, once the tax runs out in October its getting garaged for the winter. Hoping to keep it in mint condition and make a few ££ when I come to sell it in a few years.
Did you put the gen 2 lights on?Quick snap of my 911 997 Gen 1.
Purchased the car earlier this year, took me about 3 months to find the right one. This has had a full engine rebuild (December 2016), all cylinders re-lined, new pistons in one bank, new rings and also an oil fed IMS bearings (another common fault) so its very well cared for.
Massive stack of paperwork from over the years, full of extras and low owners/miles (3 previous owners & 60k on the clock).
I have put about 1500 miles on it so far, once the tax runs out in October its getting garaged for the winter. Hoping to keep it in mint condition and make a few ££ when I come to sell it in a few years.
I did yes, I still have the original ones in the garage which will probably go on when ever I come to sell it.
Thats the only 'modification' and definitely made a difference for the better.
Totally agree, it gives a more modern look to the car (it looks nice btw).
Thanks. It was definitely worth the 600 mile round trip.
I didn't initially want a red car but glad I went for it now as every other I see are black or silver.
Sounds like it had a trip to Hartech or similar. Beautiful cars but this is the reason I'm going for a Gen 2, although the cost difference is high. Need it as a dailyto so can't afford to run the risk of a Gen 1 going pop in me.Quick snap of my 911 997 Gen 1.
Purchased the car earlier this year, took me about 3 months to find the right one. This has had a full engine rebuild (December 2016), all cylinders re-lined, new pistons in one bank, new rings and also an oil fed IMS bearings (another common fault) so its very well cared for.
Massive stack of paperwork from over the years, full of extras and low owners/miles (3 previous owners & 60k on the clock).
I have put about 1500 miles on it so far, once the tax runs out in October its getting garaged for the winter. Hoping to keep it in mint condition and make a few ££ when I come to sell it in a few years.
Loverly car BTW, not a fan of red but that looks nice.
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