I remember my 2001 Vette, went to a Porsche 07C2S...now have a 2011 C4S...
Yes things cost more, but overall I spent more on the Vette to have things fixed than both of the Porsche's. Both were very reliable and other than oil changes and recommended routine maintenance they have been bulletproof!
$200 oil change only every 10k miles.
The 911's are totally different than my Vette...totally worth it!!
My wife always says Nobody Stared at the Vette!

 

I plan on keeping my forever . . . so when you average out the cost per year its pretty low.

How old / how long have you had your vette?

Have you had the chance to test drive a 911? Betcha you nothing will be able to wipe that smile off your face.

 

If I am not mistaken the maintenance schedule calls for them to be change at 4 years or 48k miles.
Whilst I think the plugs can go longer, I read somewhere that due to the excess heat, the mufflers are just on top of the cylinder heads, if they are left there too long they might be too difficult to take out. And there have been reports of things getting messed up/threads in cylinder heads etc etc
Did mine last month. CHarged at the dealer a little below 400 and got to drive around a panamera for the whole day.
Yes I could have saved about 300 USD and tried to bend my wrist into a 270 degree angle, burnt my skin, scuffed my knuckles and cursed a little whilst I was doing it DIY style.
But to each his own. It depends do you prefer sweat and $$$ over time and fun/relaxation.

 

I asked my local P-car tech (whom I trust completely) the same question. His answer was that it isn't so much that the standard/recommended plugs wear out in function that it is a matter of the longer you leave them in there, the greater chance of the threads bonding to the aluminum engine head and causing some real damage when they finally get removed - which greatly adds to the cost from having to repair the damage. He also recommended against using platinum coated plugs, which work well when new, but the plating on the electrode wears out more quickly than on other kinds when the plating wears through from use, and then you have a faulty plug problem. His recommendation is to change plugs at most every 6 years or so regardless of mileage.

 

Yes. That is exactly what I was trying to say above, in a much less technical way

 

Yup. Pretty much.

 

I'm the original owner of my Corvette, purchased new in 1997. I put gas in it and change the oil/filter (5 quarts) each fall before I store it for the winter, flushing other fluids on schedule...which is rarely. The clutch is original and functioning as it did when new. I did decide to replace the original battery last fall when my wall cube Battery Tender would no longer keep it topped up. The car is not a daily driver, but it has been trouble free for 16 years now (knock on wood). People do stare at my car (a '96 Grand Sport coupe), but I never really liked that aspect of ownership since I don't require the admiration/affirmation of others. I'd rather just "blend in"...

I am retired and living on a small fixed income, so I will be the one changing any and all fluids/wear items, etc.



I finally changed my original plugs 4 years ago, after they'd been in my aluminum heads for 12 years. They came right out with no problem, though access is kind of tough on the rear-most plugs...

 

Only half as bad as you might think. The car requires 12.

 

Really? I thought there were just 6 -
I'm planning to change mine soon - maybe this weekend.

I know I had 12 in my 964, but I thought there were just 6 in the 997 C2S

 

I'll chalk it up to another senior moment. You are correct.