FLYING BONES

I always join the forums after I buy...so I guess i'm getting a little better at this, but I am going to look at a 997 in 2 days.


I'm hoping maybe a couple of you are interested in discussing my plans!


Stats on prospect car:

2007

997 TT 6MT

35k MI

White Ext/Black Int

Cons: one reported accident (fender damage with photo of damaged fender). Doesn't have stock wheels.


Where am I coming from?

Currently I own a '08 Civic SI,'12 Subaru WRX, '13 Ford Raptor, '04 Dodge Viper (Wife also has '18 WRX)


Why am I considering a Porsche?

I want to love my daily drive. I spend a lot of time working and it seems some of my only leisure time is my commute and driving in the course of business. I'm looking to trade up my commuter from the Civic/WRX to the Porsche. I've thoroughly enjoyed my slightly modded 300HP AWD WRX, but I feel like I'm ready for the next step up...there's not many AWD that i fancy in between.


Why the 911 Turbo?

Because Turbo...among other things... I like the numbers it puts up and I'm learning to appreciate the significance of the Mezger lower end. Seems like a special car that I'll be happy to continue to spend money on. I feel like it's a "no regrets" type of car that I believe will leave me quite satisfied. In the past, when i've made "no regrets" purchases i've always been satisfied with my choice many years after. On the contrary I'm never satisfied with settling.


What are my plans for the car?

Daily drive it to 200k, maybe 300k miles? You know, because one guy made it to 550k ... Smile when things are going great. Deal with the times it does not.


Am I equipped to deal with maintaining the car?

I think so. I've got some cash, i'm a decent shade tree wrench with a personal shop and a 2 post lift.


Purchase plan:

1. Going to do a visual/test drive in 2 days.

2. If it passes 1. discuss purchase price with owner to see if we can come to terms on a price. Current asking price is $71,500.

3. If the car passes 1. and 2. I'm going to schedule a PPI with Real Mean Garage in Sunnyvale, CA. I found them recommended on this forum and i've already had a phone conversation with them.

4. If the car passes 3. then buy car, drive, smile, repeat.


Feel free to blow a hole in this plan and save me now! Haha.

rmstar

Sound like you did your home work. Here is a quote" Everyone will tell you the the 996 or 997 turbo is bullet proof. The 996 and 997.1 (911s) you might have issues with IMS."
https://rennlist.com/forums/997-turb...008-turbo.html
Good luck

FORENN

I have read that one should not worry about the IMS problem with 997s that are year 2007 or newer. Is that still the general consensus? I ask because obviously this includes later-year 997.1's.

Petza914

Sounds like a great plan. I was looking for a TT when I stumbled upon my supercharged RUF car and had to have it.

No IMS issue to worry about with the Mezger TT motor as it uses a normal oil bearing, not a ball bearing. The one thing you need to inquire about is whether the coolant pipes have been pinned or welded or replacement updated metal pipes installed. The glued OEM pipes can come apart spectacularly, dousing your rear tires with slippery coolant. If not done already, negotiate that into the price and make sure the PPI mechanic looks for that upgrade.

You'll love the TT. Pulls like a freight train. Good luck.

C4SDayton

I am no expert, but I have read many a time that the thousands spent on coolant pipe pinning is necessary only for TT and GT3 cars being tracked and not daily drivers.

Petza914

I read a post from a guy once who's street driven 997 blew the lines slowing for an exit ramp and he smashed into the concrete barrier wall, totalling the car and injuring himself. Knowing the possibility of this exists, if it were my car and life, I'd fix them even if the consensus is that it's for tracked cars.

