Whats the first thing you would do with a high mile car?
 

Hello Renntechs....You may be hearing alot from me in the coming months....longtime porsche fanatic, buying my first 993.
Ive been looking for a car for over a year, and after much missed opportunities, and debate, i think ive decided on the route- a high mileage (100-150k) car.

Im very precise on what i wanted this car to be in most aspects- manual c2/4 coupe-silver, gray, or green...good interior...but my price range was 25-40k... the hunt has been aggressive as most are gone within days of being posted for sale...i also dont want to get a low mileage example for 40k, and then get a 5k bill in the next few years....theres plenty out there for under 30, but with high miles.
So, after reading through endless posts on longevity, maintenance and etc....i was curious what you guys would do first mechanically if you purchased a car with 100-150k.
im checking for engine rebuilds (most have) and extensive maintenance history- i dont want to get a money pit....but lets say its in as good a shape as possible but I still wanted to spend 5k right off the bat for preventative maintenance, what should it be on? whats the major elements that need work at this mileage not counting the engine...how strong are the transmissions? The shifting was one of the reasons i fell in love with driving these cars, so i want to address that as priority.

I know its a broad question, as it depends on the car, but the way i see it- im keeping the car forever, so the odometer means nothing to me....im a driver, not a collector.

thanks
Chris

Hi Chris,
Just a consideration, a high milage car has high miles on all sapects of the car, not just the engine, so all working components will need attention.
What is interesting witth older cars and 993's, is that they have all been worked on by many mechanics and there will be quite a few bits (washers grometts, clips, screws and so on) missing or replaced with non standard parts. Pending how perfect you want your car,
if this is an issue.
Older car will have a greater chance of axident damage, just because they have been on the road longer.

In saying that I don't understand why a 993 engine couldn't do 200,000miles and still be fine, the engine is robust and reliable, apart from some seals and valve guides.
Many engines do far more miles.

From my experience is is far cheaper in the long run to buy the car you want and not buy a cheaper car and try it make it the car you want, unless you have a good friend at Porsche and you do the work your self.

Good Luck,

All great points Neil.

The little things do add up, and Im prepared to go through it as thoroughly as possible...
Ive been looking for exactly what i want, no compromises on the condition....the only thing that sways me with these is that the condition isnt always relative to the mileage...and thus my initial question- id rather find one that has proven itself as a tank been driven thoroughly and maintained well rather than something thats been babied, costs 10k more, but will have pending issues....ill happily put 5k into it once i find the right one.
They all need TLC, but since im on a budget id rather give mine to a veteran.....money being no cost, id find a 50k mile gem and drive the snot out of it....but from what im seeing, that could be the difference between spending 60k dollars for the car and running costs over the next few years, or 40k for car and running costs included...damn, i remember two years ago they were half price.....

Chris,

My 993 C4 was purchased 4 years ago with 89,000 miles. It has been flawless. The tranny oil was changed first thing and glad i did, very black.
Two items i needed to do was a back bumper repair and a new cab top.
TJ

Chris,

I bought my C4S with 175,000 miles,and drove it home. I took a somewhat different route,in that I got one that needed a bit more work. I would think that if you find one that has had a top end,and seems to be in good reliable shape,the chasis will be the next area to consider. Start with suspension. The stock shocks are going to be shot by then. After suspension,you can move on to control arms and such. Check ball joints front and rear,and check all CV boots. You might have a look at the steering rack,to check for wetness. Check front diff on a C4.
These are all items that I addressed on mine. My car has over 175K, but it has been pretty much restored. I would not hesitate to drive it cross country and back.

I guess the easy answer to your original question would be "drive it":D

Good luck
Emerald

I think you could find a lower mileage gem in your range and still have 5k in your pocket.

Chris, I very recently went through the same analysis. Ultimately, I spent the extra $5k for a lower mileage example and "hope" that the car will have fewer issues as a result. If you're a wrench guy, go for it, but I couldn't get comfortable with mileage north of 100k. If you need any help looking at a SoCal car let me know; I also spent nearly a year searching.

