Hey Guys,

First post on here but not a newbie when it comes to car purchasing. But I am a complete newbie on the Porsche hunt/purchasing front.

Like many guys, the 911 Turbo has always been a dream car of mine. I have wanted the 996 version since they came out and now I'm starting to see that it's an imminently reachable goal.

My current DD is an '09 Audi S5 which I love. I have a restored '79 Scout as my fun truck (and winter get around car). So I now really feel like this would be the time to go hunting for the 911.

I've done a lot of car purchasing in the last 11 years (24 cars over that period) so I'm familiar with the idea of PPIs, reading the various stickies on the popular forums (like this one) and reading through threads to find common problems and things to avoid - so I think I'm covered there. What I'd really like some opinions on is this:

1) While I know the 911 turbo is far beyond what I have now, am I crazy to leave the S5 behind and pay more money for a much older car? That's my sanity question. My wife is fully behind me, so I don't have that to worry about. I don't think it's crazy, and it's the reason I've spent the last many nights checking sites to see if there are any new listings.

2) I'm interested to hear what worked for others in my similar situation. More anecdotally than anything. It may make me feel better (not that I need much of a push) to hear of other guys struggling with the same or similar moves and ultimately making the move.

I've got a list of cars I like - with my cap being $50k. They are all '01-'03 with less than 50k miles, generally. Flemings Ultimate Garage has one with 15k miles for $50k that I like. Just unsure if having too low of mileage might be an issue - with it just not being driven.

Maybe this was just me wanting to share my dilemma publicly (and what a pathetic dilemma it is).



All the best.

 

Sometimes we just need someone to point out that the answer is right in front of us...

 

I currently have a 2004 996 TT Cab.

I bought this one with 41k on the odometer and my last Porsche with 17k on the odometer. If you are going to do any level of driving I would recommend a bit higher than 15k as you will lose the low mileage premium value pretty quickly.

Personally, I found that the low mileage wasn't worth paying the premium.

You also might be able to find a slightly higher mileage 2004/2005 model for the price point you are looking at.

Good luck with your search!

 

Get it, you won't regret it.

Even for a car that is 12 years old, it's extremely stout.

 

Also, there is a fully built Alpha A28 for 55k in the classifieds - you may be able to talk him down to 50k

That's a hell of a car, too.

50k will get you a pretty sweet stock TT. You can get a nice modified 01-02, making 600+ to the wheels at that price, with 45k+ miles.

Almost to 77k on my ride, and it's very solid.

Also - PPI, PPI, PPI - DO IT, worth every penny.

 

I sold my 09 Jaguar XF with just under 30k miles on it to buy an 03 TT with the intent of it being my only car. Bought an 09 C300 4matic about a week and a half later because I couldn't bear to drive the 996TT in the salt. Now I have a set of winter tires/wheels that I'm going to be putting on for no real reason in about a month lol.

Awesome cars, but they're not quite as plush or technologically up to date as others you can buy in the price range. You have a lot of options at 50k, make sure it's the right fit for you and you'll love it

 

Longtime observer on the boards but first time I've posted anything.

I perform technical acquisitions for a living (corporate aircraft), research is key for finding the right car and feeling smart about the purchase. It took about two years for me to find exactly what I wanted.

I established similar parameters. 996 Turbo under $50k. From there I went very specific on my tolerance for year (03 or newer) miles, transmission, colors, factory options and maintenance pedigree.

For me, I had to have a manual and documented maintenance history (a habit from aviation) and the miles needed to be in 30k to 35k range, X50 or S model would have been nice but not a deal killer for the right car. I went uber geek and tracked the cars on a spreadsheet as well weighted the different parameters for scoring purposes.

After alot of research, I noticed patterns in resell values with years and mileage. I found extremes on both sides low mileage and high mileage. Super low mileage cars can be priced above $55k in some cases and cars with 90k to 100k were around the $34k level. I could write a page on the complete patterns I noticed but everyone glazes over when I explain it so I'll spare you.

My thought was if I found a 30k mile car it would have had a recent major service with plenty of time left to the next one. I also felt better knowing as long as I maintained it and didn't bent it, I would have a confident estimate of known loss in value.

The search for the right car became a lot of fun. It was a daily habit to check all the sites and go look at cars on the weekend or at night. I kept asking what else can I buy for this amount of money in 996/997 turbo's.

I strongly considered a 2005 Turbo S, hardtop convertible with 65k miles in CA but at the end of the day it was too many miles for me and not what I really wanted. It also drove home that I wasn't willing to buy a car more than 500 miles away.

