hello,

i am brand new to this forum, but have been given the "go ahead" from my mom to help her find a porsche for my dad. problem is, i have a budget. it has to be a turbo and i'm trying to keep the price around $60k. i know it's hard, but i also know it's doable. mileage is of some concern, but condition is king. i'd like to keep the mileage under 50k, but have found 2001 911 turbos with under 40k for less than $60k. my understanding is the 2001 has 415hp and got boosted to 450hp or 456hp in 03. i also am under the impression that the body was made more rigid in 2002. regardless, my dad will be happy. porsche turbos seem to hold their value pretty well. in the long run will the 03 depreciate less than the 01? i realize the 03 will bring me a bit out of budget, but if you're spending this much, why not get what you really want? it also seems that a 96 or 97 model, the last of the air cooled porsches, go for about the same amount. i've found 0-60 times of 3.6 for that model and a little over 4 for the 2001. is this all true? the money is ready to go and we are positively going to buy one. now, it's all about finding the perfect one. my dad has wanted a porsche his whole life, so it's time to make the dream come true. i've been trying to do my research, but i do not know what is a reliable source. i figure you guys know best. any help, advice, and specifications will be much appreciated. thanks in advance. i'll keep you updated and will show pics once we get it!

 

i'm also interested in reliablity and maintenance costs. thanks again. can't wait to hear!

 

i accidently posted the same thing twice. i can edit it, but can't figure out how to delete it. sorry for multiple replies.

 

Well, I don't know that you can say the 996 Turbos have held their values, because they have not. That was over a $125k new, and now you can pick up low mileage cars for under 60k. That isn't a good investment, lol. Will they continue to drop? Hard to say, they have still been dropping value in the last couple of years, but also seem to be stabilizing a bit. The 993TT has held it's value well due to lower production numbers, and being the last of the traditional air cooled 911's. The 996 is a better car overall though in almost every aspect.

You need to factor in maintenance items into your 60k budget. At 50k miles, you can expect it will need a clutch soon. 17 hours of labor, and about $1200 in parts, is a significant bill. Also, expect to replace at least the front brake pads, if not the rotors as well. Usually I see about 50-60k out of a set of rotors. That will be another $1k or so. A 60k mile service will run you about 12 hours, it includes spark plug replacement which is a 6 hour job. It is typically around a $2000 service on the TT's.

You are correct about the initial hp levels. The x-50 package in the later years had the larger K24 turbos.

In 02 they did make some structural changes, although minor. Also they added some small things like a glovebox in 02, which was not there in 01.

Performane wise, I wouldn't try and compare it to the 993TT, because the 996TT is so easily upgradable. For $2,000, and 30 minutes with my laptop, I can reflash the ecu, adding 74hp and 78ft/lbs of torque. Add an exhaust and you are bringing that total up to around 100 hp gain. The 993 you can not do that, it does not have the technology. The 996 is also a better daily driver than the 993.

 

thank you so much for the reply. that was very detailed and exactly what i was looking for. i especially appreciated the information about the maintenance. and when i said hold their values, you are correct. i meant as they get older they seem to plateau. i was just wondering where they will level off since they seem relatively easy to find. sounds like the 996 is the way to go, especially since it's a better daily driver. since the 01 was the first year they brought the turbo out in the 996, are there any common early production problems that the cars are notorious for? also, do all 03 and later cars come with the x50 package, or was it an option?

 

The x-50 was an option from 02-04. The 05 Turbo S was standard.

 

thanks. it's so hard to figure this stuff out on the internet by myself and i never know when the source is reliable. your help is greatly appreciated. what's the 0-60 and 1/4 time on a 996 turbo without the x50 option?

 

4.2 seconds is what you mostly see reported for the "base" 996 turbo. in case you are interested, here is a link to the motorweek piece on the 996 turbo.
http://coochas.com/porsche/Resource...T-Motorweek.wmv

 

thanks. that's about what i thought. i found a car here in CA that i am seriously considering. here is a link to the ad. http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...&cardist=0

it's an 02 and looks pretty clean. carfax is clean, but it moved around from dealer to dealer in kentucky and oklahoma before being transported to ca. when first sold it had 275 miles on it. i'm assuming those would all be hard miles since it just went from dealer to dealer. regardless, they're probably built for it and the car does appear to be pretty clean. mileage is around 41k. i have found them with about 20k on them for only a few grand more. with this car, i'd probably move forward if i could get him a little under $60k. the car has had two owners and does have service records. do you think i should move on this one or wait for another one? i don't think this one has the x-50 package.

 

one last question. i see two different types of exhaust pipes. 2 vs a semi 4 look. does this indicate any package or did it just change with year? sorry to ask so many questions. just curious. thanks again for all of the help.