Lasting a long time with few repairs

I have been blessed with cars that had few problems. The high mileage thread made me think about why. I'm careful to drive super conservative during warmup. I think this is most important. Change the oil reasonably often with good quality synthetic. Not much else. What do you do for your cars that makes them last?

"What do you do for your cars that makes them last?" Of course, the same things you've mentioned above. Lets face it, although Porsche has a long and storied race history, our cars are not "race cars" (as much as we'd like to believe they are) . Sure, they're very sporty, powerful and handle amazingly well - BUT... They're not race cars! Sports car - yes...Race car - no... Although there are always exceptions, the bottom line is if you drive it reasonably and do the proper maintenance, there's a high probability these cars will last a long, long time.

Address any small problems before they turn into big ones and be proactive with maintenance. I've always followed that rule for all my vehicles.

You must be doing something right. So do the same thing you have done for your other cars (past and present).

Although I'm a maintenance guy, I'm not one of those over zealous PM guys. In my 5+ years of ownership, coils, plugs, filters, fluids is all I "needed". Runs like a top at 125k miles running stock config(m1 0w40, regular thermostat, original IMS, stock oil filters). I redline it at least a few times I take it out and drive it like it should.

Letting any engine warm up properly and regular oil changes are a huge factor in longevity. Porsches are extremely well built vehicles. It's in their dna.

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That's pretty much what I have done. Avoid high rpms and engine loads until the engine is fully warmed up. Of course regular and not too long of times between oil/filter services. I hit up 5K miles and this has proved to be just right as far as I'm concered. Other fluid and filter services occur on miles or time though often I'll do say the transmission/diff fluid service before the 90K mile mark is reached. Take care of things. Pay attention to the car. Noises are not to be ignored but investigated and dealt with. Coolant leaks are especially onerous. A coolant leak suggests the system is not able to hold pressure when hot. If this is the case the engine can suffer localized overheating and this can be just as fatal to the engine as a failed IMSB. Also, by take of things I mean the little things, as well as the big things. I fix burned out lights, broken plastic trim -- the one at the base of the windshield for instance -- and even broken plastic hardware under the car. I keep the body water drains free of trash build up the radiator ducts free of trash build up and the car reasonably clean. Last but not least one thing that can take a good condition but older car off the road quicker than anything is an accident. Often the damage while maybe not sufficient on its own to condemn the car to the scrap heap costs more than the car is worth and of course it will then be totaled. So while I'm sure we all drive carefully, very defensively, are very situationally aware, double down on this behavior and keep your high mileage car going.

I think this is the most sensible thread I've read since I started using this forum.

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I appreciate your enthusiasm for your new car. We've all been there. But from reading some of your posts, you gotta relax and enjoy the experience

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well, now that you've said it....+996

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What exactly does "It's in their DNA" mean re: reliability? Hondas are built to be reliable; Porsches were built to be sports cars. The Porsche that built the rally cars that earned the "we don't need spare parts...Porsches don't break down" isn't the same Porsche that cranks out a luxury sedan, two SUVs, three separate sports car platforms, and a supercar here and there. When Porsche's race division was joined at the hip with their street car manufacturing - when they had to produce some number of streetable examples in order to be able to qualify for race series - the "DNA" comment would have been beyond reproach... The 996 is the car that bridges the Porsche of old - the occasionally profitable, sometimes lunatic car company that would spend ridiculous sums of money and countless hours on weird builds - with the Porsche of today that cranks out whatever vehicles market research says will appeal to the target demographic. The 996 is a crossroads, the intersection between a mad obsession with rear-mounted flat-6 engines and CAFE-obsessed, turbocharged cars with big plastic engine covers that shout - even though they don't say - "no user-serviceable parts inside." Humans are 98% chimp - it's in our DNA - but the differences are as or more noteworthy than the similarities. Porsche still makes some fantastic vehicles - I'm not knocking the things Porsche builds - but the Porsche that made a sports car for no other reason than to advance the state of the art is a distant cousin of the Porsche of today.

Just a thought, race cars and their engines/gearboxes tend to get rebuilt very frequently, with typically the best bits money can buy and a whole army of mechanics and engineers. Accountants on the other hand not so good at making cars. Viva 996.

^ Unfortunately, truths like that run up against the "you really want to buy a ragged out car - they will last MUCH longer than the lesser-used examples" mindset I see now and then...

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Nonsense. Everyone knows Porsche's are bulletproof...

Heh. Bulletproof...reminds me of...when we were looking for a new SUV, I was at the Toyota dealership and we started talking warranties. The Toyota guy - with a straight face - says "Well, we only have a 2-year warranty because the cars are SO reliable, they warranties don't need to be any longer." Wut? Anyway - to answer OP's question: I think the key is to take care of your vehicles, both mechanically and aesthetically. Once you let the appearance slide - once the interior is all manky, and the windshield has four cracks in it, and there are piles of mummified french fries between the seats and console, you subconsciously become less concerned with mechanical care, maybe a little less concerned with checking the oil or tire pressure...and eventually you're driving a beater.

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!

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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

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

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

^^^Well, you will never go hungry!

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Boom! Told you.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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...)