KidDoc

This is my first post, but I've spent a lot of time on this forum in the past. I bought my C4S and chose factory pick up. I love this car. It's my every day driver and has 125k miles on it. I've tracked it a few times, and I loved every minute of it. Recently, I took it to the track for the first time in a few years and I had the engine failure. As I was downshifting from 4th to 3rd there was suddenly smoke and I pulled over to find coolant and oil leaking. My instructor in the car didn't think I did anything wrong, but clearly I did.

I took it to my local Porsche dealer and he says there is basically a hole in the engine and the core isn't any good. He's talking $25k plus $4-5k for the core.

Do I have any options?

Thanks for the advice.

cosm3os

LN 4.0 is the silver lining on an engine failure!

dgjks6

If the heads are good, Porsche makes a short block that is reasonable for the 996's. Not sure about the 997's, but check there first.

RND makes rebuilt engines with new cylinders, etc

Without a core it is going to be way more expensive.

Call flat 6 engineering and talk with them. If you love the car and going to keep it forever could be a great option

groovzilla

I'm surprised your instructor didn't question you tracking a Porsche with 125K miles.
I believe there are't many owners who would have subjected a 125K mile car to track driving

Sporty

a company called Vertex sells upgraded replacement plug and play engines for around $20k I think. First find out what happened - may not be as bad as you think (or it could be). Or Flat 6 for $25 -30 k and your good (really good and actually better/more power) for another 12 years at least

Coopduc

jamesinger

important question. VISION Motorsports is in Orange County, California, which is 50 miles from my house give or take. I would look in my local area for who is best, and then try to figure out if there is any better place within range. That would cut some of the cost of shipping a motor and possibly a trans., which I have always done on higher mileage rebuilds.

KidDoc

So would anyone put a new engine in a car with 125k miles. I'm thinking it might be crazy. I know I might get a lot of miles out of the engine, but will I from the rest of the car?

Also, was it dumb to track a car with 125k miles? I guess I thought Porsches were made for that...

dgjks6

If I loved the car I would put a new motor in without question. At the end of the day you will have a car you know the history of with a new motor for hopefully less than $30K.

996AE

125k mi is a good run.

I am rebuilding a 1988 911 3.2 Carrera at 155k mi

Cost of owning a P car.

Lots of good options. Aircooled car build is more than water cooled now days.

I just got off the phone with FlatSix and a 3.2 street build is 40k.

Coopduc

jamesinger

I have put new and rebuilt motors in cars I loved...Motors, Transmissions, Suspensions, even full interiors (including door cars, headliners, and etc...).
I did this in 2 different EVOs and went from 2.0L to 2.3L with built trans. and suspensions. On E85, they were both NUTS!! A stock EVO feels a lot like an ITR or something. Great but not terrifyingly great. A built 2.3 on E85 feels like a damn Ducati Pista or something! You want to hit your target heart rate for aerobic exercise just driving to work? That would be a good option right there.
My family first did this kind of thing with an 85 Civic hatch, which was actually (oddly) more done by my mom than anyone else because she part owned a body shop. The car was originally built for my dad to drive after the original engine failed. Her shop got an 89 Si motor/trans from a totalled car, and did an exterior respray + a bunch of exterior refresh and interior upgrades to the 89 donor car's parts and new OEM. This was in about 1995 and it was like driving the car new again with upgrades. When I got the car around 2000, I went through the suspension and got some better wheels for the car and it was so solid, and stealthy, I drove it up through 2005 when I graduated college. When I sold it, the car was still super fun.
Similarly, when I did this with my EVOs, I pulled from all the best JDM MR and RS parts from various CT9As (EVO VII, VIII, and IX) to make what I felt was the ultimate EVO from that era (inside/outside/mechanical...). After the fact, I would 100% do it again. It took a while but I had my 2nd EVO dialed to perfection including swapping over the suspension and everything, so when I sold it, the car was pushing 15 years old but was fresher than the day it was first sold. I am bummed I had to sell it due to injuries form an accident but I have a 911 now after my recovery, so I can cry while driving a much better car from the factory, just not as brutal.
If my motor blew in my C2S tomorrow, I would look at the price differential between a 4.0 proper built motor + trans. vs. a used GT3. ...but if you love the car, I just consider stuff breaking to be a chance to step up the "build." I hate that word kind of but even a motor is just a wear and tear part on a car to me.
On the flipside, I have had cars that were great, like my B8 Avant, where if it broke, I would seriously just roll it off a cliff or sell the shell to someone for pennies because even though it was a great, just superb, car, it did nothing for me emotionally. I don't know about you guys but the whole time I am driving my C2S, even 8 months after getting it, I am stoked. I turn around to look at it every time I get out of it, and TMI but very telling, I even watch myself leave and come home on my security cameras to see the car in motion. That is the kind of car I want to drive, and if it breaks, I will fix it, OR get a GT3!!

BTW, this is coming from someone who popped a motor at the track as well. Just my opinion though/my perspective.

Glyndellis

My E46 track car has 188K on it.

Hella-Buggin'

I would. I have 92k on it and have two events next month. There are lots of 993, 996 & 997's on the track at every event. I understand and accept the risks. Will it suck when i happens... of coarse it will. But it's one of my favorite vices :-)

groovzilla

I don't track my cars nor would I ever buy a P-car that has been tracked
I guess if you're going to track a Porsche with 125K miles, it better have new water pump, new belts, upgraded oil deep sump kit/etc. before leaving the starting line
The deep oil sump kit has always been highly recommended when tracking 996 & 997's