New engine time :(

Dealership says it looks like I have a dropped cylinder. Just came out of the blue. Augh. Thank god for CPO is all I can say. I'll be so thankful to have it back...

Turn that frown upside down if you have CPO - you get to cash in on the premium you paid!

justin, what year, how many miles?

PJ, 2000, 62k miles. Seemingly out of the blue. Justin

Wow!

Where did it go......sorry I had to do it. Good thing for your warranty, I would be SOL.

I'de really like to know what turns out to have caused this, was it preventable and was it caused by something that would show up in a PPI. I am close to buying a 996 and this is exactly the reason why I have not yet - my fears of 996 engine failures. No offense but do you leave the car in disrepair or track it or anything that might have led to this?

Molly - I have read your threads in the past. To answer your questions, no PPI cannot determine a dropped cylinder. Sounds like something let go in the valvetrain or the cylinder itself, which starts with hair-line cracks that can only be found through non-destructive testing. PPI doesnt do this because obviously it requires tearing the enigne down. Second, I dont think you are ready for a P-car because of your worries of Porsches, sounds like one could put you in a financial hole (sorry if I am wrong). My advice would be to scour every part of the car on pelican parts for a 996 and judge your decision from there. Basically, nobody can work on the internals of the engine or tranny at home, requires many special Porsche tools you cant buy at Sears. However, a lot of other things can be done with basic hand tools and so if you are mechanically inclined, you might be good to go to get a 996, but you are not mechanically inclined, probably pass on because repair bills are huge on these cars (this is only on the basis the car could put you in a financial hole). If you are just worried about the engine lettig go itself, it has happened but rare, just get a nice WARRANTY.

Thanks for the info. Like I said, I've had P-cars before. I had a 944 that was only about 3 years old back in the day that cost me $4500 once in the repair shop. This was on basically a perfect car that my dad bought new then sold to me with hardly any miles on it. Money is really not an issue for me. I could afford a 997TT if I wanted to (of course I want to) but just could never justify invest so much into a sports car, much less the repairing an old one if it failed. If I buy a 996 and the engine explodes can I right a check for a brand new one in a second? Yes I could. Would it make any difference to me financially? Not really, I would never really feel it in the pocketbook so to speak. However, I would have to answer to myself that I bought a pure gravy toy, then spent a bunch fixing it, and that feeling, which I have experienced before, is sickening to me. As far as maint, I would never do that myself. Springing for the basic maint of a 996 is not a concern at all. I have researched getting a service contract as well. It would feel good having that coverage, but considering the price, I may be more apt to risk it and know that a $10K bill could happen to me one day.

Molly, its simple....go to your Porsche dealer, find the preowned 996 you like...but it with the CPO warranty that will AT LEAST cover it for 2 years and up to 100k miles....If you buy one still under warranty, this adds 2 years to that and 50k miles. So if you buy a 1 year old Porsche...you get like 6 years, 100k in warranty. This will cover any major repair with no issues including replacing an engine.

Molly, Sounds like financially you're all set, so jump in and do it. You will not regret it. Sure you might not like some of the repair bills, but you're not getting those every day. What you will get every day is the enjoyment of driving one of the coolest sports cars in the world. I still get a giddy feeling every single time I get behind the wheel. Every day in hesitation is a day not driving your Porsche.

I am looking at a 99 Aerokit coupe tomorrow which is CPO. I'm going to do it, just need to find the right one now.

Congrats. Shout if you need opinions on a car.

Hate to hijack this thread but if you can afford a 997 Turbo, buy a CPO 996 turbo. No worries then.

I said I could afford one. I also said that I could never justify that expense on another pure endulgence. I was just emphasizing that I could afford a $$$ repair if I had to. The car would not sit broken in my garage, it would get fixed while I kick myself for buying it. Turbos and CPO cars are substantially more $$ than my self-imposed budget allows. My thinking is like this: the CPO cars I have kindof looked at lately seem to have about 1 or 2 years left typically. So after that, I could end up spending a fortune if something fails bigtime anyway, plus I will have paid a major premium for the car in the first place. I think it may be better to buy a non-CPO car which is in just as good condition, save thousands, and maybe have to use that savings one day for repairs. Or maybe I get lucky and get away with just getting a cheaper car in the first place and never having to spend anything on repairs. Could go either way I guess.

