audionut

Hi all, first post on this great site you have.

Seriously considering a 1996 993TT as a daily driver...4-5 days/wk, snow as well. Does anyone here use theirs the same way?

I have been driving the car for 2 days and will return it on Monday. Love the power, sense of grip and road feel. Car has an aftermarket exhaust...couldn't identify it. Nice sound outside the car but drones a lot in the cabin...kinda like how it feels/sounds in a pressurised cabin in the plane. What is the stock exhaust like? Any other feedback? As I intend to drive it a lot, this is a concern. And yes, I am used to loud performance exhaust...Any suggestions for other exhausts that have great sound, but do not have particular braodband resonance?

Headliner on the retractable rooof buzzes at about 60-70mph...any easy fix?

What other things should I be looking for? PPI is being done Mon/Tues.

Thanks all for your help.

Adrian

ca993twin

Audionut,

I find that our heavy commute traffic on So. Cal Freeways discourages using my car as a daily driver... it just seems like some sort of "car abuse". I have no idea about driving any car in snowy weather... what IS snow, exactly?

About the exhaust sound... its my experience that no turbo cars have a really fantastic exhaust note. They'll never sounds as sweet as an great in-line six, a muscle car V8, and certainly not like a Ferrari V8. My car has stock cats and a muffler bypass. I was just showing another Rennlister (Air Kuul) my car so he could evaluate putting a set of bypasses on his car. Besides having a "sharp" tone on cold start, the bypasses are pretty mellow, and he agreed with me... there is no hint of a drone. Before the bypasses, I had a B&B muffler on the car... way too quiet for my taste. The stock exhaust is even quieter.

I'm wondering if your drone is caused by race cats or a cat bypass?

One easy way to check your car's condition is to flip the OBC display to "boost" (Bar). Find a safe place to accelerate the car... uphill is good. get yourself in 3rd gear at about 3000 rpms and nail the throttle. you should see .8 BAR very, very quickly. Watch out for a speeding ticket.

Things to check: same as all 993s: steering rack leak, aux fan resistors corroded, clutch slave cylinder sticky. Pay attention to the clutch... if it grabs really high on the pedal, you may be nearing end of life. $$$. If your fussy about the handling of your car, you may find that the shocks are shot and will need replacing. $$$. They have a very limited life span.

Best luck. I love my car... 67,000 miles.

audionut

Thanks for your reply Steve! Great info.

Just came back from a drive to see if my initial feelings are still the same. Car feels very tight, very responsive.

If this deal goes through, I will get the dealer to look at the various issues...steering rack creaks, clutch assist has cut out a couple of times..actually when that happened, I thought I was driving my Ferrari! lol

The drone in the cabin is probably related to the aftermarket exhaust. I don't mind the sound when the car starts up, actually it is pretty good, and though I am in the audio/video business, the sound of the car is not the most important thing to me since I can't really hear it in the car. Though there was this 355 with Tubis that was amazing...

Is it true that the majority of the body is treated, so salt should not affect it? Is rust an issue?

Thanks guys

Anir

Adrian,

I've used mine as a daily driver, winters and salt included, for about 4 years. Rust has not been an issue on any major components, although some of the non-galvanized bolts and nuts on items such as muffler straps have rusted and seized (easy and cheap to replace). This may happen over time even with simple rain exposure. I've also noted a few tiny dusty flakes on aluminum control arms, which I understand may be a type of minor corrosion. With Pirelli Wintersport 240 tires, the car is very capable in the snow with its AWD.

I used to have GHL muffler bypasses, which sounded great. However, I did eventually grow tired of the loud noise and have reinstalled my stock mufflers. I, and I'm sure my neighbors, are much happier now. I had a McIntosh / Focal / Audisson system installed last year, and enjoy actually being able to hear it.

With respect to its daily driver suitability, I think it really depends on the driver. I'm 38 years old, and starting to long for something a bit cushier - and easier to get into - than my GT3 seats. Therefore, I bought a 1992 MB 500E for the days that I don't feel like driving the 993. Also, I might pick up a Maserati Quattroporte once it's suffered 2-3 years of depreciation.