C4SDayton

I tend not to fix the things that are highly unlikely, but I am not the most conservative. Otherwise I would have bought a 997.2 after reading about bore scoring and other issues. I thought the OP was getting a DD TT and with AWD I figured if the uncommon coolant pipe leak occurred on the street, it likely would not result in a very dangerous situation with driven front wheels helping traction. But it is a risk an individual should at least know about and decide if worth addressing, so it's great people with a lot of experience, unlike me, are here to share knowledge. Thanks.

captainbaker

Flying Bones, sounds like a sound plan. I would only add that if this is going to be your everyday car, schedule a longer than normal test drive. Recently, I had to daily drive my 997 because the Range Rover was in the shop for a few weeks. Back in the day I had a 911SC as my only car and loved it. As a more....'mature' gent, it isnt my first choice for a daily driver but I made it through the 3 weeks without any griping. Neighbor down the street has a white 997 TT and I have a white C4S with a TT tail. We always wave to eachother because it looks like we are in each others cars. Corney but fun.

So thumbs up on your plan and I hope to greet you later as a full fledged member!

FLYING BONES

Curious as to the answer, because i have read the same that the Turbo 07-09 does not have IMS issue.

FLYING BONES

I genuinely appreciate you reminding me of the coolant pipe issue. I had not been thinking of that! You da man!

FLYING BONES

So as I continue to do my due diligence and research I found another 911 turbo today, owned by a dealer, who said that he had a client purposely downshift to a low gear in high RPM 2x to check the coolant lines...and guess what, they blew! It was a crazy story to me!!!

FLYING BONES

I really appreciate your input and feedback! I will make sure to make the test drive as long as possible. Between my test drive, the drive to the PPI, the PPI test drive there should be a good chunk of time put on the car prior to purchase!

Petza914

Here are just a few of the threads on the coolant pipe issue. Both have polls and show about a 25% failure rate, and not just on track cars, but regular street driven cars as well. Also, with a massive coolant dump all over the rear wheels, having the front wheels from the AWD system to help with traction really won't do a thing - well it might put the front of the car where you point it but the rear will swing sideways like you're on ice. If you think about how the driver training kick plates work where you're driving along straight on a wet and slippery surface and when you cross over the kick plate it either kicks the rear left or right randomly., the purpose of which is to teach you how to instinctively catch the car in a skid. They do this in a straight line, because in a curve, you'd have no real shot and if the coolant pipes let go in a curve, which is more likely as your revving the motor for the deceleration downshift into the turn or revving the motor as you accelerate out of the turn, I'd be surprised if even Walter Rohrl could catch it.

https://rennlist.com/forums/997-gt2-...egistry-9.html

https://rennlist.com/forums/997-turb...ich-years.html

https://rennlist.com/forums/997-turb...lure-poll.html

and here's the infamous one from the Nurburgring - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB_K...ature=youtu.be (comments say coolant pipe failure was the cause)

Petza914

No IMS issue at all in the Turbo or GT cars with the Mezger based motors. They use an oil bearing rather than a ball bearing, The bearing rides on just a film of oil that's supplied so not ***** from a bearing to come apart and distribute throughout the motor. As I mentioned, the only real issue on the TT & GT cars is the coolant pipes. Of course there are other little things but nothing that will be as major as that failure. Aside from the risk of damaging your car, hurting yourself or someone else, if the coolant dump happens and the car isn't shut down almost immediately to where the engine doesn't over heat, you can score the cylinders and require a new motor or rebuild which will run you about 30% the value of the car.

The 997 TT is a super car, literally, just get the coolant pipes issue addressed and then enjoy it. The other recommendation I will provide is to find one with the adaptive sport seats plus versions (these are the full power sport seats that have all kinds of air support bladders (lumbar, back wings, seat wings) and are extremely adjustable. I retrofitted them into my silver car. The non-power versions are almost as good - put those into my 928 and made my office chair out of another. It's the shoulder wing supports that make them so great vs the standard seats where the edges hit right inside your shoulder blades and aren't nearly as comfortable.

If you can find one with PCCB brakes, even better. Those brakes are phenomenal - generate no dust, stop like crazy, and rotors if taken care of will last the life of the car and pads 75k-100k miles. Have them on my silver car too and just completed retrofitting them onto my widebody 957 Cayenne Turbo S.

Happy Hunting.

FLYING BONES