Hi Everyone... New to the forum and wanted to tap the knowledge vault... I'm entertaining the idea of getting a 911 Carrera (1999-2000'ish) model and wanted to get the scoop on them... For the money, they seem to be
a nice compromise amongst the trims... look nice and have decent horsepower.. just to get an idea, i've surfed ebay quite a bit and most with decent mileage 40K or less seem to go from anywhere between $28k-$38k (give or take)... a few months ago a lot close to my house had a 2000 Carrera with 41k miles on it... guy said he would've taken $26k
for it... i just wasn't in the market then but here soon i might be... I'd love
to have a turbo 911 but they are just too much $... so anyone with good info on this trim please respond.. i'd really appreciate any info... I'd also like to know how upgradeable this model is... what are inexpensive mods for it that can boost up the horsepower... and, how much horsepower
can the stock block hold ? can it be aftermarket turbo'ed and if so how
much does that entail and cost ?

Thanks Everyone

 

There is not a lot you can do for horsepower for the C2/4. You can do a full exhaust, intake, and chip and get somewhere around 40hp, but there isn't a lot to do after that. I have supercharged over a dozen of them, but you are looking at a $12k bill by the time that is done. Putting on aftermarket turbo's would not be financially feasable to do, especially with an engine build to change the internals. We run 4psi on our supercharger kits, and take the HP to about 420 IIRC. You can obviously do things like coil over suspension kits, rims, etc as well.

As far as maintenance goes, they tend to be very trouble free. The early cars have been known to suffer RMS (rear main seal) failures, so watch out for that, as it is not a cheap repair.

 

Thanks for the info PorscheDoc... i appreciate it.... i kinda figured (like with most cars) that it wouldn't be cheap to mod one extensively with the likes of a turbo but i wanted to be sure... i guess with the mods you mentioned you could get one that advertises 300hp up
around it a little over it with the mods... and i assume it's a pretty quick little car for what it is... i have to realize i can't have it all i guess !! :-) i currently have an 03 Cobra Mustang with over 600rwhp... it's insane fast... but the gas sucks ! So as far as years
to look at, you think a 1999-2000'ish model is good ? as far as "older" models you mentioned with that RMS issue, which years are
those ?

 

The RMS issues tend to rear their heads in the 99 & 00 models, but I have seen a few in the newer cars as well. The 996C2 definetly won't be anywhere near as fast in a straight line as your mustang, which is built for straight line speed....it just sucks when you have to stop or turn in them. The 996 is a great daily driver, corners good, stops good, good on gas, and the general build quality is by far better than anything ford has put out (I am a former mustang guy as well), so it would be a change. We build up to 1000hp 996TT's, and Stephen who owns the shop here runs an 809hp 996TT for a daily driver which we built, so the twin turbos there is a lot of room to play with. Just an ECU reprogramming in the TT will bring roughly +75hp and 78tq, and I do that in about 20 minutes on my laptop.

Shop around, drive some cars, see what you like. There isn't anything wrong with starting with a basic C2, then move up later

 

Sound good... Again, thanks for the insight.. i really appreciate it... I feel like a 99-01 Carrera would be a good start for me and most likely fit my budget... it looks nice and can be upgraded a bit with some bolt on's... and yes i definitely need to drive some to get a feel... the only Porsche i've ever driven was a 944 and that was years ago.. Another question, as far as Turbo 911's, can you tell me what older models (early 90's or late 80's) are considered good cars if that makes sense... i kinda want to go with a newer model (non-turbo) due to the price tag of a newer turbo.. but if i entertained the idea of getting something older that
was turbo, are there specific trims and/or year models that are better than the other ?? i'm sure you would be able to answer that pretty easily so i thought i'd go ahead and ask while discussing my options.

Thanks !

 

Any of the older 930's (up to 1989), 965's (early 90's), or 993TT's are good cars. Downside of a 930, is due to age. Things always need to be repaired, and a lot of them are getting to the point of needing a motor refreshing, or other major work. As well, they drive like a 20 year old vehicle. Fun, but different. The 965's (same car as used in the movie Bad Boys) are great cars, this is when the cars started getting a little heavier. Solidly built, and simple bolt on things like a turbo and exhaust, and they put out some nice hp. 993TT's are also great, but they have held their values very well due to production numbers, being the last of the aircooled motors, as well as the last of the traditional 911 bodystyle. The 996 is by far a more superior car in design and build than the 993's and earlier. Technology has changed, and Porsche seems to have done it right with the 996. For instance, the ECU of a 996TT has over 2700 different maps in the motronic 7.2 and 7.8 systems. These ECU's are smarter than 90% of anything on the market, stock or aftermarket.

With that being said, the 996 is a completely different car to drive than a 930/965/993, you really have to drive each to see what fits you best.

 

Well i think for my budget the 996 is the way to go (non-turbo)... i'd rather have a much newer better designed model (such as a 1999-2001) carrera 996 as
opposed to an older turbo i think.. the turbos are just too much $ right now for me... who knows.. maybe down the line i can pick one up... can you recommend any good places to look for used 996's ?? places that are reputable that i could look online at possible cars for sale ? Doesn't matter where... when i decide
to get one, i have no problem making a road trip if i find a nice one somewhere other than my area.

 

It doesn't really matter where you find the car, but pay the 200-300 and get a pre purchase inspection done at a dealer or independant shop that knows the cars. It can really save you a lot of money. I have inspected numerous cars brought to me, where we found damage that was not disclosed etc. A Carfax is absolutely worthless in my opinion. On more than one occasion I have seen major damage repaired on some 996's that mysteriously do not show up on a Carfax.

 

I have a 1986 911 Targa. I need a new muffler and am looking for the best available. I live in GA so I need an exhaust system that has a cat in order to pass emmision testing. What do you suggest. I also run the car on the track. I was looking at some aftermarket SS mufflers (small cans 14-24 inches) that mount striaght out from the cat. Has anyone tried one of these?

 

I have a 1999 Porsche cab C2 that I bought new. I picked up the car in early 1998. The car has been Pefect. I use it for my daily driver. It handles fairly well and has satisfying power. I like the car and while the 997 version of the 911 is better in many aspects the 996 version (1999-2004)goes not feel dated.

I have 13 vehicles including a 2006 F430 F1, 2005 Ford GT, 2006 Lotus sport race (#8 of 50 built), 1965 427 Shelby Cobra kitetc ad nauseam. While these cars have performance advantages, non make the Porsche feelold and tired(okay the cassette track tape does ) I like the car and it has been cheap to own.

To your point the costs have come down to make them a good deal. I personally would not go older than a 1995. They tend to have a harsh ride.

Lee