Sold my Boxster yesterday. Need advice on 911.

I finally sold my 2000 986 yesterday after owning it for 9.5 years! Search for a 911 starts now! Woot!! I have been reading on this forum and others for a long time. But, I still need advice. I have narrowed it down to few choices. Hardest choice I am facing now. 996TT or 996 C4S Must haves. 1. Cabriolet. Must have that top down experience. This limits to just 1 year for the TT's (2004). Am I right on this? 2. Six speed manual. No automagics. 3. Good service/maintenance history. No accidents. 4. At least 50k miles (5k miles per year minimum) on the car. I definitely do not want to pay premium for a garage queen which could later have issues that I have to deal with. 5. Prefer the IMSB issue taken care of. Not a deal breaker. But, if I end up w/ a C4S, I will have to take care of it which is another $2k at least. 6. Color preference. Not a fan of white/silver/black/yellow. Wife's Cayenne S is silver and as much as it hides dirt, I feel it is just bland color. But, if the price is right, I do not mind getting silver or black. My Boxster was black and as much as it looks great clean, keeping it clean is a tough task. Why am I leaning towards a TT? I drove a 996TT few years ago and absolutely loved it! Especially at this altitude, it was a blast. But, primary reason is the IMSB on the NA engines. I tend to keep my cars for a long time and perhaps it might be a good idea to just get the TT. Why am I considering a C4S? There is a significant price difference between say, a 2004 C4S cab vs 2004 TT Cab. Since the Cabs were only made for one year, it is hard to find one that is affordable (meaning: wife approving). I am assuming maintenance on TT to be a bit higher than a C4S. True? I have the patience of a saint and will wait for the 911 that will speak to me. So, I am no rush to get the car. What do you folks suggest? TT or C4S? Ask me questions and provide your opinions to help me decide on my next Porsche please. Cheers, -Kalyan

TT.

As much as I love my c4s, if I had it to do over...I'd go with a TT. Not sure about difference in maintenance cost, but guess you are right that TT would be more. May want to check their forum. Good luck with the search and keep us posted.

Take it from an expert. Jump to 7:10 minute mark for the explanation. Porsche 911 Turbo Review - Top Gear - BBC - YouTube

You could do allot worse than Vicki

...no bad choices there.

It seems like you're torn between the TT and C4S more for maintenance/cost reasons than power reasons. Assuming that is correct, I would say start searching for both and be ready to buy whichever model you find first that checks off everything on your list. As a Boxster owner for many years, you should be well aware by now that the IMSB thing is grossly over exaggerated.

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I believe you have already answered your question

Thanks for the inputs. Yes, I could definitely do a lot worse than Vikki. LOL. The crazy guy inside me says get the turbo. The sensible guy says C4S. Capt. Obvious, it is mostly cost at this point. If it is a few grand difference, I would definitely take the TT. The big question is how much is "few" grand. I agree with you on the IMSB issue. I guess I will keep searching and test drive few cars and see which one speaks to me.

I would buy a Speed Yellow or Guards Red Porsche

Wife says no to yellow. I won't mind the red. I showed a pic of a red 911 to my 3 yr old daughter today and she likes the color. This picture is of her a year ago and I think she already approved this color.

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Ahhhh...now I understand. It's never been made so wonderfully clear to me before!

OP, I don't know exactly where you live or how often you drive up the mountains but you should really consider the altitude effects on a NA motor. Of course this is a moot point if you were ok with the Boxster that you had.

I'd take a C4S with an X51 kit all day long!!

Yeah, I'd definitely go positive pressure in Denver. A friend in Denver resorted to installing a turbo in his e28 M5. The result was 800hp at the wheels. It is good, makes up for the altitude there.

Go with the TT, I did a few months ago. I went from a 2002 986 that I bought new to a 2002 turbo with 48k miles. The turbo is a beast and way faster than I need. I bought it because I didn't want an IMSB, it holds two car seats easily, I didn't like the 997's, and think the Mezger motor is special and will potentially loose little value in the coming years. What I don't like about the turbo is I can't really push it whereas the 986 motor can be pushed to its limit without breaking the law too much. I do love the car though. I was after an 02 so that I could easily upgrade the radio to a double dinn nav. BTW it is much more expensive to maintain than the boxster.

You ended up getting the same color TT. Looks nice!

It is very interesting to reply to your post, the reason is that I have a Speed Yellow 996TT , 2000 Boxster and a Cayenne right now Go for a 996TT Kalyan. The prices are very attractive these days, I think silver and gray are great colors for 996TT body style IMO. I feel the wonderful lines of the 996TT are not that pronounced in the convertible model, but again nothing like the open top experience. One option I would encourage is the Sport seats; the ruffle seats give a vintage look. Turbo S was offered in 2004 too (hint). Good luck

My turbo is midnight blue / graphite grey where as the boxster was lapis blue / graphite grey. I preferred the lapis blue as it was lighter and easier to keep swirl free. The TT is a lot of fun and easy to drive as there is always power in every gear. I wish I could have kept my boxster too, but I would have never driven it. Have fun finding a car. The TT was my dream car, I wanted it back in 02 and now I finally have it. The TT was pretty much a super car in its day. I second the sport seats.

