200,000 miles

There it is... bought the C4S Cab new in 2004, best 200,000 miles I've ever driven.

Congrats. Great to hear about yet another high mileage car. Looks like you were having some fun at the time. Now get that CEL fixed.

Congrats!! T

Rob, your car nicely demonstrates the quality that Porsche puts into their cars. Not only does your car have all these miles, but every time you post a pic of it on FB, I marvel that it still looks like new.

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That CEL is because of the aftermarket cat converters. I will clear it myself. The paint on these cars is phenomenal.

Awesome... congratulations!

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I had a good friend from Texas visit me this past weekend. He's a big Toyota fan and proudly mentioned that his Tundra (that he drove to my house) was about to hit 180,000 miles and that he would quickly buy another one when the time was right. When he left my house the next day, he called thirty minutes later to say his transmission just went out. Guess "time" caught up with him.

Another closet 996 owner from RLOT! Knowing you and Gretch are original 996 owners explains so much Congrats on the milage. So what all have you done to it over the years to get it this far?

Good job! Uh, 93mph? Now I know how you came by your avatar.

The aluminum gauge rings are the key to long life. Congratulations and many more happy miles!

Congratulations! Better get that IMS changed right away.

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Congrats. I'm surprised no one has asked if it was original IMS or not. Are you on original chain guides/IMS paddles? What oil?

Congratulations! I have 35k to go to reach the milestone.

Congrats! What are your secrets?

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Excellent!

solid

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That's a karma hurt right there... ugh. The only engine issue was a water pump a few years ago and replaced the coils. Knocking on wood, nothing else so far except for regular maintenance. Two clutches and I just replaced a bunch of suspension parts, which were still factory. That's remarkable considering all those 200k miles were on NYC roads - winter and summer! I've actually done through about $20,000 in tires... that's my biggest expense I had to slow down to take the picture!! Safety first. LOL! Exactly. Never changed it once. Never changed the IMS - did change the RMS, not because it was leaking but they were changing the clutch anyway so I had them change it. Drive it. Seriously. All year, drive these cars, they rot when they sit. My first 996 (2001 C4) had 70k miles before I got rid of it about 6 months after I purchased this C4S. You have to drive them.

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Awesome. Until we had to rebuild the transmission our 2001 C4 was pretty much the same (tires being the big expense). Still haven't quite broken the $20k barrier over 15 years, but it's definitely close after last summer. No where near your miles though! We don't drive ours as much as we should, but as long as it can get down the road (e.g. snow isn't too deep) it's been an option and has been run all year every year.

my 4CS has 44k on the clock! I've been on this forum 5 years and have learned a lot! U can't put 200k on this car...or drive it in the rain...THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!!

Awesome post and congrats on the 200k milestone!

Where's the "Like" button!?!

Congrats! I'll be very happy if I get that much enjoyment out of mine. Here's to the next 200k

That's great Riad! Figured you dropped off the map, occasionally see your posts in OT. Any plans to replace or run the Porsche till it drops?

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That's awesome, not about the 20k in tires, but the 15 years with the C4. I have the Unicorn 996. They only sold a few of them. Thank you! This Porsche is now part of my DNA. I will never sell this Porsche. I have been working on Mrs. Riad about a 991.2 Targa GTS 4. It's about $150,000 and I've been working on my own start up business so cash is king right now, but maybe in a year or two! It's also why I haven't been around much.

Great work! Now only 300K or so to catch that 996 Turbo from Panorama last year

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Sorry, meant we hadn't broken 20k total, not just about tires. Though I am now realizing that I was forgetting its newest wheels. Those took us over 20k... Still it's been a good run with long stretches of just needing fluids! Like you, we're in it for life. Having a 911 was her childhood dream and I'm glad I could do it for her. It is also responsible for my Cayenne which I hope to have just as long

So - you got 'er broke in now. Well done.

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Great stuff, thank you. Do you use the hard top in winter? How has the soft top held up for you? I've been thinking about getting a hard top, not for California weather, but to sneak into some track days. I was going to give my other car some exercise tonight but your put me back in my 2000 cab instead. Best wishes.

NICE! Mine almost got there. It will once again. Any track time?

You, my friend, are my hero. 200K original owner. Wow. Keep going. Maybe at 300k Porsche will buy it from you for a museum.

Very cool...good luck with the new biz Riad.

