eDoug

In the past 3 months of ownership, I've had plenty of adventures. I love driving this car. Bought with 30k miles, now with 34k miles.

After about a month, I got the rattle of death and the intermediate shaft bearing went. Fortunately, CPO covered a new engine, and I replaced the coolant tank and the clutch. I'm now just at the end of the break-in period and starting to loosen up my lead foot a bit... Yesterday afternoon - not practicing any lead-footedness - I was making a left turn at a weird intersection (left from a 2-lane road to another 2-lane T-junction, the driver at the stop sign was looking more for a gap in the traffic and pulled right into my rear bumper)... What??? Go figure.

Pics below... looks like it's just a R&R of the bumper cover and the splash guards inside the wheel well. Everything seems aligned right and took it by the local pcar mechanic and body shop.... The other driver's insurance should fess up and pay, no question about fault. Police report doesn't assign blame - but there's no way for my tail end to hit her front bumper where it's my fault, unless I'm sliding of course. It was all rather friendly and polite - nothing anyone can do after the fact - but she felt pretty terrible. Her husband was driving the car behind her and saw the whole thing.

I'm getting over it... But new engine and now body work within 3 months??? Geez, I just want to have some fun and get past all this other nonsense!

Brilliant car, no complaints - just posting to clear my head and share the experience. I'm surprised it held up so well, actually - the impact kicked my rear end out a bit. Her front bumper can probably be wet sanded and buffed clean. Anyone have any experience to share before I embark on the repairs? I've got the best paint-man in the area recommended by 2 local pcar specialists - and it seems like a pretty cut & dry repair.

gota911

Doug, that sucks! I would have them try to buff it out first, and see how that looks. If you can avoid a re-spray (and you probably can't) it would be better. At least they can remove the bumper cover and spray it. Should look good as new when they are done.

redridge

sorry to hear.... talk about breaking a car in do what phil does. Just park it and leave it alone.

gota911

Truer words were never said!

ivangene

PTHHH Drive MORE... lets see, new engine, new clutch, fresh paint, you keep it up and by Christmas you will have a brand new 2002 porsche, new suspension, new brakes, wheels tires and interior... oh and tranny, axles and windows....

You are on a roll!!!

dont stop now!

jmla

You could put a positive spin on the situation by replacing the bumper with a European spec. part (no bumperettes).

ArneeA

The Clean-Garage-Gods are frowning down on you.

eDoug

Truer words never spoken - I was using the garage for my motorcycle and the wife's X5. It was brilliantly clean and clear. Then came the 996, and in a rush, I cleared a spot for it, shuffled all the tools and boxes away in a hurry - and I've been starting a business that's generating lot's of "stuff" thrown in the garage at the moment... Yes, the clean garage gods have struck me down.

I'm pretty well over the trauma - and actually quite pleased that this incident was so small. If the other driver had been a few seconds quicker, or me slower, then she would have hit me right on the rear wheel, probably killed the sheet metal, etc. I consider myself relatively lucky on this one.

And that's the last time I post anything with a messy garage in the background. Happier now?

(This was before I hung the cabinets, finished assembly, and filled in with some additional cabinets. A kinder, gentler time in the past - before the pcar.)

Chuck Jones

You are "lucky" if you can consider any hit lucky....I took a hit in the left rear quarter panel and part of the driver's door (looks like a 90 degree flat on hit) by a hit and run while parked in a hospital parking lot. I looked at it and saw it was dented a bit in the rear panel and a slight dent in the door.....I figured ...hmmm...maybe $1500....NOT...turned out to be $5600 when they started looking at the underside and found this and that bent or crushed and the hit knocked out that actuator that drops the window a bit when you open the door. But it didn't end there. In addition to the $5600 when they painted the side and it was in the drying oven, the windshield fractured (started right on a little rock chip)....new windshield.....then becasue they left the doors open for however long during the three week fix-it time..... the battery went T.U....new battery....luckily ALL compliments of AAA and the body shop. The windshield was another $800 kuz it has the rain sensor, radio antenna, and mirror dimming features in it....the battery was $180....all becasue of what I thought was a "little ding" in a parking lot. I guess with Porsches, there's no such thing as a little ding.

Edgy01

This is all very unfortunate. But clearly, you are not driving the Porsche enough. 34,000 miles on an 02? Gees!

eDoug

Well, before doing enough research, I was thinking "low miles" = good. After reading, learning, and embracing some of the advice and experience from this community, it's clear that a well-used pcar is probably better than a garage queen. The prior owner drove it about 6k miles in over 2 years of ownership. I've put on 4k in less than 3 months. The new engine will be well-used!