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I've found an '01 with under 30k miles not too far from me. The good is that it looks to be really clean, and has low mileage. The bad is that it has had 5 previous owners. The last owner put less than 9k miles on it in the 2.5 years he had it. Maintenance history is pretty spotty based on what has been reported on the Carfax report as well. On paper this car appears to be something that previous owners bought and let sit in a garage somewhere, hardly driving it and maybe not doing all the services based on time (since they were not reaching the mileage). Is it too risky? Garage queens look good on paper, and I like the low mileage, but the 5 owners and no meticulous service history sort of worries me.
No way to tell without having the car checked out. That is going to be your key to happiness with one of these vs a newer car, getting one that needs a lot can end up spending a lot of time in the shop or a lot of time turning wrenches on the weekend if you are the DIY type.
Compare the records of what it has vs what it needs... Compare what it should have had vs what looks like its been cared for. Maybe some stuff was done, but the records were not kept. Use the lack of records as a negotiation tool rather than something to eliminate cars that would otherwise fit what you want.
Even if you are mechanically competent and trust yourself to do a thorough pre-inspection, get a 2nd set of eyes on any car you are serious about. It's really easy to overlook something. Don't buy the first one you drive. I had a look at virtually every example that came available in my area and by the time I bought a car I had a good idea of what a solid car felt like. Even if your first one feels like the one, go drive another to have a point of comparison.
Yes, I should have mentioned I would get a PPI if after seeing it in person I was still interested. The mileage and color combo is great, but I guess you just don't know what you're getting when you buy a 15 year old car. Could be a diamond in the rough, or could be junk. I would imagine that most owners would take care of these cars pretty well though.
I haven't. I've driven a 997.1 TT manual, but not a 996. Since I know what 480hp feels like on that car, that's what has me looking for about 500 out of the 996.
I've driven a few 997.1tt's, and for some reason, it really didn't do anything for me. Love the exterior, but the driving experience left me a little meh.. Felt planted and somewhat sterile. Aside from the engine revving and the TURBO sign on the rear, I couldn't FEEL the sports car.
The 996tt is like a punch in the abdomen. Going from 1st to 2nd after the turbos spool, the car just launches and pulls aggressively with such force at first it's scary, but then you get used to it and you start the giggles and smiles, and you want more and more!
I've driven a few 997.1tt's, and for some reason, it really didn't do anything for me. Love the exterior, but the driving experience left me a little meh.. Felt planted and somewhat sterile. Aside from the engine revving and the TURBO sign on the rear, I couldn't FEEL the sports car.
The 996tt is like a punch in the abdomen. Going from 1st to 2nd after the turbos spool, the car just launches and pulls aggressively with such force at first it's scary, but then you get used to it and you start the giggles and smiles, and you want more and more!
Funny you say that, I was thinking the same thing. The 997TT, while an amazing car in its own right, felt a touch too refined to me when I drove it whereas the 996TT was the right balance of raw and refinement. For a DD it would be perfect but as a sports car, I prefer the 996.
I haven't. I've driven a 997.1 TT manual, but not a 996. Since I know what 480hp feels like on that car, that's what has me looking for about 500 out of the 996.
I noticed the Niners poster on your garage wall, if you're in the Bay Area you are more then welcome to ride in and drive my tuned '02 Turbo. I have a Kline Exhaust that can be run with either 200 cell cats or decat. Sambo @ ByDesign provided a custom 1 Bar Cobb Tune that allows me to run either crappy 91 or 100 unleaded (or a 95 octane blend).
I also have upgraded sway bars that help eliminate some of the understeer, a 997 SSK, and a few other odds and ends. It's mostly stock though and runs fantastic. I would guess that it's putting out around 500hp at the crank with the 100 octane tune. The midrange torque is great for my canyon carving and I guarantee it's exciting *and* involving to drive!
Sean L.
2002 996 Turbo
2010 Lexus RX350
2012 Lexus LS460 Sport
2010 Harley Road King Classic
I noticed the Niners poster on your garage wall, if you're in the Bay Area you are more then welcome to ride in and drive my tuned '02 Turbo. I have a Kline Exhaust that can be run with either 200 cell cats or decat. Sambo @ ByDesign provided a custom 1 Bar Cobb Tune that allows me to run either crappy 91 or 100 unleaded (or a 95 octane blend).
I also have upgraded sway bars that help eliminate some of the understeer, a 997 SSK, and a few other odds and ends. It's mostly stock though and runs fantastic. I would guess that it's putting out around 500hp at the crank with the 100 octane tune. The midrange torque is great for my canyon carving and I guarantee it's exciting *and* involving to drive!
I'd love to take you up on that... but I'm not in SF or the Bay Area. Lifelong fan of the Niners, and family ties to the area, but I'm on the East Coast. Thanks for the offer though!
Here's the local one I'm considering. 2001 with 25K miles. $122,500 original MSRP
Like I said, still need to drive it and have it checked out by a mechanic, and am also interested in the service records so I know if I'm stepping in to something that will need thousands in maintenance right away, but it at least has my interest. The color combo is my #1 choice for interior and #2 choice for exterior. I've never bought a car this old before, low mileage notwithstanding, so that's giving me a little pause (as is the 5 previous owners). But it's not like I can buy a "new" 996 Turbo, haha!
