one-rennlist

Hi all

There is a 997 GTS Cab MY 2012 (6 speed manual) for sale with all the right boxes checked optionswise, but it has 48'500 miles on the clock already. How do the maintenance costs differ compared to one with say 28'000 miles on the clock? I'll drive it no more than 5'000 miles a year and likely keep the car for six to eight years. I know about alternating small & large inspections every 20'000 and 40'000 miles, tyre and brake wear, but is there a magic limit where the engine or other parts od the car need major maintenance work?

Thanks!
Nicola

Macster

There are always exceptions but the maintenance costs for a 28K mile car vs. a 48K mile are going to be higher for the 48K mile car vs. the 28K mile car.

Everything is closer to being worn out. But there is still a lot of life left in the 48K mile car.

While the 48K mile car will probably need more maintenance it costs less to buy. Depreciation is a car's biggest expense.

As I said above there are always exceptions but from 0 miles to around 80K miles my Boxster needed just a RMS -- at 25K miles and done under warranty -- to at 80K miles an AOS. Then between 80K and 100K miles a wheel bearing and some O2 sensors. A water pump at 172K miles. Coolant tank at around 200K miles. Fuel pump maybe at around 220K miles. The biggie was a VarioCam solenoid/actuator at around 240K miles. There was another AOS in there somewhere and then another just last last summer. (AOS's last between 80K and 100K miles on my Boxster engine.) And a MAF in there too. Oh, and I finally replaced a rattly converter with one from a salvage yard. Wait, forget to list a coolant cap, oil filler tube cap and CV boots.

There have been some interior things too. Door locks/latches. Window regulators. Clutch/brake switches.

Now I'm not listing all the scheduled services like engine oil/filter, engine air filter, cabin air filter, plugs, tranny/diff fluid services, brake/clutch fluid flush/bleeds, coolant drains/refills. tires, and brakes. You'll have these expenses with either car.

Buy the best example you can afford and enjoy the car. I wouldn't shun the 48K mile car because it has 20K more miles on it, though.

That's it for now over 290K miles. Might mention the car's in the shop with an airbag warning light which has been diagnosed as a dead short suspected of being in the instrument cluster/dash wiring. This is being worked on and in fact the car should be ready today. (The dealer recently started being open for Saturday servicing.)

yashagrawal

Macster
Do you think you can pull another 100K miles on your boxster..or its reaching the end..

one-rennlist

Wow, thanks for the detailed service history! I like the fact that you drove your car so many miles and still seem to like it! As for the 997 GTS with 48k it's certainly less expensive to buy, but looks well kept, has a clean history (one previous owner, sold by same dealer selling now) and comes with one year CPO. And as they say, buy condition, not miles... The few other GTS I saw were just not right for me (price, specs, condition), even though some had less miles...

johnireland

At 48k and being a CPO, you can use money you save to pay for upcoming maintanence, and you can buy an extended warranty when the CPO runs. While I am not a fan of much of the modern electronics on the new Porsches, I have to believe that engineering technological advancements have added, not subtracted from a modern Porsche's life span. A southern California owner or a 356 B or C coupe has or is about to cross the 1 million mile mark. This car is his daily driver and has been since he bought it from his father back in 1968. He arbitrarily rebuilds the motor ever 300,000 miles. I have to believe this is also possible with a 993 or a 996 or a 997.

one-rennlist

The story reminds me of the guy driving his Volvo P1800S since the sixties, also with a gazillion miles on the clock. I must confess even though I'd like it to be a keeper I have no plans (yet) to hand it down to my kids someday.

one-rennlist

Regarding the CPO: exactly my thoughts, additionally it will allow me in the first year to sort out any issues the car might have (unbeknownst to the dealer). I will inspect over-runs and compare operation hours with mileage etc. but won't make an independent PPI.

DC911S

You may need pads with rotirs, water pump, air filter, cabin filter, brake fluid flush and things like that.

one-rennlist

Interesting development: I asked the dealer about over-revs and after day long hesitation the salesman confided to me there are over-revs in stage 4... I haven't seen the whole report yet, though the dealer also said it was still eligible for a CPO, so I assume a compression test was conducted. I have found an Indy doing a PPI for me, so we'll we how that info translates into a lower price or me walking away...