Advise on 993tt purchase (P-car withdrawal....)
01-02-2002, 08:44 PM
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Advise on 993tt purchase (P-car withdrawal....)
I need some advise from board members (except EJ who is sick of hearing about this decision) I have owned a 996 for three years and sadly it was turned in to the leasor today. 
So I am in p-car withdrawal.
I have the opportunity to get a nice 96 tt. 26K miles, white/grey leather. Sticker was $117K. Integrated hands free phone, lots of leather stuff, very good cosmetically. I can get for $72K +/- $1K.
Review by trusted mechanic / Carfax shows good service records and no accidents. The dealer just performed some work however which included replacing some resistors which control the front oil cooling fan and the rear fan which I think engages when the car is hot or upon shutdown.
Should I worry about the potential damage caused by the inoperative cooling fans?
If I get this car, I will be forgoing a 2002 SMG M3 coupe. I'll be spending 20K more but the way i see it after driving both for 50K miles the 993TT will end up costing the same or less barring big mechanical failures.
I welcome comments from Especially Anir since he ownes a M3 and a TT.
EJ, I was going to suprise y'all on the 18th but I can't go without the advise of this board....
Chris
So I am in p-car withdrawal.
I have the opportunity to get a nice 96 tt. 26K miles, white/grey leather. Sticker was $117K. Integrated hands free phone, lots of leather stuff, very good cosmetically. I can get for $72K +/- $1K.
Review by trusted mechanic / Carfax shows good service records and no accidents. The dealer just performed some work however which included replacing some resistors which control the front oil cooling fan and the rear fan which I think engages when the car is hot or upon shutdown.
Should I worry about the potential damage caused by the inoperative cooling fans?
If I get this car, I will be forgoing a 2002 SMG M3 coupe. I'll be spending 20K more but the way i see it after driving both for 50K miles the 993TT will end up costing the same or less barring big mechanical failures.
I welcome comments from Especially Anir since he ownes a M3 and a TT.
EJ, I was going to suprise y'all on the 18th but I can't go without the advise of this board....
Chris
01-03-2002, 11:50 AM
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Chris,
What track car do you have?
I would get the TT. If you haven't driven one the rush is unlike almost any other car I have been in.
Anir hasn't taken delivery of his SMG M3 yet, but I imagine he has driven a manual if the dealer had a demo.
If you think a TT is a fat pig, what do you think the M3 is??
The fan issue is some concern, but if the PPI checks out and you have the records it shouldn't be a problem. Might be smart to have a compression check also. It is probably a good chance that you will end up needing some engine work if you are going to own the car for 4 or 5 years, this is more indicative of your driving style vs the reliability of 993's!
Good Luck,
Greg
What track car do you have?
I would get the TT. If you haven't driven one the rush is unlike almost any other car I have been in.
Anir hasn't taken delivery of his SMG M3 yet, but I imagine he has driven a manual if the dealer had a demo.
If you think a TT is a fat pig, what do you think the M3 is??
The fan issue is some concern, but if the PPI checks out and you have the records it shouldn't be a problem. Might be smart to have a compression check also. It is probably a good chance that you will end up needing some engine work if you are going to own the car for 4 or 5 years, this is more indicative of your driving style vs the reliability of 993's!
Good Luck,
Greg
01-03-2002, 01:34 PM
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Chris,
Turbo cars need cooling more so than other cars. Also in a turbo it is more valuable to chat with the driver of the car for the last 5 / 10K miles to get a good feel for how the car has been taken care of. As Greg suggested, have the car checked out.
I’ve had an E46 3er sport suspension as well as E36 M3 4 door. Sold former though I liked the looks a bit more. M feel is great. RWD action is wonderful. But it is still not a TT. The TT and the M serve very different purposes for me atleast. I was and still am on the list for an M3 – stepped back from two or three allocated cars though I did not spec them since I did not want to waste someone else’s chance to spec it. My E46 had a few first year bugs. My M3 has been absolutely trouble free though so has my 993TT. I don’t open up anything I don’t know much about and live with little squeaks etc. and don’t like elective surgery on cars. Don’t know if that’s the reason for my low maintenance cost – basically only routine stuff. Still, if I had to bet on which car will take my money, it will be the 993TT – reasons..1) BMW is full maintenance I think and so they will replace all their defective CD changers, other minor electrical things and a few major ones like differentials in the new M3 etc…
and maybe defective fans too So, not a problem – overall the car is great I think but I have NOT driven the new M3 so my idea of how it feels is based on driving the M5 (which is too bulky and not really a good comparison car), my E36 M3 and my sold E46 3er. 2) I just feel that the 993TT being a turbo will have some issues atleast more than the M3 so it is a comparative statement - basically I am prepared for it. (as greg says it depends on driving etc. but sometimes just luck of the draw I guess too) 3) The real reason why the 993TT will cost you more is because there is atleast a chance of you keeping it for the long haul whereas the M3 will probably be sold at the end of the warranty or before it since there is nothing special that it will have over the then current new M3.
Since both seem within your decided car budget, you will do well asking yourself what you will enjoy driving and if the utilitarian purposes required of it , IF ANY, are served adequately or completely as desired. All the best.
Turbo cars need cooling more so than other cars. Also in a turbo it is more valuable to chat with the driver of the car for the last 5 / 10K miles to get a good feel for how the car has been taken care of. As Greg suggested, have the car checked out.
I’ve had an E46 3er sport suspension as well as E36 M3 4 door. Sold former though I liked the looks a bit more. M feel is great. RWD action is wonderful. But it is still not a TT. The TT and the M serve very different purposes for me atleast. I was and still am on the list for an M3 – stepped back from two or three allocated cars though I did not spec them since I did not want to waste someone else’s chance to spec it. My E46 had a few first year bugs. My M3 has been absolutely trouble free though so has my 993TT. I don’t open up anything I don’t know much about and live with little squeaks etc. and don’t like elective surgery on cars. Don’t know if that’s the reason for my low maintenance cost – basically only routine stuff. Still, if I had to bet on which car will take my money, it will be the 993TT – reasons..1) BMW is full maintenance I think and so they will replace all their defective CD changers, other minor electrical things and a few major ones like differentials in the new M3 etc…
and maybe defective fans too So, not a problem – overall the car is great I think but I have NOT driven the new M3 so my idea of how it feels is based on driving the M5 (which is too bulky and not really a good comparison car), my E36 M3 and my sold E46 3er. 2) I just feel that the 993TT being a turbo will have some issues atleast more than the M3 so it is a comparative statement - basically I am prepared for it. (as greg says it depends on driving etc. but sometimes just luck of the draw I guess too) 3) The real reason why the 993TT will cost you more is because there is atleast a chance of you keeping it for the long haul whereas the M3 will probably be sold at the end of the warranty or before it since there is nothing special that it will have over the then current new M3.Since both seem within your decided car budget, you will do well asking yourself what you will enjoy driving and if the utilitarian purposes required of it , IF ANY, are served adequately or completely as desired. All the best.
