FRUNKenstein

Have you ever owned a 964? I did. It rained oil. Rained. Leaks from multiple locations. At the time I owned it (2003 to 2008), it was a $15,000 car. Would have cost $10,000 to stop the leaks, and the conventional wisdom was that the break in the oil tsunami would be temporary (good for about 30,000 miles, then the deluge would begin anew).

The oil leaks onto hot parts of the engine caused the engine to smoke - not from the tailpipe, but from the engine bay. Not billowing clouds of smoke, but enough to be a nuisance. The smoke came into the cabin at stop lights. Basically, you either lived with it or spent big bucks to fix it knowing it would just need to be done again after a few years.

Revisionist history is a remarkable thing.

jumper5836

I don't most here are original owners. Many are getting great deals and the 996 is the deal of the century for 911's and if their engine goes still would still be not that bad off.

jumper5836

Sorry I'd have just fixed the leaks had I got a lemon like the one your speaking of. I know many more of them out there and earlier 911's that are very good drivers and while may drip once in awhile so has my RMS and IMS seals.

Cuda911

Interesting question.

Well, given the time machine scenario, I think I would have bought a 997.2. At the time I bought my 996, I paid cash for it. I like to own my vehicles. I have never leased one.

To purchase a 997.2, I would have wanted to finance some, to prevent dipping too much into my emergency cash.

So, given the information and resources at the time I purchased my 996, it was the right decision at that time. Given the expenses I have incurred, however, I could have purchased a 997.2.

Of course, in life 20/20 hindsight often isn't that useful.

Rubik

I don't mean to bust your bubble dude, but in "hindsight" we would do a lot of **** differently. Examples:

1. OJ might not have killed his wife & boyfriend
2. We might not have ever used the atomic bomb
3. Jim would have studied for his biochemistry final instead of banging Lola that night

So hindsight doesn't count. Cuda did what made sense at the time and he enjoyed his decision. Decisions are decisions; hindsight is dwelling on the past.

pfbz

EXACTLY! The fact that aircooled's have jumped in value doesn't make them any less of a hot, smokey, oil-dripping, terrible A/C, fairly primitive and expensive to repair machine... The only real difference is that now a cosmetically clean but oil leaking air cooled might now be worth enough to justify spending $10,000 pulling the engine, splitting the cases, repairing the leaks...

And if I had a 'do-over' machine to go back 3 years and invest $20K with the knowledge of hindsight, I can think of far better places to 'invest' than a 993/964/911SC.

997.2's are nice cars, but still on the steep depreciation curve, and even more so if you go back three years! The extra depreciation alone that all 997.2's would have been more than the ~$12K or so you are stung with on the catastrophic failure, and that's on every 997.2 (well, excluding 997.2 GT3's which are doing just fine), not just the one or two percent of 996's that will have a catastrophic failure.

kon5t

My name is not Jim!

Barn996

I'd like to see a pic of Lola...

Sneaky Pete

I second that!

Rubik

I bet you have a picture of a Lola with nice boobies somewhere in your collection.

AndyK

She was a show-girl. But that was 30 years ago, when there used to be a show!

alpine003

+996

I also like the ones that try to ask for guarantees on this forum as well.

Sneaky Pete

I just landed in Charlotte...I have a project at the airport. Surely I can find a pair of yoga pants with some young thing poured into them. I'm here all day so I have plenty of time for research.

DTMiller

I support this project.

KrazyK

So Mike, any luck with Sandersd or the ill mechanic?

And BTW, I support the project as long as the subject meets forum approval. A tasteful photo may help.