Considering 996TT - Advice?

I posted over on the Turbo forum too, just wanted to see what the NA folks say: So, I currently own a 99 c2 aero and I really enjoy it. So far I have upgraded it with 19" carrera S wheels, PSE, intake and Navigation but it still has left me wanting a little more power and all wheel drive for the wet and snow we occasionally get here in Maryland. I am aware of the RMS issues and grenading engines associated with the 996 NA but are their anythings I should be aware of with the TT HONESTLY? For example - rebuilding turbos (what mileage), expensive maintence items, things to look for in a used 01-02 TT with 30K (I heard about the 2nd gear pop out), what about the over rev? Thanks for all of your help as I am very new to the 996TT world!

As posted on another similar thread: https://rennlist.com/forums/996-forum/325243-getting-first-porsche-torn-as-to-which-tt.html I don't know of any large scale problems. Yes, of course there are some infrequent issues like second gear pop-out, but nothing like RMS. As far as rebuilding turbos...this depends greatly on how the car was driven and maintained (and cooled down). But you may WANT to upgrade the turbos anyway. If you have an indy you trust maintenance is not too bad, but it is a turbo. Once you drive one you'll never look back!

I was doing the same thing, kinda starting to think about the TT. One thing that I read kind of put the damper on it for now. The reasoning went that the 2001 and 2002 TT prices are dropping(under $60K for some examples) because the cars are out of warranty and a buyer is buying a 5 or 6 year old car that could have the potential repair bills of a $120K car. Major engine repair would be a big bill that for now I do not want to self insure. I'm sticking with my 996 because the worst case (say blown engine) is more palatable to me if I had to repair it. Some day tho!!

What about going with an aftermarket warranty? The one I looked at today 01 turbo, the guy quoted me a powertrain warranty for $2500 (guardian I think). Any experience with this out there?

i say if you can get an aftermarket warr. that's willing to front the bill of major repairs i say do it........ i have a supercharged G35 and a Twin Turbo Z along with my NA 996..... and i have to admit..... once you do go Forced induction, everything else is WEAK..........

You guys may want to research the aftermarket warranties, read some bad things (closed doors, not honoring warranty, etc.) about them on here. Could be better to save money, but I am not an expert.

I have heard only good things about warranty direct.. you should check them out.. they only sell warranties for cars less than 4 years old and with less than 50k miles..I have their bumper to bumper coverage on my C2.

cohare, I'm glad you asked this question - I'm in nearly an identical situation, and we're not that far apart, either! There have definitely been some discussions about some warranty shops closing up - it's been awhile since I've read them (okay, I'll admit, I've been eyeing a turbo for awhile), so I don't recall the details. But your plan sounds very similar to mine. PM me and let you know where you got that trade offer, please? Cheers! Justin

If I were to buy one (which I wouldn't being a NA guy) I would only buy one from a dealer with a CPO offering. Or buy from a PP that has the CPO already. Porsche will stand behind their warranty work, which can NOT be said for the aftermakret warranty companies. Have heard too many horror stories about them that I would rather self insure.

I WOULD NOT buy a Porsche unless it was from a dealer with a CPO warranty PERIOD.....If you negotiate and find the right car...a car they have room to negotiate on, then you can get a CPO car for the same money as a private party...then you have peace of mind...I had over 30k in warranty work on my 99 C4 Cab....this was a flawless looking car. Also what people dont realize is to get a car to pass CPO inspection, it must have good tires, brakes, clutch, etc...those things alone can cost 4k if they need to be done.

I just sold my '02 996TT after 3+ years of ownership. The warranty expired in late Dec. '06. At that time I did look into Aftermarket Warranties. Most didn't seem to be worth the paper they were written on. CPO is the only way to go. I sold my TT because I am not rich enough to absorb a $35K + engine replacement or $10-12k transmission. A clutch/flywheel job cost me $4650 at the dealership!!!!!!I was also concerned with insurance not covering a DE crash. I am going to buy a 996 or 986 I can track, abuse and walk away from, if needed. The TT is a blast, it is a true supercar you can drive everyday. I went from a 210HP Boxster to a 500HP TT. Yes, I used to scare myself everytime I pushed the gas. The HP is intoxicating and addicting. Almost every othe car seems slow next to the TT. Tracking a TT, is something that has to be experienced. But out of warranty, you better have some deep pockets, just in case.

