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!

 

Most will disagree but I would not want a car for a dd as modded as the 996t. Wait for a less modded car that fits your needs. My budget allowed for about any used car and chose the 996t over others including the 997t= drive the cars and pick what you like best. If I had to pick one of the two listed it would be the 997t and the auto would be nice for everyday use.

 

Thanks! I forgot to mention that I'm located in Oregon and both cars are out of state, so test driving both would be difficult (but, ultimately doable). I've had a 986 S and 996 before, both were manual transmission and I loved them. I guess I'm worried that the automatic transmission would take away from the driving experience.

 

I wouldn't want a auto either and only own two cars with. Find if you can some local Turbos and compare 996-997.

 

Cool, I'll probably head down to the Porsche dealership tomorrow and see what they have

 

Straight cut gears are loud.....doubt you want that as a DD.......

 

Oh wow, yeah that is pretty loud. I was aware straight cut gears were louder, but I didn't know they were THAT loud.

93ls1rx7, definitely true. I don't have much experience in the 996 Turbo world, so it's hard for me to know what I'm getting into with the mods. I heard the engines on the turbos were significantly superior to the NA 996's, so I was thinking maybe it could handle the mods well? As far as the 997, it has a clear title and no states mechanical issues, but I'm definitely going to have it thoroughly checked out, cause that price is pretty low.

 

they are two completely different animals when one is modded ( although it does sound "properly" ) as mentioned the straight cut gears and rader box make this far less a daly driver than the tippy 997 is.


also, the modded car, while it can surely handle those mods for years with ease, it is NOT the level of mods on a 62k mile car to buy sight unseen or without being able to look it over in person.


without knowing the provenance or PO of the car. unwise, and could be asking for trouble. not because of the mods per se, but because you don't know the level of maintanance post mods and upkeep etc. a car at that level needs consistent maint to be a consistently performing daily driver.




on "paper" the DD is the 997t. but a 997.1t tip is.. meh.

 

The auto completely ruins the driving experience. I would take a less modified 996 turbo with a 6 speed over both of those cars.

Later, Steve

 

For sure, that's what I figured. I did express the concerns about maintenance and history to the dealer and he said he had a full list of service records as well as invoices and the like for the mods. Which is nice to know. I guess when it comes to this, patience is the key. Maybe neither of these cars are what I should ultimately get and I should just give it a few more weeks of searching instead of compromising.

 

I say, be patient when buying one. if you dont drive it everyday, you can buy one with a bit higher millage like the 08. plenty of 996s TT out there just have to fish it out, to me, personally? If the car has like suspension done, wheels , and tune, exhaust, maybe clutch, so is pretty much a stock form, nothing else. and everything checks out ok, go for it.

I'm not saying 996 is a bad deal. but how do you know if you going to enjoy more , modified and not have any problems down the road

personally? I would never ever buy an auto sports car. but thats just me. it takes away a lot of fun.

I say find 996TT with 45k-50k miles on it, and buy one stock without mods, if possible.

 

I agree with Steve, sounds like neither car is the perfect fit. Highly modded 600hp could be awesome, but then again could be someone else's nightmare. Who knows?

Automatic (esp. a tippy) was a show stopper for me, esp. since I wasn't looking for a daily driver.

Less than a year ago I ended up with a stock 43K mile 996TT that had full documentation from day 1. Now very lightly modded to my preferences...

Good luck with your search!

 

You guys are awesome. I think I'm going to keep the search alive, try to find a a stock 6 speed that I can have my way with. Yeah, the allure of a 600hp beast that is already built is strong, but I think that would get me in more trouble than anything, and possible end with me wrapped around a tree lol.

 

+1.

'Tip would be a deal breaker for me.
When I was look for a 996TT, I asked a very good friend of mine (who is also a Master Porsche Tech) his opinion of a 'tip TT and his only answer was "why would you even consider one?"... That to me spoke volumes.

Plenty of cars out there. Unless you really, really need one *RIGHT NOW* wait a little. "Your" can will show up in good time.

Good Luck!

 

46k for a 997TT even for tip is a good deal, is the carfax clean?

If you could deal with it for a while I would jump on that deal and maybe sell or trade it for a 6sp 996TT later.