[buddalun]

I would not seriously consider the two you mentioned, but take the 2006 911 for a test drive.

[JDC PDX]

997.2 is my choice for the most bang for your buck. Don't know much about the Boxster/Cayman line other than they are considered to be very well balanced cars.

Good luck with your search. That is half the fun!

[champignon]

As an update, I went to look at a 2000 Boxster with my business partner yesterday. It was immaculate, however not meeting my criteria, and also the risk of the dreaded IMS failure led me to not consider it. I test drove a 2006 Carrera today which was also very clean, but IMS failure risks will probably prevent me from making an offer on that one.

The hunt continues, at least to the point of actually pulling the trigger, which is where I might bail ultimately!

I also went to look at a high mileage E46 M3 today, which was very interesting but it had obviously been parked outside for about a decade, and I would have felt compelled to fix all the rotting rubber and plastic, plus it is really duplicative of my other cars so it was fun to look at it, but that was that. The owner, who I told I had looked at a Boxster yesterday, said, "I don't care if you don't buy my M3, but DON'T buy a Boxster!"

It was pretty funny!

[Pig Farmer]

Just a thought... You can pick up a relatively low mileage 944s or even 944 turbo for well beneath your budget. They are slow compared to a modern day sports car, but boy are they fun to drive. The steering is telepathic, they feel light but solid, there are no driver's aids, and 50 mph feels like 90. If I had the space I would buy one in a heart beat. The 944 reminds me of what driving a sports car use to feel like.

[rymerc]

Prices are way out of line. The most expensive local new-car dealer had a (997.2) 2009 base carrera they took on trade, 1 owner, 35k miles, near-perfect condition decently optioned and they wanted $42k for it (back in 8/2016). I test drove it, offered them $40k, they didn't take it. Then it sat for 6 months unsold. They kept trying to get in contact with me afterwards, but I already got an M3.

To me, it wasn't worth the $20k+ premium over a nice 996.2 which I already have. The interior was a LITTLE nicer, and the catastrophic engine failure risk was gone- but drove the same, performance felt the same, just not enough to justify the price difference.

I'd recommend a 996tt in that price range over a 997.2, OR a 2009+ cayman S in the mid $30s if you like that driving dynamic better.

[champignon]

Thanks everyone for your great suggestions, I really appreciate them! Sorry to do such an off topic post here.

[rickc007]

Originally Posted by griz31

In my hunt for the 1m, I took a hard look at the Cayman series.
Cliffs:
2006-2008 - 987.1 (Overblown IMS issues)
2009-2012 - 987.2 (Same body, power bumps)
2014+ - 981 (New model)

Hi griz31, tried to research this out myself once ... is the IMS really "overblown"
???

Kinda scared me away from the 2005 - 2008

[TomD335xicoupe]

Hi I have owned three 911s, a 964 RS America (crased at Lime Rock), 993 coupe (sold needed money), and a 996 cab sold to buy RSA. I worked for Porsche Sales in NJ after retiring from Law enforcement position. Got the job because I was running NNJR PCA autocross program and was doing a shit load of track days so I was a good fit for them. Quit after two years started to become more work then fun.
The IMS and RMS issues are totally overblown looking at a 1 to 1.5 k fix when caught in time easy to recognize one that is on the way out and or just replace with the new and stop worrying. My 335 leaking valve cover cost half that much to replace not to mention all the rest of the stuff we put up with with the N54. Non of my P cars cost me as much to maintain as this one and I do not even track this car.
My best advise for you considering you have several modern cars at your disposal is to as said before buy an air cooled 911. The RSA is way out of most everybodies price range now but the 993s are still somewhat affordable. There is no other car I would want again if I could afford to buy anything at any price then a 95-98 911 4S (AKA 993.)
If you can get someone to let you drive one , there will be no looking back.

[griz31]

Originally Posted by rickc007

Hi griz31, tried to research this out myself once ... is the IMS really "overblown"
???

Kinda scared me away from the 2005 - 2008

Realistically, the forums are such a small percentage of owners. Of that small percentage, nobody posts to say my IMS is GREAT! I think what you read and research online can be extremely biased. Also, the Cayman's got larger bearings than the original ones in the Boxster (m96 vs m97 engine).

That being said, some truly had serious issues. Take it for what it's worth.

[sygazelle]

You are in Idaho, right? So far as I know, Porsche does not make a pickup truck.

[TomD335xicoupe]

Just one other thought I also like the 2004 anniversary addition, has a bit more power then the typical 996 C2 special wheels , GT Silver paint, and a 4/s - turbo type front bumper, can be bought on the cheep in comparison for a specialty version of the 996. If you go to the 996 avoid 99, 2000 and 2001, 2002 and up not much more power but 20 HP is better then nothing.

[champignon]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

You are in Idaho, right? So far as I know, Porsche does not make a pickup truck.

Of course there is truth to that, but then there are some stereotypes of San Francisco I could cite that would be equally unflattering :-)

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by champignon

Of course there is truth to that, but then there are some stereotypes of San Francisco I could cite that would be equally unflattering :-)

Half my family lives in Idaho and I really enjoy visiting. My brother drives a 335i, but he also has a pickup.

Anyway, I was just sharing my weird sense of humor; no offense intended at all.

