I like that the tech locked that shifter linkage in properly even though its just an inspection. I couldn't in good conscious let a car drive away with something like that waiting to put the occupants at risk. That's a good tech right there.

The mechanic in this video patiently and clearly gives so much information and advice. That's one good mechanic.

Go to 2:47 I would shy away from this car because there is no engine under the hood. Just a spare tire and a bottle of wiper fluid.

Good advice, and a pleasure to watch a technician who knows what he is doing.

This is the best guide I've ever seen to buy an old Porsche........mechanic knows he's stuff👍

Straight forward presentation. No cheesy music, intros or predictable cringe-worthy humor.

I nearly dropped my ipad at the price. Wow. Also, this guy can check my cars anytime he wants. I have never, ever, seen a "mechanic" so clear, thorough and professional.

Love the video, I don't think most people understand the fact that a lot of mechanics wouldn't let you film them while they work, let alone explain everything they're doing and looking for. I would love to see a more detailed breakdown of that $5k repair bill (I know it lists the specific problem areas in the description, but there's no cost next to each item), as well as the cost of the inspection itself. Keep up the great content!

$5000 is a huge exaggeration. Replaced the shocks on both the hood and the trunk recently on ours and replacing an o2 sensor and some sway bar links is easy enough. All parts can be found online dirty cheap. And a rear main seal leak is usually caused by the car sitting for a while and some driving around stops it. Did with ours anyway. For the year, that car was in really good condition.

The IMS was the only thing that scared me away, everything else on that car was a piece of cake. The IMS scared me so bad that I went Turbo to avoid it ;)

Not even just for a Porsche, but this is a great tool and reference to any car when buying. Thanks for the upload, very informative.

I would like to thank you for posting this video. Very informative and the best is that you documented the whole process unlike other youtubers that only give their comments

actually thank you for this Video , i am currently in training to be a mechanic in germany, after watching quite some car Videos daily, from lots of american shops, and so on, after seeing this, this is the first out of id almost say hundreds of Videos , i saw that a shop actually does their inspection very detailed, i have Seen shops where they just look for oil leaks and thats it, they say everything else wont break :( , Good to See there are still professionals working in garages across the US

Brilliant video! Well shot, good audio and followed the mechanic as he showed everything. Well done!

It's good to see an automotive technician at the top of his game. This dude has the knowledge experience and equipment to get the job done. I'm a form of diesel tech with 30 years experience. If I found a shop like this I would still be turning wrenches. Sad to say this is the exception rather than the rule. Either way mad props to the tech, you did a good job buddy.

Well done. This is why using an expert that services these cars every day and has seen the things that are not obvious but can be expensive. Pay the man. He saved you much more than he charged.

Being an air-cooled bug fan for many years... this was quite a change of scenery :Oo Wow, worlds collide.. GR8T information. Thanks for posting.

You’ll want to go see this mechanic. He's a good man, and thorough.

Neat video! I've heard a few things about the 996 and what to watch for. Glad to see a video that covers it.

That's a great car. I had the 1998 Porsche 911 Carrera and it was a great car. It sat for several years and a random engine problem occured with no Engine Warning Light coming on which was a weird fault Porsche said. Totaled at 39,000 miles...

The only really big showstopper might be the leaking oilseal, all the other stuff is a bit of bushings, some bumpstops and getting rid of a few non major error codes which is perfectly normal for a 16 year old car...

This mechanic's awesome. Knows his stuff, patient, explains stuff properly.

Every word spoken in this video glitters with gold that is the value of such information. Thank you for sharing!

You wasted your money on that PPI. Any '99 Porsche that did not have it's IMS/RMS done needs to have it done. You should have known that from the start. Otherwise, it looks like it was in good shape and priced right. If you are afraid of a 5K repair bill, then you shouldn't be looking at Porsches.

I'm sure someone got a good deal buying that. Repairs were minor.

This was the best You Tube video I have ever see. Nice photo work, nice editing and great subject matter even if I never want to own a Porsche. Thank You

Good to know about IMA Autoworke! I'm in in the DMV area and I'll keep them in mind for a PPI, once I track down a 997.2! Can't imagine that mechanic is still there, but he seemed quite knowledgeable!

That was very interesting and informative. That gentleman with the handy flashlight knows his stuff! Thanks for the video.

