What concerns or cost would their be in a 1999 Porsche 911?

I am seeing a lot of 99' 911's that are very well-priced. What kind of considerations would you have in an 10 year-old Porsche. Servicing and such at this range, around 100k miles is average.|||1999 was the first year of the 996-body 911, and the first year with a water-cooled engine. This 3.4 litre engine was replaced with a 3.6 litre six cylinder in 2002. "Purists" and collectors hated the 996 because it wasn't a "true" air-cooled 911.





Personally, I have a rule against buying the first year of any brand-new or major revision car. I've violated my rule before, but there does seem to be less market for a 1999 than for a 2000 on up.





There is a lot of nonsense put out about the prices of tires and service on 911s. I owned a 1996 993 (last of the air-cooled) 911 rear drive coupe for 5.5 years, and have now owned a 2005 (996) Turbo S (AWD) 911 coupe for nearly 2 years. Here's my experience.





An oil change for either car runs about $250.00. HOWEVER, per the owner's manual, you do them "every 15,000 miles or 1 year, whichever comes first." That's about one half to one third as often as most cars. Over time the price of oil changes is only slightly higher than say, a Subaru (I own two of those). My 1996 held 12 (yes, 12) quarts of Mobil 1 oil (dry sump system, with separate oil tank). The oil for a change costs $60 to $80; the Porsche filter is $19.95. My dealership said, "Why?" when I asked if I shouldn't change the oil more frequently.





My Turbo S uses big, expensive tires: 8 X 18 on the front and 11 X 18 on the rear. Go to http://www.tirerack.com and check for yourself: a set of Pirelli PZeros for my car runs $1,172 for all four tires. A set of Bridgestone Potenza S-02As runs $1,264. These are two OEM tires with "N" Porsche specs. You'll pay about $60 to have either set delivered to your front porch, or directly to your preferred shop. An older Porsche 911 won't take as expensive a tire set.





For the track I like Kumho Ecsta SPTs at $770.00 a set, including delivery. You should know that you'll only get 6,000 to 10,000 miles from the rear tires, depending on how you drive. The fronts, on a rear-drive car will get about double that. I've only put 10,000 miles on my 2005 so far, so I haven't found out if the AWD means faster front tire wear (I've got two sets of wheels and tires for the car).





In the 5.5 years I owned the 993, I did 5 oil changes. I did the following repairs: I had the trim around the rear window re-secured, I replaced the rubber cover on the clutch pedal, and I replaced the switch for the rear window defroster. That's all folks. I bought the car with 11,100 miles on the odometer, and sold it with 40,050. I tracked the car. I saw 150 mph in it, but it took about two miles to get there.





In the nearly 2 years I've owned the 996 Turbo, I have done 2 oil changes. I did the following repairs: absolutely nothing. I bought the car with 13,300 miles on the odometer. It now has 23,400 miles on the odometer. I've managed 150 mph on the 2/3-mile front straight at Miller Motorsport Park near Salt Lake City, the longest road course in North America.





The current model of 911 is the water-cooled 997 body car. Purists and collectors have calmed down about the end of the air-cooled 911s, and not as much hate is spewed over this latest Porsche. In fact, I hear that the 3.6 litre engine in my 2005 is now considered "perhaps the best Porsche has ever built."





ADDED:


Most of the people in the Porsche Club of America that I know change their own oil.|||There is a reason they are well-priced, they cost a ton to keep on the road. I have a Porsche (much newer), and even oil changes costs hundreds of dollars and you cannot do them yourself. If you buy a 1999 Porsche, budget at least $2,000 to $2,500 per year just for maintenance. Some years will be less and some will be $5,000 or more.





Again, there is a reason they are well-priced. The reason is that they cost a TON of money to keep on the road.





They are fantastic cars, but they will cost you a lot of money to keep on the road. Also, be very careful if you strongly consider buying one. Inspect the tires closely, because a good set of tires for one of these cars will cost you about $2,000. Yes, that much just for good tire..... I just had two tires, an oil change and a coolant flush on my car and my bill was almost $2,000, and I shopped around.|||You need to do some research on the "Rear Main Seal" or "RMS" issues, as well as the issue of "Porous engine case" in this range of Porsche 911s...





Rennlist.com is a good resource. Join as a free member, and do A LOT OF READING. Take 3 evenings to do your research BEFORE asking a question- I know the desire to get YOUR answer is strong, but you will ask a better first question if you do this.