The Turbo is just a used car. You have to look for everything and anything.

I recommend visiting the car cold with the A/C off -- you check this out later -- turn on the key and ensure the CEL comes on then goes off when you start the engine. Let the engine idle while you walk around the car but keep an ear on the engine. It will sound a bit gruff early on but when RPMs drop to near hot idle speed the engine will get smoother. (Primarily the DME stops dumping excess fuel into the engine to burn in the converters. This excess fuel accounts for the faint back firing you can hear in the exhaust.)

Have the seller take you on a 15 mile test ride. The route should give the driver a chance to demo the car like you intend to use it.

Back at the starting point you switch places and drive the car and cover the same route and drive the car the same way.

Be sure the Tip up shifts with light moderate and heavy throttle with no drama. It should downshift just as drama free too. Do a K turn to shift the Tip from Drive to Reverse and back and forth several times to ensure the Tip can keep up that it doesn't start clunking or having trouble switching gears. Do this before the Tip has had time to warm up and then again after the Tip has been up to temperature for a while.

Back at the starting point then give the car a thorough going over. Make sure everything works. Check the spoiler hydraulics for any leak sign. Sniff the engine compartment and around the radiator ducts for any anti-freeze odor.

If you still like the car then arrange for a PPI. This gets the car in the air so a careful inspection can be made for any leak sign. Every gasket, seal, o-ring, hose, hose connection, hydraulic line and fitting, every CV dust boot, gets checked.

Headlights are "normal". The original one on my 2003 looks just like the ones in the picture and has for a long time. (My car has over 142K miles on it.) But the passenger side which is "new", having been replaced around 125K miles ago looks much better, almost new. On a related note the driver side headlight (original headlight) turn signal bulb holder doesn't make good contact with the connector in the headlight and the signal doesn't blink sometimes. The passenger side and newer headlight has never manifested this behavior.

Based on my experience I have to offer up 2003 was a crummy year for Turbo headlights.

Even frosted though the headlight puts out plenty of light. Love Bi-Xenon lights!

 

Which sub deals with Porsche turbo?! Not found it

 

Don't let the HLs and center caps on the wheels discourage you. The paint, body, interior look good, so PPI on the mechanics, then you'll know. From what I see its worth taking a closer look. One of the best color combinations too. kenny

 

Again, I appreciate all of the input! Does anyone know of a shop close to Momentum that will do PPI's on a Saturday (late morning)?

 

Is it just me or does the drivers side rear quarter color look off? Or is that just the way the wide *** makes the grey look?

 

Why is the rear spoiler in the up position? Have the dealer test the up/down function repeatedly while you watch and listen to it to see if its stuck or raises 1 side up more than another while traveling. I had to replace mine, ~$2k fix.

 

^ good advice. any dealer leaving it "up" for "bling" purposes is really only displaying how little they know about the proper mechanics of the car. never leave that thing up manually longer than a car wash lol

 

PPI needed for sure!

Lights do look a little rough but if it lived in a sunny climate and parked in the sun at work, not totally impossible. I would check for moisture inside the lights though; those look really yellow. Probably wouldn't hurt to check the paint as well. If the lights are in fact sun damaged, the clearcoat could be on the verge of peeling.

 

That is a coincidence that is just too funny...




I had spoke with Momentum several times about that exact car!


I called around to a few other Porsche dealers/independents and several people recommended using Koby Motors for a PPI. I called Koby and was quoted $400 for the PPI, I think the owners name is Jose...(?) He said they do PPIs for Momentum frequently, and are close by.


http://www.kobymotors.com/




Jennifer Sullivan of Momentum was not helpful at all, and would not even return my calls when I was clear I was ready to buy a car, but was not willing to buy the car without a PPI. I offered to put a deposit on the car contingent on a clean PPI, and as incredible and absurd as it may sound, Jennifer Sullivan wanted me to put a "non-refundable" $2500 deposit on the car to have a PPI.




Just FYI I will tell you I also had a PPI done on a similar mileage and similar year 996tt tiptronic at an apparently respected German Auto Haus specialty used car dealer in Naples FL, and found it had a leaking transmission seal the dealer had tried to hide.


I learned there is a history of this problem with the tiptronic S in these cars, and it is a very expensive problem.


Porsche has no replacement seals available, and they can only recommend a new transmission as a repair!


The transmission was made by Mercedes so there are shops that can rebuild it, but it is a very pricey problem to repair, so I would be certain to have a PPI with a close inspection of the tranny.


Hope this help, and best of luck, Dave

 

Yes, many of the trans parts are just MB 722.6 trans parts. In fact, a tech at a Porsche dealer advised me to buy seals for mine from MB using their diagrams.

IPT Trans also has had some gaskets reproduced that are specific to the Porsche and unavailable.

 

lol @ "non-refundable" deposit. back to "salesperson" school hah!