Hey guys, I'm a long time searcher, but first time poster on here. Looks like I'll be officially joining the community this week. I have a tough decision on my hands, after scouring used car sites, I've found a beast 996 Turbo and a stock 997 Turbo.

I've searched quite a bit on here and around the web, and it seems as though it's more of a matter of opinion than anything else.

Here is my predicament:
2004 911 Turbo 62,xxx miles 6 speed (Seal Grey w/black interior) asking $45k
Mods (soooo many, but I'll list the main ones): Ultimate Motor Werks K24/26 zero clearance turbo package, Bill Rader GT3 cup car tranny w/straight cut gears, EVOMS stage 2 clutch, and many more. Seems like this guy knew what he was doing and built it right. Claims last dyno was over 600hp.

OR

2008 911 Turbo 83,xxx miles TIPTRONIC (Cobalt blue w/red interior...I actually love this combo)
Asking $46k

This one is bone stock with the exception of aftermarket rims. Seems to be in good condition, and if it was a 6 speed I probably would have already moved on it.

I guess I'm just looking for opinions, my concerns with the 996 is that it'll be too much of a beast to be a semi-daily driver, and the automatic transmission is definitely what's holding me back on the 997. Any suggestions?? Thanks!

 

$46k for a 2008 even with 80k miles seems low. Does it check out?

I would say this about heavily modified cars...in my experience you are buying someone else's headache.

 

I would lean towards the 997. The 996 interior appears cheap and doesn't give me the feel that your in a special car.. Same goes for the fried egg look for headlights. That said, I find the miles on the 997 a tad high. I agree that a heavily modded car could be troublesome but it sounds like this one was done with a bit of strategy.

Good luck with the decision

 

I've had a 996TT with some mods and now a 997TT with none (yet). $45k for a modded 996 car with over 60k miles is a lot of money. Have you ever driven a car with straight cut gears? For the track it's fine. On the street....

That said, a 997TT with 80k miles is a lot of miles for my tastes.

If I were looking at spending $45k I would buy the lowest mileage, most fanatically maintained 996TT I could find with some moderate mods (tune, exhaust, suspension). Make sure the rear wing hydraulics have been replaced and the clutch accumulator/slave cylinder has been addressed. You will be fixing these if they haven't been done.

 

No, I've never driven a car with straight cut gears, that's probably the #1 thing on the 996 that is a red flag for me. I'm sure they are amazing on the track, but I don't think I'll be at the track more than 6 times a year, so they may be more a nuisance to me the other 90% of the time I'm driving it.

 

I'll just say my 996TT was dynoed at 485hp to the wheels with just an exhaust and a Softronic tune. I never had any issues with the car and I do miss it. The 997 is more up-to-date in terms of interior and the front end (I liked the rear end of the 996TT just fine) but I loved my 996 because it was more raw and I liked the simplicity. Car was a blast and I tracked it a few times. Also did a KW suspension and some other minor work. My 997 needs some mods to make it more fun. Don't worry about power in these cars. When you get the money you can always upgrade and upgrade and upgrade. Better to learn how to drive them first because they are plenty fast and can be tricky at the limit.

 

My 2 cents is that you would be getting into an expensive car and your budget is too low. As someone already mentioned, you are probably buying someone else's headache. With either of those cars expect heavy outlays for maintenance and repairs. In the thousands, not the hundreds. Both models are very reliable, but mileage throws everything out the window.

 

ryem3 you're probably right. I was originally looking at 997 4S's when I stumbled upon the modded 996T, which then led me to eventually find this 997T.

I was looking at the 997 4S as a place holder for a couple years until I could find a turbo, but the more I think about it, the more I want to skip the 4S and jump to the turbo. I wouldn't mind increasing the budget for a lower mileage option, and i think that's what I may end up doing as I get back to the search.

 

I would avoid both cars. At 45k I would look for a clean, lightly modded or stock 996tt X50 with reasonably low mileage. Or maybe a base 997.2? I wouldn't consider any 997tt under $55k and even then I would be cautious.

 

Hi

I looked for a 997tt once the wife basically refused to ever support a 996 due to the front and interior.

I dont agree with her though, a clean 996tt with AM rims looks really good imo. But I think you should also look at the 996GT3. Seems to be a better investment than a tt. A friend got a clean gt3 2004 and its great both in daily traffic, and I'm convinced even better on track.

 

Having both I feel 997 is a better overall option.

996 is dated, but it does feel a bit more brutal and similar to old Porsches.
997, you are stepping up to a much better interior and overall technology car.

On that note, if 996 is what you are looking for, there is a local SF Craigslist car with 12k for similar price you mentioned.

Good luck!

 

I can find you a pristine 996TT with less than 20k miles for around $45k, in fact there is one 996TT in Hawaii with 12k miles asking for $45k. I think it's a great deal for any turbo in today market.
About 997TT, I would NEVER buy any 997TT below $60k or you might end up with a problematic car. If budget is an issue now, I would skip the 997TT and buy 997 C4S as your original plan unless you willing to pay more for a better car.

 

UPDATE: I probably should've stated earlier that I'm looking for a cabrio, which makes things a little harder. I decided against the 996 and I had the 997 checked out by a local Porsche dealership... They found a few issues. Here's a screenshot of what they found:

 

Yikes, 600 for a ppi that they didn't drive?

For a car with that mileage I'd expect to put in a few grand to bring it up to snuff..some of that stuff you could do yourself..

Also strange they have it listed as a gt3rs..

 

Yeah, I don't know why they put it down as a GT3 rs either. From the limited interaction I've had with this dealer, I can say I'm not a fan. Originally they said it would take about 3 hours, and they ended up having the car for over 24 hours, and all they basically did was a visual inspection! I understand why they couldn't drive it, but that kind of puts me in a bad spot as far as figuring out exactly what I'm getting in to. I had planned on spending a few thousand fixing it up upon purchase, I just want to make sure there aren't any surprises like bad turbos, tranny, or anything major.