I recently test drove a 01 turbo and went literally one mile and I had the 2nd gear pop out 4 times, no exaggeration...now I know this car is prob a lemon bc of other issues I saw but it shouldn't be that bad should it?

 

yep the keys are ez to lose i still llokin for mine day two

 

The Turbo was released in Europe the previous year.....so the 2001 is the 2nd year of production.

 

@ Killer 911,

I saw this one for $46K with only 21,500 miles on it... everything looks good, just that it's a 2001 kinda concerns me too...

Will this car last long or will it just a burden and having to fix this and that all the time and costing me an arm and a leg?

 

As everyone else has said these are great cars. I did a lot of research before pulling the trigger but pretty much heard nothing but good things. You can't get a more reliable high performance car. Along with what others have mentioned there is also an issue with the clutch accumulator and slave. Not a biggie. Many have upgraded to the GT2 set up which isn't much more expensive and isn't prone to failure. I know I will do that when mine goes out.

If your price range is in the mid $40s then you shouldn't have much problem finding a good 996tt. Sounds like you found a pretty good deal with that '01. You might be able to get them down more if it's been sitting around for awhile. Get a PPI done for sure. Gives you piece of mind when buying. If you want something newer, they come up in that price range as well. There is an '03 996tt at a porsche shop up in the bay area in Santa Rosa with mods going for $44k so there are some deals out there. Good luck to you.

Eric

 

there is a yellow one for sale(in your area) with high mileage but its only 35k. it's also nicely modded

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/1848669479.html

 

I'm a big believer in Porsche quality and durability, but I personally wouldn't choose a 125k mile 996TT if I had the means to buy a significantly lower mileage car. That could be just me, but even the psychological impact of owning a car with that many miles (no matter how nice it is) is pretty rough on me.

 

From my research, second gear pop out, rear spoiler hydraulic leak, clutch accumulator failure, etc. are issues that plague all 996 Turbos, regardless of model year. The biggest difference between '01s and '02-'05 Turbos is the lack of a glove box (very early '01s came with solid spoke wheels and/or bumper warts, but that didn't apply to the entire '01 production). Personally, I would look for a well maintained Turbo in the mileage range you are comfortable with and most importantly, with the modifications and factory options you want.

 

Not exactly a first year production car. A lot of the functional comfort features of the car that normally break (the kinks) were introduced in 96 in the European 986.
The 996 was introduced in europe in 98- This brought us most of the body with the exception of rear fenders and everything else but the powerplant.
Everything else was introduced in 2000 in Europe as the 996tt.

 

And the power plant wasn't new either. Same power plant as the GT3 which came out in '99 I think.

Only very few 996TTs were designated as '00 models. I think something like double digit numbers TOTAL so hard ro reference that as a model year.

 

Corrosion....Turbos,manifold nuts,exhaust etc...

 

Check out my '01 Turbo. I've had no pop-out issues. I've replaced the clutch slave. I've replaced the spoiler actuation system. Rear pads and rotors are new; fronts are in good shape. New tires all around. Recent PPI. Nicely spec'ed and just 48,000 miles. $41,900. All maintenance records; selling dealer maintained. Yes, I'm in Wisconsin, but a car this clean is worth the trip. (And my '11 TTS is here.)

 

Would there be problems with the Turbo for an 01'?

What other cars do you guys recommend for the price range around $50K?

From my research with GT3 and Turbo, it seems like GT3 depreciates less than 911 Turbo... is that correct?

I saw 05 997 911 Carrera S for around $50K, 40K miles, and compared to this 996 911 Turbo which is similar in price but much lower in mileage at 21.5K miles... is it correct to choose the Turbo instead?

Sorry, I'm having mixed feelings and not sure what car to buy......

Any inputs? thanks so much guy~~~

 

See my thoughts above.

 

IMHO, gotta ask yourself, honoestly, what you want to do with a car.

If you're mostly on the road (intermittant track day or two), piling on the miles in all kinds of weather, then the Turbo is a great touring ride with tons of power for passing -- and all wheel drive. 2001 to 2003 vintage 996TT will be in your price range. (Mine is perfect!)

If you're mostly on the track, ticking off Driver's Ed days, but road driving while you wait for your next track day, then a GT3 (or GT3RS) is a lively and totally connected driver's car. You'll have trouble finding an RS in your range that doesn't have a sad history, but you may find a higher mileage 996 GT3. (Mine is perfect, too, but not for sale.)

It you're a totally whacko track junkie, get a well used Cup Car and tow it with your buddy's Cayenne. (This has been nagging at me.)

If you're a real performance enthusiast, you're not likely to be satisfied with a Carrera or Cayman -- unless your thing is perfect placement, not speed. (Been there.)