I've been looking at E46 M3's, 993's and have been thinking also about a 996TT.

I'm pretty comfortable with the routine maintenance costs and have read about some of the trouble spots (2nd gear popping out).
Are there any other major areas to be concerned about? Any catastrophic issues like the IMS issue of the normal 996 (different engine, I know).
Did any of the 993 issues carry over (like valve guide wear and the SAI issues?)

Also, what's the current market looking like? I see what cars are advertised for, but hard to tell what they go for. Does a 2001 with 60K miles for $35-38k seem reasonable? How are these cars at this mileage? Are decent 3rd party warranties still available at this age and mileage?

Thanks in advance!!

 

Thought I'd bump this thread since there hadn't been any replies yet. Still trying to determine which generation gets the nod for my third car (993, 996TT, or early 997).

Also, regarding the 2nd gear pop-out issue, can this show up at anytime? If you're looking at a car with 50-60k miles that doesn't exhibit the problem, does that mean it should be good to go?



Thanks again for any help.

 

No response because these are common questions that a quick search will get you the info for...

Can't find it after searching, then post.

Good luck with you decision!

 

First, welcome to the 6, I love the Radiohead inspired screen name! Anyway, as Rainey said, there's a TON of great information here. Anyway, I would not be worried one bit about buying a higher mileage 996TT as they're proving to be very reliable. Several documented cars with between 100-200k miles! Even modifying these cars if done correctly doesn't seem to be dropping their reliability. 2nd Gear pop-out issues seem to happen after the first 10,000 miles or so. So if the car hits 60k and hasn't had any issues, it probably wont have them at all. If looking at a modded car, find out about the clutch as the stock clutch seems to be good for about 600-650hp after that, it's pretty much just a matter of time before it starts slipping. As usual, be sure to get a proper PPI done by someone who's very familiar with these cars and make sure they check the Type 1 and Type 2 overrevs. Best advice is pretty broad, but buy the car that has the lowest miles, best maintenence record, and well cared for car that you could find and afford even if it means spending a couple of thousand extra. But the question that you posed of $35-$38k for a car with about 60,000 miles seems about right. You may be able to find a car with a little bit fewer miles for that price, but that seems about right with the current market. Good luck on your finds and doing the research is half of the fun. This site is a plethora of great information.

 

Guys, thanks for the info. I've spent the better part of the last month on this board, rennlist, and the M3 forum doing research. My head is flooded with facts. figures, nightmare stories of engine and tranny replacements, and sometimes it's good to get the latest perspective. I think research will keep me occupied until next month, at which time, some college football should clear my head up a bit!
Thanks!

 

i am in the same boat M3 or 996TT i havent gotten to drive a 996TT but ive driven a slightly modded M3 lately and a stock m3 both 2003's and they are fast but not as fast asa c2 996 non-turbo. Its clear the M3 is the more useful car more room less worries leaving it in parking lot alone etc. but nothing is like driving the porsche's

im going to look at a couple 996TT's tomarrow and comapre them to some 05 M3's but my heart tells me which to buy n not look back

996 RUF TuroboR =)

 

I would not pay over $35k for a car w/ 60k miles right now. The reason being that there are a lot of them for sale right now, and fall\winter is right around the corner. As the buyer, especially at that mileage, you have all the leverage. Be patient, do your homework and you will be rewarded.

 

Look for a car with a CPO from Porsche. A bit more money but its nice to have a warranty.

 

Good luck, I just purchased my first Porsche after selling the E46 M3 vert. I will never look back.

 

CPO's are getting hard to find they cant be oldethen 6 years and have milage restrictions also