new to me c4s seeking wisdom

I just picked up a 2004 c4s cab with 100k miles on the clock, southern owned with some shoddy maintenance history. I got what I think is a pretty good deal (23k) for a clean car and would like to plan to do a cross country road trip in it sometime next year. The PPI showed the car to be in pretty good shape and after a power steering leak repair I'm a happy camper. With that being said, the clutch is due for a replacement and my mechanic said the AOS is showing signs that it's starting to go. While we're in there I'm thinking to do the IMS solution replace clutch flywheel and RMS. Wanted to share the quote with you all and get some second opinions on pricing and whether I should consider any other preventative maintenance. Should I be doing a borescope first before throwing thousands of dollars at the engine? Would love to hear any thoughts comments and concerns - can my cross country dream in this car be realized or would it be shot down? Grateful for the priceless wisdom these forums provide.

Congrats on the car. The first thing I would do is test your oil to see whats in it. The second thing is to drop the sump and see what's in it, and cut open your oil filter and see whats in it as well. Then I would scope the bores from the sump. If all looks good, then start refreshing the engine with the items on your above list. You would improve your engine durability if you add a new oem water pump to the list and the UAOS Track. For sure, replace the oil cooler as well. In addition, replace your fuel injectors, plugs, ignition coils, maf and might as well do the oxy sensors. No reason to promote excess fuel in the cylinders that can lead to bore scoring. For sure, don't forget to go over the cooling system with a fine tooth comb. If you don't want to spring a leak on a road trip, you might as well replace the tanks and hoses. While you are in there, may want to replace the oil pressure sending unit. It will eventually go and scare the hell out of you thinking you don't have oil pressure. Good luck with the refresh. The 996 is a great road trip car. I do it every year. Especially enjoyable with fresh parts!

Thanks for intel. In your experience, how much of this is DIYable for someone at say an intermediate skill with a wrench, a jack and some jackstands? And what would be good to offload to an indy to do while they're doing some of the other major jobs listed above?

Quite a bit is doable. Question is do you want to do it? Some guys love DIY stuff. My preference is to save the engine work for my indy. Key to saving money is to group stuff together that saves in man hours. There are plenty of threads here on RL from guys that DIY. You will find that the majority of us are 996 enthusiasts and want to help out.

Congratulations on the 996, over the years I have done almost all my own maintenance and repairs with a Quick Jack and a good set of tools and support products, I don�t do engine or gearbox work I too leave that for an knowledgeable independent shop. Enjoy the ride 😀 Rich

In March 2020 I purchased a 2003 C2. Drove it home from Dallas Tx to a suburb of Atlanta. I have a lift in my home garage - after taking the wife on a test ride - on the lift it went. I did the 3 items you mention above. Of course, for the AOS - I installed Skip's (Porschetech3) UAOS as I wanted to not have to do that install again. And I did not use Mobil 1 - I used Driven DT40. Definitely not a hard DIY job. I did not drop the engine - I did, of course, drop the transmission. But, I have been working on cars, bikes, you name it since I was riding my first bike with training wheels. I had my father remove the training wheels, I fell down, had him put them back on, then never asked him again - I did it. So let's just say almost 60 years... -Tom

This is all helpful - seems like I'm on the right track. I am willing to do a lot of DIY stuff and learn along the way. My only limitation is a lack of a lift of any sort but I imagine if I do not have to drop the engine jackstands should be enough. Hoping to invest in this car and that it can serve as a daily for many years to come.

Very DIY able. You'd have to get the car like 18 inches plus the height of your transmission dolly off the ground to drop the transmission, which can be an issue. Much more doable with a lift in a garage. LOVE my Bendpak MD-6XP. Best tool I bought.

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The quote is reasonable. I would replace the AOS with the UAOS. Dont bother with the replacment. Get the track drain option and never worry about it again. I have done all these things, although not all at once!

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Thanks, I think I'll start with IMS and clutch/flywheel and tackle the UAOS myself

Any idea on when the water pump was last done? I basically did the exact same thing you did (bought a $23k C4S with 100k miles, replaced clutch/FW, RMS, IMS), and the service manager said that it would probably be a good idea to do the water pump and thermostat while the car was already on the lift. I don't think it was really *that* expensive either.

No idea when any of the maintenance was done tbh. Records are slim to none but the coils and plugs look new as well as front shocks and I believe the car was well taken care of by the last two owners who did their own maintenance. PPI said car looks good for it's age. Rolling the dice a bit but I have a good feeling about it. Good call and thermostat and water pump. Has anybody here ever replaced the soft top on a cab?

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Your car literally must be the twin to mine. New plugs and coils as well as a suspension refresh. One of the previous owners put in a LN IMS bearing and PSE (wasn't on the options sticker, but it has the button and opens/closes a valve), so it definitely had some care and love. As for the soft top, there are videos on Youtube that show how to replace the top. It isn't trivial, but I would imagine if you plan on doing the AOS that you've probably got more than enough mechanical aptitude to do the top yourself too.

