A 911 you can afford and a 911 you can afford to own are two different cars, and the 996 is exactly where that gap lives. That $15K listing isn't a deal. It's an invitation to find out what the last owner skipped. With these cars the folder matters more than the paint. Has the IMS bearing been addressed, and by who? Has anyone scoped the bores, or did the seller just say it 'runs great'? Is the rear main dry? A clean-looking car with no receipts is a question mark with a Porsche crest on it. So here's where the room splits. Camp one grabs the cheap one, budgets for the fixes up front, does the IMS and a borescope on day one, and ends up with a car they know inside out plus some leftover cash for wheels. Camp two pays the premium for the sorted one, takes over someone else's receipts, and drives it home the same weekend. One of you is buying knowledge, the other is buying time. Rough 996 and a repair fund, or sorted 996 and no surprises? Pick one and defend it. Save this for the day t...