951 vs 996 - DIY maintenance and repair

I absolutely love my 951 but just spent 3 days busting my knuckles replacing the turbo. And as my wife and I are getting older we are looking more towards a weekend fun car with a few more creature comforts. But I don't want to get those creature comforts at the expense of being able to perform most maintenance tasks on my own. So if you've worked on both platforms please let me know what your experience has been.

I didn't vote because the answer is...it depends! I had an S2 so I didn't have all of the plumbing associated with the Turbo but basically a lot of the duties were almost the same. Here is a quick list I could think of: Oil changes - easier on 996 Spark plugs - easier on 944/951 Brakes - same on both Belts - much easier on 996 plus there's only one Water pump - easier on 996 Alternator - easier on 996 Mufflers - about the same Coolant tank - much easier on 944 I ended up trading in my 944 because I was spending a lot of time maintaining it and wanted to drive something more than fixing it. Granted you still will have to do some maintenance because these cars are getting older but even the oldest one is still 10 years younger than the latest 951. Plus with that you do get a more modern engine and suspension, air conditioning that works really well, and most design elements of the iconic 911 shape. I don't think you'll be disappointed with the switch. There are some issues, as you probably know, that you may want to address with the 996 but overall it's a really great vehicle at a tremendous price compared to other 911s.

Pena has answered it masterfully. I too went from an S2 to a 996. The maintenance on my 996 is, as a whole, easier than my 944. The best part is changing the oil filter on the 996. 944 owners know how messy it is on the 44's.

I just made the jump from 951 to a 996 c4 cab. I do miss the turbo boost definitely a much faster car but it will get you for everything when it comes to maintenance and constant break fix. The 996 has some maintenance advantage and has more creature comforts if that is your desire.

I've had both, and while I'd hazard a guess that the effort to do individual tasks is about the same, the 996 has needed far less maintenance than the 951 did! And, and longer service intervals, too. So, hands down, the 996 is a win in my book. (And, for comparison, I bought the 951 from the original owner when it was 12 years old and had 65k miles, and it had every maintenance record; and I bought my 996 from the original owner when it was 8 years old and 120k miles, and had every maintenance record.)

Good feedback guys. I would consider the 951 with all it's additional turbo plumbing to be easier to work on than a S2/968. They almost look spacious under the hood! So if the 996 is easier (even marginally so than the S2/968) then there may be one in my future. Most of the repair work I've done has been preventative and routine maintenance. Did the oil cooler seals a few years back and that is a job I don't ever care to do again. I'd put replacing the turbo right next to that on my "once is enough" list. But if I do ever have to tear that deep into the exhaust in the future it's going to get replaced with an upgraded turbo, 3" downpipe and exhaust!

I had an NA and the 996 has been a lot less trouble just due to the bolts not all being seized. Alternator changeout was easy. Spark plug changeout was a pain. Your 951 is a nicely optioned one though; the best color combo and an 89!

i had both and will never go back to a 951. sell it and buy an 02+ 996 and go widebody

went from the 86 951 to the 04 996 (40AE). Don't look back with anything less than fondness, but it's nice to have a more modern car!

Taking care is a car 10-15 years younger... Easier.

Routine maintenance: 996 wins. Potential for major engine problems: 996 fails. I've owned my 951 for 19 years, driven/DE/raced it for over 100k miles. That car never disappointed me the way my 996 did when it cracked a head and intermixed. I also think I prefer the ergonomics of the 951 over the early 996. Performance of the 996 wins, both in terms of power and suspension.

I've never owned another Porsche - but I have had a bunch of other cars. The 996 is one of the easiest to work on that I've ever touched. Most of the subsystems of the car were built to be taken apart.

After replacing the turbo it was clear to me that it was NEVER meant to be a serviceable item. I think shop time is like 14 hours. I know I had at least 20 into it. Probably more. I'm sure it would have cost me $2k+ at the shop. Part of my delima is now that I've taken care of a lot of maintenance items the car is running better than ever in the 8 years I've owned it. And it is A LOT of fun to drive! I've never driven a 996 but there is a certain amount of raw sports car to a 951 with the M030 that is tough to beat. Except that it beats you up on long drives. Probably meant more for the track than long cruises through the countryside. Well I'm going to drive it though the fall and think about it over the winter.

I have both and service both with the 996 being a tad bit easier. The only downfall of the 996 which was not mentioned is to get true analysis you will need to purchase Durametrics. Whereas, the 951 doesnt need software to trouble shoot. I also feel more confident in working on my 951 over the 996. I have done the AOS on my 996 with that being the biggest project to date whereas, the 951...there is always something to address but manageable.