996TT owners - Advice please

Would any owners of 996 Turbos mind offering buying advice....I don't really want to read printed buyers guides, but rather actual ownership experience woes. Much will be like the C4S which I am already aware, but the turbo specific stuff like engine and transmission things to look for....I'm viewing another Saturday so wanted to be clued up what to look out for :thumb:

I bought mine unseen it was a grey Cat D the guy selling it was very helpful and seemed trustworthy so I took a chance on it! I was always going to have it wrapped but then ended up going mad with bits and bobs. I have had it 2 years the only problem I have is the PCM ABS light comes on every so often other than that it hasn't missed a beat! Check the service history try everything out inside to make sure it works etc etc the usual stuff. The engine if cared for properly should give you little trouble and tbh they don't have a load of electrical gizmos like new cars today so not that much to go wrong. After I got mine I bought a Durametic and found it had had no over revs but to me that is expected on a Tiptronic I would think that is more of a manual problem. If you are lucky like I was and you get a good one which most are you will not regret it. But buying unseen is not a great idea!

I've heard some specialists mention of cam chain issues on the Mezger.....is there any way to check or anything to specifically listen for?

An excellent choice of car. Specifics to watch for, in no particular order; Spoiler rams leaking = expensive in most cases. Top mounts, drop links, coffin arms etc are as per the C4S The engines are very mechanical on idle, some more so than others. Pick the revs up slightly off idle and most seem quieter, but you must take the advice of a good indy here, like 9e or Fearnsport. Heat shields rot for a pastime, the shields are cheap to buy (around 40 pounds each), but can be time consuming to fit if the next item on the list is kaput. Turbo to exhaust nuts corrode heavily to the point where they crumble and flake away, leading to a non existent nut. Turbos can also be rotten, have a really good look at them for corrosion in the centre. Some cars are totally dry and oil tight (mine) and some can have the odd weep from the scavenge pump union, turbo oil lines, or cam chain tensioners. Actuators also corrode, particularly the nearside one. If test driving check for full boost: standard K16 cars are 0.8 maximum, K24 (S and X50 cars) are 0.9 bar max. Either more, or less, can indicate many things. Less = likely boost leak or stuck waste gates, more = possible remap if boost is consistent, or stuck waste gates! I would strongly advise a PPI by a known Turbo specialist such as the two above. Both know these cars inside out. If you get a good one they are incredible cars to drive and own, a poor one will devour money. Good luck! Mike

Thanks Mike...sound advice. Il check for these areas👍🏻 The manuals can jump out of second gear?

Had mine 12 years now and still love it! :thumb: In addition to the above, you probably know the following too: Brake discs - cracking round the vent holes is normal Rads and condensors will rot over time (regular PU removal to clear all the rubbish out is a good move) Stereo (even Bose) is rubbish Brakes need a good shove (many have been changed) Not had any probs with mine in that time in terms of mechanicals or gearbox jumping out of 2nd standard suspension gives a fairly benign ride Instances of the metal coolant pipes becoming detatched - big job ! oil pressure sender (on top of the engine) so it can easily be seen can sometimes fail - dicky spade connections sometimes. This is stored in the DME Worth taking a friend with a Durametric with you Good luck!

Owned mine over 3 years, was fortunate enough to buy it from a chap that had his own 4 poster lift so was able to have a good poke around underneath, where you'll spot most (if any) issues. One car I viewed had a snapped waste gate shaft, seller had no idea as it was still pulling like a train on one turbo. Most of the troublesome points are covered above, they have a reputation for eating clutches, mine still had the original in at 72k when I had it changed last year, go figure. They can be fairly reasonable to run if you're handy, just the big ticket items (turbos, clutch) can cost a few £'s when they go. The turbos really are in a terrible location and take a severe hammering from the elements so have a good luck at them and ancillaries. Mine has been 100% reliable, gets left for weeks on an Opimate when I'm at work and fires up every time. They're incredible cars, good luck. :thumbs:

I had to change the nearside turbo on mine due to a sheared actuator. Imo there should be a plate or something to try and reduce ingress of water, however I do wonder if they are setup with left hand drive in mind due to how high the offside turbo actuator sits. I've found parts aren't too bad, it's the labour that's normally a bigger chunk due to access.

The car I'm considering is at auction....don't know if I'm being a little bit mad? I've been given permission to have a good scout around the car at the dealership beforehand and over the ramp etc.... Couple of concerns, why would a specialist Indy be auctioning a car preciously stock, and also the estimate of £45-52k seems high factoring 10% buyers fee? What's your thoughts? https://www.historics.co.uk/buying/auctions/2018-05-19/cars/ref-35-2003-porsche-911-996-turbo/

[Image-only or quote-only post; no author-written text.]

MOT checker shows it did 26,211 miles by 2006 so was well used when new. It's only done 4k miles since 2012 and only 500 in the last 3 years. Personally I'd like to have seen the spread of miles done to be a bit more even than that. 6 years of short, infrequent runs :nooo:

Another point to watch is the coolant inserts into the block. Over time the resin used to bond them can fail, the insert pops out and drops coolant. Fix is to have the engine dropped and welded in. A costly job. Not common, but unfortunately happened to me after 3 months of ownership. There is a thread I wrote on here at the time.

http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=90310&highlight=

I'd leave the car you mention going to auction well alone. Stick to good reputable specialists such as 911V, RSJ etc. Consider a PPI if buying from a non-specialist or a prestige specialist that is a generalist in prestige cars. The only advice I'd give is the PPI - the car needs to go up into the air and then looked at with an eagle eye for all the areas that can caase problems. The under-trays have to come off. The ECU data needs to be downloaded and validated against mileage and rev range data. On an age of car you are looking at, there are only two rev range data. A skilled specialist can interpret any rev range 2 data for you and recommend any next steps (such as a compression and leak test based on how long ago the rev range occurred and how many ignitions). Expect to pay £300 for a really thorough PPI with written report and list of items found and likely cost to put right. Good luck.

There are a couple of X50 cars reduced significantly over the last week I may view instead....wise words I think re the Auction. I suppose if it was cheap enough it would worth a punt, but even at the low en£ of the guild £45k, with the 10% + Vat buyers fee it's a plus £50k car with no dealer safety blanket. £5-10k over valued for an auction car maybe. I want to be patiently careful in th3 search but also don't want to miss another summmer.