autobonrun

Starting my due diligence and long time shopping to buy a 96-97 TT. Took 8 months of searching before I bought my SC that I've now had 20 years so I may be looking at 12 months before this purchase.

Several turbos I've seen advertise a new clutch and/or upgraded turbo with only 30k-35k miles on the car. Is this the expected lifespan of a TT's clutch? Also, why upgrade the turbos? Do they typically fail in this timespan or are there better ones on the market than stock or what?

ca993twin

Clutches: the lifetime of any clutch in any car is dependent upon the skill and care of the driver. Plus hiway miles are easier than city miles. A 993TT clutch can last well over 100k miles... or as few as 10k. You get to choose how long it will last. That said, a lot of TT owners prefer the light weight flywheel and clutch assembly for the feel and performance. I will upgrade when my present, original (63,000 miles) clutch wears out.

Turbos: They need to be cooled after hard use... some say after every use. Cooling them is done by idling the car for a minute or five (depending upon how hot the turbos are) before shutting the car off. Even if you do this, I understand that the factory turbos will probably not last much over 75k miles before needing a rebuild. The rebuild isn't too expensive, but here again there are great upgrades available. Personally, I'm waiting for my turbos to start smoking before I upgrade, but I kinda wish they would hurry up!

Good luck in your search

nman413

Steve, you know what you need to do in order to get new turbos Personally, I'm saving for the cargraphics oil cooler first. You will love the LWF/clutch. I do. Although, TonyC did mention that my clutch is pretty grabby. I don't really notice it. I'm going to flush the slave cylinder to see if that helps.

autobonrun

The information is helpful. Sounds like failures at the 30k mile mark were just a result of abuse. From my scouring this site, it also seems that upgrades to the turbo and suspension may also be desireable when buying a TT.

I do have one advantage now that I didn't when I bought my first Porsche in 1984; the Internet didn't exist then. At that time it was hit and miss at finding the right one and I was limited pretty much to the city I lived in; Houston at that time. Now, for the right car, I'll travel anywhere in the US. Greatly expands my options and I don't have to depend on the local dealer. One last followup. It seems most buyers focus on mileage and cost when buying a car, however, knowing Porsche like I do now, options can cause the price to vary up to $10k or so. What options that were available on the 96 or 97 TT would justify a price difference in two same year TT's that have the same mileage?

ca993twin

The most desireable factory option seems to be sports seats, followed by some of the aluminum/carbon fibre packages. The 993TTs were pretty well equipped as standard, and some of the little doo-dads don't seem to add much (Porsche crests on center caps and seats, etc). If you're into that sort of thing (I am), a car that has an decent aftermarket suspension, clutch, cooler, and turbos would be worth more to me, but perhaps not to everyone. 1997 TTs bring around 3K to 5K more than a similar 1996, primarily for the rarity factor, though there were a few small upgrades.

have fun

tlark

Since autobonrun has asked the question, would you guys be abit reluctant to purchase a car that had to have the mods you mentioned b/c the car appears to have been tracked. The car I located appears to be the case w/just over 21k in miles. The clutch, fr oil cooler, (Euro) shocks & springs, even the brakes/calipers/rotors(OEM) have been replaced. Having not personally seen the car I don't know if its been abused on the track but I'm of the opinion it must of really been cooked for those things to have been replaces early in its life. Opinions welcome

Where you at in Kansas autobonrun?

ca993twin

In my opinion, some track duty is probably a good thing. It means the car is in top mechanical condition, and is probably very well cared for. The "abuses" at the track are generally to the tires, brakes, and perhaps some rock chips on the leading edges. Porsches were meant to be raced. An occassional track event would not deter me from a purchase.