ry322

I've been looking for a n/a 993 for awhile but ran across this TT.
It's a 96' 993 TT black/black with 21k miles. This used car dealer just lowered the asking price from $79,995 to $69,995. Now, I'd love to own a TT, but am concerned about the low mileage. The salesman said that the previous owner had it for 4 years but didn't drive it much. It sat in the garage most of the time. And, the salesman also owned it for awhile. This car can be viewed at www.autosourcehawaii.com. I'd like to get some input from the board. I live in Hawaii and it would be awesome if I found the right car here. I haven't seen it yet but will this weekend.

Btw, salesman did mention that he rates the car an 8.5 out of 10. Not concours condition but attainable.

Thanks in advance,
Russ

enthusiast

21,000 miles isn't too low for these cars, we have seen many lower. The key is how the miles were put on; proper warm up, regular exercise, and proper cool down are important. This is a more complex machine than the normally aspirated, two wheel drive 993 model.

Most salesmen's standards on car condition are inflated so you will have to judge for yourself (take a Porsche friend with you). If it is an 8.5 out of 10 or worse, the salesman never should have listed it at $79,995. There are lots of black turbos, so until we know more details a price range of about $60,000 - $64,000 (continental USA) is realistic.

You can search this site for past postings on pre purchase inspections and how to buy a 993 turbo as this is discussed frequently. See also

http://www.993tt.com/

Jeff 993TT

Do you have more specs on the car? I took a look but couldn't tell much from the pics. Have you looked at the car in person?

There's lots of resources on the net about TT's. Here's a good starting point: http://www.993tt.com

Also, I doubt those are 20" wheels. Any other suspension mods? Any engine mods? Available service history? Has it had i's 15K or 30K service?

Also check empirical things such as the chips on the front bumper, wear on the seats, etc. I thought there was a lot of wear on the side bolster for being a 21K car, imho. But the pics are not too clear.

Here's a direct link for everybody so they don't have to hunt around: http://www.autosourcehawaii.com/cars...products_id/94

KatyTX

I noticed the wheels to. 20"? Can't be right - too much clearance showing.

Won't a leak down test show whether or not the seals are bad (i.e evidence that it is not driven enough?).

If you have the VIN, I'll check and list the mileage by year.

Dan89_930

One more thing to think about - are you comfortable that there is a qualified Porsche specialist (especially one familar with turbo Porsches) on your island? You'll want to make sure the person has turbo Porsche experience. Nothing like someone saying they are an expert only to find out they are not. Could be very costly!

Dan

ry322

Thanks for the input. I'll get the VIN # when I see it.
Regarding making sure there's a qualified Porsche(turbo) mechanic here, I totally agree. I had a very costly set of turbos replace on my S4 on my nickel. There is a Porsche specialty shop that I know of here on Oahu.

Tour18

Just listen to the guys around here. They have really been spot on with GOOD advice. Repeatedly...

ry322

Well, I finally saw that 96' Black/black TT today. It looked in decent shape. There was some nicks and light scratches on the front . There was two areas where there was a patch of light scratches on the driver's side rear 1/4 panel, like someone rubbed up against it with rough a cloth like blue jeans.The interior looked better than the exterior. There was no dents, dings, or ripples in the ext. paint that I could see. The owner of the car(owns the company) took me out for a ride. He got on the boost without bringing the car to temp., a big no no. Biggest negative is there are no service records whatsoever. In order to get a PPI , the other shop needs to sign a liability agreement. Is that standard? Anyway, appearance looks like a 8 1/2 out of 10. But with no records????

It was an 04/96 build. VIN #WP0CA2990TS476229. Mileage is 21,996.
KatyTx, can you run a check on it for me. Thank you, Russ

CP

Russ,

Even then, $69,995 is a very decent price. How many 993tts are there in Hawaii to begin with? If you pass on this one, it may be a long time before another one surfaces. If the PPI comes out good, it may be worth it.

Being black/black, I'll make sure the AC works perfect. It could be brutal during your summer months.

CP

KatyTX

Russ,

I'm getting an invalid VIN on www.autocheck.com. Can you please reconfirm. Also PM me w/ your email, and I'll send you the report.

stedge

In my search for a tt I have found prices all over the place. Some absurd (Premier and RPM, who, BTW buy low and sell high - why can't we!?!), others really low (someone got a 96 tt for 60 or so), and everywhere in between. PErsonally, I think a good 97tt with 20-25 miles is 68-73, maybe to 75 if super. Sadly, I missed one at 68 that a fellow Rennlist person sold, as I was too slow. A 96 should be less for a few reasons, including first gear, ECU issue (can't change as easily as 97), and an extra year of age, etc. Really low mileage makes the price very hard to figure, and may or may not be worth it for many reasons.

Color seems to play a role some, but even though black seems the most common, it also seems the color most folks like, so that is a wash. PErsonally, I like Ocean Blue Metallic the most, then gray, black, and silver, but color really is not much of an issue for me. If you like the color, then the fact it is more or less common is not an issue, anyway.

Finally, if you live in Hawaii, how many tts are there? How much to have one shipped? Figure that into the equation, obviously.

Dan89_930

Ask the owner who services the car now. Then talk to that person - see if that person will print you out copies of the work order/invoices.

A PPI becomes extremely critical - and I would NOT have it done by the current owner's mechanic. You need independent confirmation that the car is in good shape - especially since the current owner shows bad habits by boosting before the car/oil is sufficiently warmed up.

While I understand the "supply" of cars on the islands may not be high and this may be an only chance for some time, I'd hate to have you buy a car that wasn't "healthy".

Good luck.

Dan