I think the 993TT is an incredibly fun and robust car - capable of taking just about anything you throw at it. Good luck with your search.

tifosi66

I drive mine everyday here in Dalian, China for around 6 months already and so far no problems with it. Then again, there is very little traffic in our so-called development zone. Having said that the 993TT is a pain to drive in bumper to bumper traffic, the floor mounted pedals, askew legs position and all...
ca993TT has already mentioned what there is to look out for and I wholly agree with him. The 993TT can be a daily driver as long as you are willing to subscribe to the slightly more frequent maintenance schedule. Go ahead, enjoy yourself and remember to take the long way home from work...!

Truble10

I would say - buy and drive!
While I don't use mine a sa daily driver, if the vehicle works for you then why not - car are meant to be driven. I see many here - in AZ driven daily.
The only negative would be resale. The 993TT is fairly rare at least compared to the 996TT and if you drive it in the winter the rock chips and extra abuse from winter road conditions will likely significantly effect your resale value. I certainly would not pay a premuim for a low mile "perfect" car then drive it in the winter.

adsc4s

Like Steve, I couldn't imagine driving mine daily as it would be in stop and STOP traffic. That's why I bought a comfortable daily driver,a Cayenne S!

Steve, you have officially passed me in the mileage department!

Dr. G

I've driven the car to work once or twice, but it mostly gets highway use. It's perfectly driveable for daily use, but I don't do it for wear and tear reasons. I was driving my '05 Santa Fe daily, but my fiancee is taking that and I just ordered an Audi A6 4.2 - can't wait for the car to arrive in a few weeks (btw, it looks much better in person than in photos).

audionut

Thanks for all the input. I have a Jag XJR that I have been using as a daily driver. Power is great, but the auto box really removes the fun of driving. The luxury and quiet is great though.

I guess I am looking for something to put the fun back into the drive...break the monotony.

As far as the wear and tear...unfortunately I guess that goes with the territory.

How are the electronics? Is the computer fussy? I stopped for gas just now, and couldn't start the car until I loked/unlocked the door.

What about the electrics? Anything to look for?

So far, the car feels really good. I had a 993 C2S before, with turbo body and tail, and the satin trim. Really beautiful car, but never really appreciated it. Always felt the car was underpowered. The TT is a whole different animal, at least it feels that way.

ca993twin

Audionut... the locking/unlocking thing is simply a misuse of the immobilizer gizmo. You don't need to do that. Put the key in the ignition and turn it part way until the immoblizer warning light on the speedo comes on. Press the button... the light goes off, and the car will start. Or... if you simply leave the key in the ignition while filling up with gas, the immobilzer will not get activated at all. Its just getting used to it... like keeping a Porsche ignition key in your left hand pocket instead of the right!

audionut

Thanks Steve. Will try that if it happens again...car does not have the books in it, so I have not been able to read up.

Cliff Leve

Just my opinion, but I would not enjoy it as a daily driver. To me it is a treat to drive the car a few times a week. I am not even 6 feet tall, but the thought of getting in and out constantly does not appeal. It also, obviously, has no real storage room.

My daily driver is a Range Rover. Two extremes to be sure. But it is a pleasure to have all that room when I need it. Bad weather, take the kids, etc. etc.

Having said all that, if I had to choose between the two I go with the 993. It is just so much fun to drive.

hatchy

I use mine as a daily driver on dry days, but my commute doesn't involve bumper to bumper traffic. I find the 993TT very easy to live with, but then again, I've had some pretty funky daily drivers.

EThec

i use mine as a daily driver 3-4 times a week. so maybe not daily, but i commute in it 30 miles each way. i have no second thoughts about using it this way. in the moring there really isn't much traffic and i do about 75 mph to work on the freeway. coming home there's often traffic on the freeway so i take side streets most of the time and it's not a bother at all. the hydraulic clutch is effortless.
buy it, drive it, enjoy it!
i have no experience with the car in snow, but in the wet it seems quite stable. the awd really makes a difference. i'm not afraid to push the car a little in the rain.

Full Boost

I use mine only on the weekends - and rarely during the week ( although i drove it in today) mainly beacause my office is a grand total of 8 minutes from home.......
The good thing about that is that when i do drive the TT to work (like today) i leave 20 mins earlier and take the long way - and there are some good roads aqnd it always delivers me to work with a SMILE and guarantees a good start to the day!
Snow???????? ( ohh i've seen pictures of that stuff - NASTY!)