Alpenworks Automotive

Overview Writing about the 911 was planned from the beginning.  To that end, I'm periodically recording my thoughts and experiences regarding what it's like to live with a 10 year old Porsche on a daily basis.  Without further ado, here's the six month report. Maintenance & Repairs One of the goals of this little adventure is to see how much it costs to operate a 911 on a daily basis.  As mentioned earlier, this car is not a garage queen.  It's used as...well...a car.  As such, it not only has to put a smile on my face as we cruise through the canyons, it must get me to work and back reliably.  In the first six months of ownership, the following work was performed: Pre-Purchase Replace AOS (symptom - oil leak)  Install new clutch kit (clutch disk, pressure plate, throwout & pilot bearings, shift fork) Replace left AC condenser Replace window regulator Replace accessory belt & idler pulleys Replace grounding strap Unexpect...

A while back, Kath and I agreed that I'd be able to park whatever I want (within reason) in my spot in the garage.  Outside of the obvious financial limitation, there was one rule - No Garage Queens.  As such, whatever tickles my automotive fancy must be usable in the winter.  This definitely influenced my decision to purchase the 911. Unlike the C4 or C4S, my 40th AE 911 is rear wheel drive.  The same weight distribution that gives earlier iterations of the 911 a reputation for being widow makers helps my car maintain traction to the drive wheels in the snow.  Stopping and turning are even more important than forward momentum, so snow tires are a must. Here she sits wearing her winter boots: The setup is OEM carrera twists wrapped in Pirelli Snow Sports, 225/40/18 front and 265/35/18 rear.  I'm not overly fond of how those wheels look on the car, but they'll do.

Back in June, I bought my first Porsche - a 2004 40th Anniversary 911.   Original rennlist post: After a couple years of researching, looking and comparison shopping, I finally bought a Porsche - #1147 40th AE. It's only gone 34.5K miles in the hands of the previous owners, of which there have been three. I drove a bone stock 1999 a number of years ago and, while it was a very nice car, it left me wanting. Fast forward five or so years and a number of cars owned/sold later and I came away with a much more positive view of the 996 after driving a friend's 1999 911. Specifically, I was impressed with how solid the car felt with 115K miles. He's put a fair amount of work in it to get to that point, but it's impressive nonetheless. I was convinced that I could drive a 996 on a daily basis. It's faster than any sane person needs to go on public roads, makes a great grand tourer and is fairly robust is one starts with a good foundation and observes t...