Buying a 996 Turbo

[Wills82]

Hi All,

With the interest rates at a cr*p level for so long and not looking like working for me for a while i've decided now is the time to fulfil a childhood dream of owning my Porsche 996 Turbo before i'm 30.

I've been looking into the market and looking at a 52 - 53 reg with approx 45-50k on the clock (some examples have lower milage which will obviously be my preference)

I'm looking at spending £25k, but am flexible should the right car appear.

My next stage of research is to find out what to look out for when viewing the cars.

Are there any common faults?
Any particular areas that should be checked on the car?
Any additional advice when looking at them?
Should i get the Tiptronic? What are peoples views / experiences with them?

Anyone selling theirs?!

Many thanks in advance for your help and advice.

Thanks
Ross

[carparkno1]

Couple of quick points:

Don't worry about mileage, worry about a Full history that is documented - you want a car that has been driven and looked after, not one that sat in a garage.

Lot of negative press on here about tiptronic but it hasn't stopped me looking at them. Manual has always been the preferred choice for those that want a sporty drive and a Turbo fits that, but a TT shifts quickly enough in the real world.

Good Luck!!

[Vixpy1]

Get an X50 if you can, Will save you money in the long run if you plan to tune the car

[Martian O]

carparkno1 said:

....not one that sat in a garage.....

Another misconception....

I have one car that covers circa 800 miles per year and another circa 4000 miles. No problems here, this misconception is normally spouted by the higher mileage owners!

[996ttalot]

Vixpy1 said:

Get an X50 if you can, Will save you money in the long run if you plan to tune the car

Not sure I can agree Charlie on that - we have k16s now that beat k24/18gs and even the slower k24/26. Different if you are going for the likes of 20g for sure.
Intercoolers are rubbish on both models

[Wills82]

Thanks for the feedback so far.

At the moment i'm looking at having it as a second car, for weekends and breaking it out for nice days taking to to work down the motorway.

I'm looking at Sub 10k a year in it, but i'm sure that'll increase as i'm sure i'll want to drive it all the time!

Are there any problems that i should ensure have been corrected on the car i look to buy? Anything to check on inspection?

Thanks

[Homer J]

Alright mate,

A quick search on here will find all sorts, but some of the common ones:-

Check for invoices or evidence that the 3 x Front rads and 2 x condensers have been changed. There very exposed to stones etc and do corrode over time. If you can get one that's had those done recently, great. If the car doesn't have mesh over the front grill's, get mesh sorted. £200-£250 well spent.

DV's can fail / stick. You'll notice this by a lack of boost pressure. Although this can also point to other leaks from hoses etc.

Actuator shaft's can stick / snap.

Clutch accumulator and slave assemblies are a common failure. When the engines off, if the clutch is heavy, the accumulators shot. (Just had mine sorted)

Check uneven tyre wear. There pretty sensitive to a good alignemnt set-up.

Other than that, it's all about good service history, check invoices. Bigger mileage shouldn't be a concern really so long as the history's there.

Mine's on 65k and is absolutely strong as an ox engine, suspension, transmission wise. There great cars mate.

[shocks]

Wills82 said:

Thanks for the feedback so far.

At the moment i'm looking at having it as a second car, for weekends and breaking it out for nice days taking to to work down the motorway.

I'm looking at Sub 10k a year in it, but i'm sure that'll increase as i'm sure i'll want to drive it all the time!

Are there any problems that i should ensure have been corrected on the car i look to buy? Anything to check on inspection?

Thanks

On top of what others say here - check for the following :

Condition - at 25K your at bottom end of pricing currently but would want to make sure condition is spot on, haggle higher priced cars that are of correct condition

Service - make sure it's complete, OPC / or reputable Indie and has stamped book to match up

Common Issues to look into :

CEL - make sure there are no check engine lights on at start, or on test drive, should mix driving conditions from commute type traffic to spirited run
Check Levels - Oil, Coolant (watch out for coolant as it can be deceptive based on shape of bottle - inside left of engine bay) level as this could point to other weak point
Rads - have these been replaced ? common weak spot on Turbo is front rads (there are three) that corrode / get holed and can give rise to costly (£1k plus for all) to fix
Discs / Pads - condition / wear - if new ok, if not how is the wear on discs ? lip sitting too proud and your looking at £1k + costs to replace, plus pads
Sills - common bubbling at sill guards (water lies against sill guard and bubbles body work) - worth watching or checking it's sorted
Spoiler - make sure it goes up and down smoothly on run, check this further with the internal manual control to raise / lower - ram's can fail

There are a couple of buyers guides to get hold off, when you've narrowed the list and have one you want to get consider a PPI (reputable inspectors out there) that can give you detailed appraisal on your new loved one !

check :

EVO Guide
http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/996-turbo-gt2/2...

PH Discussion on GT3 / Turbo Buying
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=8&a...

