ores

Hi guys I have been actually looking for a 997TT but drove a GT3 today and am smitten. I would greatly appreciate advice re a particular GT3: It is an 08 with roughly 40K miles. It's been well maintained and had regular service done + coolest pipes have been done as well. No over revs. 2 owner car. I believe it has some track time evident by the bracket drilled behind the steering wheel for some kind of devise that tells one when to **** - forgive my ignorance I don't know the correct name of such a device. It is rather clean, not particularly well equipped apart for some carbon bits (no nav, which I like, no Bose). I drove it around the block and it felt solid but it's the first one I drove so have nothing to compare it to as it is such a different animal than the TT. Asking price is 90K. I would appreciate any feedback. Fair price for mileage? Should I be concerned about track usage regardless of over revs?
Thanks!

MikeAWD

My only advice and many will probably disagree cause this is rennlist ( land of the track junkies ) but to me the gt3 is miserable to drive on the streets. It has no TQ compared to the TT so you have wind it out to make it GO. Sure the sound is intoxicating and the feel is amazing but if you aren't going to track it you will be happier in the TT for street driving. My .02

ores

This is probably true... On the test drive the car fest so special though... the way it handles is just sublime. But the heavy clutch, lack of torque, might get old? This won't be a DD.

MikeAWD

There are a lot of members on here who have owned them all. I'm sure they will chime in. I'm just trying to save you some buyers remorse if you don't plan to use the car at all for what it was designed. DD or not. I have given the same advice to a lot of people and so far every single one has told me " you were right ". The 997gt2 I just bought the owner who sold it to me bought a 991 GT3 RS. Didn't have the car a month or so and sold it. I saw it coming but had to stay quiet to make sure the deal went thru. Lol That gt3 feel wears off real quick when you floor it at 3k and it can't move out of its own way. You find yourself having to make it SCREAM to just get it to move. Where the TT you press it quickly at any RPM and you are on your way. Good luck with whatever you choose.

ores

Thank you. I would love some advice about the car I described above. I get it, this is a different car and it's a track car. Advice would be great

MikeAWD

You need a full PPI done to get proper advice if it's worth it. Your description of the car is so vague and there about 100 more things to go over on the car to see what it's worth. For example. Paint meter. Brake quality . Maintenance records. Carfax etc

BartN (TX)

I've owned a TT and now a GT3 and can say hands down the GT3 is the most engaging car. Having to wind out the car to access is its full potential is part of the joy of the car. It's intoxicating.

That said, $90K for a 40K mile car that's been tracked seems a bit pricey to me. My guess it's been tracked fairly heavily because only hard-core track guys would drill holes in the interior to mount what I guess was a track computer display of shift-light.

A print out of the DME report is a MUST. You can have them send it to you and know whether your in or out right away. Look for other aftermarket parts like tie-rods, rotors, etc. That'd be more evidence of heavy track us.

ores

Thank you. Great advice.
Here is the car:https://autokennel.com/2008-porsche-997-gt3-coupe/

BartN (TX)

Actually it states no accidents, paint or over-revs so that's good news but would need to be verified.

Car looks very nice and doesn't have a half cage in it. I'd look to see if one was removed. Seats look very nice but that could be because they weren't installed for some of it's life. Just have to really look at the details.

If I were to consider buying it I'd obviously do a PPI that would include a compression and leak-down test.

Macster

The GT3 is just a used car. You need to give it a thorough used car check out.

This requires more than a drive around the block.

My advice is to visit the car cold and verify all the warning lights come on then go off when the engine starts and begins to run. Be sure the A/C is off. You test this later. If on the radiator fans run and this can mask an overheating problem.

The engine should idle with no ticking, knocking or other disturbing sounds as you look the outside of the car over.

Let the engine idle as you get out of the car and look over the body, tires, wheels, brakes.

Body panel gaps should be even. Headlights should fit snuggly in the fender. Peer in the radiator ducts. Full of trash budget for a cleaning. This likely means the body water drains are full of trash too and if so the water can back up and overflow into the cabin.

