Buying a Turbo advice

Hi all I am thinking that I might sell my C2 cab which was my first Porsche and get a 996 Turbo, I was originally thinking about upgrading to a 997 but they aren't really doing it for me in C2/4S spec at the moment. There are a few Turbos around in my budget and wondered what advise owners can give in buying and owning one. From what I know the Mezger is pretty much bomb proof and its just the heads that are water cooled. The other problems seem to be ancillaries that are now getting old and failing/seizing.... I wont be doing loads of miles, it will be garaged and mainly a fair weather car. Cheers in advance

Just don't start tuning it :roll: :grin:

Look for one with a solid maintenance history then its check spoiler operation for leaks, coffin arms, condensers, discs etc. I would also advise an inspection which will at least make you fully aware of anything major that needs done and gives you a negotiating position. They are great cars, I have considered selling mine a couple of times but then you drive it and think NO! :hand:

The relatively bullet proof engine means that a 996 Turbo should be a safer bet than buying a Carrera but it will still be a 15 year old+ car so the condition of the other bits is crucial. Beyond what you're used to on your C2 the only thing to consider is the turbos themselves. Investing in a decent PPI is a must not least to help in negotiating the right purchase price. If you find a car that looks like the right one for you check out the service history and paperwork and if all that is ok get it thoroughly checked out. If it needs work don't discount the car as almost all will need something. It's all about getting the right deal for the car you want. Asking prices vary considerably so take into account the current condition of the main consumables (rads, discs etc). Age is irrelevant but mileage will have a considerable bearing on values. Note however that whilst low mileage cars will be a lot more expensive to buy their condition, beyond cosmetics, may not be any better than a more used example. A nice 996 Turbo is a great car to own but choose carefully. Happy Hunting. :thumb:

Thanks for taking time to reply, all good advise. I'm well aware that things will need doing/replacing on a car of this age, is there a consensus on manual or tip? Currently have tip and actually really like it, is one more reliable than the other?

Depends on budget I would say. My 997 is a tip and I love it. With that said as an investment a good 996tt manual will I believe appreciate over the years if it ticks all of the boxes including low mileage , full history etc. A tip of the same specs will be a lower price to purchase but will also not appreciate on the same curve IMHO. I could be wrong though! I know of a low miles (39k) tiptronic 996tt that sold for mid 40s very recently from my friends dealership/garage. It was exceptionally clean though.

It's crucial you get one that has been regularly serviced, the turbo actuators are mechanical on the 996 so can seize, the water pumps seem to be a weak point as well. The tip's tend to have had an easier life than the manuals, if you are buying a manual you need to check over revs on the ECU. The 996 turbo has a range of 6750 - 7250 anything over that and you need to get advice as anything above 7250 means its been on the rev limiter! It's very easy to over rev a turbo if your driving hard. The tip's don't have this due to the nature of the gearbox. The market is pretty 'dead' at present so this is the time to buy. Don't make the mistake I made and become fixated on getting a certain car but also remember you get what you pay for and paying a bit more may get you a lot better car.

You'll never get a consensus on the manual v Tip' thing so go with what you prefer. If you like the Tip' on your C2 you'll love it on a turbo. The characteristics (torque especially) of the turbo engine are just so well suited to the Tip' box. Tip' cars are always lower priced than equivalent 6-speeders and there's more about so you'll also have more choice.

Yes they are a safer bet than a carrera in some respects, but can empty your wallet as effectively. Other things to look out for... - coolant pipes detatch, quite a complex engine-out job to sort properly. - gearboxes can become problematic and pop out of gear/make noises. Big bill for rebuild. - front diffs can require rebuilds. - usual 996 stuff as mentioned above which you will be familiar with.

Just bought my Turbo in August. I got a PPI done before i bought the car but still walked into a £3.5k bill not long after i bought it. I would deffo look for 2nd gear detent on the test drive, easiest way to spot is usually dropping it down from 3rd to 2nd and making it "pop" out of gear. My PPI inspector didn't do this and didn't spot another fault on the Slave Cylinder...all sorted now but annoying nonetheless. Even given the above, PPI is a MUST! As a car they are just mega, have done several London to Devon trips in terrible weather and it just eats up the journey. Even managed to fit the wife, child and dog in too I'll PM you the PPI inspector so that you don't use him too.

great info all :thumb: Im not buying as an investment so not bothered about buying an ultra low mileage mint manual, would rather a get something that was usable and that has had a lot spent on the parts mentioned above. There is a lots of talk that the standard Carerra engine's main bearings can be worn in general and I stress general, around 100k mark. What is the Mezger like at higher miles, should I be put off of 100k+ cars? I personally would go for cira 80 - 90k car in an idea world.....

Yea noticed you had a gearbox prob, I had my Tip reconditioned last year so know the costs involved, and don't want to have to do it again :sad:

Turbo has two of everything that's expensive to replace (actuators, intercoolers, etc.) except radiators, of which it has three. They are really, really great cars, but my advice would be to buy very carefully and only with a full service history, where there is evidence that the as many of the expensive bits have been dealt with as recently as possible. They do like to be used. The mechanical actuators can seize and just driving them is not necessarily a guarantee you'll generate enough boost to exercise them either! But they are IMHO one of the very best iterations of the 911 ever, with bits of styling and mechanics from both the 959 and GT1.

CB - have you contacted Ragpicker...?? I heard he's selling his Turbo; its utterly stunning and one of the fastest 996 Turbos in the UK. Osh

Advert here -> http://911uk.com/ads_item.php?id=8738 A great car if you don't mind lots of modifications and have a budget in the high £30ks.