Guy is not a joke, this is IMA Motorsports or IMA Motorwerke. They did my 911 Turbo and know what they're doing. Talk to Ivan.

great informative video on 911; i wish i had a mechanic like that local to me in Australia; he really knows his stuff

Thanks for a very informative video. I want to get a P car and this has convinced me to get a PPI from a Porsche expert as opposed to doing it myself with most cars I buy.

nice video, basically this inspection works out for most cars

In addition to worrying about the IMS bearing, you want those coolant pipe fittings pinned so you don't get a pop-out. If you don't have that done, here is a video on how to do it. ;) kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Z7t3f7l7ya6xYmw.html

Thank you for putting the time in to make this informative video....

Just bought my Porsche in the Chesterfield area of Va! Been a good car to me sorta so far but have another vehicle just in case. Great video.

Forget the Porsche but keep the mechanic!

Too bad seller wouldn’t budge on price. Any 996 without the IMS repair already done needs to be cheap or walk away.

Thank you SO very much for doing this. These are not the type of cars that many of us know well but want so this is really valuable info!

What a tremendously useful video. Miles better than the vast majority of internet 911 advice, largely because its based on facts and a great deal of experience.

5000 is way over exaggerated. I know for a fact an o2 sensor $30.00x2, Poly bushing for the sway bar = $79.99. Some rear main seals leak from just sitting so it's not like it was banged on. The clip I know is a mere $10.00. Im going to add shocks and struts for all four sides including bumpstops. These were the honda civics of Porsche. It's not a GT3. I have worked on several of these in my time

My apologies in advance if I did not get the content of the video properly but I own 911's and $5k in repairs for a 15+ year old 911? It's absolutely nothing. I read also your post on rightfootdown site. On a Porsche when you replace the clutch you don't replace just the clutch alone but you need to replace the entire set. $20k in total for a good 911 is really a great price in my experience but running costs are just high, like for any 911 out of warranty.

thanks for this useful and informative review. the other thing I would check would be the seat belt adjusters. they are quite flimsy. good job.

Thanks for this video. Have just started to look at 996/997s maybe next summer and wondered where I could get an inspection like this done. Turns out, they are only 30 minutes away! Thanks!

5 grand? Was that for something not shown? Looked like it was in great condition.

unless there was a lot done on that PPI we didn't see that was a terrible PPi and was not thorough at all. I would have been livid if I had paid for that PPI that could have been done at home .. how about using that fancy camera to check for cylinder scoring as it is quickly becoming the biggest 996/7 issue. how about checking for intermix in the coolant, or even a compression check or leakdown. There is no way that was 5K work of work in what he pointed out. did he even pull out the dipstick to look for frothing or emulsion ?

Excellent video and how to inspect most cars in general. Great work!

Well done and the shop appears to know what they're doing very informative for my purchase.

I walk away from ALL Porsches Can't afford them.

Pre-purchase inspections are vital with high-end cars. The mechanic doubling the inspection seemed very thorough. Great video.

The technician is good and obviously knows what he is doing. Very professional. The shop owner should be proud this man is working for them.

i love this kind of repair shop... this is extremely hard to find i have so much respect for honest people... don't care who you are and where you from salute sir!

Probably worth going to a specialist who knows you can only read the data from Range 1 and 2 on 996s......

very proof. inspection- how much does a PPI LIKE THAT COST?

Wow! That was a very good video! Thanks for all of the great information.

Excellent use of my time ahead of purchasing. Thank you for such a great video

I was really surprised for a 996 PPI that he didn't change the oil filter and cut it open for inspection. You don't have to change the oil, just the filter. Debris in the filter tells me way more about the engine condition than a visual inspection of the outside. To me this is just standard practice for a PPI on a 996 engine.

This tech is thorough. Master at work

As the old saying goes, "There is no such thing as a cheap Porsche". After 12 years of owning a 1988 Porsche 928 S4, I can attest that saying is absolutely true!

That was a great video. Very informative. Hope you find a great deal.

The type of negotiation that usually goes down with specialty vehicles, especially when they're in the exact color combination and with the exact options you desire, begs a slightly different approach in most cases... For example, seller asking $20k, PPI uncovers $5k worth of potential repairs (good PPIs nitpick, which can be a great bargaining tool, but there are things that might not be critical to a car's longevity), seller only willing to go down a couple of grand... At this point, you need to ask yourself.. How much do you really want the car AND can you afford the overage and its continued ownership...? Cars like this aren't purchased to haul the family around... They're usually emotional purchases. And, if you're a true enthusiast, there is always opportunity to nurse the right car (for you) back into health and its former glory. This playing field isn't for everyone.

labor rates are the main problem with used luxury cars

This is why I love KZfaq...Very informative $$$ saving advice. I'm going to buy a 2008 Cayenne S so I'll be looking for info on it.

