I'm toying with the idea of a 996 as a DD/DE car. When I have asked others their opinion the first response is that a Porsche is so expensive to maintain. But these people rarely actually own a Porsche, much less have one they DD/DE.

So for you guys, particularly those who actually drive their 996 daily and do track events... how would you quantify your cost of maintenance/ownership?

On a side note, (and a bit of a rant) from my reading here, it appears like the recommended oil change interval is 15k/yearly... holy crap! I realize I'm probably overkill... but you couldn't pay me to go that long between oil changes. My current toy is supercharged Mustang... I've got more money into the money into the engine than I care to add up... I run full synthetic and change it every 3k (and it holds 9qts btw). I run fully synthetic in my wifes Acura TL and I change it every 5k. I can't imagine having a car as expensive as a Porsche and not changing the oil more often. I couldn't sleep at night. In the grand scheme of things an oil change is cheap. Now I'm concerned about buying a used 996 that someone has serviced this way, haha.

I won't ask too much about the engine failures, there's plenty of reading available on that subject. But has there been a higher percentage of these engine failures in track vehicles?

I welcome your thoughts and opinions.

 

I have a 99C4. Over $30K+ in Mods but in Maintenance hardly anything, in almost 3 years and @30,000 miles I have only had to replace Tires, Brake Booster and Clutch. Rest all was Modifications.

 

what kind of mileage is normal for the clutch... DD/DE?

 

I daily my 02 C4S it has just over 100,000km on it right now. To date I have gone through 3 sets of summer tires, 2 sets of winter tires, 4 air filters, 2 cabin filters, 1 serpentine belt, just did brakes on all 4 corners, oil changes every 8000 km. I have done a coolant flush due to a burst t fitting in a coolant line (otherwise supposedly a life long coolant) and a transmission fluid change. Still on my original clutch, I think clutch life is more dependent on driver and driving than milage.

I drive it about 12,000km per year and have done a few track days with it, but nothing serious.

One of the most reliable cars I have ever owned.

 

I should probably mention that my budget would allow for a mid-mileage '99 or '00 vehicle. I would be looking to keep it relatively stock and depend more on the Porsche's natural ability. I am also stunned at reading the treads where people are excited to get over 100k miles on one.

Not to hijack my own tread but what's an average Full Course lap time in one of these at VIR?

 

Filters, fluids, tires are normal items and there can't be that big of a cost difference. I guess I am more concerned about the other items... wheel bearings, alternators, starts, electrical sensors, window motors, etc. Stuff that doesn't have a set life expectancy but can fail. So maybe I should phrase my question more towards "repairs" than "maintenance." Some cars can nickle and dime you with dumb stuff.

Thanks for the replies so far.

 

Parts do cost more than for my Benz, but I would say overall it's not more expensive than any other car. Tires cost more and don't last. I would not go more than 5k on oil changes. The oil gets much hotter in these cars and the added temp. is known to break down the oil and the additives in it.

 

if you have good maint records i wouldn't be worried, as I said I have 100,000km and the only thing that has happened is that I had a t fitting off a coolant line break. I have heard about water pump issues on occasion, and IMS failures being more prevailent on the 3.4L's in the 99-01's

 

Have a a look at that

http://www.911uk.com/download.php?id=21756

Keep in mid that a 996 Turbo engine stock it is programmed to run 200.000 miles with no rebuilt

 

I love using mine as a DD. Bottom line - this car CAN be expensive. Don't buy unless you have the income to afford the possibilities of a troublesome German car.

 

I bought my Porsche 2 years ago and it's about the same age and mileage as our other family cars (Honda and Volvo). Based on approx. 2 years of data, I'd say that the maintenance cost is around 2X compared to my other cars. It was about what I expected and, of course, it's more than 2X in terms of enjoyment to drive (so I consider it well worth the investment ).

 

Don't bother adding it up or trying to keep track of costs to go DE'ing. You won't like the numbers. For track time only, a low estimate is ~$500/day. Probably closer to $1000 per day if you want to go fast. [If you are in the green/newbie group, it's much cheaper - for a little while...]

-td

 

996 that are driven, even DE'd / tracked, seem to have fewer IMS problems than garage queens / low mileage / urban dwelling 996's.

 

Mine is not quite a DD but gets driven often and is definitely my DE car. 1999 C2. 100K on chassis and 25k on factory crate motor. When I bought it, I dropped $6k on mods / refurbishing: Used PSS9’s, all new Elephant Racing bushings, new rear drop links, new rotors / pads, stainless brake lines, tires, and I am sure I am forgetting a lot more. But now, the car is great, no issues at all.

Plans for this year are mostly comfort items like repair cruise control, radio, center condole delete. I already polished my headlights, replaced the ashtray with a non-smoker shelf, and added a cup holder that snaps into the a/c vent.

As for oil change, because I DE it, I change every 2 events or 3K miles, whichever comes first. BTW, on some forums, “oil” is almost a religious discussion.

 

The thing most people don't realize is that parts eventually wear out.

I bought my 99 with 80k on the clock from Porsche of Scottsdale, one owner, and had all the service done at that dealer (yes, stamped book and all.) They dropped a few k into new tires, clutch, oil, detail, etc.

I'm now just shy of 100k and just had two parts go, my starter (last month) and my water pump (last week.) In retrospect, it is a used car, nearly 14 years old with 100k miles.

One of the biggest "costs" of ownership is the LABOR. From the sound of it, with your mustang, might I assume that you do most of your own maintenance and repairs? I do, and it really does affect the true cost of ownership.