BCAT

Hey you guys, I'm seriously considering an arena red 993tt from a mercedes dealer in Tenn. 96 with 33k, Nokia system, Autothority II, for 70-71 k I have a 335rwhp 951 /big brakes/coilovers/etc . PPI by Porsche dealer checked out except steering rack leak which was fixed for 1500. They want me to pay the 1500 on top of agreed price what do you think?

ca993twin

Car sounds great. 335rwhp sounds low, even for a stocker. 951 whats? They should pay for the steering rack, not you.

BCAT

I meant my current car is a 944 turbo (951) 1986 . It has the 335hp
they claim the 993 has 569hp

ca993twin

BCAT,

Ooops. I should have figured that out. I'm not an "authority" on Autothority, but I think they achieve their HP claims from chip tuning only. This doesn't sound like the best approach for longevity. For that kind of HP, you must have bigger turbos, big oil cooler, big intercooler, FPR, and of course the ECU tuning. Can anybody here comment on this?

noony

That 944 must have some serious go! As will the 993...

OldGuy

I am currently going through the same thing you are.
the market would dictate that they pay for the repairs,
remember YOU have the power.
may the force be with you!
lets us know of your exploits.

Carrera GT

What's the asking price, $70K, really?
That price is fine for a '96 with 20K miles, one-owner, flawless condition.
Add exactly zero dollars for the coil-overs (in fact, I would question that particular upgrade because only a serious driver would spend the money, so the engine has had an "active" life.) Still, these are very strong cars, it's just that HP number is already low for a stock engine so the modifications from AutoThority aren't gaining any horses now.
A '96 with 33K almost regardless of equipment is maybe mid 60's.
I wouldn't be polite with the dealer about the insult of them upping the price because _you_ found out they were selling a car with a $1500 mechanical fault.
I'd counter with an offer of $7500 below their asking price and I'm quite serious. There are enough great cars on offer that you don't need to waste time with fools. Read the archives for other threads on buying a Turbo.
Conversely, if this is "the one" for you (and it should be, since you've decided to pay for a PPI) so it might be prudent to just let them cook for a few days and wait for them to call you.
Does the car need anything else; tyres; pads; dampers; any trim or paint wear and tear?
Does it have a full service history?
Is it one-owner? What's in the carfax?
What are the compression and leak-down numbers for the engine?
The dyno run for 335hp suggests maybe close to 400hp, but with the mods it should easily get to say 420 without mechanical improvements.
Read through the archives on 993 Turbo engine upgrades.
What else came out of the PPI? Did the Porsche expert say anything off the record? Call them back and talk through the car with the guy that did the PPI. If they didn't do a compression test, have them do it.
Visit www.993tt.com

KeithR3

Well said Carrera GT!

Do not be polite, the car is great but not for their asking price. Go for the jugular...

clubrcr

Just for conversation, there is an 96 Arena red TT on Ebay with 34K miles the reserve is $58,001.

Just thought you'd want to know. I think there is one more day on the auction.

ca993twin

Is that the Arena Red in San Fransisco? How did you get the reserve price? That car has had some previous body damage repaired, including some or all of the roof.

noony

His 944 turbo(951) is the car with 335hp, not the 993 TT! The reason why the TT is $70k is because of the autothority mods, I should imagine.

Cab964-Pat

I can get a '73k miles '96TT with high miles tonite for $52k and "as is" condition" with NO history, just a Carfax copy and dealer temp tags....it looks and drives straight, except the AC is broke, the clutch feels like it has maybe 5k left and minor "keying" damage on the driver side plastic (just below the door). Also the rear leather area where the rear glass wiper arm enters the cabin is raised from the sun, seats look like a 73k mile car. They claim its illegal to give me prior owner(s-3) repair papers.

Sound like I should get it ?

Thanks,

Patrick

Red with blk interior, superb sound system. 30 day limited drive train warranty.

John H. in DC Area

It's not illegal for them to give you the prior owners' service records. If there is any personal/credit card/address information that is objectionable they can merely redact/cross-out that information and give you copies. Not a big deal at all, demand to see them, as they are really the second most important piece of information (behind a PPI) for gauging a car's health.

Also, even though the low price might make it easier to jump in this car, $52k is still no small chunk of change and one might get a bad case of buyer's remorse for getting a car with those kinds of current/impending problems (AC, clutch, scratches, tired seats) and no meaningful prior service history.

Just my two cents. Good luck.

Moose

Cab 964, I don't mean to be rude but that car sounds horrible. Maybe I am just too **** about the upkeep of my car but to have one in that bad of shape shows serious lack of care. My opinion is that if they didn't baby the interior, they didn't baby the car (engine) which sounds evident in the clutch wear. You are paying for a $50k car!! Someone spent a lot of money on that car new, you would think they would do everything it took to keep that car looking that way or ensure it would last long enough for them to enjoy it. You are looking at A/C repairs that could be huge, clutch which is another $2k (guess), Re-painting (which I am guessing if they left the scratch there, they probably didn't properly care for the paint so a repainting would likely not match), Leather repair on the rear shelf (and with that mileage I would guess on the seats as well). All in all you are looking at spending a fair amount of money for that car $52+$5k (being conservative). The end result is a cosmetic equivalent of a better cared-for car for the same price. I say save up a little more and buy a good one.

Just my 2 cents

Steve
97 993 TT (purchased with 28k miles for $60k from a collector in hard times)

Cab964-Pat

I just got back from the dealer and they refuse to give me a print out of the Porsche factory repair work (via the VIN #). So I told them to forget it.

Many thanks for your advice...

Patrick

PS: Wiring recall not done yet they claim its a 3 piece wiring situation and only one piece is in so far.