I've been debating between a C6 Zr1 and 997tt for sometime. I'm concerned with the reliability of the 997tt as a weekend car that will see 2-3k miles a year. I've read numerous threads about people using the 997tt as a daily driver and a sizable budget is needed for repairs. As a weekend car, are repairs and maintenance such a big concern?

I will be looking at 2007 models with 50-60k miles so they will have had a decent amount of usage. Of course the car will get a thorough ppi with dme readout.

I'm okay with setting aside 2k/year for repairs but is that realistic or will a larger budget be needed for a weekend car?

 

As in all things automotive, YMMV, but please bear in mind that what you read in a forum is not the norm. Forums are magnets for two types of postings, mostly:
1. My expensive car just exploded, WTF?
2. I love my car because...

The vast majority of Porsche owners never make it to the forums or if they do, it's not to post items in category 1. however, almost everybody who has had a severe / unexpected problem with their car, WILL post in the forums (to get feedback, advice, to complaint, whatever).

With that said: the 997.1TT (2007-2009) still uses an engine that is derived from a de-tuned GT1 block from the late 1990's. This dry-sump engine is as bullet-proof as anything Porsche has ever made. I have had two 996TT's (derived from the same original engine) and they were as cheap to maintain as a Toyota Camry and both were my daily drivers. My next car will be a 997.1 TT for the reasons listed above.

In fact, no car thrives under extreme low mileage conditions and you're better off driving it 10K miles per year or more, rather than 2K. But even so, the 997.1TT (assuming it has been well cared for etc.), will hold up better to any driving regime than anything else comparable out there.

A couple of basic guide lines in your purchase search:
1. Get a slightly lower mileage one if you can (make as near as no difference in the price but reduces normal wear and tear). I will be looking at a car in the low 30k miles for a 2008-2009
2. Get a full service history, including all the bits that may have been replaced over time, including wear & tear items (tire tread remaining, see when brakes were done, when the clutch was done, etc.). This avoids predictable add-on cost early on in the ownership cycle.
3. Most importantly: get an in-depth, independent PPI done, including leakdown / compression test, paint thickness test, DME readout and so on. Spending $500 upfront will buy thousands worth of peace of mind later.

The cars are bullet-proof, but that does not make them immune to abuse.
Bottom line: nothing else out there will give you the same grin factor for this kind of money (both at purchase and in maintenance cost).
Happy hunting!

 

It all of course depends on the condition of the car you purchase. But if you get a good one it should be pretty reliable and I would think 2 grand a year for maintenance would be more than adequate. Of course one major problem could easily surpass 2000 dollars but I haven't seen too many posts of guys with "major" issues. Its usually coolant hose fittings, Spoiler actuators, Aftermarket cats going bad, tire pressure sensors and of course the all too common clutch slave and accumulator.

 

I would be far more concerned with reliability and durability on a Chevy than a Porsche! Don't get me wrong, I have always thought Vettes were cool but I sure don't see many that are more than a few years old on the road.

Porsche parts are extremely expensive, shockingly so in some cases, so that is a factor to look at carefully. I don't know what ZR1 parts prices are like but imagine the unique parts to that very limited model are also horribly expensive, while the shared parts are probably cheaper than equivalent Porsche parts.

 

I've put about 100k dd miles on 997.1 turbos, they just need tires and oil changes. Any stories about major maintenance are not accurate. Perhaps you're talking about 993tt, 964s or 930s?

 

Ive had 3 vettes and i do t think the porsche will be more reliable. I dont think youll need to worry about either one personally. That being said IF something goes wring the porsche will be more expensive to fix. As an example for reference, looking at clutches, a 997TT clutch is about 2k. On a zr1 it would be 700-1200. The zr1 willalso be A LOT cheaper than a porsche it seems.

But to sum up your question...i think both will be equally reliable.

 

Sorry for the typos my fingers are too fat for my phone. The last sentence in my last post should have said the vette would be cheaper to mod.

