I was just browsing around autotrader last night and noticed there are a ton of 997s for sale, and the prices appear to be coming down fast, especially on higher mileage ones. I'm curious what the service intervals are on these cars. If I were to buy one with say 100k miles would I be asking for trouble because of a major service? I'm assuming these engines are pretty durable if I were to buy one with such high miles would there be a risk of having to spend 5k on top end rebuild soon?

I'm kinda stuck between a 996 c4s, or spending 5k more and looking for a high mileage 997 S.

 

The 997 has a great engine, but some parts, not necessarily engine parts, do wear out eventually. While 100k miles is certainly doable without any major issues, ultimately you'll face something. The clutch is one such item.

These cars do well with miles- they need to be driven, in fact. Just get an aftermarket warrantee if you can to cover anything catastrophic, for when something does need repair, it ain't cheap.
CATTMAN

 

thanks cattman. im not afraid of the occasional 1k repair bill, just something major like at top end rebuild costing me 5k or something like that.

 

There are very few $1k repairs on a Porsche. A clutch kit (cluth kit, pressure plate, flywheel, throw-out bearing) runs $2,200- $3,000. New tires alone are $2,400. Oil changes at the dealer are around $600. Draining and replacing break fluid every 2 years is around $440.

Just a heads-up on "regular" maintenance.
CATTMAN

 

O wow. thanks man. I can stomach even those repairs assuming they're a once a year thing.

 

Don't worry about it then as I have a 2006 Carrera S with X51, which has increased power and torque over the regular Carrera S, and now have 23k miles on the original clutch. I have only changed the rear tires once at 12k miles as the front ones might last 2 times that (I am close to having to get all 4 now). I've changed the brake fluid once this past March when the car turned 2 years old as well as did its first 20k mile service. Service intervals are every 20k miles or every 2 years, whichever come first, according to Porsche. Some people choose to do them more frequently than that but I chose, hopefully not detrimentally, to stick to the maintenance manual schedule. In all, this car has been cheaper to run than my 1987 Carrera in the same amount of mileage and time. An 87 needs a yearly service that includes valve adjustments and over 10 quarts of oil (even though I don't run synthetic on this car but do on the 997). It seems that you can stomach these kind of prices according to what you've said.

 

You can sure save money on the easy stuff: I just changed the oil in my 997....E-Z!

Genuine filter $20 (a real rip), 9 qts of M-1 @ $6= $54, total was ~$75 rather than $600.

And it really is easy, I promise!

I have no doubt that I'll flush my brakes when time comes. I'll prob install speedbleeders at that time.

Can't do anything about the cost of tires, sadly, but thats OK!

 

I just had my 2OK maint. done, and it was $800 or less, I can't remember. An oil change is closer to $225 in my area (MD). I am sure numbers differ, but you might want to call the local dealer and ask for those numbers now. I also have a local shop that I will take my car to once I am out of warranty. The shop is reputable, and has been handling Pcars more a long time. Thus, cost of ownership, while high, is not all that bad. If you can afford the car, you can cover the maintenance.

 

I'd wait to get a good deal on a 997.

In my mind... inside and out, the 997 > 996.

 

That' what I'm thinking. The problem is if I were to opt for a 997 I'd really only want a 997 S. I know the power of a regular 997 to a 996 c4s is equal but the C4s feels a little more special, probably because it's rarer. The question is whether or not the 997 is worth the extra 5-7k I'd probably have to spend. While I like the front end so much better than the 996, I feel the opposite way about the rears. The 996 c4s has one of the prettiest tails on any car I've seen. Ahh decisions decisions.

 

the 997 is definitely better than a 996, but i would try and not buy one with 100,000 miles. not that it won't have life left in it, but the car will have a good chance of costing you a bunch in repair bills. as you know, the porsche is a very hearty car, but any car with that kind of miles is going to break, and as other posters have said, the car will cost good money to fix. i think a good rule is to buy the lowest mile car that you can afford. good luck.

 

Bingo. Totally agree. 997's are quite a step up in sophistication and performance from 996's. I think they're quite a bit better looking too, but that solely in the eye of the beholder.
But a 100k mile 997, especially since you can rarely know how it's been treatedin it's youth, is heading in to the spend zone pretty aggressively. Due to the economy and the 997/2's, prices of early 997's will doubtlessly continue to drop. Be patient, and you'll get the car you want, w/o the risks that you don't want.
Free advice. You get your money's worth...

 

Just find a good independent porsche mechanic and you will pay much less for service. DIY on the simpler items. My brake flush cost $85 for example.

 

I think you're right i probably will end up just waiting until prices slide further. I do have a local mechanic that's honest and does great work specializes in european cars so that should* hopefully help lower my cost of ownership a little.

 

FWIW - 20k sevice will be $365 in KC, Oil change was $140, both at dealer on '05 997 C2S