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How long have you had yours? Mine is going for that clutch and IMS later this week. And let's withhold assumptions until the AOS is done, I might be biting off more than I can chew, we'll see.

Water pump!!!!!

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I have had mine for about 3 months, but I honestly only recently started driving it though. I am actually just learning to drive stick, so my dad has been the one driving the car mostly. The plan was to start learning to drive when I actually got the car, but between the clutch going out (and going in for service), buying a home and moving, and a ton lot of activity at work, I am just now getting around to it.

Enjoy it, it's been a great couple of weeks for me!

"new to me c4s seeking wisdom " I'll play Devil's advocate.... and this comes from the happy owner of 2, 996 cars. IMHO, wisdom has very little to do with purchasing a 996 with 100,000+ miles and a poor maintenance record for $20-30k. With the "23 documented modes of m96 failure" (said by the biggest/smartest m96 engine builder in USA,said right on this forum) and all m96 experts saying by 100k miles the blocks are way out of round/taper and have suffered structural damage, this purchase is more about following the Heart. There is no wisdom to this purchase. Especially when one considers putting another $7.5k (as in the op's above estimate ) in the OOR/tappered block engine. And then another $5-7000 on other bolt on parts. Then still having to do the $u$pen$ion etc? Sure, there are the exceptions that have been well maintained since new and even with oor cyls they can still motor on past 100k with reduced power/ring seal, maybe burning some oil, piston slap, bore score, etc. Then there are the others, that have not made it to 100k or more, regretfully, with catastrophic failures. If you're doubting me on this, think about it. How have the numerous m96 engine builders built their businesses on re-engineering the m96 engine for $32,000 -$70,000. And are doing well at it, with waiting lines.... So, imho, to spend 20-30k on the car, then another 15k + on deferred maintenance, and still have another 10k to spend on suspension/wheels/tires/cooling system, exhaust, etc.? while ignoring the most important part, the defective non-rebuildable engine structure/internals is not wisdom, it borders on being disingenuous to ones self. Its an act of the hart. An act of desire To own a beautiful 996 Porsche and hope all the inevitable problems don't happen to you. Most here can afford it if the worst does happen and a $32,000(LN/Slaker) re-engineered engine that solves most all m96 problems is needed. or will try a same basic problems OEM short block with heads done and all new bolt ons for 25k, which should last a while. Sure, a proficient wrench diy guy can save a lot doing it all himself, but still will suffer a huge upside down co$t. I just feel bad for the young guy that doesn't know the possible/probable pitfalls of a high miles cheap 996. And isn't well to do, gets caught so far upside down that selling a roller is all he can do.... But in the end it is about following your HEART and getting what you think you want regardless of the wisdom of cost of a 996...... jmho

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This is the type of wisdom I was looking for. Although I'd argue that all affairs are affairs of the heart, even those under the guise of logic. Well said. On the flip side, say, chasing a perfect and clean example which (after those initial stressors) could also develop a number of issues on the drive home as it could be hit by another car or even a meteor from space. All is possible here.

Consider anything rubber that is probably due for replacement. The plastic lines for the vacuum system are another item that does not age well. Flush and change every fluid in the car, too, besides the good advice given by others. Join AAA.

I also am new to the 996.2. My first water cooled 911 after owning at least 15 air cooled Porsches over 40 years. Thank you for the incite in this thread. My 996 is a Cab with Tip. Under 30k miles. 2 previous owners with well documented service history. The prior owner replaced the IMS and had repair done to top mechanism. I had a PPI like assessment done after purchase to establish baseline for service including sump inspection. Mechanicals all checked out. However, it had serious �black foam� disease. Something I had not heard of before until I started doing research here. I�ve since recovered all 4 dampers in the HVAC ducts and vacuumed out the ducts. I started this repair DIY from the front quickly got over my head and turned it over to my Indy. On to my questions: I�m big on preventative maintainence. Given a well maintain 996.2 that will be used as a daily driver and a few extended trips what are the time and milage expectations for replacement for issues discussed in this thread such as water pump, AOS, bore scoring, block issues etc? One other observation for prospective Tiptronic buyers. The transmission in automatic mode is a terrible mismatch to the motor. Left in fully automatic mode the driving experience is something like driving a10hp lawnmower. You find yourself driving around town at 1000 rpms in 5th gear most of the time and no �go� when you step on the gas. My advice is get to learn how to use the manual mode, keeping the RPMs above 2500 for all driving and you will have a Porsche driving experience. Even for me, after driving manual 911s for years it was a learning experience to get the dog out of the car. thanks in advance for all wisdom.

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That's exactly why I opted in on Hagerty's "Meteor Strike" floater.