jimhsu

Will be posting this in the 996TT forum also.

Not aiming to start another "Which car: 993TT or 996TT" thread for which the only right answer is "Drive both and see"....

I searched the forums here and found no threads comparing the costs of normal upkeep for owning and driving a 993TT versus a 996TT.

Wondering if anyone has owned both and can shed some light on differences such as:

oil change costs/frequency?

fuel costs?

engine maintenance costs?

"top-end" engine work: if this is needed, is this only for 993TTs?

tire wear?

As these are often in the same price range, maintenance costs for a 100,000 miles 993TT versus a 60,000 miles 996TT?

Any other issues I am not aware of??

I have been looking after 993TTs and recently started looking at 996TTs also simply because there have been more of the 996TTs produced and available. The prices are also now in the same neighborhood....

besides the personal preference factor, which I WILL check out in person as much as I can, I also would like to gather some input as regarding the hard financial facts of ownership. Thanks!

Full Boost

996 will be cheaper to run.

fc-racer

Major things that can go wrong on the 993TT with relative cost given with # of $:
Valve guides ($$$$)
Clutch and flywheel ($$$)
Steering rack ($$)
Slave cylinder ($$)
Accumulator ($)
Oil leaks ($)

I had all of the above except the steering rack and when doing research, found those repairs to be quite common. The good news is that it doesn't happen often and otherwise, the cars are very reliable. I would expect the 996TT to also require clutch and flywheel and slave cylinder repairs. The others I'm not sure about as I've never owned a 996TT.

ca993twin

I think the 993TT and 993TT will have pretty much the same issues and costs. The 996TT "may" have improved the steering rack leakage issues (I don't know if this is true or not), but this would be likely offset with radiator/water pump issues. I think you should make your choice on other issues, and car condition would be the main one.

911/Q45

Steering rack problems in the 993tt are almost exclusively due to cracked rubber steering boots not being replaced in a timely manner. This allows dirt to enter the system ruining the seals and causing the leakage. Check those boots often, my first set cracked at about 50K due to desert living, the second set seems fine at 100K.

John D II

Jimhsu,

Having owned both, I can say that I had more maintenance issues in 20,000 miles with my 993tt, than in 68,000 miles with my 996tt. The 993tt experience included warped rotors, leaking slave, oil cooling failure involving valve or relay (i forget which), more rapid tire wear, 3 alignments in 20,000 miles for proper handling, a broken fan belt, moisture in the lights and windshield creaking. And don't attempt a hard launch in the 993tt - you will bend the 1st gear input shaft - it can't take it. The 996tt will hard launch all day long without issue.

Compare that to one MAF sensor and a cracked coil in the 996tt in 68,000 miles. Also, of note is the fact that the alignment on the 996tt has only had to be done once in 4 years -68,000 miles and it was done due to a suspension upgrade.

Based on my experience, I would say the 993tt will cost much more to maintain over the long run - my 996tt has been extremely reliable. Both cars were new (996tt purchased with delivery miles - 993tt purchased with 2,500 miles - like new, perfect condition)

Full Boost

As I said in first post - 996 will be cheaper to run - it HAS to be... its NEWER....

No matter how low the milage is on a 993 - there is no disputing the fact that even the latest ones are now 10years old... Seals, rotors, valves, broken fan belts, seals on the lights etc...

Now - once we are in 2016 and the NEWEST 996TT is 10 years old - I would bet a similar amount/type (or at least $$$ value) of faults occur....

JUst my $0.000000000000002c worth,

SImon.

Woodster

I have had both and I think the the 996TT is Maybe less to maintain.

Now that my (6) is 6 years old I have begun some preventitive maintenance;

IE,: replaced the coolant tank resevoir, all (6) coil packs, brake lines, brake rotors (I ended up doing new Brembo 6 pistion monoblocs), etc.

I do not think you should/could base your decision on one being definitively less expensive
to own than the other. Really different animals...

MK

Duane993

PCNA is putting it over on all of us. It's true that less things go wrong with a 996TT. But they charge you at least twice as much for parts over a 993TT. The net result is you may spend more time in the shop with a 993TT but you'll end up spending the same amount money with a 996TT.
One PCCB brake rotor cost as much as all the pads and rotors on a 993TT. The 993TT is the ultimate aircooled Porsche. If you own one..keep it..you're driving a classic. If you can find one at a reasonable price and can afford the maintenance...buy it. My N/A 993 cost 60K new. 12 years later I sold it for 40K. The buyer lived in Canada and bought it based on a PPI and pictures I sent him. That's less then $2k a year depreciation. What did I buy after I sold it? A 996TT with 2,500 miles on it because I couldn't afford a 993TT with only 2,500 miles on it. The 993 is the best car Porsche has ever made. The996TT is the deal of the new century. The 993TT is the best production Porsche of the last century and perhaps ever made.