Toddster

Hi everyone,
I have been lurking in the shadows for some time as i figured out wich car to buy, i have spent as much time on the 997 board as I have here on the 993s.
I finally made the plunge and put in an offer on a beautiful 1997 C4 convertible. It feels like my first love, can't get her out of my mind. Anyway let me stop rambling and cut to the chase. The car has 43,ooo for mileage, stick shift convertible and i was trying to get a sense of what I should plan for in terms of future major maintenance. Money does not grow on trees in my yard so i need to be a little proactive in saving for these things so it doesn't strap me when they strike. I included a pic, Check out the rims, i just LOVE this car.

P.S. the car is just now getting a new clutch and springs by the owner before I bring it to a local INDY shop for a PPI:

No HTwo O

What it its current maintenance history? Things like:

1) Oil change
2) Filters- air, fuel and cabin
3) Trans/gear oil change
4) Brake fluid flush
5) Plugs and wires
6) Dist. cap and belt
7) Belts
8) DME relay

These are the items that come to mind first. You could have all of this done, and bascially "zero out" the maintenance schedule.

Congrats on the new ride. Looks nice.

IXLR8

Baseline the car by following the steps in the previous post.

You'll then know where everything stands.

You should also maintain a "kit" in the car that most Porsche owners deem essential.

Toddster

Not sure yet,
I know the owner has all the service records from both the original owner and himself, I have not culled through them yet to get a sense of what was done and when. I definately will do that before the PPI

Toddster

I was told it had its 45k service done but i have not checked the receipt to ensure all anticipated items were actually completed.

Toddster

Yes on the maintenance kit
He still has the plastic gloves that came with it and the little plastic black box

Kika

my average of the last 5 years of ownership is a little over $1600 per year.

however, some years are more and some are less.

YMMV

vjd3

If that engine is coming out to do the clutch -- I think it has to on a C4 but I could be mistaken -- it's an excellent opportunity to tend to some things that could be troublesome later and are much easier to deal with if the engine's out. Plug wires come to mind immediately, others can probably chime in. Good to do the rear main and other seals while doing the clutch as preventative maintenance.

Since it's a C4, on the PPI be sure to check that the driveshaft from the rear wheels to the front wheels is intact; just have the car on a lift and spin a rear wheel, the front wheel should spin gently with it. I bought a 95 C4 convertible and the moron who owned it before me managed to snap that driveshaft doing something stupid. That was not a happy discovery.

Toddster

Excellent advice
Thanks for bringing that to my attention, that would be a shame to lower the engine and not take care of anything easy to access at that point before it get's reinstalled

solomonschris

Hangin' around here is gonna cost you a bunch of dough but you will end up with an even greater car than you can imagine. Your shocks are crap! PSS9 or 10 or maybe it's now 11 is the answer. And what's with the SUV ride height? You need ROW springs to give that baby the right look.. A proper corner balance is also a must. Did you notice how sloppy your shifter is. You gotta get a golden rod. Your headlights are really crap. HID's can take care of that. Don't get me started on tires. Anyway, you did buy a great car, you're now with a great bunch...so welcome.......Chris

IXLR8

It certainly doesn't and even if it did, there is nothing wrong with getting the most from every buck spent.

Will you be doing most of the maintenance yourself? That changes the $$$ spent, by a lot. Just be careful you don't get taken for unnecessary work or parts.

Ed Burdell

Only in a place like this can a car that's truly awesome off the rack have components that are called "crap." Having said that, I've done every single mod that Chris suggests.

Welcome aboard!

Linnm

Don't forget that 911 Porsches typically get around 10 to 12,000 miles on the rear tires before needing replacement, fronts can usually be counted on for twice that. Watch alignment very carefully, too much camber can destroy the tires on the inside edges before you realize what is happening.

Toddster

Should I be conserned that the car needs a clutch, springs and possibly synchro 2-3 work on a car with 43K mileage. It is 15 years old after all. I friend who knows much more then I do about 993s seems to think it was driven by someone who really did not know how to drive a manual transmission to require replacing the clutch that early. I have seen numerous cases of clutches at this mile, would it make sense that if he did not address it soon enough that would explain the synchros going? I know that can be an expensive proposition to rebuild the gear box. Also was told that if the springs are bad, there is a good chance the shocks are too, looking at 3,500 for that piece alone.
Not sure what to think

TMc993

+1...My most expensive was the second year....Clutch, brakes, M030 and Bilsteins and front bumper respray....After that, it has been approximately $800-1000 a year, usually in $400-500 increments.