I've been looking at a 993 TT, polar silver on black with 75K miles. According to seller the car has had all services done and all it needs is a new home. The front bumper has been fixed and sprayed with the plate holes filled in. Seller said that the bumper didn't crack in accident, but the paint was scratched. Surrounding panels have been blended. Car has exposed parts (only half hood and not side view mirrors) clear brah'd. There is no recent leak down/ compression test but has all other services documented. Car is listed for sale by Autobahn for ~$55K. Is this a fair price?

-Peter Oh

 

Price is not too bad, but I think there is room for offers. I would think that with the higher miles maybe more around $50k. You really need to do a PPI on the car though. There can be alot of things wrong under the surface that the seller may genuinely not be aware of. Make sure they do a compression and leak down test as well.

Expect to spend $500 to $700 on the PPI.

Good luck
Steve

 

Ok thanks Gandalf. How much is a leakdown/ compression test? Do I need to do both and if only one, which one is better?

TIA

-Peter Oh

 

What I have read and understand from the search I did when I bought my car a month back is that the 993 TT's tend to have possible valve guide issues when you get into the mileage that you are looking at.

The leak down test is really the more important thing, but they usually do both for the same money as the labor is the same. It tells you if there is any issues with the valve guides and rings. Remember, a top end rebuild will run close to $10k. A full engine rebuild can be $20k or more. I'm not trying to scare you away, just want to understand the importance of doing a full PPI. (Pre-Purchase Inspection)

You don't want to see leak down numbers be much more than 5%.

There may be others that chime in that have a lot more knowlege than myself.

Steve

 

Gandalf,

Your information is the same as what I've read. Would you be willing to tell me about your 993TT acquisition? If not on the public forum, perhaps via pm? It would be valuable to me as a guideline if and when I go through with a purchase. If you don't care to, I understand. You have already contributed valuable information.

Thanks,

-Peter Oh

 

Looks not too bad

 

Lot of miles but as long as it was maintained well should be a good buy

 

There are a few areas in the 993 you'll need to have checked in your PPI. Make sure all TSB's have been ck'd. There's an airbag and full wiring harness history that should have been replaced. Make sure they check the inlets to the turbos to see if oil has contaminated them. If so you'll probably be rebuilding or replacing those. Just research as much about the car (993) as possible. They're very stout machines and you'll be very happy once you buy the right one.

 

recently bought a 1996 TT with 36K miles - it was appraised by the PCA valuation person at $75K - did not pay that much as my trade was over-value by an ignorant salesperson... but those cars are on the increase, so if the PPI checks out (and you will spend the money on one, won't you?) go for it, you will not regret it.
make sure that, if it is a '96, the wiring harness recall has been done on it (any dealer should be able to check the history on the VIN). good luck.