le3

I am considering purchasing a 993 TT or a 996 TT. I have owned a Porsche 964 C4 and currently own a BMW M5 (fast, but just too heavy on the back roads).

My question is which one (993 TT or 996TT) is the most reliable and cost effective to maintain. I understand that these cars cost money to run, I just hate having my car at the shop every few months. Over the past few years I have been spending anywhere from $2000 to $6000 a year to maintain my car (had to reseal the C4 and new clutch one year learned the value of a PPI the hard way). Please give me an idea how many times a year you are at the shop and average cost per visit.

Also I have noticed that the 993 TT is very similar in price to the 996 TT. What do you think is a fair price for either to pay for a good condition example. Also I only drive about 5000 miles a year in my car.

I will say my favorite is the 993 TT, but really I just need the one that is the most reliable.

911/Q45

Probably about equally reliable, early 996tt may have some electrical gremlins that are tough to sort. Low mileage 993tt may need to be resealed and 5K miles per year may not be enough to keep either car from drying out and leaking.

kurtv

I put about 5000 miles a year on my 993tt. I now have about 85,000 miles. When I got it, it had 50,000. Maintenance on it has been pretty much like my 993 C2 at much less than $1000 per year. For some reason, the insurance was slightly less than the 993 C2 which was a pleasant surprise. I have had to change the alternator, and AC condensor. Tires last longer than I expected (20,000 on rears, 35,000 on fronts) even with some DE experiences.

I do change the oil every 5000 miles and haven't had problems with the CEL. I did spend some money around 80,000 miles to replace the engine mounts and fix some engine seals which isn't unusual for this car. It is so much fun to drive, I wouldn't mind if it cost more.

Rassel

Mine has 50.000 miles on it, only replacement for me so far is the alternator belt. The rest is pure maintenance and wear items, like brakes and tires.

le3

911/Q45 do you think that the low yearly miles could make me need a reseal sooner than later? I definitely want to avoid that for a few more years, been through thant already with my old C4.

What do you think is a fair price for a 993tt with about 50000 miles or a 996TT with 20000 to 30000 miles?

911/Q45

Low mile seal problems probably depend on how your miles are distributed. If you drive it enough to warm it up thoroughly once a week you should be OK, if you take a 1000 mile trip every other month you'll probably have trouble. Kevin has pointed out that many leak problems are caused by loose exhaust valves allowing high crankcase pressure, forcing oil past the seals.