 

I was also under the impression that the gt1 block was relatively bulletproof but it was everything else causing issues. I was following some stories of 996tt owners whose cars spent months in the shop. For one owner, there were no catastrophic failures but the owner spent a few thousand each time fixing one thing after another and ultimately spent over 10k in repairs in a year. He is going on his second year of ownership and it's still giving some trouble. Granted the car had modified turbos and was his daily but it has me a little worried about ownership costs.

If I was to pick up a ZR1, it would be at the tail end of the powertrain warranty so I would have time to correct the most common issue which is the valve guide issue under warranty.

I spent sometime driving a C6 Z06 and 996tt X50 and I imagine a ZR1 and 997tt will be just be a little sweeter.

 

Mine's a dd, but if/when you pull the trigger a couple things to keep in mind for the weekend car. Get a good smart battery charger. You don't want a dead battery with the frunk locked. Car will puff blue smoke on start up after sitting long. Clutch might be super stiff. Other than these little oddities, car 's pretty solid.

 

I think you should be super picky when you buy a 911, independent check by professional Porsche mechanics is well spent money. I am not sure any dealer would be considered 'pros' they do their 101-point check which seems quite pointless.

And when you testdrive one, I would make sure the car behaves well driven hard, do some redline shifts, is the power delivery smooth or not? Any smoke during acceleration etc.

Once back to the dealer (and with a hot engine) make sure there is no fluid leaks, coolant issues are not uncommon, check both under the front and rear for any leaks.

If it raining outside checking for leaks wont be possible, but leave it out and check for leaks if the car has a sunroof, there is four drains going down A and C pillars.

I have a 2007 MT, had it for 18mo, my rap sheet:

1) Coolant leaks, rear pipes going to front, rubber seals gone bad, engine had to come out.

2) Driver side door latch, bad micro switch, made window missbehave.

3) Weird noise from engine on cold start, they replaced belt, several pulleys, alternator, water pump. In the end it was the alternator that was the culprit.

All above fixed under extended warranty during 1y of ownership.

Now I have:

4) Coolant leaks from front coolers.

5) Oil seal on driver side engine head oil scavenge pump leaks.

Warranty still valid until October

So my final recommendation is get a good extended warranty, mine is through Porsche Germany (even though I am in Sweden). I got 1y with the car and added 1y myself for $2k, well worth it.

Still I think most issues are due to the car standing in a show room for over 1y, cars need to be driven regularly to stay fit.

 

BTW one more advice, test drive a 2014 Cayman S before buying the big daddy turbo.

Its a brilliant, well balanced little gem of a car. I am not sure I go with a 7y old turbo when a new Cayman is similar $...

 

I've also heard advice that more frequent oil changes are a good idea if you're not driving your car too much. Something about moisture in the oil, etc.

 

Cayman is a great looking car but slow slow slow if you are coming from a turbo, fast if you are coming from a Honda Accord. I test drove a 991 S thinking I would trade the turbo and after about 3 seconds in it, it was like it had an anchor attached to it compared to my Turbo when accelerating. Still have my Turbo and it will stay for a while, the 991TT is just not worth the price compared to what I have.

 

Ive had both. Both would be about the same reliability wise. Service is slightly higher on porsche, and finding shops will be harder. We have 2 porsche dealers and prolly 2 or 3 good euro specialists here in st louis. Prolly 100's of places that can fix the chevy. Just had my 911 at plaza for a week, and finally pulled it from them bc they didnt have time to fix it. Horrible. They had calls into porsche which they said took days for a return call. Thats my only problem with porsche ownership.
Someone mentioned camry was just as expensive to maintain. I beg to differ- i had a camry. Oil change at jiffylube - $25 4 new tires- $450. Thats pretty cheap compared with the vette or the 911.
The p car will be slightly more expensive to own and slightly more pita to get service. That being said, its worth it. Ask the same question in a vette forum and you'll probably get the opposite answer.

 

Agreed... Wondering as well where you heard that. Generally speaking the 997.1-2TTs are very solid. Only thing I have heard is the RMS on the NA( normally aspirated) not gt3 cars.