A small percentage of 996's have a problem with the failure of the Intermediate Main Shaft bearing (Google Porsche M96 IMS and there will be reams of information, both good and bad!). A Porsche inspection would be valuable unless he is prepared to take a gamble. The price is high so the condition and the options fitted should reflect that. All the usual "opportunities" given by 15 year old cars are likely and Porsche parts are expensive but if you have a "Classic" oil change at an OPC you are then entitled to a 15% discount on parts prices. Cabrios, and Tiptronics especially tend to be driven more gently than Coupes.
I have recently had a precautionary IMS, clutch and dual mass flywheel change on my '01 3.4 996 which cost £3k at an independent - OPCs won't change the IMS bearing but want to fit a new shaft. This involves a total stripdpwn of the engine and costs considerably more!
The 3.6 engine can also suffer from bore scoring so a bore scope would be worthwhile. Looking at the photos, the car appears to be a good spec. 996 Cabrios usually came with a factory hardtop as standard so it would be worth checking if it is available.
The 996 has been underrated for a while but people are now beginning to realise just how good they are and they will never be as cheap again. I have owned 10 Porsches over the years, two of them 996's and it is a joy to get back into one of them again.
Last edited by Max5; 15/02/19 09:17 AM.