[FIRSTM]

ok, I believe you are in a similiar situation like I was back in 2014, I pick up the 991 50TH anniv edition, and still have it with the 1M.

I believe you wanting the NA is the correct choice, if price is the problem, a 997 s or 4s is really good, still original steering no electric steering, great engine, modern body style. Power delivery is really diff from turbo, and I have the pleasure of driving them both alternating them weekly and monthly now because of airbag recall for 1M,

if you can get a 4s 997, or just an S, I think you would like it, it takes a little bit to get use to after driving force induction for awhile, I trade in the GTR for my 991, and never regret it, I drive it little more than the 1M now. MT, NA engine is the way to go in the porsche, boxster and cayman is ok, but the rear engine just add a little more excitement for me, go test drive a few times, not just once lol

[champignon]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

Half my family lives in Idaho and I really enjoy visiting. My brother drives a 335i, but he also has a pickup.

Anyway, I was just sharing my weird sense of humor; no offense intended at all.

No offense was received :-) Almost all the vehicles here are trucks, SUVs, minivans, or crossovers. It's very unusual to view a car here that would appeal to an enthusiast. They do some sort of "Cars and Coffee" in Boise during the summertime; I need to go once, I bet there are a bunch of tractors and harvesters :-)

Plus, people don't speak English here, they speak "Idahoan." Idahoan is a subset of the English language with around 40 nouns and only 1 verb that can be conjugated, "got."

Hope I cleared all this up :-)

[saeyedoc]

Originally Posted by champignon

Hope I cleared all this up :-)

You mean I hope I got all this cleared up?

[champignon]

Originally Posted by saeyedoc

You mean I hope I got all this cleared up?

When in Rome :-)

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by champignon

No offense was received :-) Almost all the vehicles here are trucks, SUVs, minivans, or crossovers. It's very unusual to view a car here that would appeal to an enthusiast. They do some sort of "Cars and Coffee" in Boise during the summertime; I need to go once, I bet there are a bunch of tractors and harvesters :-)

Plus, people don't speak English here, they speak "Idahoan." Idahoan is a subset of the English language with around 40 nouns and only 1 verb that can be conjugated, "got."

Hope I cleared all this up :-)

Glad you have a sense of humor about it. You say you have only 15' extra space in your car storage area. If you remove your potato harvester and put it outside, you could easily fit a Panamera in there.

Actually, you should be kidding Californians. California is the number on agriculture state by a wide margin, with ag revenues almost twice 2nd place Texas. And yup, we got our fair share of pickup too.

[champignon]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

Glad you have a sense of humor about it. You say you have only 15' extra space in your car storage area. If you remove your potato harvester and put it outside, you could easily fit a Panamera in there.

Actually, you should be kidding Californians. California is the number on agriculture state by a wide margin, with ag revenues almost twice 2nd place Texas. And yup, we got our fair share of pickup too.

Plus, you have politicians I would pay you to prevent from ever crossing the border :-)

[eluded]

Originally Posted by champignon

First, the last thing I need is another car; I already have 5

No, you need another car.

[champignon]

Originally Posted by 8081M

Based on your wants, a 996 twin turbo sure seems like the answer. Reliable Mezger motor, 415 HP, AWD, and you can still get one for around $40k. Drawbacks would be: turbo (you'd prefer NA), fried egg headlights, and not the greatest interior.

Doug DeMuro's article "Here’s Why The 996 Turbo Is The Best Porsche 911 You Can Buy" is old, but still relevant.

The Doug DeMuro article is now about 2.5 years old. All the cars I can find listed are considerably more expensive than the $37K he quotes in that article, unless perhaps one is looking at a high mileage example.

[champignon]

Originally Posted by buddalun

I would not seriously consider the two you mentioned, but take the 2006 911 for a test drive.

I drove it on Monday. It is low mileage, less than 29K, and in overall excellent condition. I enjoyed driving it a lot. The asking price is $41K, and I made no effort to negotiate.

I've thought about buying it a few times, but in the end there are 2 reasons why I will not.

(1) IMS bearing issue is relatively uncommon but still certainly possible for a 2006 911 997.1

(2) I think if this was your only car and you just wanted a really nice Porsche, then it would be great for that. It was not, however, such an exceptional car that in a small collection like I have, that it would clearly stand out as something very special.

Having a lot of cars is obviously not usual and not very practical (most would add, "not very intelligent") either. Buying another car to add to what I already have means that whatever I would buy would have to stand out, or it won't get driven much, and in the end will probably be resold in a year or two.

All of the cars I presently own are unique or special in some way, at least to me. My 1M, 135is Convertible, and Z3M Coupe need no further explanation. My other two cars, a Golf R and a 135i, are not THAT special, but I treat them as essentially daily drivers, and use them in the winter when I would not drive the others. The R is AWD and has 4 doors and a hatch, very useful. My 135i is every bit a high performance RWD BMW, and reminds me a lot of my favorite old car, a 1993 325i that I owned as my sole vehicle for 10 years.

So, although I think you probably could not find a better example of a 2006 Carrera Coupe then the one I'm not going to buy, it just doesn't scratch an itch I can think of.

At this point I'm thinking 997.2 Carrera, however I could also consider something like a Z4M Coupe, 2006 to 2008, which might not be all that redundant with my other cars.