Hey Rob....I thought I saw that ratty old car , one wheel folded under, going down 17 sitting on a flatbed driven by some clown with a beard , curls and a wide brimmed black hat

^^very not funny to locals....:nonomo:

Riad, Great to hear that you hit 200K with the only engine work being a preventive RMS change, coincidental with clutch work. We're at about 175K, no IMS change; head gasket purportedly replaced around 150/160K being the only engine work. Are you planning any other preventive engine work, or just going to drive until a problem arises? There is considerable bantering on this forum about the necessity of replacing IMSB every 60K (or is it 75K) miles -- to avoid catastrophic engine failure. Obviously, you are flying in the face of convention. What's your thinking for the future? Thanks.

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He may just come from the old school thought that some of us have(not many here) where they don't fix something that isn't broke. There's a refreshing concept.

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Hey Hacker, if you are watching can you change the title of the thread to "What happens when you actually drive your car" and make it a sticky? More importantly, I think, is that he obviously subscribes to the "just drive the damn thing!" school of 996 maintenance

Awesome! I hope mine makes it that far.

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How true that statement is at least for me.

Congrats on getting your moneys worh

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True dat. I think we're all hoping for a similar outcome. Kinda like wanting to hear what's the secret to living to age 110, and hearing that it's a pint of whiskey and 2 packs of cigs every day since age 16. What about that 200K mile IMSB, huh? Who ever heard of that? Gives one hope that the knock in the engine just might be a lifter not pumping up.

Good for you! How often do you replace the water pump?

This sort of thread is bad news everyone will want one with this sort of tittle tattle! - But well done anyway 200 000 in a Porsche 'good news does travel fast'

Remember, we are talking about percentages. We teased my Grandmother that smoking was going to kill her at her 97th birthday party. But smoking did kill my Dad at the age of 72. So which is the right answer? Same thing with maintenance. The guy that sees the most M96 engine failures says that IMS, AOS and water pump failure are 3 common causes. So it's a reasonable deduction that proactively changing these on a maintenance schedule will reduce your chance of engine failure. It doesn't mean that they WILL fail. It just means you are significantly decreasing your odds of losing an engine to them. Each person has to assess their own tolerance for perceived risk and make the choice that is right for them. I will say that people who have lost their engine to an AOS failure are probably more likely to replace their AOS every 3 years (two if tracking) than people who haven't. And they will probably continue to do so no matter how many "200k mile" threads appear.

Rob, MOST EXCELLENT! I cannot tell you how good your car's achievement makes me feel about my own 2000 C4 Cab tip with just a measely 136k on the clock. I have had more maintenance expense than you, however my car is older and I don't drive it after the first of December until April or May every year. Have done: alternator, water pump, both at about 125k. Had to swap out the tip tranny and AOS at about 100k. The tranny always had some thing wrong with it and I should have pushed the issue when the car was under warranty, but it was a very infrequent and somewhat minor event that ultimately presaged a bad input shaft bearing. They don't repair the tips at the dealer, they replace them. I am putting her into the shop in a couple of weeks for an overall checkup and will very likely do the IMS upgrade at that time......I am quite surprised to hear you have had no issues with the timing chain tensioner guides. I am delighted you have proof these cars can go long distances, though you are prolly correct that you purchased a unicorn version. GREAT stuff!

nice RIAD - With 110K on my C4S, this is great news - proper care and preventative maintenance goes a long waaaaay.

... Plus drive the heck out of it! T

Great to hear the 996 can go 200K miles without engine work or without replacing the IMSB. I was thinking that the IMS is submerged in oil at rest, so when the bearing seal leaks a little, the hollow shaft will be filled with oil, and likely dirty oil. A quick drain and refill is not likely to change much of the dirty oil inside the hollow shaft. When I did my oil change I also dropped the oil pan and wiped everything dry. But I left it dry for a couple of weeks. During those two weeks there was an additional few ounces of oil dripped from the engine. I wonder if that oil came from the IMS hollow shaft. If it did, then leaving the engine free of oil for extended period before re-fillling may allow the dirty oil inside the IMS to drain, get clean oil back into the IMS bearing. Inconvenient, but something I'm willing to do to if it saves changing the IMSB every few years.

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There is a 40AE with an equally impressive ODO. My entreaties to him to post details rather than the occasional shot of his cluster have fallen on deaf ears though I don't think these high milage cars are unicorns so much as most owners balk at the idea of putting so many miles on a 911. Of course being a place to get help, we also hear far more about the problem cars than the ones that just keep right on cruising.

