Hi All,

I'm looking to get a 996tt but a good one has been hard to come by. The ones that are still advertised seem to be overpriced and/or significantly modded and I can't seem to quantify how the mods effect the price. I can't say I know enough about the specific mods in most cases to determine whether or not they increase or decrease the value of the car.

Anyways, my question is ... as I have spoken to indy's and dealers most of them say that a leak down should be done to determine whether or not true damage to the engine has taken place. The leak down is $2100 and a PPI is $300. From what they tell me the PPI is a cursory inspection of the car but doesn't really tell you if any significant engine damage has been done.

So, from that point of view, it seems best that I get a unmodded car so that the PPI is most effective. Candidly, I am most afraid that a modded car may have damage that will only surface a few years into my ownership. The other thing that I have heard is that gas in Cal sucks and that if a mod has taken place then I have to make sure the mod (ECU) is tuned to the bad gas in California.
It seems the PPI is fine for stock cars but doesn't really help on modded cars. I know that the mods matter, but does anyone have any insight?

Next question - I've been looking at the 996tt and everyone (indy's and dealers) say the engine is bullet proof. So this begs the question, if the engine is bulletproof then what is the difference between getting a 45k miles car vs. a 60k mile car? Yes, maintenance costs will be more simply because of more miles but does 15k miles make a $6k purchase price difference? I think not but again any insight would be helpful.

Lastly, it appears that most people's preference for low mileage on a 10-12 year old car may also present a different set of problems. So it appears there may be a sweet spot for the 996tt in terms of mileage.

Thanks guys there are too many opinions around but i'd like to hear yours also.

 

$2100 for a leak down? Somebody is bending you over already. I had several PPIs done by one of the top shops in Dallas - $300 for a very thorough inspection, including paint, over revs, etc - took about 3 hours. If there was a need for a leak down, the price would have bumped up to $500, so $200 extra. I opted against it in each instance based on their recommendation.

A very good Porsche shop should be able to do a strong enough PPI for you and determine if a leak down is even warranted. You can even download the Porsche CPO checklist and ask that they go by that.

BTW - in my opinion, unless the mods are exactly what you would do anyway, then they add no value at all. I always discounted the mods and looked for as stock as possible, right or wrong. A PPI should still be fine for a modded car if done by a reputable shop.

Generally 5k miles a year seems to be the average for these cars. Higher miles wouldn't scare me at all if there is a great trail of maintenance records. Always buy the newest year with the fewest miles that you can afford.

 

Buy the 996tt that sparks your interest they are great cars and there is not a difference between years that amounts to a hill of beans. The most important thing is to find a clean car with mileage that you find reasonable and get a ppi and if your looking at cars with 45k I don't believe 60k is to big of a difference. As said a million times a cheap Porsche usually end up being the most expensive car in the end.

 

I've bought quite a few Porsches over the years and the ones with mods are sometimes more taken cared of then the all stock one. the most important thing is to find the one that makes you happy. The money that you'll be paying is not the usual amount that you pay for other brand 10-12 year old cars. Heck you could easily buy a brand new fully loaded accord for the price of a 10 year old tt.

 

Thanks guys. Leftlane - the $2100 for the leakdown sounded expensive. But it came from Tom at Callen Rennsport in Torrance, who is pretty well respected around these parts. I found a well kept dealer serviced one that is not grey (or whatever name they give the color).

Wish me luck!

 

he really shouldnt be respected if hes ripping people off like that

 

GMG quoted me way less than that. I use Callas regularly for my 996tt, but they have not once been the cheapest or the fastest - for anything.