You are looking at it all wrong....I bought my 99 C4 Cab for LESS than private party blue book from a dealer WITH a CPO warranty. The premium a CPO car carries is MAYBE a few grand...I had about $30k in warranty bills from a PERECT car...this included a new engine. Yes thats almost as much as I paid for the car...lol....When buying these cars, dont cheap out and try to save a few bucks, it will bite you in the end...I am not saying pay the premium price, but if you are a good negotiator, you can get a good deal at a Porsche dealer, with a warranty, and enjoy peace of mind. Here is why your non CPO car WONT be in just as good condition....to certify the car, you must perform all services, change brakes, check clutch and change if under 50%, replace tires if under 50%, check cooling system, electrical system, replace battery if its not holding adequate charge, plus like 100 other things. All things that NO ONE selling a used car would do. I have had my car 3+ years, put 70k miles on it, same clutch, changed brake pads ONCE. Imagine if you buy a non CPO car....you have to do a service, up to $1000 depending on which service is needed....tires, another $1,000, clutch $2,000, battery $100, coolant tank, $300....thats if nothing goes wrong! It makes sense to get a CPO just to get a car that has been gone through, serviced, and "refreshed" to CPO standards.

If money was not an object, why buy a '99, I would at least get a '02. Also if you could afford a 997TT, what is another few grand for a newer car? If you are looking at it on a pure "investment" standpoint, I understand not wasting more money than you have to, but when I hear money is no object, I wonder why a person would buy the oldest one.

Molly - CPO warranty should cost you about $1,500. I would recommend '02+ with CPO.

Like Molly said before, having money is one thing and justifying an expense is another - especially when a VERY close substitute is present at a VERY attractive price. Corsely put - Would you spend $40 on a great burger when you can get a similarly great burger for $20 if you just had to cross the street at a similar restaurant ? $40 isin't going to break your wallet but what about the "hmm ... is that a good deal" feeling ? I know a lot of people, most self made, who would HATE to know they've paid more for an experience/business deal/contract/house. Its the "Damn, I didn't negotiate the best deal / do m ybest research" kinda feeling. All said and done, Molly, I'd recommend you look at CPO cars. They really aren't that much of a premium for the mileage/age you get (dealers generally CPO only their best cars) and plus you get pretty good extended warranties (though not comprehensive) if you hunt just before the CPO warranty is about to expire. If you hunt for extended warranties AFTER the CPO expires, you get very poor deals generally. Hunt around between different dealers - you'll notice some dealers to be expensive and snooty and some to be of great value and very personal (genuinely). Tell the sales guy that you're looking for a XYZ car (spec out the car as well your ballpark budget contingent on condition). Tell him to contact you when he eyes such a car. The $1k-2k extra of a CPO (IF at all) will really justify - the higher probabality that this car less problematic - the higher probabality that the major repairs will come for free - the peace of mind of having the EXPENSES covered (since they concern you) so you can be less worried about this and more focused on work/family/etc. - the peace of mind of having your TIME and EFFORT saved when the dealer is bound (by CPO contract) to do ALL that's needed to "just fix the car". But now I didn't practice what I just said above ! I came across a killer deal from a luxury car dealership. A '99 996 with 54k miles at $31k !! This was 1.5 years back when I bought one for my 25th birthday. I have an extended warranty for the "major" stuff and the extra money saved is invested elsewhere making more money - to be pulled in some other day if I need it. So far I've had a very reliable car with no major problems (knock on wood) - just the usual maintenance/wear and tear stuff. In my case the closest CPO was an extra $6k and I didn't want to wait too long - so I jumped onto the non-porsche dealership. If you can wait - look for a CPO. I hope is of some help !

I understand this rationale perfectly, and it's also kept me from buyig a 99-01 model yr 911. I honestly think, however, that you should budget about 40-45k for the car and get a cpo'd 02 model. I am now in a position to buy any sports car I want as well, but i share your concerns about feeling foolish if it cost me 15k in repairs. It's not our fault the 996's have had rms and engine problems, it's Porsche's. Because of this, I decided to buy an m3 and an older M Coupe for the same money I would have spent on a 911. When the cost of the 997's come down in a few more years i plan on buying a c2s.

Used with CPO... and patience with a lot of bargaining... that is how I got into my 996TT... after the two years are up I will reconsider what to do with the car depending on its service/reliability history. For now I just enjoy the heck out of it.