Hey all, I own a 1973 911 and I'm thinking of moving to a 993 c4S. But before doing that I do wonder what's a good estimate of the maintenance cost of a weekender doing 5000 miles a year max with the car. I understand it is much more than my actual 911.

I appreciate your help. THX

 

That is an impossible question to answer based on the condition of the C4S you acquire.

 

I'm just wondering how much is the regular maintenance costs: wheels, oil, filters, brakes, ... or anything related to regular use. Of course the acquiring condition can make one off costs, but I'm wondering just about the running costs. Thx

 

 

I’m not your bank FFS !! is it between 5-10k a year? 3-4k every 2? What’s the ballpark number !!!

 

Probably very similar to your early 911, if they are in similar condition.

 

Yes

 

Tires alone could be $1500 per year depending on your alignment.
DIY oil change is $200, dealer closer to another $1000
does anything need replacing? Will anything break?

you see the problem.

 

I drive between 4-5K miles a year. I change the oil my self every Fall. Oil filters from Pelican Parts are $60 and the 10 qts of Mobile 1 was $100 ( i can usually get the oil cheaper but not this time). I will go through rear tires in about 10,000 miles and the fronts about 20,000. So in 2 yrs i'll replace the rears and in 4 yrs i'll replace all 4. Depending on what tires you get the cost of tires will vary. My current tires are Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 I bought from Tirerack. All 4 cost me $550 + mounting at a local shop. Hope that helps.

 

This is from My Cousin Vinny??

 

Over the years I have had an SC Targa, an '84 Carrera coupe and now a 993 Cab. I have always done the routine maintenance, leaving technical things to an indy shop I trust. Once you get to know the car I don't find any of them to be "very expensive" to maintain. These are very well built cars and have excellent engineering built in. I figured up my expenses on the Carrera once and it was a lot less than you might think. The 993 came to me needing brakes, tires and few other things like rear shocks. Once that was all done all that it generally needs along with the normal maintenance items are oil changes once a year. The rear tires wear at roughly twice as fast as the fronts ( the "84 Carrera was the same on the tires). That being said, these cars are now over 20 years old so things will fail, and plan on dealing with that. The previous maintenance history of the car is important as you can get an idea how well the PO took care of it, like tending to the major maintenance schedules, etc. The 993 I have came from the local original owner and there was a big binder with all the records back to day 1, which gave me confidence it was a good buy. Also, I never, ever go to the dealer for anything as they will torch your wallet for even minor things. Find a good independent shop and get to know them if you can.

 

u guys are superb !! and better mechanics than me bu far !! I’m one of those muppets bringing the car to the garage … I should learn from you

 

$1,500 a year if you're doing an oil change every year regardless of mileage. There is likely always going to be something small to address.

 

assuming the cars you look at are in good mech order to begin with, the first expense you may encounter is the suspension. If replaced on the car you select, winner. If not assume its a ~4K number to replace all the arms and assorted rubber bits to get it back into its fighting shape again. Oil changes are pretty easy on the cars, plenty of how to do's out there. Plus is fun living life risky, will i dump 8 qts of oil in the drive this time.......

 

sorry to say but your personal situation and the condition of the car will dictate. When I look to buy a car, i got to my favorite parts providers (which won't help you in barcelona) and look up the prices for common parts like:

Oil, Oil Filters, Air Filters, Fuel Filters, transmission fluid, brake discs/pads, cabin filters, spark plugs, wires, distributors etc.

Then you will likely know the hourly rate for your repair shop. I would take whatever a job takes on your older 911 and multiply by between 1.25 and 2 given the additional complexity.

at that point, you have a good idea.

Really, in the average year, I do 1 oil change and maybe some brake fluid. They are not needy cars once they are sorted, but parts are pricey if you need more serious repairs.