OEM Hardtop Included: 1999 Porsche 996 911 Cabriolet – Sold?

February 18, 2022 Update – We just confirmed the listing for this “Classifind” expired, so with no replacement found we’re assuming this ride “Sold?” While this one got away, please reach out either by email or call us directly if you’d like to be informed when we come across something similar.

February 6, 2022 Update – The private seller just lowered their asking price by two thousand dollars from $24,500 to $22,500.

The Porsche 996 remains one of the best bargains on the used sports car market today. Not only is the price point more than fair for a slightly better than a driver-quality car, but this era also marks an appropriate cut-off for how new a car has to be to daily it comfortably. This 1999 Porsche 911 Cabriolet was originally listed in January 2022 on Craigslist in Ft. Meyers, Florida with a recent IMS bearing replacement and new convertible rams installed, all with an asking price of $24,500. Comparing this price against the Hagerty Insurance Online Valuation Tool confirms this private seller has his 911 priced just above the “Good” condition estimate of $24,000.

The 996 is one of those obvious choices for a true performance car you can live with every day. After years of being maligned for its water-cooled powerplant and “fried egg” headlights, the car enthusiast world woke up to the fact that it was actually a fairly reliable platform once you dealt with the infamous IMS bearing. Sure, it’s no 993, but those cars are starting at near $60,000 these days for a good one, while the 996 in similar condition sells for far less. There’s no protection here from the usual failure points of any older European car, but the IMS bearing is the big one – I wouldn’t recommend buying a 996 without that work done. Despite being water-cooled, the 996 has earned plenty of kudos for its driving manners and ease of being driven at the limit in all the ways any classic 911 is known for.

The British car show Men & Motors have a vintage road test of a 1999 Porsche 911 Carerra posted on their YouTube channel:

Now, the seller’s car is an interesting mixture of features and drawbacks. The biggest drawback for many owners will be the Tiptronic transmission, which has become an increasingly common fixture in sports cars made by the likes of Porsche – much to the chagrin of manual enthusiasts everywhere. But the appeal increases for its color-matched factory hardtop and unusual terracotta seats which the seller has swapped in (the original gray seats are included). He’s also installed stainless headers and included the original parts, and as mentioned earlier, both the IMS bearing and the troublesome convertible top rams have been replaced. Overall, a solid entry into the emerging collector car class with the potential for a perfect daily driver that won’t cause your clutch foot to cramp on heavy traffic days.

Here’s the seller’s description:

“1999 Porsche cabriolet with a removable hardtop. 83k miles. Auto, terracotta seats with the original set of grey seats included. Stainless headers, original exhaust included also. Recent IMS bearing replaced, new convertible rams replaced. Fluids and servicing done. 24500.00No Texts will be answered.“

Do you have a Porsche 911 story you’d like to share?  Comment below and let us know!