Michael Everson

Thinking of going to take a look at this Porsche.
http://automanianh.com/2003-Porsche-...8/Details.aspx

Any advice you guys could give me? Does the price seem fair? Are all turbos AWD? Did all turbos have the carbon interior? Not sure I like that. I would most likely be trading in my C6 Z06 towards this car.

Thanks Mike

Peter B

I think the CF is an option, but the big problem with manual TTs is over-revs caused by either lazy downshifting into an excessively low gear or screaming down a hill at max revs in an intermediate gear.

The shop should be able to print out the history of over-revs and I'm sure a more learned Rennlister will fill in the details.

Rusty wheel bolts are a portent of imminent "bursting" and I'd want to change them.

Apart from all the usual checks, be sure that the rear wing hydraulic lifters work properly otherwise you might need a small mortgage to fix them....

Dennis C

That looks like a nice car, and the price seems to be in the right range. All 996 turbos were AWD from the factory with the only exception being the GT2. Carbon interior bits were optional in the turbo, although the "full leather" package is standard. The car has aftermarket wheels - they look like Victor Equipment Zehn wheels to me. They are a moderately priced cast wheel, and the rear offsets are pretty aggressive. It also has an aftermarket cold-air intake. I'm not a fan of those, but some people really like them. It does have some nice options, including the sport seats with painted backs and the Porsche crest in the headrest.

The guys over on the 996 turbo board can give you more specifics on the car, but generally they are considered very solid vehicles. The GT1-derived engine designed by Hans Mezger is considered one of Porsche's finest engines.

alpine003

What's up with all the turbo guys coming here instead of the turbo section lately? Ok, back to your local programming...

kromdom

not just the turbo folks, even have prior 996 (and non-Porsche) owners who also hang around here 😉

Dennis C

We just can't get enough 996!

cerex

Long live the 996 and IMS

Triple Black

996 is King!!!

Atrox

We secretly want an na car...

996 SHARK

CF interior is sex!

alpine003

Until it cracks. It's not a matter of if but when...

white out

Great looking car and fair price.

It has an intake, crawl under it and see if it has a stock exhaust. If not, it probably has a tune too.

Macster

Best advice I can offer is to point out the Turbo is just a used car so you must give the car a thorough used car check out.

Briefly -- I need to leave for work -- this involves a test ride and a test drive to experience the car on the road in its natural environment.

The route should be long enough and varied enough the driver can demo the car as you intend to use it. Then of course as a driver you can experience the car first hand as you intend to use it.

Afterwards then run through a used car check list and check what you can. The 110 (?) point inspection the techs use when CPO'ing car is a good starting point.

Assume nothing works until you confirm it does and be aware there can be expensive issues from seemingly minor problems.

Dark headlight? Maybe a $100 (?) bulb, but could be a bad starter/igniter ($800). Even a dark turn signal bulb can be a bad connection in the unit which could require the unit be replaced. $$$$.

A bit of fluid leak sign at the rear spoiler cylinders? A new spoiler hydraulic system can run $2000. There are "fixes" that don't involve replacing this but can require time and effort to find someone capable of doing them, or working out how to do it yourself.

After your checkout then if you still like the car and believe you can buy it for an agreeable sum of money arrange for a PPI.

Among other things this gets the car in the air where a close inspection for any leak sign or other signs of trouble can be made.

Every seal, gasket, hose, hose fitting, hydraulic line and line fitting needs to be checked. A bit of seepage at a hose connected to the block? Bad hose? Maybe. Could be a bad fitting which to repair is an engine out job to pin/epoxy. There are number of these too and one needs to look at every one very very carefully.

Leaking RMS? Budget $1700 (or more now) for this repair.

Check the front diff seals. The axle flange seals have been known to leak. Let the fluid leak continue too long and the unit gets low on fluid and this can ruin the diff (or the viscous coupling which is part of the diff) and this can run upwards of $7000 to replace. (Sure, if you don't want to repair/replace the front diff the car can be converted to RWD but you want to avoid paying AWD prices, so to speak, for a car you have to pay to convert to RWD after you buy it.)

Oh, CF -- an option not standard -- is nice but the techs tell me it will come apart over time. An otherwise nice car with CF is no reason to reject the car but you should be aware of the CF and what can happen to it. I'm not sure what it costs to renew or replace with something else.

As for price I have no real idea. I am not current on 996 Turbo market prices.

My best advice is to visit a number of used car sites that give prices and plug in the numbers and see what trade in, private, and retail prices come up.

Generally the car is worth somewhere between its trade in value and what you are willing to pay and what the seller is willing to accept.

Anyhow, all I have time for. Work beckons...