The LONG Turbo (but great read) buying list
http://pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t...

Keep an eye on stock at the following dealers - you may get a sorted one from them - or call them and tell them what your looking for in case is inbound ! RSJ, 911Virgin, JZM - list above with more dealers listed.

Good luck and good hunting !

[Wills82]

Great advice. Thanks a lot guys.

I'll get reading the buying guides (on list to do!) and look through the forums.

I'll keep you posted how i'm getting on, and when i get her (hopefully Feb / March 2012) i'll stick the pics on for you to comment (as long as you're nice!!)

[anonymous-user]

On the tip vs manual question, the only really reliable way to decide is to drive both.

Also consider what sort of driving you will be doing (urban traffic, fast A roads, motorways, track?).

[monthefish]

Martian O said:

I have one car that covers circa 800 miles per year

That can't be good for a car.

Out of interest, what is the spread of the mileage - is it seasonal and the car is laid up the rest of the year?

[DKL]

Martian O said:

Another misconception....

I have one car that covers circa 800 miles per year and another circa 4000 miles. No problems here, this misconception is normally spouted by the higher mileage owners!

Sorry, can't agree.
I've done both and the one that was relatively unused for the previous few years caused lots of issues when pressed back into regular use but was fine once sorted.

Equally my high mileage car has only needed routine maintenance and parts changed as you would expect.

As always buy on condition and history but I'd usually steer clear of a car that has a very low seasonal mileage unless I was convinced that correct maintenance had been followed regardless of mileage.
I'd want full annual services not the "short" services (which cost less hence must be tempting) which lots of places offer.

Not suggesting you do (I hope not with that machinery) and I guess we won't be after the same cars.

But we digress from the OP's thread.

[Jobbo]

Martian O said:

Another misconception....

I have one car that covers circa 800 miles per year and another circa 4000 miles. No problems here, this misconception is normally spouted by the higher mileage owners!

How can you tell they don't have problems when they both sit in the garage most of the time?

[mollytherocker]

Are you getting the car inspected professionally, or just doing it yourself?

Dealer/warranty or private?

Just remember that this was a 100k car with associated servicing costs. A poor one will costs you thousands and a good one will be a pleasure.

Dont try and buy one cheaply. Get a good one and think of the total ownership cost.

MTR

[Martian O]

monthefish said:

That can't be good for a car.

Out of interest, what is the spread of the mileage - is it seasonal and the car is laid up the rest of the year?

It's seasonal and the car is kept in storage throughout the Winter. Everytime it does go out, it's always taken upto temperature and driven for at least 30 miles. Never had a problem in 10+ years.

[sy247]

Excellent advice

mollytherocker said:

Are you getting the car inspected professionally, or just doing it yourself?

Dealer/warranty or private?

Just remember that this was a 100k car with associated servicing costs. A poor one will costs you thousands and a good one will be a pleasure.

Dont try and buy one cheaply. Get a good one and think of the total ownership cost.

MTR

[monthefish]

Martian O said:

monthefish said:

That can't be good for a car.

Out of interest, what is the spread of the mileage - is it seasonal and the car is laid up the rest of the year?

It's seasonal and the car is kept in storage throughout the Winter. Everytime it does go out, it's always taken upto temperature and driven for at least 30 miles. Never had a problem in 10+ years.

A whole 8,000 miles??? I would hope not!

[Wills82]

Thanks MTR. That does seem very good advice.

While my aim is £25k, i do have additional funds should the right car come along (Subject to the car up to £30k with a bit of haggling)

I certainly can't afford to get a bad example so i will be getting it inspected.

Any recommendations for inspections, and costs?

I would ideally like to get one through a dealer as i think the extra money will be worth spending.

I have a friend who has a 993 Ruf (Amazing car) and he works in the car business, so he knows his Porsches and will be helping me as well.

I bought an Audi S3 a few years ago through a Porsche dealer who was very helpful so was considering contacting him and seeing if he can source a good one. Not sure if anyone has had any dealings with them. They're called Eporsch, if i remember rightly, they're based in Chertsey, Surrey.

So far all of this advice is great and just what I need.

Also looks like i have started a bit of a side debate!!

Looking forward to more advice that the existing owners and Enthusiasts can offer!

[monthefish]

Wills82 said:

Any recommendations for inspections, and costs?

Peter Morgan is pretty good, and covers most of the UK (between himself and his team of inspectors). Cost about £425.

I would find the car you like. Inspect it yourself and satisfy it meets your needs, then send in the inspector to confirm.

There are very few sellers/traders/indys that I wouldn't bother with an inspection (in fact, probably only one).

It's not much money in the grand scheme of things, and may well discover things that may not be immediately apparent.

Edited by monthefish on Wednesday 23 November 11:10

[farisj]

There is a lovely example at Imperials, I came close to buying after getting it inspected but ended up using the money for a business offer I could not refuse.....

Good luck with your search

FJ