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Well said, nice change of pace from all the negative news we read about on this forum. congrats to the OP!

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Sounds logical. Dont forget, there is also a "pop the seal" route which I personally subscribe too.

Congrats on 200k. How do you keep your top in good shape through the winters? That is one reason why i don't drive mine in the winter. I caught this after i was parked.

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Wow, congrats!

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Damn it, I have some catch up to do! Stupid notifications are not sending me an e-mail for this thread, but I get notifications for threads that are 13 years old... anyway! I plan on it!! Exactly. I do want a new 991.2 Targa but I'll never get rid of this 996 unless something catastrophic happens. LOL, yup! I used my hard top the first year I had the car in 2004, then never put it on again. Not only does it add another 75lbs to the car, which I can feel but it also prevents me from dropping the top on those nice Jan days where the temp hits 55 and it's sunny. Never tracked it, never will. I do want to track a Porsche but would probably go with an older C4 that I can gut and put a roll cage in and other mods to make it just for the track. Right now I'm very hesitant to do that because I just don't have the time to dedicate to it. Maybe!! LOL. Thank you! Much work, no time. Don't get me started. The only preventative maintenance is oil changes every 3,000 miles or so. And I had Porsche do the major server at 100k and 200k, that's it. That's pretty much it! Seriously, I really do believe these cars need to be driven. Keep driving it!! So worth it. Car still puts a smile on my face, even after 12 years. I only replaced the water pump once. Exactly! I only replaced my water pump when it failed, and I think that was around 100,000 miles or so. Thanks Gretch. Never had an issue with timing chain guides! I really do think Porsche makes great vehicles - not many Ferrari's could go 200k miles with just regular maintenance. Yes!! Drive it and enjoy!! I highlighted this because it's spot on. You come here for help, so you see a lot of people with issues. It's not the majority of the ownership experience, no way. LOL! Nice. One time a few years ago I used a Scotch Guard soft top spray... can't remember which one, but other than that the top is perfect. And I drive it all winter, so they do make a great top! Thank you!

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There you have it folks, for all the suckers putting in $5k/year on pm.

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I think there is only one well documented fool that spent that kind of time/money on PM. Most with the high yearly bills are just catching up on poor maintenance of the past or dealing with the results of the car doing too much sitting. Rob has the benefit that very few of us have any more. He knows how the car has been treated and taken care of it's entire life. There is no guess work which it makes it much easier when deciding if something should be done or not. And to be fair, where he has "saved" on PM costs he has more than made up for in the costs of putting so many miles on it (tires, fluids, brakes, etc..). So it really comes out close to a wash I expect, though I would bet on him getting far more enjoyment for the dollars spent

I really can't see replacing something that isn't broken. Especially something like a water pump. It dies, you pull over and have it towed to your favorite shop and get it replaced. And I certainly wouldn't equate spending money on parts that aren't broken to normal wear and tear items that get replaced due to driving the car. These cars are so incredibly fun to drive it absolutely ruins you for driving any other car (with the obvious exception of the exotic). I do agree that owning since it was new is a huge benefit. I know that car inside and out perfectly. When it's not 100% I can just feel it. Like right now there is a slight shake in the steering wheel when I hit 70mph and continues until about mid 80's... I've brought the car into my indy mechanic and two Porsche dealerships and none of them can find any issue with the wheels/tires/suspension/mounts etc. But I know there's a problem there so I need to find a suspension place because even though it's slight it shouldn't be doing that.

Fantastic. Time for a Pano article.

Rob, every SINGLE time I had a vibration in the car that was harmonic, like what you describe, it was tires........... put new one on and Voila!!!!!!!! prolem goes away. And my tires last me a good long time........ as I tweaked the rear camber back to zero and for my driving the car handles fine and I get north of 25,000 out of a set of rear tires. Before I tweaked the camber, I was lucky to get half that.

just drive at 69 or 81mph i'd wait till you need tires and get alignment

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Hookers and blow should take away that shimmy problem Riad!

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At 250k I will approach them. I think these are relatively new tires, and it was happening with my winter wheels and tires too... strange. I just had all the wheels balanced, but my guess is that you're right. As soon as I need to change the rears I'll change all 4. I usually just hit 100 or 110 and it's rock solid Usually just adds to the shimmy problem!!