Maniac28

Conclusion to my story

OK. So the General Manager of the dealer calls me this morning and tells me they are giving me my Miata back. Apparently the Porsche engine is completely toast and the shop they sent it to quoted $25,000 for everything. I think they freaked out at that price tag and decided to give me my car back, and call it a day!

So, even though it's mostly my fault for buying a car with a noise, and not having it PPI'd (although it wouldn't even have made it across town), my first Porsche experience has not been the best!

I will say that driving any other car will not the same now after experiencing the Porsche.

I guess it's back to my slow, but 33 MPG and dead reliable Miata.

Until I can afford a 997...

chsu74

997.1s also have the same M96/97 engine design. It wasn't until '09 that the 997.2s came out with a new engine design.

Maniac28

Good to know.

I am scared to death of the 996 now, even if my situation was rare. It might be a while until I can swing a 997.2.

Ahmet

I think their "online reputation" is rather limited, or they'd be worth less... They're special cars. If you're concerned about running costs and the Miata is enough car, I'd just stick w/that.

Ray S

Yet you try to apply that experience and assume it transfers directly to all 996's.

Newsflash, it doesn't. I've got two Porsche's with the M96 motor and both have performed flawlessly for me. In fact, the only unusual repair (beyond, oil pads, clutch, etc) I have had on either car was a wheel bearing on the 986 and a windshield (stone crack) on the 996.

I'll gladly compare my maintenance bills for my 996 against those of any 993 owner and I doubt many could come in with a lower cost per mile.

JOL

Glad that it worked out for you.

alpine003

English or Italian?

chsu74

You are comparing a 70K mile car with a 48K mile?

Ahmet

I think it's worth mentioning that some parts on his list are directly shared with those on the 993...

But hey, whatever makes one happy.

abiazis

chsu 74......

Is 70k (68) 996 versus 50K(49) 993 that significant? 3 oil changes.......and less than a set of tires changed......for cars that were both driven weekly for the last 7 years by the same driver.....

I should know which one of my cars was a better reliable driver.......whether they shared some of the same parts (minor) or not...........to Ahmets comment......

I am glad the OP got his Miata back and can wait for a 997.2........without taking extra precautions, i.e. replacing the IMS bearing or ticking time bomb.....



Splitting hairs really....the inconvenience of stopping by the dealer for warranty work gets a little old other than having a demo from them to test while car is in the shop.........my experience with my other Porsche 993 was regular maintenance and that is it.....much more manageable.....

Ahmet

Abiazis, I really don't have a problem with your preference. In fact, I wouldn't mind if more people felt the way you do and I could pick up another 996 cheaper. I may have a different perspective regarding reliability or "toughness" of different platforms since I've worked on them, but we all have reasons for our thoughts.

Variety is the spice of life, as they say.

chsu74

I would say no to 0-20K miles or even 30 to 50K miles on the OD. Consumables start to kick in going past 60K street miles in my experience. I have never made it past 65K miles with original brakes on German cars but I am on my original clutch at 120K miles with the BMW bought new. People here replace clutches around 60K miles or fewer.

tooloud10

No offense, man, but the problem isn't the 996, it's the way you went about acquiring the car. Glad it worked out for you.

Oh, and you have great taste in cars.

larry47us

Maniac - you need to take the comments "in total" from the members of this board. They are all given with the intent in helping you. But you need to help yourself as well. There is NO car out there that has the panache, the fun, the shear driver enjoyment of owning a Porsche. When you buy a 996 or 997, you are buying the results of over 50 years of development of a racing car that was toned down for the street. You aren't wrong.

Ah, yes, you have been bitten. But you can't reasonably extend your experience to the entire Porsche generation of cars. In any manufacturer, there are models that have problems, models that need more maintenance, models that require next to no maintenance, and cars that have been brutalized by their prior owners. With a car like the Porsche, you need to be more critical when you go through the selection process. Any repairs to these cars cost more than the comparable repair on other cars. Repairs to a Porsche do NOT equate to repairs to a Miata, Toyota, Nissan, etc etc.

That is why you need a skilled shop to do the PPI, to examine the car closely, before you buy one. I have owned three Porsches. I have had PPI's done on 7 Porsches. Hmmmm. I let an expert go thoroughly over the car, and listened to them, and was willing to walk away.

Yes there are 996's that have problems with the IMS. Is it most of them, No. Is it enough that you can choose to not buy one? Sure, if that's your choice. Is it enough that maybe you want to buy one and do the LN Upgrade? Sure, if that's your choice. But you have choices. From what I've read, somewhere between 5% and 10% of the M96 engines have IMS issues. That is enough to want to be careful, but I wouldn't use that to explain why you SHOULDN"T buy a 996. That might be a reason why they're less expensive.

In any case, when you're ready, come on back. Spend a few weeks reading the posts of all kinds before you start looking for a car. Then spend a week devouring the AutoTrader and Cars.com websites, and reading ads in Excellence-mag.com and on this forum and 6speedonline.com. Then decide what features, what colors, what ??? you want in the car, and ask this forum questions.

I hope that it won't take you too long to come back. We'll be ready to help you.

larry

Maniac28

Thank you Larry for all your comments. I am an admin on a popular motorcycle board, so I know how these types of threads can go. I know that I'm perceived as the noob who doesn't know what he's doing, and that's pretty much right - I am a noob to Porsche's. I also know that off topic chatter is unavoidable and also that people's sarcasm and attitudes don't always come across correctly over the net.

Overall everyone here seems very passionate about these cars, and very knowledgeable. These forums (for X car or Y bike or whatever) are a huge resource and you have to be willing to put up with some ribbing now and then, I'm OK with that. Overall the fact that people are willing to share their extensive knowledge gained from experience is amazing, and helps people to no end! Sometimes these communities make owning certain vehicles a lot more palatable.

I made a big mistake, an emotional decision without proper research, and it bit me in the ***. I knew better, yet f*cked up and bought it anyway. At the same time, I was extraordinarily lucky that the car seized up in the dealers parking lot, and not 3 months after delivery. And until after I bought the car and came on this board, I never knew about IMS, the death rattle, the importance of PPI, the cost of repairs on this car, etc, etc.

I am in love with how these cars drive and if I could own one with more peace of mind, I might consider it. It does scare me that a huge failure like the IMS can come with basically no warning, and seems to affect a large percentage of cars, like 5% (that's what I've read at least). As has been said in other threads, even a good PPI is really no defense against something like IMS failure. It is still the right thing for most of us, however. I've bought and sold over 17 motorcycles, and I do my own PPI (but it's much easier on a bike). So I should have known better.

I will take your advice, do my research, be patient, and maybe end up with a car if it's the right deal. If I do, I will be here asking about preventative measures to prevent what happened to my 996 (RIP).

Thanks for all your help everyone!