The front body water drains are located under the front trunk lid on either side of the battery box. You'll need a Torx tool kit with the security bits to remove the Torx screw that holds each panel on either side of the battery box in place. Remove the screw and check for trash build up.

The A/C condensers should have the same patina. If one is newer or looks different it has been replaced. Could be just a bad condenser or could have been from accident damage.

After the engine has idled a while have the seller take you on a test ride. The route wants to be around 15 miles long and chosen to give the driver a chance to drive the car like you intend to drive it. You want to experience the car in a mix of driving scenarios. City with its stop/go driving, boulevard cruising, and highway driving (with some when appropriate some hard accelerations thrown in).

After the test ride back at the starting point switch seats. Now you drive the car over the same 15 mile route and drive the car the same way though of course stay within your capabilities.

Back at the starting point then if you still like the car give it a used car check out. Be sure you test everything from head lights to tail lights, power spoiler (if equipped with one) to the A/C.

If after all of the above you still like the car and believe you can buy it for an agreeable sum of money arrange for a PPI. Among other things this gets the car in the air so a careful check for any leak sign can be made. Every gasket, seal, o-ring, hose, hose fitting, hydraulic line, line fitting, dust boot is checked for leak sign.

You want the DME run time and engine over rev counters read out.

For price I can't help you. I'm not at all current on GT3 market prices.

My usual advice is to plug in the car's numbers into www.kbb.com or www.nada.com and see what the trade in/wholesale prices are for the car and go from there. Some might argue -- and I couldn't really argue back -- these sites may not accurately reflect the market price of these cars.

A general rule of thumb is a car depreciates 10% off of the what the dealer paid for the car the minute the car is driven off the lot and then every year when the new models arrive the car depreciates another 10%. Now with particuarly crummy cars this depreciation curve can steepen. OTOH, with desireable cars the curve can flatten perhaps after time even turn up again.

But first and foremost you want to be sure the car is worth owning that it has no major problems and is basically a sound car.

Socialpro

I owned a 997tt - and as great of a car that it was it was too 'numb' all around (one of the reasons I parted with it). Sure - you can 'mod out' most of the issues and get some of it to 'feel' GT3 - but after a recent test drive of a GT3 the two cars cannot be more different - and GT3 hands down provides the way more engaging driving experience.

You can't beat turbo for the power, price, and daily driveability. But for man-machine connection, and great weekender GT3 wins hands down. Currently in the market for a .2 GT3 as well --

Good luck on your hunt!!!

sixtyfiver

Firstly, congrats on your discovery of the Gt3, it's mind boggling what the Gt3 does for the senses.

To make an informed decision, you must drive atleast one other gt3 so that's the first step in considering if this car is the one. The gt3's feel amazing weather beat up or driven by grandma, you must know the difference.

This might be a great example but knowing it's tracked is not enough to chop its value, it might of been tracked by a loving owner that kept revs low and did not do donuts, fishtails, hard braking and all out 3 pedal to the metal driving.

Try to find a pampered one, drive it and see if you feel a difference, if not then go buy this one because it probably wasn't tracked hard enough to make a difference.

Price- at this range 5k either way means little, it's the overall condition of the car that's important.

Final thoughts:
1. Drive another
2. Don't rush
3. Get ready to fall in love - the Gt3 is amazing.

dlb

I ran a TT and a GT3 for about 6 months. I sold the TT.

You won't regret the GT3, you may regret not getting it in 10 years when they are much less affordable. Best of luck.

ores

I want to drive another but there really aren't any in my area!
Supposedly the owner (the seller knows the owner well - car is on consignment and he sold it previously to him), doesn't race. He went to a driving school a few times. He is super careful hence no over revs beyond stage 1. This is all 'presumed'. I am used to stories.... I know the car drove great. I need to find another one to compare. Anyone in the LA area willing to let me try out the car around the block?

golfnutintib

as a full sensory driving experience, imo the 997 gt cars are the best they have or will ever build for a street legal car... well except for maybe the c gt