I think it all comes down to how the car was used and taken care of with a little luck mixed in.

I see lots of stories from new owners talking about how much it is costing and all the things breaking, but when you hear from the single owners and/or those with tons of miles you hear the opposite. In those cases you hear us talk about how these cars just work.

Until recently ours has needed a couple of window regulators, a few gas tank float resets, and the basics (oil/tires/brakes). Hell we haven't been good about consistent oil changes (I think 1.25yrs was the longest) and swear by the much maligned M1. The 6/60 service wasn't done until it was 12. We drive it year round and in all conditions. It has spent it's life outside, has been in more than its share of accidents, and until the last few years of reading this forum it wasn't babied before it warmed up.

The only significant issue we have had was the 2nd gear synchro getting chewed up.

We haven't abused it and we haven't neglected it when it's let us know it needed something. Mostly we just drive it, though it does sit and sees mostly short drives anymore.

The decision to buy my P!g was based on how good the 996 has been to us. I've also noticed the same pattern with the P!gs, the original owners have fewer issues than the ones just buying them.

So tying back to the "I don't think I'd buy a new one" thread, I think the best maintenance plan for a Porsche is to buy it new, have fun driving it, and keep it a long time

 

Very true, 5CHN3LL....

 

If I don't get out and drive mine more, it might last forever. I'm appalled at how little time I have had to enjoy my car thus far.

Good news is I am going to take it on a nice long drive on the twisties this weekend!

 

Why waste time and money doing something to fix what is going to happen again? Don't know the last time our's had a bath, may have been last year (I think it was early spring though). It's also been rocking door dings and rock chips for years. I can clean it, but since it lives outside we don't even have to drive it for it to get dirty again.

When I had my XK8 (first expensive car) I fretted over every chip and scratch. I had the car for just shy of 4 years and I'm not exaggerating when I say my bodyshop had it more of that time than I did. Yet every time I had it fixed, something would happen within 2 weeks of getting it back. Never again.

If someone else isn't paying to fix it (or I can get it done cheap while someone else is paying to fix something else), it can stay dinged up. It's not effecting it mechanically or making me smile less when I mash the go pedal

 

Yeah but how many mummified french fries do you have under the seats?

 

I actually found a few when I installed the child seat bar 3 years ago

 

^^^Well, you will never go hungry!

 

Boom! Told you.

 

You also implied it would be a mechanical mess

 

There's a child seat installed - this particular car is way outside my area of expertise.

I also indicated there would need to be "piles" of mummified fries, so clearly you have not waited long enough.

 

lol

The fries were the owners fault (or mine, who knows) and were probably at least as old as he is now if not older

He's actually pretty clean in the cars and has only had a few accidents.

 

Or "daddy found a few dollars worth of change in between the seats. I can get that happy meal for you afterall."

On serious note Gnat, if you opt for a polish(may need 2 stage correction), followed by cQuartz coating and Reload, you're car will stay looking pretty clean most of the time, even if you don't wash it. My wife's black SUV stays outside 24/7 and eversince I applied that combo, I went from washing it once a week to maybe washing it once a month. Spray on Reload synthetic can be applied easily every 6 months or so to bring back the slickness.

 

It's way past that stage

If we ever get off our asses and buy a house with a garage we'll get a full repaint and then we'll be a bit more concerned about it's upkeep (especially if I get her the heated wash bay she keeps going on about...)