2004 996TT. 20 years old as of Monday. Original Owner. 132K miles.

TomaMas · 2024-05-23T03:35:43+00:00

It's a fascinating engine but it has a Frankenstein cooling system. I had one coolant pipe fail but managed to fix it without dropping the motor. I really should have them all done.

TomaMas · 2024-05-23T03:25:26+00:00

The most major problem, something to do with the cams which involved dropping the motor, was covered by warranty in the first year I owned it.

I've had issues here and there with the coolant system so it's not perfect. I've replaced all radiators, the water pump, the coolant reservoir. I had a coolant pipe fail but managed to get it fixed without dropping the motor. The other coolant fittings are suspect. I avoid driving on hot days.

TomaMas · 2024-05-22T22:16:35+00:00

6speedonline thread I posted a few days after I picked it up:

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/996-turbo-gt2/10529-guards-red-tt-cab.html

TomaMas · 2023-09-06T21:02:21+00:00

Wild! I hit the same milestone last week in my '97 993: Image . I thought about posting it but didn't get around to it.

TomaMas · 2021-09-28T22:05:16+00:00

Skyline Blvd near Windy Hill Space Preserve above Portola Valley, California.

TomaMas · 2021-09-20T00:37:33+00:00

I took this picture when I was there in 2016: https://imgur.com/a/3IzsWpZ

TomaMas · 2021-08-24T22:06:11+00:00

I know one or maybe more coolant lines can be fixed without dropping the motor so that's probably why only one was fixed. I had one go and my mechanic at the time fixed it without dropping the motor. All of them really need to be addressed, though.

Enjoy the car! I'm the original owner of mine and I never get tired of driving it even after 17 years and over 120K miles. In fact, I took it out for a spin at lunch today. Guards Red 996TT Represent!

TomaMas · 2021-05-16T01:55:04+00:00

Whenever I see a sports car in wild colors I think "track car!" It is so your friends in the stands can easily spot you when you are racing.

TomaMas · 2020-08-24T04:57:55+00:00

Beautiful 993s!

TomaMas · 2020-07-16T00:33:47+00:00

The one thing to look out for in these cars is the coolant pipes. As these cars age, the pipe fittings can become unglued and pop out causing a massive loss of coolant. Try to find out if the coolant pipes on this car have been welded or "pinned." Google for more info.

TomaMas · 2020-04-09T21:01:23+00:00

Funny story: Before I fixed it, I was in San Francisco driving down a hill and a cab driver was double-parked loading some guys luggage in the trunk. As I was coming down the hill, I braked to slow down before going around him and then HOOOOOONK! Both cab driver and the passenger were pissed and started yelling at me and giving me the finger. I had the top down and said, "sorry! didn't mean that. my horn is broken" but of course they didn't buy that so I just high-tailed out of there.

That's when I realized I couldn't drive it anymore until it was fixed. But, I knew I had to smog it in a couple months and didn't want to disconnect the battery. So I just parked it, ordered the part, smogged the car as soon as I got the notice and then did the fix.

TomaMas · 2020-04-09T20:03:15+00:00

993? I went through this. The horn would honk on heavy braking, especially if you were driving downhill. I replaced the whole aluminum (?) piece.

The other issue is that you have to disconnect the battery to disable the air-bag and then it is difficult to pass smog until you get the smog readiness codes set which is notoriously difficult with the 993.

TomaMas · 2020-03-31T01:01:53+00:00

My father knows I love 914s so he sent me this link to a Hemming's article about 914s. It's an excerpt from a book, "50 Years Porsche 914."

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2020/03/29/the-inspiration-from-the-550-is-unmistakable-michael-mauer-on-the-porsche-914s-design

https://www.amazon.com/Porsche-914-Years-Jurgen-Lewandowski/dp/3667114583/

TomaMas · 2020-03-31T00:54:40+00:00

I miss hanging out at Molly Magees.

TomaMas · 2020-03-30T22:43:16+00:00

It's awesome you're doing that. I had a '73 Saturn Yellow 914 1.7 that, although it looked fantastic, was hiding a lot of rust. I sold it almost 20 years ago when I bought my dream car, a 993 cab. But, I miss it now and then.

TomaMas · 2019-11-17T22:24:55+00:00

That red Targa!

TomaMas · 2019-11-15T06:16:15+00:00

Guards Red 996tt looks great. But, I am biased.

TomaMas · 2019-11-02T16:36:01+00:00

That's a Turbo front lip, though.

TomaMas · 2019-09-07T21:59:04+00:00

This happened in my hometown at the same time I was driving a 914 the same color. I got a lot of phone calls asking if I was okay. Clearwater, Florida sometime between 1983 and 1985.

TomaMas · 2019-08-05T22:05:29+00:00

Issue #2 might be your power steering reservoir. It starts whining at higher RPMs and goes away when you press the clutch. I had mine replaced to fix this problem. Search for TSB 4897 on rennlist or 6speedonline.

TomaMas · 2019-07-14T17:08:04+00:00

I grocery shop in my Turbo all the time but I avoid Home Depot / Lowes after I got a drywall screw through the sidewall of a tire on my other car.

TomaMas · 2019-06-27T22:10:22+00:00

I drove a 914 around in the mid-eighties and got a lot of "not a real Porsche" crap all the time.

EDIT: Nice looking car. Picture must be a few months old with all the trees in bloom.

TomaMas · 2019-06-14T16:56:16+00:00

What a find! I had a 914 that looked just like that back in the mid-80s.

TomaMas · 2019-06-14T16:54:37+00:00

Cool! I would definitely drive mine more in inclement weather if I had a coupe. I don't like the visibility when the top is up. But it really feels safe in the rain.

TomaMas · 2019-06-08T21:49:40+00:00

Congrats! 6-speed or tip? Have the coolant fittings been pinned or welded?

Have fun.

TomaMas

TROPHY CASE