I got Vehicle One insurance on my new 02 TT....bumper to bumper, insured (ultimately owned by GM finance, so safe) for 4y/60k ADDITIONAL. Had 16k. I read and read. No major issues with the turbo. Most 2nd gear issues are 01.....and I had a PPI by a PCA recommended place. Clear review. That is key. It was about 100/hour for 2 hours. Well worth having it done (I was out of state). Seller was great. Of all P cars out there, I think the 996TT, if you do what I did, is a bargain. Way better than any NA car given the issues....now, if you believe the recent British 911 article, the RMS issue is mostly 3.4L and early 3.6L cars....so...do as you will. A 2003+ NA is "probably" safe. The TT...that is a GT1 engine. And, wow, it is so so so fast. I had a 1995 C4 with a 3.8L conversion.....etc.....the TT blows that away. I loved my 993. It was raw, etc. The TT,. for me, makes more sense (dailly driver) and it is just incredible. My guess...once the greater buying public understands this, TTprices will actually go up 5-20k. It is a huge bargain now, IMHO. Look, I got one. Plan to keep it 10 years. JB

PS: local indy shop quoted me 161 for plugs...dealer 661....go where you want to get service......just a typical pricing ratio. My warranty lets me pick the shop, including the dealer.

Except of course, the GT3

Ok, I have to give you that one...but I wanted AWD too....for snow driving.

2WD perfection=GT3 4WD perfection=TT Two fantastic cars! Why choose? Buy both

Agreed, so where do you put the 2WD GT2?

Want to clear up some mis-information. Have NEVER heard anyone needing a TT engine replaced. Have only heard of ONE engine needing rebuilding......after 150k hard miles. You are FAR more likely to blow a $10k NA motor (GT3 exepted....Mr Dell ) than need a $15k TT engine rebuild. A transmission rebuild is $5k (friend of mine had it done). BTW, another poster said the '01 was the pop-out problem child.......but it appears '02 and '03 have more issues here from the unofficial polls on this and other sites. Going to the dealer for anything simple that an indy shop can do (clutch/flywheel) is a poor use of $$$. The LWFW kit I assume the poster is referring to is $1900 plus $1000 for labor (10 hours). And if you are tracking your rig taking a hit on the boost bong exiting corners is most awesome

GT2 = Scared ****less fun (How big are your stones with your foot on the throttle exiting a corner). I've never driven one, but after driving a TT I'll bet that's one hell of a ride!!

NONE of what I said was "misinformation". I didn't say the engines "blow up". But if they do, they are $32K to replace (as per Jim Ellis Porsche). This is just a fact! And since you have never heard of an engine replacement for the TT, I am sure it has NEVER happened, if it had you would get the report. I didn't say you can't get the transmission done for less. I was saying what the dealer charges. I am sure a shade tree mechanic can do it for much less. Hey, it's your car take it where you want. I paid $4650 for clutch replacement, that is a fact, again if you can do it fo $2k that is great. I was just stating facts, not misinformation. Please read carefully.

The real question is how do you plan on driving it? Daily driver with lots of miles? Weekend driver? Garage Queen? DE car? For me, I put 100 miles a day on my 996...its a daily driver...A TT in my opinion would not be a good car for me. The upkeep on it would be more expensive, the value would drop a larger percentage for the mileage, and for a daily driver, I didnt need more than 300hp....A good M96 engine is designed to give you 200k+ miles....a magazine cracked one open with 100k miles on it and the inside looked NEW. They were amazed. I have 122k miles on mine now...bought it at 45k, engine replaced under warranty at 60k....new engine is STRONG and runs perfectly....I imagine this will last me some years...and when it goes, new engines will probably be about 6-8k installed...then drop in a new one and i will be good for another 4-5 years....If I were to buy a weekend Porsche...it would be a GT3....If you dont plan on putting LOTS of miles on it...then a TT may be a good car for you....or if money isnt an issue. Not that a TT isnt reliable...but the replacement and parts cost isnt cheap. By the way on 2 Porsche one 986, one 996 no RMS on either....986 was sold with 75k miles and NO issues....in my opinion the M96 engine is very reliable....I have seen Boxsters with 160k+ miles on the original engine.

The new M96 engines are a lot better, but per the tech section of PCA.org, even the NA 997 is seeing RMS/engine issues. That being said, I think the TT is a better engine (GT1 based, as is the GT3). The GT3 is too raw for me for a day to day car. The TT is just perfect...as I wanted AWD. Since the engine doesn't go up, I see plugs at 30k versus 60k as the major difference....2 hours for my mechanic every 2-3 years. Car was 5k more than a C4S...so for me, it was a no brainer to go with the turbo. Everyone has their decision tree...mine went to the Turbo. The turbo I got had full leather, wood, pcm nav, hollow spokes, better brakes and suspension...etc. It was worth it for me. JB

Damn, talk about not reading Already you've given a $3k+ reduction in an engine replacement, which as I said would not be done if it can be rebuilt (which the vast majority can....see the example of the past 30 fricken years), unlike the NA wet sump engines. I'm not talking about a shadetree mechanic transmission rebuild....I'm talking about a transmission specialist....who is way more knowledgable than a dealer tech. And you mis-read the cost of a good indy shop clutch/LWFW parts/labor installation......it is $3k, not $2k. You can buy or sell any car you want, but please don't mis-lead people with these astronomical costs that no one with half an ounce of common sense would pay....you want $35k engine replacements and $12k transmissions.....Ferrari has just the car for you.