Very good question. I recently upgraded to a TT, but it has not arrived home yet. I will have both for awhile to compare. The dry sump Mezger motor and 100+ extra HP is the reason I switched. Once the speed yellow C4S with PSE is gone, I'm sure I'll miss it. I'm already looking into low cost mods on the turbo to get that sound back. Hint! 2003 Carrera 4S Speed Yellow / 1955 356 Continental 1500 Rust Red

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Both choices are fun. Both cars are not really "sensible" cars. Get the car that makes you happy, that makes you smile every time you see it. Most of all, enjoy it. Just have extra cash saved for maintenance, mods, or service. You'll be fine. The 996 is more reliable than you think with proper care and maintenance. Have fun in your search.

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It's all about the supply and demand curve. the Turbo Cabs (2004 only I think) were also produced in "S" and "X50" versions. I don't think they will be found for only a "few" grand more than the C4S Cab since production numbers are widely different. My budget found most of what you're looking for in a 2004 Black/Black C4S Cab with detachable hard-top and PSE. I picked it up for about 33% list price with 75% of it's life remaining (December 2012). It all boils down to supply and demand. Take your time and spend to the "max" of your "budget" - you can't go wrong with either... My only advise is to add the sport exhaust to your list - It's a wonderful sound...... Good Luck!

I think a TT would be really fun. That being said, I live at close to 8,000 feet of elevation and my C4S doesn't really feel like it's underpowered. I think the C4S is the best looking variant of the 996. It has the wide body and bumpers of the turbo, but it doesn't have the side air intake openings and the rear spoiler that break up the lines of the car. It's very sexy as a cab... I think you should drive both and see what floats your boat. The TT has a very solid engine and it doesn't have the IMSB issue, so that's definitely a consideration in addition to the added power. I think Stevinson Porsche has a 2005 Turbo S for sale...

Great advice, guys!! I am definitely leaning towards a TT, I think. I agree that a TT coupe looks amazing, but having had the boxster for so long, I must have that open top experience. Driving in the mountains with the top down is amazing especially in Fall. ck986: Nice TT! 2 car seats in the back? How do your kids feel sitting in the back? Do they get motion sickness? My 3 yr old gets sick quite easily when we drive in the mountains. I think this is one another reason I am looking for a Cabriolet. Chamilka: The TT I drove years ago (it was 2002 TT) was in fact yellow. I just did not want the attention I was getting driving it. LOL. It is a beautiful color no doubt. Rayng: Any Porsche will make me smile when I look at it. I am that easy to please. JohnnyRocker: Yes, it is all about supply/demand. That's what makes a 996TT Cab so rare and somewhat pricey considering it was just available for one year. Perhaps, I will drive a non-Cab and see how I feel about the TT. DennisC: I like the C4S as well. Heck, I never felt my old boxster was underpowered in the mountains. In fact, I liked driving it at full throttle because I know I would not get into trouble. Didn't someone say that it is always more fun to drive a slow car fast than to drive a fast car slow? I will look on Stevinson's web page... thanks for that. Once again, thanks very much for the inputs. I guess I will have to do some test drives soon.

I feel the same way about driving a slow car fast and now a fast car slow. My kids love the twisties and the speed. You gotta here them yell "weeeeeeee" and daddy go faster. Here in the NE cabs sell for a little less than coupes at least when i was buying my car. I miss the cab a little and think about buying a project 986 99-03 if i can find one for about 7-8k.

Ok... after seeing lots of pictures and searches, I have decided I am going for a 2004 C4S. I love the looks of the C4S convertible over the TT convertible, especially when the top is down. I am very much going to look for one w/ the X51 package! My preferred color is Seal Grey! So, question is how can I visually identify a C4S with X51 package? Do the tail light area look different? Why do some of them have a red stripe between the tail lights? Was that an option? Also, if anyone comes across a good 04 C4S w/ X51 package and good history/records, please let me know. Exciting.... woot!! Cheers, -K

I would personally go for the TT, as it will hold better value since you like keeping your cars long and its got a better built engine and overall a better car in my opinion. Visually identifying an X51 package is not possible, as for the "red stripe" which is just a deflector light only came on all of the C4S's, the TT doesn't have that.

You'll have better luck finding a pink unicorn. I think the X51 package was a $13k option. I was looking at C4S's for a couple of years before I got serious and never came across one. With that said, the hunt it the best part and good luck! It's an amazing car.

TT for sure. Prices on TTs have bottomed and started to rise. Can't say that for the NA 996s.

As mentioned above, the red reflector strip between the taill lights is a feature that all C4S models have, and that no other models have. It's one of the things that I like about the C4S. The X51 package is quite difficult to find. It was a fairly unsual option as far as I can tell. I think your best bet is to find one that has all the records from the original owner, preferably the original window sticker.

996pp: I wanted the TT initially, but as I started my search, the prices just do not make sense to me. Also, the prices of the TT are quite a bit higher than I initially thought and wanted to spend. My initial thought was that if the price of TT were to equal the price of C4S + Cost of IMSB retrofit + "few" grand, I would go for the TT. But, right now, that "few" grand seems a bit much. I saw a few where the year and mileage seems irrelevant, they were all listed for almost the same price within $1k range (example, the price difference between an 04 with 60k miles, 03 with 54k miles and an 02 with 38k miles is within $400). I see the price on another 03 with 16k miles the same as an 03 with 54k miles. Mileage making no impact on price at all. I understand that this is the "asking" price, but yet.... Adcampo & Chsu74: Yes, they seem rare! I saw one 04 Silver C4S with X51 package for sale and contacted the seller. No reply from them yet. DennisC: Yes, I like that red reflector strip as well and thought they were an option. Reminds me of the old 911s. Thanks once again for all your inputs.

Good call!!!! best of luck!!