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After a very exhaustive search and 3 PPIs in a single week, I picked up a 55K mile 2001 Polar Arctic 911 TT a few weeks ago. This is my first Porsche and, well, I may as well do it right and get a TT. All stock except the radio is upgraded. Two previous owners, Carfax show it was dealer maintained with lots of service records, and both POs had bought it at the same dealer, so they knew the car and the previous owners who were both enthusiasts and in their mid-50s. It has been on the market for 4 months and they wanted to move it so I got a very fair deal, they actually lost money on it. It also came with a box of 60K parts as well as some O2 sensors and a set of intercoolers. I am unsure of the value but guessing $1200-1500. I have had my eye on this one ever since I saw in almost 2 months ago so it kept drawing me back and the color is gorgeous IMO.
A buddy and I drove to Denver from Austin on Thursday, using a 1-way rental. Friday morning, it had snow on it, battery was completely dead. I was OK with that because I got to see a cold start in teen-ish degrees. It had not bee started for at least a month.
After we had it running, we took it to get a PPI on it and came back with a few minor things, but overall a very good report. It had no leaks which I had encountered on one of the other PPIs. This was a big concern for me as I had seen a few other records where seals and gaskets were replaced on very low mileage specimens due to non-use. The PPI showed :
1- tires needed balancing to correct shaking wheel on the highway
2- oil level sensor was not working
3- needed a new battery
4- slightly out of alignment, which I was willing to concede
It was in good shape aesthetically with the exception of the front bumper. It has a small crack where the license plate grommet had ripped out. A plate will cover the tear and I can use a screw and washer to hold the plate since TX requires them front and back.
The dealer, especially the salesperson and techs that worked on it were incredible. They balanced the tires and in doing so found that the right rear had a hole, so they plugged it. New Colorado law says it has to be done a certain way, not just pushing the rubber filler in, but removing the tire, putting on a special patch with some metal in it and then vulcanizing it from the inside (reminds me of the way the used to do it years ago). Two were out of balance and this fixed the slight vibration.
They knew it needed a battery so that was already on order.
The long pole was the oil level sensor. I have swapped one on my Benz and talked to the tech who said it was very similar. Both parties wanted to ensure it had enough oil so we could drive the 1000 miles back, and the only way to do that was a fresh all synthetic Mobil 1 oil change at $330 that they performed. I talked to both techs extensively (both whom worked at Porsche for 7-8 years prior and had been certified) and the concerns my buddy and I had were quelled. One mentioned how clean it was underneath and said the underbelly had hardly any scratches on it. I peaked under and saw the same, no leaks and pretty shiny.
Anyway, the drive home was uneventful, made it back without hiccup, except the oil light that would come on at startup. I am very pleased with deal and the customer service I received. It was fortuitous that it had sat for awhile and so the leverage was on our side more. I did ask the salesman why he thought it sat so long and he said it was the wrong time of year to sell a car like that in Colorado.
Since back in Texas, I had a local shop perform an alignment and replace the AS tires with Michelin PS2s. The rears were -1. I installed an OEM oil level sensor but the failure still remained so I had the shop confirm the wiring was OK and that the failure was in the cluster. I also put in an ultimate cupholder and the upper storage din so I have a place for my phone. OEM rubber mats will be in tomorrow, I am not a fan of carpet mats as they just get dirty. Next up is to pull the cluster and send it in to repair the oil level sensor which I have now realized is a common failure.
Here is a pic on the way back to Texas and a couple from a Sunday drive today. Thanks again to those who assisted me in this endeavor.
On the way back from Denver, Lake Mackenzie Sunday drive Sunday drive Ultimate in action
Thanks all. Yes we had a great trip, albeit a quick one leaving on Thursday and back Saturday evening. I really like the SportTechnos and it appears they were an option new back in the day when coupled with an OEM 17mm spacer for the rear tires.
I will be doing my plugs and coils once the cluster is back. Also, on the drive yesterday I noticed the spoiler was uneven so I have to look into that. It worked fine before but the weather was cool so it may not play nice in those temps. I will probably start with a flush before hitting up Kevin or Dave. It's an 18YO car so things happen.
Powderhound here (source of great info!) knows a guy who can repair the cluster to fix the level gauge, but of course it requires removal and sending it to him. You cannot just swap out clusters as they retain the mileage. And they cannot be reset by the dealer or by Bosch after about 62 miles.
"north hollywood speedo" in CA has famously worked on all porsche gauges ( vdo etc ) and can do anything needed to yours, IF, that turns out to be necessary. i would make 100% certain of that before i took out the cluster.
yes the spoiler hydraulics dont really "like" cold weather. the majority of wing deployment *issues* for me have occurred during sub 40 weather. i'm currently on my 3rd re-bleed and all is well. keep the banjo bolts tight after you re-bleeed and keep the rams free of dirt as best you can. cheers and enjoy the car.
"north hollywood speedo" in CA has famously worked on all porsche gauges ( vdo etc ) and can do anything needed to yours, IF, that turns out to be necessary. i would make 100% certain of that before i took out the cluster.
yes the spoiler hydraulics dont really "like" cold weather. the majority of wing deployment *issues* for me have occurred during sub 40 weather. i'm currently on my 3rd re-bleed and all is well. keep the banjo bolts tight after you re-bleeed and keep the rams free of dirt as best you can. cheers and enjoy the car.
North Hollywood Speedo--they fixed the speedometer on my 1965 Sunbeam Tiger when I was 16 years old back in in 1979.
I removed the cluster, pretty easy to do. It’s headed to module masters and will be there tomorrow before noon. I hope to have it back before the weekend. They have a page setup specifically for these. The local shop recommended them as well.
Carpet mats are now put up, the OEM all weathers arrived. They fit pretty well, perhaps a tad long but it can but it can be cut if it becomes a problem. I’m happy with them.
02-18-2019, 01:01 AM
Search is over, got into my first Porsche
so I have to look into that. It worked fine before but the weather was cool so it may not play nice in those temps. I will probably start with a flush before hitting up Kevin or Dave. It's an 18YO car so things happen.
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