2001 996 TT buyer advice?

[mwiadro]

Looking at an 01' 996 TT w/ tiptronic - few maintenance records available, unfortunately. I'd run, normally, but it looks clean/stock other than upsize rims and only 72K miles. Asking $33K. Any ownership experience, buying advice or achilles heels based on MY and transmission are greatly appreciated. I have a couple local Porsche dealers to perform a PPI. Thank you -

[opinwyd]

Look at the common problems area section forr 996tt. This will give you a good place to start to look for things on the vehicle that could be wrong. I have upgraded rims when I bought mine too, check to make sure it has proper clearance all the way around the wheels. I have large wheels and very wide tires, as well as Bilstein pss9's and they rub, so much so that it has caused a blowout on the highway. Also make sure the camber is good, because if not, this will cause uneven wear on those lo pro's and you will dump a ton of money into tires every time you turn around. Average low profile tires last 15k or less, and with super negative camber its more like 5k. hope this helps:)

[mwiadro]

Thank you - I reviewed the sections you mentioned. Are there any substantial changes from MY 2001 to MY 2003?

[Loren]

2002 - BOSE sound system, glovebox added

2003 - MOST fiber optic sound system, 2nd gen PCM

Not much else.

[mwiadro]

Thanks, Loren!

[Stevenorcal]

I have had a 03 and currently a 01 996 TT. both were bullet proof and in total have owned both for 7 years. I still find myself asking entry level questions as i never needed to do anything out of the ordinary to either over course of ownership. I think they are a great value to perfromance ratio and wouldnt hesitate buying either with higher miles after consulting this forum. I drive my car not nearly enough but when I do i drive it hard and it never disappoints..

[mwiadro]

That's great to hear - thank you for your feedback.

[TTTerror]

Looking at an 01' 996 TT w/ tiptronic - few maintenance records available, unfortunately. I'd run, normally, but it looks clean/stock other than upsize rims and only 72K miles. Asking $33K. Any ownership experience, buying advice or achilles heels based on MY and transmission are greatly appreciated. I have a couple local Porsche dealers to perform a PPI. Thank you -

Have an 03, Arctic Silver, manual tranny I purchased about 18 months ago with 8k miles...now 23k. Overall, been a solid car with a couple of issues addressed under CPO (window regulator...common issue, alternator...from car sitting for long periods with previous owner and MAF replaced).

Lack of maitenance records with 72K mi would make me nervous....even a good PPI wouldn't help me sleep well. Keep in mind, when these cars break, it ain't cheap unless you do your own work.....price of admission. There are well documented cars out there if you're patient.

Edited January 24, 2012 by TTTerror

[mwiadro]

Good advice - I think I will probably pass on this particular car, but an important part of the learning process. I purchased a one-owner 04' Cayenne S a couple years ago (which came with a full service history) after a good bit of kicking tires and the patience has paid off. When you are bit by the Porsche bug...well, what more can you say. I'm sure the right 996 TT is out there, too :)

[mwiadro]

I'm particularly interested in Tiptronic owner feedback - due to the traffic in the DC area, owning a manual shift car can be torture. (I had been shopping C4/C4s and loved the manual versions I drove, but was underwhelmed with the Tiptronic's performance with the naturally aspirated engine.) I't seems more than a few owners use their 996 TT as daily drivers. I'm curious how durable the engine and transmission combination has proven to be over time?

[996CabMan]

I went from an 03 C2 Tiptronic cab to an 03 996 TiptronicTurbo and there is no comparison between the two cars in performance. I agree that the C2 was a bit sluggish, but the Turbo is a beast (even in tiptronic). I know there are tiptronic haters out there, but I love mine!