18,000 long time sitting 2001 turbo can of worms

I have an opportunity to purchase a 2001 triptronic 18000 mile seal gray 996 turbo that has been sitting for over 5 years and wanted to know what problems I will need to address to get this baby back on the road? The elderly owner bought it for his wife used and probably only put 100 miles or so on the car in their ownership as she had a hard time getting in and out of the car plus the car seemed to have a battery drain is why I figured they let the car sit. They had it to a dealer for the drained and they could not find the reason for the drain. I own a 1965 356, a 1977 911S as well as a 1989 951 but this would be new ground for me and not sure that I am up to the task. Any insight would be appriciated.

As with any car that sat that long, first mechanical concerns would be fluids/tires/brakes/battery, maybe shocks. Also want to confirm no rodents made a new home in the airbox/exhaust or ate any of the wiring. Change all fluids, replace tires, new batt, check brakes for any seized calipers. Guessing you may want to drain the gas tank and replace the fuel filter as well. Depending on where it was stored you might be too bad. Hopefully it was in a garage that was dry and somewhat protected from mice

I assume the car was stored indoors and is available at a good price. The battery drain is most likely related to the alarm and is not unusual. If i let my car sit for a week or two, I've had a dead battery. Things to consider - Drain fuel and replace with fresh (I wouldn't start the engine before at least doing this, as would not want to risk clogging any injectors or fuel pump) - Replace all fluids (Engine oil, Tranny oil, diff oil) - Flush brake fluid - Check for any signs of rodent damage - Tires will probably be original and will need to be changed due to age

FWIW, and just because I like hanging around here again, here's some real world info. Two years ago I bought a car that had sat in a warehouse for 13 years - not a Porsche, but for stuff like this, cars are cars. 13 years of not moving, at all. It was in gorgeous condition, but needed EVERYTHING. After 5 years you might not need all of this, but why take the chance? Fuel pumps and filters, all soft fuel lines and clamps, injectors (16 of them) and seals, all belts, rebuilt tensioner, coil packs, plug wires and plugs, water pump and pulley, every cooling hose and clamp, thermostat, O2 sensors, air filter, idle control valve, reconditioned throttle body, clutch master and slave, tires, 4-wheel performance alignment. I'm still chasing vacuum leaks, but the car is beautiful and solid, extremely reliable. Where it could get dicey is if any bearings start having issues. But most of them are sealed, and just be very thorough in your prestart procedure before you turn it over for the first time. I would definitely do it again, because you can get a car that is seriously nice for a big discount, and then have the confidence in the work done right. I'd drive my car across this country today, because I know it that well.

This is one case where an extremely in depth PPI needs to be done with a written report from a Porsche expert. When you can show the owner the list of parts that need to be replaced you could probably get the price down to a very attractive number. May I ask how much?

I suppose that it depends on what you plan on doing with it. If it is going to be a garage queen that is trailered from place to place that's one thing, if you want to DD it that is another. Assuming you want to drive it and the sitting for 5 years includes no maintenance being done I would not try turning it over. I'd tow it to a reputable shop and have them drain and flush all the fluids (gas, oil, coolant, PS, Brakes, Tranny, front diff, blinkers, etc..). I'd probably go as far as pulling the oil pan off to look for and clean out excessive amounts of sludge. Also get the belt replaced and doing the water pump is probably wise. At the same time you should be able to get a detailed PPI done to find what else is going to crop up soon. With all that and a new set of tires it should be safe to take it out for a test drive and see how it's acting. That's a lot of money to spend on a car you might not want (if the report comes back that it's going to be a money pit), but you might be able to talk the seller into paying for most/all of it (which you of course would end up paying in your purchase price). They are either going to have to do all that or sell it at an insane discount anyone for someone to take the gamble. At 18k miles that should probably be a $50-60k car if it was in running condition and the body/interior are in excellent condition. As it sits I'd say it's a safe gamble around $30-35k knowing that all in another $10-15k should probably be planned for (some now, some later). You can, however, find good running 996TTs for $35k (no matter how much some members will try to deny it). They may be modded or have high miles, but they can still be good cars. The $40-50k range will find you decent unmolested cars with moderate (sub 50k) milage. Over $50k and you are look at the "perfect" examples where people are betting on them becoming the next 993TT. The point being that for what you'll spend on the car, you can get one that's already ready to go and is likely to have less surprises as things start shaking out. If there is something particular about this car, go for it but make sure you go in with your eyes open and get a good deal based on the risk.