I fantasized about buying a car in CA or Seattle and taking a couple of weeks to drive it back to Atlanta with my girlfriend. Once I started the process it was more adventure than I was ready for and 3,000 miles is about all the miles I wanted to drive the car a year. Not to mention that is one heck of a drive in a car you dont know.

Finally, I found the car and it stood out as THE right car. It met all my wants/needs and it went beyond. I found it at a dealership, both previous owners bought new Turbos, always sent via enclosed trailered in for service, all records and receipts were present and the salesmen even had the previous owners permission for me to call them and ask questions.

The car had just went through a major service, new brakes and rotors, new plugs, new coil packs and new clutch. After we checked the OBD II codes and did the PPI I felt confident about it

I felt so confident that I flew up and bought it then drove it 800 miles home and have loved it ever since. Hope this helps.

Message if you want to bounce ideas off me.

 

Not crazy to leave behind the S5. Every car has their own 'personality'. Drive what makes you happy. I prefer the subtle rawness of the 996TT to a more modern vehicle.
Just a word of caution, if your cap is $50k - be sure to set aside some money for possible maintenance. They are still 10 year old cars and may require a good amount of money to get them back to a 'fresh' state. I spent over $9k my first year and a half on maintenance. Now, not every car may be like this - but don't get caught with your pants down.

Good luck with your search

 

I came from an 09 E92 M3 6-speed with coil overs, etc. No comparison. I love my 02 TT.

This is a forever car. I have no problem dumping insane amounts of upgrade money into it because I will have it for a really long time.

Buy what you want, and know what your getting into. Good luck!

 

I had a lot of cool cars (last few being 2 Lotus Exiges and a 2008 Z4 M Coupe). I loved these cars and they were fun for the track but were, in todays world, slow on the street. Bought a 2001 TT with 30k miles for chump change and it is truly a fantastic car. I have put money into it, both maintaining it and upgrading it but I have NO regrets. And the best part is when you feel a little bored you spend some money and it just goes faster! Try that with almost any other car.

 

I had similar criteria when looking for my car early last year. I was looking from 02-05, $50k max budget, wanted a car with 50k miles or less.

For me, the hardest part was finding a car with acceptable exterior/interior color AND had been taken care of.

I was only interested in 4 ext colors, Silver as my first choice, then black, then blue, then yellow. For interior, it HAD to be a black interior, and preferably the standard leather, not the soft, premium option, it doesn't look as good over time.

Finally found a silver one with some interior carbon pieces, lowering springs, integrated radar detector, with a transferable, extended warranty, and most service records by an independent Porsche shop. I passed up several cars that had turbo mods, suspension, etc, because they had the wrong interior color, or were the tiptronic version. Much easier and cheaper to buy bigger turbos later for example, than to try and change the interior color of the car!

 

Had a choice between a 08 Z06 and a 02 996tt....the safe bet for me was the z06 as I am a vette guy but took a chance on the Porsche...I LOVE IT. Saving up for a GT3, would buy one now but don't like car loans.

Good luck!

 

Agree with the others here

It's your dream, and it's within your reach


You've got to die at some point......why not enjoy yourself while you're here?



One thing I will add, which could be useful to you.....

Almost everything on a Porsche is an optional extra, or something which is spec'd by the original purchaser

Since everything is spec'd this way you'll never find two cars the same

So, as well as mileage and condition, check what options the cars you're looking at have

 

I can't thank you guys enough for all the feedback. It's exactly what was needed (and a mirror - as Th_Dude pointed out).

Just like many of you, my current struggle is finding one with the perfect color combination and options. I am a dark car guy, so first choice is Lapis Blue and second is Black. I'm also a tan/brown interior guy - so some version of what appears to be many options in that realm is where I'll look. As TxTurbo mentioned, I too prefer standard leather look - seems to hold up better.

In the last 10 years I've bought 5 BMWs and 5 Audis (with several other oddities thrown in) and I don't ever remember looking forward to the "buy" as much as this time around - and that's really saying something considering how much I enjoy the process.

 

I've owned a 63 Corvette since 75 - thought it was time for a change and have always been a Audi/VW guy. My son bought a 01 996TT a couple of years ago that I had the opportunity to drive - what a car!
A couple of months ago I was looking through Auto trader adds and spotted the car of my dreams an 02 black on black turbo with all the right options.
I took the plunge with the intention of parting with my long time friend the 63 Corvette - now I have 2 cars that I don't don't really need but I want. The car is awesome. I drive it constantly and look for excuses to go places.

You're for a good time not a long time so have a good time............