I have a 150 mile round trip commute on the twisties of central KY. I wanted something that got pretty good mileage and would be fun to drive. The car I chose back in summer of 2013 now has 140k miles on it. The only thing I've done to it is change the oil, and replace the spark plugs at 134k miles (and it made no difference in gas mileage nor performance). It gets about 31 mpg and has a six speed manual. Because I corner pretty hard it's been through 7 sets of tires, my favorite being the Michelin PSS's. The only maintenance issue has been having to come up with my own rock solid water seal for the tail lights. I absolutely love this car and it has been a blast these 5 years. It's a Scion FR-S.

That guy really knows his stuff.

I think the scope he used to look at the air filter was worth more than my entire car

Very impressed with this technician. For those who think his repair estimate is out of range: 1. He is pricing it at the Dealership 2. Has everyone forgotten the Rear Main Seal and the IMS?? Those are price repairs, clearly!

I use IMA to work on my car. The shop and its owner (Ivan) are great to deal with. They are located in Chantilly VA, suburbs of DC.

Im still waiting to see what the fail point in the inspection was.. I mean shocks go bad, that small oil leak on the rear main might have been an issue if it was a major leak, but I drive cars that leak a bit of oil from time to time and just make sure to keep up on oil level checks..

Great video. Very informative/knowledgeable mechanic. I'd hang on to him:)

Fascinating clip. Walnut Creek Porsche rep said she knew my prospective purchase well and it was perfect. $45,000 to Pittsburg Chevy dealor and it was mine. $5,000. to Reno Porsche dealer and it was finally perfect.

Awesome, short, informative video! We just picked up a 996 which we KNOW has IMS failure, but we couldn't beat the price, and the wheels on the car have already ended up being worth more than we paid, so it looks like a good buy right now!

The 996 does not log overrevs in more than 2 ranges. Only the from the 997 on they increased the number of ranges. On the 996 overrevs in range 2 are considered bad. Back in the day this would have disqualified the car from being eligible for Porsche's used car warranty.

Great video, very informative!

Impressively thorough & knowlegable technician.

Both front wheels had some MAJOR play. Def seems it needs a bushing refresh or a new ball joint on the LCA. You can HEAR it knocking after he rotates the tire 4:48 and again at 5:41.

Good subject / info, please keep-up the good work. You guys/gals selected IMA Motorwerke as a shop, I would like to know why IMA vs other Porsche shops in the DMV area? Thank you in advance.

That mechanic knew his stuff! I'm sure you can still drive it as is for a while not big issues. Nothing major was wrong but you never mentioned miles. How many miles on this 99? I can't believe my e36 m3 is the same year is that! 996 is timeless design

Good old IMA. Used to be motor sports I used to work diagonally across from them at Autothority Pitstop. No clue who is there now but if Ivan is still there I hope everything is going well with them and glad they survived the recession.

Excellent and truly useful video, nice summary at end!

Damn, wish I had watched this 6 weeks ago..,,,,

ALWAYS have an inspection done. On any vehicle.

Excellent video, very informative. Thank you.

Useful, Thank you. Saw a couple of new things I can check on my car. The rear brake cable and the brake fluid tester, I'm gonna get one of those right now on eBay :)

when I walk away: after reading the sticker price in the window lol

Great video !!

Very informative. Excellent tips on maintenance too. Thank you !

Great video I’m thinking of picking up a 996 or 997 wish I had a Chris to look at my car

Tyler Hoovie should've watched this video.

Good mechanic explains well. I liked this a lot.

Wow thanks! Very comprehensive consumer advice for these under-rated cars.

That is insane. I would never have thought a computer in a car holds historical info. And the leaves. Well, thanks man, I have a 2013 BOSS and I am going to give it a good look tomorrow even though I rarely drive it

Thank you for taking the time. Great insight! What does a PPI cost?

The dude's thorough. I'd take his advice on automotive matters.

He knows a Porsche inside and out that's for sure you did a great inspection as far as I can tell.

Tech didn't check under the oil cap for moisture which could indicate intermix trouble which the 3.4 is known for. Should have also checked oil filter for metal sparkles which could indicate impending IMS (or other) failure. Can tell by the low hanging tailpipes the engine mounts need to be replaced.

This guy is GOOD!!!!!! Wish he was in my area.....

Good video

great job! If I get the Porsche itch, I'll come back and review this again.

Great video and some really useful info. Thanks

This buyer clearly had only a business interest in this purchase, and therefore should go ahead and shop forever until they stumble upon perfection. A typical person looking for the used sports car of their dreams is not going to walk away because of the insignificant issues that were found on this SEVEN YEAR OLD example.