996 on an Island

How well does a 996 hold up on a Island with the salt air? We are considering purchasing/building a vacation house in the Caribbean on a island. The island has all paved roads and modern conveniences. I recognize it may not be the most practical vehicle, but when i think about it why not (they are aluminum which is better than 95% of my other choices would be). I'm not in need of a truck to haul anything, and what better setting to drive one in. With the inexpensive nature of them right now and making sure I handle all common and predictable issues before shipping it over. The major drawback is lack of ability to get repairs done. Anyone have any opinions or experience is appreciated. Thanks.

I can't speak to a 996 specifically on an island, but a 996 poster a couple of years ago mentioned some significant frame damage he'd had due to road salting. That said, I know the corrosion-proofing of the 996 frame was mentioned prominently in the Porsche manufacturing videos I watched some time back; I would expect it to hold up as least as well as any other car made from metals that can oxidize... I'd think that as long as the car is in good condition and all of the treatments/sealants remain in place, the car should hold up fine. If the Cubans can keep 55-year-old Chevys on the road, I'd think you'd be OK with a modern Porsche.

I'd probably be more concerned about the condition of the roads. Seems like the locals like to drive Jeeps and small SUVs for a reason.

[QUOTE=5CHN3LL;13566231 If the Cubans can keep 55-year-old Chevys on the road, I'd think you'd be OK with a modern Porsche.[/QUOTE] Very good point!

The quality of the fuel might be one reason I'd reconsider. Our best "premium" in California is still lower octane than the fuel door asks for; if the island you're considering has crappy gas, it might be more than the knock sensors can adjust for. Which island? I briefly considered such a plan for Cozumel, but the Mexican land ownership laws meant I'd be building a house on leased property; when one of those 4-5 year hurricanes comes along and flattens the building, I wouldn't even own the land where my house USED to be...and that's one of the few Caribbean islands I've visited that I think I could stand living for more than a few months.

My uncle ran an SC in Jamaica as a DD. The roads ate plenty of wheels and tires and such. I don't believe rust/corrosion was an issue. Parts and qualified mechanics were tough: I expect that the many more sensors/servos/switches on a 996 would compound this issue. Easier to MacGyver an '82 anything than an '02 anything. The sun ate that interior up, but it was the mismatch for conditions-- there's hardly anyplace to use 4th gear, forget 5th-- that ended the ~4 year experiment.

Yes, We are only considering Islands that have "Titled Property" as well as we many have restrictions on property size (Many not over .75 acre.). Which is not really too much of a down side , due to our intention of a beach front lot (which is the whole purpose for us to be on a island really). The local beaches on these islands often get overwhelmed when the tourist and cruise ships come into port. The concern that i am learning of is most will give a 90 day visa with a 30 extension - But getting another extension back to back seems to be the issue. We would prefer to stay there for at least 6 months at a time with 8 months our objective before returning to our house in Florida. Some of the Islands we have been looking at have amazing good deals right now. I am not all that impressed with the new construction methods though, but being in the industry myself I would be going the extra mile with it anyways. For readers of this the current price per soft. of shell (block - but take note they are only using 6" - not what you really want) and basic interior are starting at $75 to $100 a sqft. but realistically with what we in the U.S. would want would be around $150 a soft.

Sorry, Where you read the word soft - I meant it to say SQFT = Square Foot Spell checked corrected it as it thought i meant the word soft. Also i should have been clear on the restrictions to .75 acre is due to now being a citizen of the country the island belongs to.

What car brands have a good service/parts support on island? I would pick a car based on these 2 factors.

Smart cars and there is a lot of Kia's with a dealership on one of the islands. Neither I am excited about but my wife does think the smart car is cute!

Damn. That's quite a selection. Honestly, I'd probably buy a decent Kia sedan (with a warranty) for trips to town and the oldest small-block Chevy truck with wind-up windows and a bench seat I could find as the workhorse that can be fixed by anyone anywhere. Having a pickup is very handy for moving building materials. And dead tourists. But mostly building materials.

If any of you are Saltwater Island style people like me, I think you will have a "Soul Centered" experience after watching this! I'm not sure I know how to link this properly, but here it goes! (When I showed it to the wife she gave me the anger look, and said Turks and Caicos or equivalent! She is a Carrera/Calcutta Gold countertop, Stainless appliances with a Louis Vuitton store on the Island type of Gal)! I am thinking since it is so cheap for a a beachfront house surrounding by water on 3 sides built in 2011 (Their version of CBS) 2,200 soft. with a Panga with yamaha 2 stroke for around 225,000.) Vacation home on Turks and Caicos for me and the wife - Weekend (2 times a month) house for me without the wife (Too primitive for her!) Who's In? We can call it Reenlist Retreat! Fish all day and hang out with the locals who seem to be my type locals - cool, honest, hardworking people who at the end of the day will Feel the Burn <- Yes I intentionally spelled in that way! HEY it is disrespectful to not partake in the local culture, and I for one will not stand for it (or sit for it for that matter) but I may lay down and look at the sky and ponder life WAYYYYY TOOOO DEEEPPPPLY though! It's ok, I am not the pilot flying the plane out of Guanaja, So No Worries! and have a beer too! (Seriously - they are so passionate about the opportunity to do what they love, Brings everything into perspective - Doesn't it?) Bonacca | Guanaja, Honduras - YouTube

My dad lives about 50 yards from the Pacific in Huntington Beach, CA - there are some items (like propane patio heaters) that he does not bother buying. The salt air completely destroyed six heaters he purchased for a holiday party in less than a year...so make sure the sealants and other protective features of whatever car you wind up with are intact. Exposed mild steel stuff - exhaust pipes, mufflers, hangers, stuff like that are probably going to rot fairly quickly, but the treated/sealed metals should be fine. Maybe a C4/C5 Corvette, since plastic, fiberglass, and aluminum all stand up well to salt.

If you are looking at Honduras...your wife would like Roatan better than Guanaja!

Yes, Roatan is a much more populated island. I looked at West Bay (Infinity Bay) also Parrot tree and Yellowfish. Even then it may be to rustic for her. I like it but really like the secluded authentic vibe of Guanaja of not just the island but also the people. Roatan has a great expat feel to it though, Utilia is for the younger scuba partying crowd (Not my style). I am a Floridian (Except when I went to private/boarding school in Fryeburg Maine) and like the "Old Florida" feel of when you could walk down the beach a not see another person or house in sight! Have you been or lived in Roatan? How did you like it?

Sure have. And Guanaja and Utila. Like you, my wife and I have been Beachfront Bargain hunting for a couple of years. We liked Roatan (saw Infinity Bay but that reminded me of the States). We looked at a house in the Turrets and almost pulled the trigger but the cruise ships ruined the beaches for us 4 out of 7 days. So we are still looking. We are still considering something in the Yucatan. If I was born rich, instead of good looking, I'd be living on Turks as we speak...

Yucatan has "Restricted Zone" for any property located 31 miles of coast or boarder that is restricted for foreigner ownership unless you do the "Trustee through a Banking setup". So beachfront living is not straight Title ownership. You mentioned Terrets - I don't know of that? I figures spell check maybe messed it up.

I know about how to title beachfront property in Mexico. Doesn't bother me in the least. Having deeded property doesn't offer any more protection from a coup, hurricane, etc. The community in Roatan was called The Turrets, as in those things in a castle. Hope you find something!