Quotes source post: 12728757

The immediate and obvious things will be battery, oil/filter, coolant drain/refill, brake/clutch fluid flush/bleed, plugs, tires. I assume there is no rodent damage. If this is present you had better give the car a miss. To repair this damage can require new wiring harnesses which can require the engine be dropped or the interior of the car gutted to get to the wiring and this level of repair can run into the thousands of dollars. The few cars I have come across with rodent damage the cost of repair went up so much the owners had to resort to using their homeowner insurance. Some couple of years ago I came upon a 993 Turbo that had sat for a couple of years. The fuel had congealed in the fuel system and the tank, pump, filter, fuel lines, injectors all had to be replaced. All you can do is expect the worse -- and adjust your price offer accordingly -- and buy the car and address the issues as they arise. Besides the fuel system -- if it proves to need replacement -- there are the engine seals both outside the engine and inside. For outside the RMS (and FMS) come to mind but inside are the valve stem seals. These can deteriorate and allow oil past the into the valve guides. This oil impacts the octane of the gasoline and the engine can run poorly as the DME has to continuously dial back timing. My tech sources tell me head gaskets can be a problem with engines that sit too long unused. One source has a 996 Turbo engine for sale but the engine has sat since sometime in the early 2000's and he says the engine would need to be torn down and have new head gaskets installed. There is the water pump seal, and the coolant hoses. There are the A/C system seals, the pump which has sat idle for all the years. There are the drivetrain and transmission seals both outside and inside. Unless you have some superior insight or skill that allows you to specifically know what will need attention you do what you need to do to get the car running right and back on the road and then address the issues as they come up. You could be at this a while....

First, more details on how the car was stored. Then your questions can be answered.

Car is stored in an unheated single car attached garage with no car cover and has been pushed from time to time so as not to leave flat spots on the 19" tires. I am a working stiff and can only afford this car if I am able to do most of the work myself. As far as his asking price goes we are not at that point yet. I would be driving this car fairly often and it would have to sit outside 365 24/7 unfortunately because my 2 car garage is already filled up.

have him sell it to you for $15K - you should be fine

Quotes source post: 12729611

Based on those 2 points, unless you can get it for a screaming deal (sub $30k) your money will be better spent on a solid $35k version with higher miles. You also won't be wracked with guilt over putting mile on it or leaving it outside (neither are bad things, contrary to what the 996TT forum would have you believe). This one is going to cost you a good amount of money to bring up to snuff and will have many issues over the first couple of years while you get it sorted out.

I am not an auto tranny guy as I have never owned one and would I be disappointed not having a manual 996 turbo?

If you live where the traffic is bad, then the tiptronic may be a godsend, especially if you will be doing any commuting. Although most of us prefer the manual, 90% of the time spent behind the wheel, you probably will be happy it's a tiptronic. As for track use, I simply don't have the experience to comment. But, I don't hear a lot of complaining about the tiptronic in the turbos, so they must not be all that bad. It is my understanding they have pretty good adaptability to your driving style. There was some discussion about whether the 2001 turbos had a different automatic transmission than the 2002 and newer cars, and I believe the answer is that they do. So, a 2001 tiptronic may not be as good as the 2002 and newer. You might try searching the 996 Turbo forum for additional info.

So the car stopped running 5 years ago? Hasn't been cranked? wtf? BTW, the auto Tip is a POS. The 2001 TT had some unique issues.

Quotes source post: 12730146

Very insightful observation. My pos auto tip suits me fine.

Many thanks gents for all of your comments. Yes the car has not been cranked over for 5+ years.

I would figure out what the guys wants for it first. Then if it's reasonable take it in for a PPI. It's going to need tires due to age and I'm sure whole gaggle of other stuff. -Jason

Quotes source post: 12729611

Well, your comment "a working stiff" suggests a pretty tight budget. I do not need to know your income particulars, and frankly I don't want to, but a 996 Turbo is not a car to buy if one is on a tight budget, unless your idea of tight is the limit on your AMEX Black card is just 6 figures and not 7... And a 996 Turbo that could have you spending its purchase price in bringing it back to life from its long and unprepared hibernation could have you wishing you had a no limit Black card. Also, the 996 Turbo doesn't like sitting outside in the elements. The engine compartment is open -- the louvers -- and water gets on the engine and can cause problems.

Quotes source post: 12730636

I agree 100%! This is a car that should be stored inside. -Jason

Nevermind. Moving my OT commentary to a more appropriate place.

Quotes source post: 12730274

even though i'm not a fan of TIP transmission, i know there were several turbo TIP's produced - i don't know the exact #'s but i would fathom a guess that there is a higher ratio of TIP turbo's produced than the ratio of non-turbo 996 TIP's produced

The owner will probably want more than I am willing to pay and when I park my vehicles outside I use an appropriate car cover as well as a piece of rubber on the outside to keep the moisture out of the engine bay. I have done this with my tea tray on my wide body with great success. Ideally I wish that I could store all of my cars inside with the Ohio climate but I cannot but I might just have to rent an indoor space if I am fortunate enough to get the TT. I will report back if I do in fact buy the car. Wish I could as I do like these super cars! Anyway, thanks again everyone for taking the time to enlighten me.

Quotes source post: 12733941

There is a spot in my garage about 50 min north of Toledo you can store it in Don't listen to kk, I still don't understand why he sticks around. He disappeared for a few months, but I don't recall reading anything positive from him, ever. Make the seller an offer, I wouldn't go more than 30k, more if it was a manual. Expect 10k to get it good, like others have said, pumps, filters, belts, plugs, etc. A great ppi before any of that though. Your probably going to get a great deal, if he doesn't have a collection and bought it for his wife, chances are it's just taking up space and they want it gone. They've probably mentally accepted a loss when selling

Quotes source post: 12728757

Did you ask this question in the Turbo forum?