I own an 04 996TT with a SpeedTech exhaust and Cobb tune and enjoy it very much. One item to note is that it looks like your car has the interior wood package. This can be a bit fragile and VERY expensive to replace, e.g. those front door Bose speaker are $2200 and the door pulls are $450 each. Check their condition and make sure you keep it out of UV or they will crack. Since it looks like you have the kit there may also be one at the base of the windshield where it's exposed. If it is garaged all the time, probably not a problem. I've already had to replace my door pulls.
When you said "What I consider to be a perfect (looking) 996 build:" and posted that black 996tt.
From what I can see it has lowered suspension via coilovers or lowering springs, clear/smoked sidemarker lights, aftermarket wheels and 35% or 50% window tint.
Do not dismiss a 5 owner car to quickly. A lot of times a turbo is one of many cars. As a supercar in 2001 some were just not driven that much. You should be able to tell how it was taken care of after a PPI. Don't forget to get a complete ECU readout. Mine was many pages for my Turbo. Get the complete readout, not just the number 1 and 2 overrevs.
I've also noticed some ambitious pricing with these cars, and maybe I'm not quite "in tune" with the market. Just for a reference point (and yes, I know KBB is not the authority on car values), I ran a KBB analysis on both my car and for 2001 996TTs. It seems that people are asking almost $10K over KBB values, and sometimes even closer to $15K over, even when you factor in some of the lower mileage examples. A 2001 with less than 30K miles, clean title and the typical options is listed for a range on KBB from $35K for a private party sale in "good" condition, up to $41K for a dealer sale in "very good" condition. That said, most people are asking around $50K. Are the cars moving at that price?
I've followed the market very closely and talked to a lot of dealers about my car, and the "KBB dealer value" for a car with my mileage and options is somewhere around $43K, and private parties who are looking to move their cars are taking a shade under $40K. The CARMAX or trade value for my car is $35K-$36K. So I have to assume that dealers are buying these 996TTs from owners or auctions for something in the mid-$30K range, and then marking them up $15K? Are these cars going the way of the 993 all of a sudden?
I went from a 997 S to a 996tt just recently (a few weeks) and do not regret it one bit. I owned the 997 S for about 2 years and enjoyed every moment. It was a stellar looking car with an aerokit, champion wheels, coilovers, etc.. Aesthetically the car was on point. I did however feel the need for more power.
The 996tt has a GIAC flash right now and pulls hard enough for to keep me entertained for a while. Aesthetically i am unbothered by the headlights which some consider ugly. A 996tt with a nice set of wheels and coilovers lowered to the right height is enough to keep my eyes glued to it. I say go for it but to be patient ! I got lucky and scooped one off the classifieds here. Pristine car from a pristine member ! I've owned the 997 for 2 years but always had the itch to get the 996tt considering the price. It took some time to find. If your gut doesn't instantly tell you the car isn't the one then don't buy it. That's how i went about it of course among other things such as the PPI, Service records, etc..
I do think the prices are going up as you've witnessed. What's contributing towards this i am not aware. Or maybe i am lol
I've also noticed some ambitious pricing with these cars, and maybe I'm not quite "in tune" with the market. Just for a reference point (and yes, I know KBB is not the authority on car values), I ran a KBB analysis on both my car and for 2001 996TTs. It seems that people are asking almost $10K over KBB values, and sometimes even closer to $15K over, even when you factor in some of the lower mileage examples. A 2001 with less than 30K miles, clean title and the typical options is listed for a range on KBB from $35K for a private party sale in "good" condition, up to $41K for a dealer sale in "very good" condition. That said, most people are asking around $50K. Are the cars moving at that price?
I've followed the market very closely and talked to a lot of dealers about my car, and the "KBB dealer value" for a car with my mileage and options is somewhere around $43K, and private parties who are looking to move their cars are taking a shade under $40K. The CARMAX or trade value for my car is $35K-$36K. So I have to assume that dealers are buying these 996TTs from owners or auctions for something in the mid-$30K range, and then marking them up $15K? Are these cars going the way of the 993 all of a sudden?
The 996TTs have been trending upward in the last 6-7 months it seems.
I've also noticed some ambitious pricing with these cars, and maybe I'm not quite "in tune" with the market. Just for a reference point (and yes, I know KBB is not the authority on car values), I ran a KBB analysis on both my car and for 2001 996TTs. It seems that people are asking almost $10K over KBB values, and sometimes even closer to $15K over, even when you factor in some of the lower mileage examples. A 2001 with less than 30K miles, clean title and the typical options is listed for a range on KBB from $35K for a private party sale in "good" condition, up to $41K for a dealer sale in "very good" condition. That said, most people are asking around $50K. Are the cars moving at that price?
I've followed the market very closely and talked to a lot of dealers about my car, and the "KBB dealer value" for a car with my mileage and options is somewhere around $43K, and private parties who are looking to move their cars are taking a shade under $40K. The CARMAX or trade value for my car is $35K-$36K. So I have to assume that dealers are buying these 996TTs from owners or auctions for something in the mid-$30K range, and then marking them up $15K? Are these cars going the way of the 993 all of a sudden?
Do not dismiss a 5 owner car to quickly. A lot of times a turbo is one of many cars. As a supercar in 2001 some were just not driven that much. You should be able to tell how it was taken care of after a PPI. Don't forget to get a complete ECU readout. Mine was many pages for my Turbo. Get the complete readout, not just the number 1 and 2 overrevs. regards, Pranqster
sometimes the 5 owners is actually 2 but just someone who moved a couple times and had to re register etc
07-25-2016, 11:16 PM