Black trans oil could mean that the LSD friction plates are worn down. My 1996 trans was checked out and the was black and the LSD was toast. Shop rebuilt the LSD with parts from Guard Transmissions.

As said, 'all the parts' of the car are old and worn and may need attention regardless of the miles due to age.

Good Luck!!!!

Inspect/Replace;

plugs
Plug wires
fluids
filters
caps
rotors
SAI check valve
belts

Anything else i wonder?

A lot of good advice here. I'd definitely replace some, if not all of the suspension components mentioned above. Probably motor mounts and transmission mounts as well. New shifter bushings, all the fluids, check the condition of the brakes and rotors. Drive it for a couple thousand miles, and then reassess any weak areas. 5k will disappear quick, so make sure you have enough left for tires and anything unexpected that may crop up. +1 on the CV boots. Probably will need little things like hood and decklid shocks. Probably would be nice to set aside a couple hundred dollars to have the paint professionally cut and buffed--something I routinely put off and then wonder why I waited so long to have done when completed. Might need some leatherique to touch up the leather or some restitching--there is some additional dollars gone. You get the idea? 100-150k mile cars aren't going to be perfect, and it'll take time and money to get anywhere close. I am not even taking into consideration of subjective upgrades like an aftermarket muffler, or new head unit. Both of which are really commonly desired over stock parts. Its hard to fix a car over the internet you haven't even found yet though!

1. Shocks aka dampers

2. Check boots on CV joints, and on suspension ball joints, including rear toe arms and drop links

3. Monitor oil consumption closely. Search on this forum for more info but high consumption can mean worn guides and higher risk of valve stem failure. If it looks bad at this point, you may want to consider selling and looking for a better example, unless you can afford more than $5k.

4. Front control arm bushings (A-arm), Walrods are popular

5. Brakes. Fresh fluid at least, better yet a calliper rebuild

6. Other fluids, esp transmission. LSD will be gone by now, but not essential to replace, certainly not the first place to spend $$

7. Rust control. Look carefully around front and rear window for any paint bubbling. Also under chassis and in wheel arches (remove liners first)

Bought mine 7 years ago at about 80k and now at about 140k. This last year I have been biting the bullet on about $8k of deferred maintenance on suspension and engine, so my $30k car now has a total about $40k of maintenance since purchase including tools (including engine stand, hoist, low profile jacks, special 12 point bits, torque wrenches...) and fluids, mostly DIY labour.

But it will be darn near a new car when I'm done, I've had huge fun and learned a ton. I cannot imagine a more rewarding ownership experience, so if you're handy, have time to DIY, and can be disciplined to spend only on vital maintenance (vs bling factor, tempting I know), go for it.

This is too funny. First, since we don't have a specific car in question, you determine what it needs. And that's so variable to be make any further discussion irrelevant.

For the "replace the suspension" crowd, take my two for examples. Both have under 10K on: PSS9 (4S), Moton + everything you can physically replace (faux RS). Beyond that, service histories and serious, professional mechanical AND cosmetic PPIs are mandatory.

My feeling is that you buy the best you can afford. And sorry, if you can afford $30K you can afford $40K. It pains me to see the asks on some of these cars, but what are you gonna do? The prices are so irrationally odometer driven in the US that you're absolutely money ahead to buy "good." Unless you're truly a serious DIY guy and can buy cheap, cheap (Emerald), or a pro/ex-pro (me) who has a stash of mechanical parts that can pretty much take any pain out of a non-stellar buy.

I agree with Ken, it seems silly to hypothesize on a car you aren't looking at. Go for quality that meets your color, interior, etc, and then base any repair $ budget, on what an individual car needs.

Even high mile cars, priced right, seem to sell quickly. So, if you find one that is attractive to you, earnest pursuit is in order. Same as buying a house in Calif today, snoozers lose.

Change the oil and drive it. ;)

Drive around Denver. Oh...I thought you said Mile High.

There are too many variables...you can wind up putting a lot of money into a low mile car as well right up front...if you search you can find PPI lists of things to look for..this will at least give you an ideal of what had not been done (or if there is no documentation in you should assume it has not been done).